News

Dave Lawrie Aug 4, 2017

Blackfish, The Act Of Killing - we celebrate the great documentaries distributed by the UK's Dogwoof...

Did you know that around 20 percent of the films released in the UK are documentaries? It’s a surprisingly large figure. I think the reason behind it might be that ‘documentary’ is considered to be a genre in and of itself. “And the Academy Award for best documentary feature goes to…”. They're all lumped into the same bracket. Also, they're relatively cheap to make and can be assembled independently by a team of only a few people. Success at the box office is often down on the priorities list for creators wanting to spread a message, tell a story or get a point across and, when they only need to recoup that small amount to be considered successful, documentary cinema becomes fertile ground for ambitions to grow in.

See related Preacher...

There’s no question that Rodney King was brutally beaten by Los Angeles Police Department officers – video taken of the savage act proves it. Yet the four men seen clubbing King were acquitted by a Simi Valley jury in 1992, lighting a match for one of the deadliest and costliest civil unrests in U.S. history.

Read More: How Spike Lee, John Singleton and John Ridley Left Their Marks on the 25th Anniversary of the Los Angeles Riots

It’s 25 years later, and Los Angeles – and the Lapd – have changed. But has the rest of the country? Regular reports of police brutality, now well-documented in an age of phone cameras, makes it clear that we haven’t come all that far. Several new documentaries explore the L.A. riots, including the underlying reasons, the actual events, what happened next, and how it relates to today. Among the filmmakers putting their own...

It’s been 25 years since the Rodney King verdict led to several days of civil unrest in Los Angeles. Filmmakers including John Singleton and John Ridley plan to mark the anniversary with a slew of new documentaries set to premiere on TV next month.

At A&E, Singleton is behind “La Burning: The Riots 25 Years Later,” which premieres on April 18. Ridley, who’s currently behind ABC’s “American Crime,” among other projects, will also executive produce “Let It Fall: Los Angeles 1982-1992,” set to air April 28 on that network. And Showtime has the provocatively titled “Burn Motherf*Cker, Burn!” from filmmaker Sacha Jenkins on April 21.

The anniversary of the 1992 riots comes as, 25 years later, cases of excessive force used by the police on unarmed black Americans throughout the country continue to grab headlines across this nation.

“I believe the 1992 La Uprising has never truly been given a voice until now,...

A kidnapper gets more than he bargained for in Pet. Starring Dominic Monaghan, Ksenia Solo, and Jennette McCurdy, the psychological horror film has been acquired by Orion Pictures and Samuel Goldwyn Films, with Us theatrical, VOD, and DVD release dates slated for December.

Press Release: Los Angeles, CA (October 4, 2016) – Orion Pictures and Samuel Goldwyn Films announced today that they have acquired the psychological thriller Pet, directed by Carles Torrens and written by Jeremy Slater. The film stars Dominic Monaghan (Lost, The Lord Of The Rings Series), Ksenia Solo (Black Swan, Lost Girl), and Jennette McCurdy (iCarly, Sam & Cat). Pet had its World Premiere at the 2016 South by Southwest Film Festival in Austin. Orion Pictures and Samuel Goldwyn Films will release the film in U.S. theaters and on demand on December 2, 2016, and it will be available on DVD on December 27.

In the vein of Hard Candy and Gone Girl, Pet...

Nothing fits the music documentary format quite so compellingly as a life cut tragically short. In addition to the ready-made dramatic arc, a subject who leaves this mortal coil before their time usually also leaves a certain amount of mystery in their wake, providing ample grist for filmmakers (and the folks they interview) to chew on.

Even when the hows and whys of an artist's tragic exit are a matter of uncontroversial record, questions of "What might have been?" inevitably linger over their prematurely truncated discography — in itself a far...

The holiday season is here and like a lot of you, I plan on staying inside as much as I can and watching some great TV and movies. Thankfully Netflix is here to help with a new batch of offerings for December. They are also removing some titles you may want to watch while you can! Of course we are all waiting to see this Bill Murray Christmas special which arrives December 4th. Have a safe and happy viewing month everyone! Check out the full listings below:

All Title Dates are Subject to Change

Netflix U.S. Release Dates Only

Available 12/1

#DeathToSelfie (2014)

30 for 30: Chasing Tyson (2015)

50 Shades of They: Season 1

A Christmas Star (2015)

A Genius Leaves the Hood: The Unauthorized Story of Jay Z (2014)

Amnesiac (2015)

Broadchurch: Season 2

Cbgb (2013)

Christmas Wedding Baby (2014)

The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury (2004)

Cradle 2 the Grave (2003)

Darkman (1990)

Detectorists: Season 1

I’m Brent Morin — Netflix Original...

To your already busy December to-do list, add watching "A Very Murray Christmas," the all-star Bill Murray Christmas special that's available only on Netflix.

Also new to Netflix in December: New comedy specials from Mike Epps and Brent Morin, Adam Sandler's controversial "The Ridiculous 6," the buzzy transgender indie drama "Tangerine" and "Queen of Earth," starring "Mad Men"'s Elisabeth Moss.

Here's what's coming to Netflix in December 2015.

Available Dec. 1

"DeathToSelfie" (2014)

"30 for 30: Chasing Tyson" (2015)

"50 Shades of They": Season 1

"A Christmas Star" (2015)

"A Genius Leaves the Hood: The Unauthorized Story of Jay Z" (2014)

"Amnesiac" 2015)

"Broadchurch": Season 2

"Cbgb" (2013)

"Christmas Wedding Baby" (2014)

"The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury" (2004)

"Cradle 2 the Grave" (2003)

"Darkman" (1990)

"Detectorists": Season 1

"I'm Brent Morin" (2015, Netlix Original)

"Jenny's Wedding" (2015)

"Las magicas historias de Plim Plim": Season 1

"Ray" (2004)

"Real Rob": Season 1 (2015)

"See You In Valhalla" (2015)

"Stir of Echoes" (1999)

"Stir of Echoes: The Homecoming" (2007)

"That Touch of Mink...

★★★☆☆ Director Sacha Jenkins' Fresh Dressed (2015) harks back to the early 1990s, the nascent days of hip-hop and the change in fashion engendered by an entirely new musical form. Beneath the bold, multi-coloured graffiti-inspired designs, baggy pants and bling there's more to this stylish documentary than initially meets the eye. There is some crossover early on with Shan Nicholson's 2010 documentary Rubble Kings - which ploughs through the devastating violence and arson of the South Bronx in the 1970s.

Spectre | Under Milk Wood | Taxi Tehran | Black Souls | Vaaliba Raja | Fresh Dressed | The Vatican Tapes | Outcast | Do I Sound Gay?

After the upheaval of Skyfall, the hallmarks of the traditional Bond movie are very much back in place here – and the good news is, Bond’s lightened up a bit too. There’s the expected polish to the action set-pieces and international intrigues, which acknowledge both Bond movies past and the post-Snowden present. On the downside, there’s little for the women to do apart from look alluring, and a lot of nonsense to forgive in a plot that feels more retro-fitted than meticulously planned.

Continue reading...

Fresh Dressed, a documentary directed by Sacha Jenkins, tells the story of the love affair between hip-hop and fashion, from the early looks developed in Brooklyn, the Bronx and Queens to the multi-million dollar labels developed by rap stars like Sean Combs. Benjamin Lee explains why the film, which features contributions from Combs, as well as Kanye West, Pharrell and Nas, is worth your time this week

Continue reading...

Director Sacha Jenkins’ feature documentary "Fresh Dressed," an exuberant chronicle of hip hop and urban fashion, and their global influence on pop culture, will premiere as a CNN Films broadcast with limited commercial interruptions on Thursday, Sept. 3 at 9pm Eastern on CNN/U.S., the network announced today. Produced by Peter Bittenbender, Nasir Jones, and Marcus Clarke for Mass Appeal, "Fresh Dressed" traces how fat-laced sneakers, Kangol hats, Cazal sunglasses, and graffiti jackets inspired the style and vibe of rap artists and high fashion designers, through its expression of aspirational swagger that gave voice – and visage – to a culture whose passionate...

Hip-Hop is always ready to champion the next. Though the foundation of sampling old records and shout-outs to forefathers forever keeps one eye towards the past, young fans of the genre crave originality and the cutting-edge. But for the generations that grew up with hip-hop back in two fertile periods of the genre — the late Seventies and the early-to-mid Nineties — there's something to be gained by revisiting its heydays. Graphic novels, television, feature films and documentaries are resurrecting the culture's past in what appears to be a mini-renaissance of hip-hop nostalgia.

The True Cost director Andrew Morgan with producer Michael Ross engaging Danish Fashion Institute's Jonas Eder-Hansen Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze

When I brought up Livia Firth's (aka Livia Giuggioli) Eco-Age Green Carpet Challenge last month to Fresh Dressed director Sacha Jenkins, this was his response: "I mean, when you talk inner city, green is the furthest thing. Because you are dealing with people who live in food deserts." Whereas Laurie David exposes the fast food industry in Fed Up, Andrew Morgan's global investigations into fast fashion in The True Cost have all the makings of a mini-series.

At an event hosted by Georgina Chapman, Harvey Weinstein, William Ivey Long, Cindy Sherman and Stella McCartney, attended by Anna Wintour, Isabella Rossellini, Yigal Azrouel, Giovanna Battaglia, Keren Craig, Stephanie Lacava, Anne Hathaway with Adam Shulman, Tonne Goodman, Timo Weiland, Laura Piety, Steven Kolb and Derek Blasberg, I spoke to Andrew at Lincoln...

Fresh Dressed

Written & Directed by Sacha Jenkins

France/USA, 2015

With “bling-bling” in the Merriam-Webster dictionary and the television program Empire’s unprecedented ratings run, it is difficult to believe that hip-hop culture remains in its relative infancy. Director Sacha Jenkins’s film, Fresh Dressed, goes back to hip-hop’s inception and examines the evolution of hip-hop culture, its rapid growth, and style influences. The result is a cinematic boom box, pumping out a string of little known facts and celebrity interviews aimed at schooling hip-hop fans and non-fans alike.

Hip-hop culture is, and always has been, ostentatious. From graffiti art’s bright flashy colors to rap music’s thumping, bass heavy beats, every aspect of hip-hop culture is drenched in excess. From the film’s opening moments until the final credits roll, Fresh Dressed authentically captures the spirit of hip-hop. The film kicks off with a throwback Soul Train style...

Fresh Dressed Sacha Jenkins on Givenchy's Riccardo Tisci: "And he is someone who has been a big supporter and fan of Hip-Hop." Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze

Crisply edited by Andrea B. Scott, shot by David Vollrath, who worked with Morgan Neville on the Oscar-winning 20 Feet From Stardom, out-of-the-box Fresh Dressed delivers the goods. Mixed with clips of Will Smith in The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air and In Living Color's Fly Girls, where Jennifer Lopez got her fresh start, we learn the history of Carl Jones' Cross Colours label. Through interviews with Pharrell Williams, Damon Dash, Kanye West, Nas (Nasir Jones), André Leon Talley, Sean Combs, Ralph McDaniels, Marc Ecko, Karl Kani, Daymond John and others, discussing their fascinations that include Little Richard, Dennis Hopper's Easy Rider with Peter Fonda and Jack Nicholson, Louis Vuitton, an obsession with Polo by Ralph Lauren in the early Nineties, Gucci logos, Tommy Hilfiger give-aways,...

"Being fresh is more important than having money!" Samuel Goldwyn Films & StyleHaul have released this official trailer for Fresh Dressed, a documentary from this year's Sundance Film Festival looking back at the history of hip hop/urban fashion. The documentary features lots of classic footage, as well as interviews and discussions with style insiders like Pharrell Williams, Damon Dash, Karl Kani, Kanye West, Nas Jones, Sean Combs and plenty others. It provides a look at what it means to be fresh, and why style was (and is) so important to today's culture. This doc seems like it has a much more engaging, inspiring, and informative story than just "here is what people wore then" and I'm curious to check it out sometime. Enjoy! Here's the official trailer for Sacha Jenkins's doc Fresh Dressed, originally from StyleHaul on YouTube: "A fascinating, fun-to-watch chronicle of hip-hop, urban fashion, and the hustle...

Here's a the just-released poster (above) for the Sundance 2015 documentary selection "Fresh Dressed," from director: Sacha Jenkins, which centers on the history of hip-hop fashion, from its birth in the South Bronx, to its rise as a billion-dollar global industry. Supported by plenty of archival materials, in-depth interviews with individuals crucial to the evolution, and the outsiders who wrote about and even admired them (and continue to do so), the film has been picked up for North American distribution by Samuel Goldwyn Films and StyleHaul for a theatrical release and On Demand (at www.freshdressedmovie.com), on June 26, 2015. A Mass Appeal production, in...

Read More: Bret Easton Ellis is Writing a Script for Kanye that Takes Place in 'Kanye Land' Directed by Sacha Jenkins, "Fresh Dressed" chronicles the complex and fascinating relationship between fashion and hip-hop. In the documentary, Jenkins incorporates interviews from the 70s through the present day that feature major fashion and musical icons, including Pharrell Williams, Kanye West, Nasir Jones, Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane, Riccardo Tisci and André Leon Talley. In the trailer, we see many of these industry faces share personal stories about how hip-hop influenced their senses of style and why fashion is important to them. We're also offered a pretty cool glimpse of the evolution of style, and what caused these two industries to blend together.  "Fresh Dressed" is available in theaters and on demand on June 26. Read More: Watch: Pharrell Gets 'Happy' in 24-Hour Interactive Video...

The first trailer for the documentary Fresh Dressed has been released online by Samuel Goldwyn Films and StyleHaul. Directed by Sacha Jenkins, the film takes a close look at the world of hip-hop fashion, chronicling the evolving styles of the 70s, 80s, 90s, and present day, as well as their impact on culture. It’s a fascinating subject for a documentary, and this trailer shows a film that is equally interested in both the fashion aspect of hip-hop clothing as well as the sociological impact. Moreover, interviews with Pharrell Williams, Kanye West, Sean “Puffy” Combs, and more promise insight from those at the forefront of the breakthroughs. Check out the Fresh Dressed trailer below. The film will be released in theaters and on VOD on June 26th. Here’s the official synopsis for Fresh Dressed: Fresh Dressed offers a fascinating glimpse inside the complex relationship between fashion and hip-hop,...

Here's a first-look at the Sundance 2015 documentary selection "Fresh Dressed," from director: Sacha Jenkins, which centers on the history of hip-hop fashion, from its birth in the South Bronx, to its rise as a billion-dollar global industry. Supported by plenty of archival materials, in-depth interviews with individuals crucial to the evolution, and the outsiders who wrote about and even admired them (and continue to do so), the film has been picked up for North American distribution by Samuel Goldwyn Films and StyleHaul for a theatrical release and On Demand (at www.freshdressedmovie.com), on June 26, 2015. A Mass Appeal production, in partnership with CNN Films,...

17th edition of festival to open with Quentin Dupieux’s Reality and Sacha Jenkins’ Fresh Dressed.

RiverRun International Film Festival has unveiled the full lineup for its 17th edition, expanding from 10 to 11 days and running April 16-26.

The festival will open with Quentin Dupieux’s Reality and Sacha Jenkins’ hip-hop and fashion documentary Fresh Dressed, while David Gordon Green’s Manglehorn will close this year’s edition.

Overall, the festival will screen 165 films, 74 of which are features, from 35 countries.

Its narrative competition will screen 10 films, including Jessica Hausner’s Amour Fou, Keith Miller’s Five Star and Naomi Kawase’s Still the Water, while Joshua Oppenheimer’s The Look of Silence and Nick Broomfield’s Tales of the Grim Sleeper are among the 10 films screening in the documentary competition.

Along with its openiing and closing films, RiverRun will host special presentations of Benoit Jacquot’s 3 Hearts, Anne Fontaine’s Gemma Bovery and John Maclean’s Slow West, among...

Company to handle international sales on Sacha Jenkins’ Sundance title.

Dogwoof has acquired international rights to Fresh Dressed.

Sacha Jenkins’ Sundance title uses archival materials from the 1970s-present day and interviews with the likes of Kanye West and Jay Z to explore the relationship between fashion and hip hop.

The deal was brokered between Dogwoof CEO Anna Godas and Stacey Wolf of CNN Films. Fresh Dressed was produced by Mass Appeal for CNN Films, and will be released later this year in the Us through Samuel Goldwyn Films and StyleHaul.

Godas commented: “We relish the opportunity to work with CNN Films again on this great title, for us it was a no-brainer – broad appeal, fantastic footage and incredible interview access – and look forward to presenting it to our international buyers.”

“We are thrilled to partner again with Dogwoof – who were tremendous partners for Blackfish - on the international distribution of Fresh Dressed,” added [link=nm...

Here's a first-look at the Sundance 2015 documentary selection "Fresh Dressed," from director: Sacha Jenkins, which centers on the history of hip-hop fashion, from its birth in the South Bronx, to its rise as a billion-dollar global industry. Supported by plenty of archival materials, in-depth interviews with individuals crucial to the evolution, and the outsiders who wrote about and even admired them (and continue to do so), the film has been picked up for North American distribution by Samuel Goldwyn Films and StyleHaul for a theatrical release later this year (specific dates haven't been announced yet). A Mass Appeal production, in partnership with CNN Films, "Fresh...

Samuel Goldwyn Films and StyleHaul have jointly acquired "Fresh Dressed," Sacha Jenkins' documentary about the history of hip-hop and urban fashion.  The film, which premiered to positive reception last week at Sundance, intrigued buyers for its dutiful albeit colorful historical recounting. It tracks the evolution of dress from southern cotton plantations to '70s gangs in the South Bronx to, now, corporate America and everywhere in-between. According to Peter Goldwyn, Senior Vice President of Samuel Goldwyn Films: "We are proud to be partnering with StyleHaul on the release of Sacha's film.  There is no better partner to help us bring his creative and distinctive film about the evolution of hip-hop through the lens of fashion to audiences around the country, and we feel having the film on Vimeo will help it reach a much broader audience it so rightly deserves." "'Fresh Dressed' eloquently chronicles the evolution of street style,...

Sundance: Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions has acquired international rights and The Orchard has picked up North America on Joe Swanberg’s drama. In separate deals, Ten Thousand Saints and Fresh Dressed also sold.

Digging For Fire stars Jake Johnson, Rosemarie DeWitt, Orlando Bloom, Brie Larson, Sam Rockwell, Anna Kendrick and Mike Birbiglia.

Swanberg co-wrote with Jake Johnson and produced with Alicia Van Couvering and Johnson.

The story follows a married couple who head off on separate adventures after they discover a bone and a gun.

Screen Media Films has acquired Us rights to Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini’s comedy-drama Ten Thousand Saints starring Asa Butterfield, Hailee Steinfeld, Emily Mortimer, Julianne Nicholson, Emile Hirsch and Ethan Hawke. Screen Media Films will release in late summer via day-and-date theatrical and VOD after brokering the deal with CAA.Samuel Goldwyn Films and StyleHaul have acquired North American rights to Sacha Jenkins’ documentary Fresh Dressed, about the evolution...

Sacha Jenkins, raised and educated in New York City, began publishing zines in the late '80s, has worked at Vibe and a number of other publications, written for cartoon series "The Boondocks" and is now the creative director of massappeal.com. He knows pop culture. His interest in cultural expression has now led him to direct "Fresh Dressed," a documentary exploring the NYC street style that came out of hip-hop  and its effect on fashion the world over. What's your film about, in 140 characters or less?Fresh Dressed is about the history of hip hop fashion; about stylish innovations that came from the streets of New York City and would go on to influence every nook and cranny on Mother Earth.  Now, what's it Really about?Fresh Dressed is also about the birth of hip hop and the desperate conditions that couldn't get in the way of young people...

Announcements for the lineup for the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, taking place between January 22nd and February 1st, are starting to roll out. Watch this page for updates as more films and sections are revealed.

Premieres

Brooklyn (John Crowley, UK)

Digging for Fire (Joe Swanberg, USA)

Don Verdean (Jared Hess, USA)

End of the Tour (James Ponsoldt, USA)

Experimenter (Michael Almereyda, USA)

Grandma (Paul Weitz, USA)

I Am Michael (Justin Kelly, USA)

I'll See You In My Dreams (Brett Haley, USA)

Last Days in the Desert (Rodrigo Garcia, USA)

Lila & Eve (Charles Stone III, USA)

Mississipi Grind (Ryan Fleck & Anna Boden, USA)

Mistress America (Noah Baumbach, USA)

Seoul Searching (Benson Lee, USA/Korea)

Sleeping with Other People (Leslye Headland, USA)

Ten Thousand Saints (Robert Pulcini & Shari Springer Berman, USA)

True Story (Rupert Goold, USA)

A Walk in the Woods (Ken Kwapis, USA)

Zipper (Mora Stephens, USA)

Documentary Premieres

Beaver Trilogy Part IV (Brad Besser,...

Festival top brass have revealed a high-profile roster of out-of-competition Premieres and Documentary Premieres entries featuring many returning heroes, as well as a new Special Events section and panel participants including George Lucas.

Justin Kelly’s I Am Michael is likely to become a major talking point and stars James Franco and Zachary Quinto in the true tale of activist and Young Gay America co-founder Michael Glatze, who renounced his homosexuality and became a Christian pastor. The Exchange handles international rights.

James Ponsoldt’s David Foster Wallace film End Of The Tour (pictured, photo by Jakob Ihre) starring Jesse Eisenberg and Jason Segel makes the cut — Fortitude International is the international sales agent — as does the latest from the newly prolific Noah Baumbach, whose Mistress America stars his Frances Ha and Greenberg muse Greta Gerwig and arrives three months after the Toronto premiere of While We’re Young.

Sundance regulars Ryan Fleck and Anna Bowden return with Mississippi Grind...

Kurt Cobain, Nina Simone and Tig Notaro are among the big names getting documentary treatment at this January's Sundance Film Festival. On Monday (December 8), Sundance announced 13 documentaries that will be premiering out of competition at the Festival, which runs from January 22 to February 1 in Park City. It's a group of films from some of documentary cinema's biggest names and, unsurprisingly, from some of Sundance's most frequent attendees. Sundance regular Liz Garbus ("The Farm: Angola, USA") is taking the previously vacant Us documentary Day One Film slot with "What Happened, Miss Simone?" The documentary looks singer and activist Nina Simone was recently acquired by Netflix, which had "Mitt" in an out-of-competition slot at last year's Festival. Also coming from a Sundance favorite and also with TV distribution already in place is HBO's "Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck," an authorized biopic of the Nirvana frontman that features Frances Bean Cobain as an...

Festival top brass have revealed a high-profile roster of out-of-competition Premieres and Documentary Premieres entries featuring many returning heroes, as well as a new Special Events section and participants on two panels including George Lucas.

James Ponsoldt’s David Foster Wallace film End Of The Tour starring Jesse Eisenberg and Jason Segel makes the cut, as does the latest from the newly prolific Noah Baumbach, whose Mistress America stars his Frances Ha and Greenberg muse Greta Gerwig and arrives three months after the Toronto premiere of While We’re Young.

Sundance regulars Ryan Fleck and Anna Bowden return with Mississippi Grind starring Ryan Reynolds, Ben Mendelsohn and Sienna Miller, while Robert Pulcini and Shari Springer Berman introduce the New York Tompkins Square Park Riot drama Ten Thousand Saints starring the in-demand Ethan Hawke and Emily Mortimer.

Joe Swanberg brings Digging For Fire with Rosemarie Dewitt, Orlando Bloom, Brie Larson, Sam Rockwell and Anna Kendrick.

Peter Sarsgaard, [link...