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The trial of the Chicago 7 or rather, the Chicago 8 as we will discuss further down this article is one of the biggest miscarriages of justice to ever take place in American history. In 1968, during the Democratic National Convention that would choose Lyndon Johnson as the partys candidate for reelection, eight men were accused of inciting riots that were, in fact, largely caused by police brutality. In a trial that was kangaroo court from start to finish, they were acquitted of conspiracy, but convicted on charges that went from crossing state lines with the intention of provoking civil unrest to teaching demonstrators how to make incendiary devices. Alongside their lawyers, most of them were also convicted of contempt. This alone should go to show what a circus the trial of the Chicago 8 was, but, if you still have questions, then Brett Morgens Chicago 10 is the documentary for you.

Director-writer-editor Brett Morgen’s David Bowie documentary Moonage Daydream is certainly unlike any musician-centered film you’ve seen before. The movie plays out almost as if the viewer is watching through a kaleidoscope, a fever dream of footage and soundscapes from the Bowie archives as well as from films and artworks the artist referenced in his storied career. Nominated for four Emmys this year (directing, writing, editing and sound editing), the director sat down with THR to discuss how he arrived on Bowie as a subject and his artistic process.

What draws you to a documentary subject at the outset?

As I reflect back over the years, I’m definitely drawn toward wildly creative people who live life on their own terms. That seems to be the one consistent link between Robert Evans, Jane Goodall, Kurt Cobain and David Bowie. On a more superficial level, when I’m approaching a subject,...

Back in May, Moonage Daydream – the hypnotic, experimental documentary abstraction that encapsulates David Bowie’s life, art, and philosophy – blew the top off of an already buzzing Cannes Film Festival. Brett Morgen, the film’s veteran director, writer, editor, and producer, has made a career out of expressive, atypical documentaries, like The Kid Stays in the Picture and Cobain: Montage of Heck.

A student of Brechtian philosophy, he is a searcher (or debunker) of truth as much as a filmmaker, the former through the latter, the latter simply a medium of choice. And if you know anything about Bowie, you know how wildly and wonderfully subjective truth can be, a perfect challenge for Morgen to capture the infinite artist post-mortem.

On the day of its nationwide IMAX release, I sat down with him to talk Moonage Daydream – style, history, approach, and where it all began.

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Brett Morgen: It was 2007. I...

Exclusive: Deadline has the first exclusive track from Jeff Danna’s score for Julia, which is set for release tomorrow via Watertower Music.

HBO Max’s eight episode comedy series is inspired by Julia Child’s (Sarah Lancashire) extraordinary life and her long-running television series, The French Chef, which pioneered the modern cooking show. Through Julia’s life and her singular joie de vivre, the series explores a pivotal time in American history—the emergence of public television as a new social institution, feminism and the women’s movement, the nature of celebrity and America’s cultural evolution. At its heart, the show is a portrait of a loving marriage with a shifting power dynamic.

One of Danna’s main challenges in his work here was to develop a theme that could speak to both the culinary icon’s spirit, and the series’ “brilliant and warm showcase” of her early years on television.

Dogwoof has closed a deal to handle international TV and digital sales rights to Participant’s feature doc catalogue.

UK-based sales outfit Dogwoof has closed a deal to handle international TV and digital sales rights to Green Book producer Participant’s feature documentary catalogue.

The deal will see Dogwoof take on 19 titles from the Participant library and start presenting to buyers during Mipcom next week.

Among the titles are political documentary Slay The Dragon, about the fight to end gerrymandering in the US. which was released earlier this year by Magnolia Pictures; Victor Kossakovsky’s Aquarela; Ai Weiwei’s Human Flow...

Aaron Sorkin is moving forward with his next film project, The Trial of The Chicago 7, and he’s added a few more actors in the cast.

Sacha Baron Cohen and Eddie Redmayne were previously announced, and now they will be joined by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen, Alex Sharp, Jonathan Majors, and more. That’s a pretty great cast!

Sorkin (Molly’s Game) will direct the film from a script that he wrote, which is based on Brett Morgan’s documentary Chicago 10. Steven Spielberg will produce. The film recounts “the infamous 1969 trial of seven defendants charged by the federal government with conspiracy and more, arising from the countercultural protests in Chicago at the 1968 Democratic National Convention. The trial transfixed the nation and sparked a conversation about mayhem intended to undermine the U.S. government.”

Redmayne will take on the role of Tom Hayden, Baron Cohen will play Abbie Hoffman,...

Diane Weyermann.

Diane Weyermann, president of documentary film and television at Participant Media, will be among the headline speakers at Aidc 2019 as the event shines a light on international co-production and co-financing.

Weyermann will be joined on the ‘Working with the USA’ session by Elliott Whitton, head of development at New York-based not-for-profit film funder Cinereach, Marie Nelson, PBS VP, news and independent film, and Ranell Shubert, the International Documentary Association’s education programs manager.

Participant’s documentary slate includes Morgan Neville’s The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble, Joshua Oppenheimer’s The Look of Silence, Marc Silver’s 3 1/2 Minutes, Ten Bullets, Robert Gordon and Morgan Neville’s Best of Enemies, Davis Guggenheim’s He Named Me Malala and Bernardo Ruiz’s Kingdom of Shadows.

Among its extensive credits are the Oscar®-winners Citizenfour and An Inconvenient Truth, Emmy®-winning Food, the Emmy®-nominated The...

Eddie Redmayne (Fantastic Beasts) is in talks to join Amblin Entertainment’s Trial of the Chicago 7 which is a project that producer Steven Spielberg has been trying to get off the ground for years.

Aaron Sorkin (Molly’s Game) was recently hired to the direct the film from a script that he wrote, which is based on Brett Morgan’s documentary Chicago 10 which recounts “the infamous 1969 trial of seven defendants charged by the federal government with conspiracy and more, arising from the countercultural protests in Chicago at the 1968 Democratic National Convention. The trial transfixed the nation and sparked a conversation about mayhem intended to undermine the U.S. government.”

Redmayne will take on the role of radical 1960s activist Tom Hayden, “who was the co-founder of the Students for a Democratic Society. He ultimately stood trial in the Chicago Seven case.”

Hayden penned the Sds’s near 26K word political...

Eddie Redmayne, who plays the whimsical creature collector, Newt Scamander, for director David Yate's Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald, is in early talks to join the cast of Aaron Sorkin's Trial Of The Chicago 7. For the upcoming film written and directed by Sorkin, which is based on Brett Morgen’s Chicago 10 documentary, Redmayne will play Tom Hayden, the…...

Eddie Redmayne is in talks to join Amblin Entertainment’s Trial of the Chicago 7 for the role of radical 1960s activist Tom Hayden, who was the co-founder of the Students for a Democratic Society. He ultimately stood trial in the Chicago Seven case.

Hayden penned the Sds’s near 26K word political manifesto The Port Huron Statement which called for participatory democracy and non-violent civil disobedience and the idea that citizens can make social decisions determining the quality and the direction of their lives. Hayden, who died in October 2016, was marred to Jane Fonda from 1973-1990. Later in life, Hayden won seats in the California Assembly and the California Senate.

Sorkin is writing and directing. Marc Platt is producing. Sacha Baron Cohen is also reportedly in talks to play activist Abbie Hoffman, which was Steven Spielberg’s original choice for the role when he was developing the project ten years.

Writer turned director Aaron Sorkin has attached himself to helm Steven Spielberg’s long-gestating political drama ‘The Trial of the Chicago 7’.

Sacha Baron Cohen is also being linked to the feature as it is said the Borat star has entered into early negotiations to join the cast.

Based on the documentary by Brett Morgan called ‘Chicago 10’, the film is based on the infamous 1969 trial of seven defendants charged by the federal government with conspiracy and more, arising from the countercultural protests in Chicago at the 1968 Democratic National Convention. The trial transfixed the nation and sparked a conversation about mayhem intended to undermine the U.S. government.

Also in the news – Clueless remake in development at Paramount

Sorkin had originally written the script for the film which originally had Spielberg down to direct. Due to a writers strike the project had to be shelved as Spielberg had other avenues to pursue.

Oh my do I love this documentary. It's as close to perfection as any film can get, and it will fill you with hope and happiness. Jane is a documentary made by filmmaker Brett Morgen (of The Kid Stays in the Picture, Chicago 10, Cobain: Montage of Heck) that's about the groundbreaking work of animal lover and activist Jane Goodall. As we all know, Goodall went out in the jungles of Africa in the 1960s and 1970s and lived with chimpanzees, studying them and observing how closely related to humans they really are. They shot tons of footage of her, but most of it was lost for years, until it was found recently. Morgen and his crew went through thousands of hours of this old footage and created this wonderful film about Goodall, about her work, about chimpanzees, and about her relationship with photographer Hugo van Lawick. It is sublime.

Documentary filmmaker Brett Morgen has turned his camera on no shortage of fascinating subjects, in films like “The Kid Stays In The Picture,” “Chicago 10,” and “Cobain: Montage Of Heck.” Now, he’s profiling a woman whose work has inspired generations around the world.

“Jane” tells the story of conservationist Jane Goodall, whose pioneering work and research chimpanzees gave the animals a necessary voice and champion.

Continue reading ‘Jane’ Trailer: Documentary Highlights The Trailblazing Jane Goodall at The Playlist.

I've got a trailer for you to watch for a great looking pilot for a TV series called When the Street Lights Go On. The pilot was screened at Sundance, and it seems like a lot of people who saw it loved it. The series doesn't have a home and is currently being shopped around to interested networks. Apparently, it was originally produced for Hulu, but for some reason they decided to pass on it.

When the Street Lights Go On has a very mysterious vibe, and it looks incredibly intriguing. I was sold on it after watching this trailer, and I hope some network or streaming service picks it up because I'd totally watch it! It kind of has a Stranger Things kind of tone but without all the supernatural stuff.

The series was created by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Brett Morgen (The Kid Stays In The Picture, Chicago 10) and...

Thanks to “Persepolis,” “Waltz with Bashir” and “Chicago 10,” the blending of animation with documentaries has become a successful sub-genre. This year, it’s pushed further both thematically and stylistically with great impact.

In “Life, Animated,” the autistic Owen Suskind learned to communicate by watching classic Disney animation; in “Floyd Norman: An Animated Life,” Disney’s first African-American animator gets long overdue recognition; and in “Tower,” the use of rotoscope animation helps recreate a 50-year-old mass shooting at the University of Texas Tower.

Read More: How ‘The Red Turtle’ Became an Animated, Cycle of Life Oscar Contender

“Owen was able to have a communication breakthrough when he was a child as a result of watching Disney classics…he used them as a guide to decipher life and to connect to other people,” director Roger Ross Williams told IndieWire. He’s the first African-American director to win an Oscar for the documentary short,...

Disney•Pixar’s The Good Dinosaur features an original score by Academy Award-winning composer Mychael Danna and Emmy-nominated composer Jeff Danna. The soundtrack is available today.

The Good Dinosaur asks the question: What if the asteroid that forever changed life on Earth missed the planet completely and giant dinosaurs never became extinct? Pixar Animation Studios takes you on an epic journey into the world of dinosaurs where an Apatosaurus named Arlo (voice of Raymond Ochoa) makes an unlikely human friend. While traveling through a harsh and mysterious landscape, Arlo learns the power of confronting his fears and discovers what he is truly capable of.

Directed by Peter Sohn and produced by Denise Ream (“Cars 2”), Disney•Pixar’s The Good Dinosaur opens in theaters on Nov. 25, 2015.

Mychael Danna is an Academy Award-winning film composer recognized for his evocative blending of non-western traditions with orchestral and electronic music. Among his body...

Lenny Bruce: Dustin Hoffman in the 1974 Bob Fosse movie. Lenny Bruce movie review: Polemical stand-up comedian merited less timid biopic (Oscar Movie Series) Bob Fosse's 1974 biopic Lenny has two chief assets: the ever relevant free speech issues it raises and the riveting presence of Valerie Perrine. The film itself, however, is only sporadically thought-provoking or emotionally gripping; in fact, Lenny is a major artistic letdown, considering all the talent involved and the fertile material at hand. After all, much more should have come out of a joint effort between director Fosse, fresh off his Academy Award win for Cabaret; playwright-screenwriter Julian Barry, whose stage version of Lenny earned Cliff Gorman a Tony Award; two-time Best Actor Oscar nominee Dustin Hoffman (The Graduate, Midnight Cowboy); and cinematographer Bruce Surtees (Play Misty for Me, Blume in Love). Their larger-than-life subject? Lenny Bruce, the stand-up comedian who became one of the...

Note: This interview was originally conducted and posted at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival. With Kurt Cobain: Motage of Heck premiering tonight on HBO, I decided to repost it. Back at Sundance 2008, director Brett Morgen (Chicago 10, The Kid Stays in the Picture) told me that he was going to make a mixed media documentary about Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain. When we spoke he revealed that he’d have access to Cobain’s artifacts, journals, home movies, paintings, and his unheard music. As a fan of the troubled artist, I was ecstatic. Not only because a filmmaker whose work I appreciated was going to make the movie, but also because I knew I’d see a side of Cobain I had never seen. The only thing that brought me down was Morgen saying it would take at least four years. Since doing that interview, I’d been wondering what happened to that documentary.

Documentary festival to focus on

DocAviv, Israel’s top documentary festival, has finalized the selection for its 17th edition (May 7-16).

With a solid reputation to defend, the festival will kick off with Laura Poitras’ Academy Award winner Citizenfour, whose theme, the onging Edward Snowden saga, fits one of the festival’s main concerns - “(un)Free World”.

Some 13 Israeli films have been selected to compete in the Docaviv Isreali Film Competition.

A total 11 world premieres are competing for The Sarah and Michael Sela Prize

The $18,000 (Nis 70,000) award is the largest prize for documentary filmmaking offered anywhere in Israel.

Some 75 Israeli films have been submitted to the Israeli competition. Well known names among the contenders include: Reuven Brodsky with 7 Days in St. Petersburg, whose previous film Home Movie has won the 2012 Docaviv competition, Avigail Sperber produced Girsa De’Yankuta by Noa Roth, Censored Voices by Mor Loushy which premiered in Sundance and Twilight of a Life, which...

Think you know Kurt Cobain? A new documentary on the Nirvana frontman may have you thinking otherwise. Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck goes deep behind the musician's personal life, exposing new facts and hidden secrets that are just now coming to light. The trailer has been released, which offers a sneak peek at what we can expect from this moving new expose.

Brett Morgen, the man behind such acclaimed documentaries as The Kid Stays In The Picture, Chicago 10 and Can't Stand Losing You: Surviving the Police was given unprecedented access into Kurt Cobain's private life. He enjoyed the full cooperation of Kurt Cobain's family and friends, and was able to incorporate family videos, films and even some of the 90s icon's artwork in creating this new take on a much-told story.

Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck allows fans to Experience Kurt Cobain like never before in the...

Following a premiere at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, the documentary Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck is coming to HBO in May. But in the United Kingdom, the film is hitting theaters in April, and a trailer from across the pond has just arrived for the film profiling the iconic grunge musician who left us all too soon. Cobain's life is brought to life with never-before-heard music, home movies, animation and the musician's own art, combined with interviews with those closest to him. This was one of our favorite docs at Sundance as we called it "an impressive and enriching documentary," even for non-Nirvana fans. Watch! Here's the UK trailer for Brett Morgen's Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck, originally from Yahoo UK: Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck is written and directed by Brett Morgen (The Kid Stays in the Picture, Chicago 10). The documentary blends Cobain's personal archive of art,...

By Anjelica Oswald

Managing Editor

It’s safe to assume that Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy is going to end the year as the highest-grossing film at the domestic box office with more than $331 million earned as of Nov. 23, but its Oscar prospects lie in below-the-line categories, such as visual effects and sound.

More often than not, the highest-grossing films tend to be neglected in the best picture category. Though The Dark Knight (2008), which was widely-acclaimed and was the highest-grossing film of the year, received eight nominations and won two (sound editing and supporting actor), it was snubbed by the Academy in the best picture category. The following year, the number of best picture nominees increased from five to 10 (and can now fall between those numbers). Since this increase though, the only highest-grossing films to land best picture nominations are 2009’s Avatar and 2010’s Toy Story 3. Neither of the films won.

Over the summer, we learned that The Bourne Ultimatum and Captain Phillips director Paul Greengrass might take on the gestating drama The Trial of the Chicago 7, the story which chronicles the trial surrounding seven defendants charged by the Nixon administration with a variety of crimes following the riots that took place 1968 Democratic National Convention. However, the director has fallen away from the project, and while we were waiting for a new director to take over before reporting the news, Greengrass just explained leaving the film, and it shines some light on why it seems to be so difficult to get off the ground. The project has been developing for years now, and Greengrass was first interested back in 2008, but now it appears that he's realized that he might not be the director to make the film. However, his explanation makes it hard to imagine any director can do this better than the documentary Chicago 10.

Music Composed by: Jeff Danna

Release Date: August 6, 2013

Format: Digital Download

Number of Discs: n/a (19 tracks, approx. 43 minutes)

Label: Lakeshore Records

Overview:

Lakeshore Records will release the Continuum – Original Television Soundtrack Season One digitally on August 6, 2013. The album features the original music, composed by Jeff Danna (Silent Hill: Revelation, The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus), for the first season of the beloved science fiction show.

“I encouraged a partially-orchestral approach to the series,” said Danna. “The world that Simon has created for Continuum is not a small or safe place and calls for music that is as cinematic as Simon’s vision of his characters and stories. The orchestra is the musical-partner for a story like this, and it is a large part of the soundscape of Continuum.”

Born in Canada to a musical family, Jeff Danna has created scores for a long and varied list of films. His...

DreamWorks is moving forward on their production of the Aaron Sorkin-scripted film The Trial of the Chicago 7. Steven Spielberg has been looking to direct it since 2008, but according to an inside source, no movement has been made. The source explains that “every two months it’s been revisited. The title would come up in conversation at production meetings. But it’s just been hanging.”

Not anymore. The studio is pushing it forward, and according to Deadline, they are looking to hire Paul Greengrass (Bourne franchise) to direct it. Greengrass was also looking to direct it back in 2008 when Spielberg's plate started to fill up with other projects. It's funny to see this news pop up again five years later.

The movie is "based on the infamous 1969 federal conspiracy trial arising out of the protesters vs police violent rioting at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago that transfixed the nation...

Is 2013 the year of lost Steven Spielberg projects finding new life? On the heels of Christopher Nolan picking up the mantle for Spielberg on "Interstellar," a film Spielberg first started developing back in 2006, comes this Deadline.com report about Paul Greengrass taking over for the director on "The Trial of The Chicago 7," a feature Spielberg started game-planning back in 2007.

Written by Aaron Sorkin, the film will focus on the famous conspiracy trial of Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, David Dellinger, Tom Hayden, Rennie Davis, John Froines and Lee Weiner, all of whom were charged with inciting riots after the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

Spielberg was first attached to the film in 2007, and worked with Sorkin on the project through 2008. The director also had a cast in mind, as noted by Vanity Fair in a piece on the director in February of 2008.

My glance strays to a side table, where headshots...

Ed Burns, whose debut film The Brothers McMullen premiered at the 1995 Sundance Film Festival, was announced today as a jury member for next month’s Sundance in Park City, Utah. Burns joins documentary filmmaker Davis Guggenheim, executive Tom Rothman and 16 others named to five juries that will award prizes at independent film’s most high-profile showcase.

Short Film Awards will be announced at a ceremony on Jan. 22, with feature film awards announced at a separate ceremony on Jan. 26. The festival runs this year from Jan. 17-27.

Click below for the entire Sundance jury list:

U.S. Documentary Jury

Liz Garbus is a prolific documentary filmmaker.

Sing along with us: "I was born in a crossfire hurricane / And I howled at my ma in the driving rain." "Crossfire Hurricane," the latest documentary from "The Kid Stays In The Picture" and "Chicago 10" director Brett Morgen, follows the Rolling Stones from their early days through the present day. Made with the band's participation, the film comes out as the Stones celebrate their 50th anniversary, and includes never-before-seen footage from their first road trips together. And it isn't the only doc to do so -- Peter Whitehead's newly restored tour doc "The Rolling Stones: Charlie Is My Darling – Ireland 1965" is getting its broadcast premiere on DirecTV's Audience Channel on Saturday, November 10th at 9pm Et/Pt. "Crossfire Hurricane," which recently made its world premiere at the London Film Festival, will air on HBO on Thursday, November 15th at 9pm. Check out the trailer below. ...

"Crossfire Hurricane," a new documentary about the Rolling Stones from "Chicago 10" and "The Kid Stays in the Picture" director Brett Morgen, will have its premiere on HBO November 15.  The film is an all-encompassing look at the Stones' career, from their early days as blues-loving teens through their rise to iconic rock-n-roll status, including never-before-seen footage from the band's early road trips and first brushes with controversy. HBO suggests that this is a warts-and-all portrait that will touch on everything from the Redlands drug bust and Brian Jones to Altamont, and that it will offer up frank discussions of the members' famously wild lifestyles. Interviewees include Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts, Ronnie Wood and former Stones Bill Wyman and Mick Taylor. Read More: HBO Announces Larry David Movie, Fall Doc Lineup and Premiere Dates for 'Girls' and 'Enlightened' Per...

Larry David may not have said yes to more "Curb Your Enthusiasm" (yet), but he is committed to working with HBO on a movie. According to Deadline, the untitled film (which was announced by HBO at the TCA Summer Press Tour) was originally slated to be made with Fox Searchlight. Greg Mottola will direct, while David will co-write and star in the film, possibly alongside the likes of Jon Hamm and Michael Keaton. Deadline notes the feature, like David's acerbic HBO show, will have improvised elements. HBO's also set January return dates for "Enlightened" and "Girls," both of which will have 10-episode second seasons. On the documentary front, the network announced today that they were making a Rolling Stones doc with Brett Morgen (of "The Kid Stays In The Picture" and "Chicago 10") and the band's cooperation. And the fall doc schedule was announced, with its selections including Rory Kennedy's.

Ranking pretty high on last year’s Black List was Eddie O’Keefe and Chris Hutton‘s When the Street Lights Go On — it came in second behind Graham Moore‘s Imitation Game, which is also making its way to the big screen. Now, according to Deadline, the team have landed Brett Morgen to direct their drama, through Anonymous Content.

Known predominantly for his documentary work (including the Robert Evans piece The Kid Stays in the Picture and Chicago 10), Morgen will make his feature debut with a story that “revolves around a teen boy who becomes obsessed with solving a murder case involving a young girl that has their sleepy suburban town in a panic in the summer of 1982.” If you’re getting flashbacks to Stand By Me, don’t worry — the project will be in a similar “vein” as the classic coming-of-age tale. Steve Golin, Chad Hamilton and...

Exclusive: Brett Morgen will direct When The Street Lights Go On, the Eddie O’Keefe & Chris Hutton Black List script that is being put together by Anonymous Content. The film is in the vein of Stand by Me, with a story that revolves around a teen boy who becomes obsessed with solving a murder case involving a young girl that has their sleepy suburban town in a panic in the summer of 1982. Steve Golin, Chad Hamilton and Michael Sugar will produce for Anonymous Content, with Paul Green exec producing with Tariq Merhab and the scribes. Last I’d heard of this project, Drew Barrymore was eyeing it as a directing vehicle. Instead, it will mark the dramatic feature debut of Morgen, who helmed The Kid Stays in the Picture, the documentary based on the Robert Evans memoir. Morgen also directed the docu The Chicago 10. He is currently directing a...

After delivering a fantastic documentary about actor turned producer iconic producer Robert Evans and his inspiring climb up the show business ladder with The Kid Stays in the Picture, director Brett Morgen is moving into the music realm for his next feature. Deadline has word that the filmmaker will be at the helm of a new untitled documentary following The Rolling Stones to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the British imported rock band which spawned all the way back in 1963. It will follow the band's inception from the beginning and will also have exclusive access to the Stones on the road, in the studio and more. Read on! Morgen says, "For anyone who wants to experience the band, this is the film that will defy convention and create a sonic tapestry to transport viewers into the world of the Rolling Stones.” Morgen also recently directed the historical documentary Chicago 10,...

As long as Mick Jagger can keep wiggling his hips, and Keith Richards stays alive, The Rolling Stones won't be retiring anytime soon. But even then, it's hard to believe the band's 50th anniversary is right around the corner. To help in what will probably be a blitzkrieg of marketing and merchandise, a career-spanning documentary is on the way.

Brett Morgen, the director behind "The Kid Stays In The Picture" and "Chicago 10," will take the helm on a film that will trace the band from their origins in the early '60s, and visit them on the road, behind the scenes and in the studio. The untitled picture already has a September release date being lined up, and given that it's not too far away, we're guessing this will be a pretty glossy, perhaps not quite substantive piece. The band have been subject to many films over the years...

In 1990, shortly after The Cook, the Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover was refused an R rating by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), Harvey Weinstein of Miramax Films found himself confronted with the exact same dilemma. The film in question this time was Pedro Almodovar’s Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!.

The film, starring a young, thin Antonio Banderas, is completely different from The Cook, with no extreme violence to speak of, and certainly no cannibalism. Any scandalous material in the film can be boiled down to two scenes. One scene involves Marina, played by Victoria Abril, taking a bath. During the bath, she winds up a sex toy which, hilariously, is a little scuba diver attached to a kind of missile. When Marina lets him go in the water, he kicks his flippered feet, launching himself and the missile at a pitiful pace towards her open legs.

"There is no Beat Generation ... just a bunch of guys trying to get published" Allen Ginsberg (James Franco) in Howl.

The opening film at Sundance is a prestigious position to be in: Robert Redford introduces the film, stars are in attendance, and as a result it can be difficult to score tickets. This year was no different with people lining the sidewalk to the theater holding signs asking for extra tickets. However, if you look back at the opening night film for the past few years, you can see that it has never ended up being the most buzzed-about film at the festival: Riding Giants (2004), Happy Endings (2005), Friends With Money (2006), Chicago 10 (2007), In Bruges (2008), and Mary & Max (2009).

Unfortunately, Howl is in the same boat. And to paraphrase Ginsberg himself: There is no Howl ... it's just a bunch of scenes trying to be a movie. Directors Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman (The Times of Harvey Milk,...

If you’re a fan of the fantasy film genre and namby pamby hobbits and elves aren’t you’re thing, then I think we’ve got the perfect solution for you. How about a movie based on one of the biggest role playing games in history – Warhammer?

Based on Warhammer 40,000’s tabletop game along with many accompanying books and stories, Warhammer Ultramarines is written by long time Warhammer contributor Dan Abnett and the film has now landed itself a director – newcomer Martyn Pick. New hits the net courtesy of Quiet Earth:

Rumblings of a movie based on Warhammer 40,000’s tabletop role playing games has been around for a while, but now that the first production, Ultramarines, has finally named a director for the film it looks as though it’s actually happening and it won’t be long before we’ll see some badass, hard-combat scifi.

The man to...

Rumblings of a movie based on Warhammer 40,000's tabletop role playing games has been around for a while, but now that the first production, Ultramarines, has finally named a director for the film it looks as though it's actually happening and it won't be long before we'll see some badass, hard-combat scifi.

The man to take the reigns on the project is Martyn Pick, a relative newcomer whose past credits include mostly animation work on documentaries like The Age of Stupid and Chicago 10. Apparently Pick was chosen for his "renowned and highly distinctive ability to fuse live action and animation."

The man behind the script, however, should be no stranger to Warhammer fans. Dan Abnett, writer of more than 25 books for Games Workshop’s Black Library (with total sales in excess of 1.2 million copies) has written the final draft. Abnett also works regularly for 2000 Ad, Marvel Comics, and DC Comics...

By David D'Arcy

"Waltz With Bashir is a memoir, a history lesson, a combat picture, a piece of investigative journalism and an altogether amazing film," writes Ao Scott in the New York Times. "Directed by Ari Folman, an Israeli filmmaker whose struggle to make sense of his experience as a soldier in the Lebanon war of 1982 shapes its story, Waltz is by no means the world's only animated documentary, a phrase that sounds at first like a cinematic oxymoron. Movies like Richard Linklater's Waking Life and Brett Morgen's Chicago 10 have used animation to make reality seem more vivid and more strange, producing odd and fascinating experiments. But Mr Folman has gone further, creating something that is not only unique but also exemplary, a work of astonishing aesthetic integrity and searing moral power."

David D'Arcy talks with Folman about what makes an animated film vital long after its technical wow-effect wears off.

Liana Schwarz has been named senior vp, campaign development and operations for Participant Media, it was announced Tuesday by John Schreiber, Participant's executive vp of social action and advocacy.

Schwarz joined Participant in May, 2007 as vp, campaign development and operations and has overseen the creation and implementation of advocacy campaigns for such films as "Jimmy Carter Man from Plains," "Chicago 10," "Standard Operating Procedure" and "The Soloist." She is currently overseeing campaigns for the upcoming releases "The Cove," "Casino Jack: United States of Money" and "Oceans."

Prior to joining Participant, Liana served as political director for Laurie and Larry David and as advisor to the David Family Foundation; director of special initiatives for the Natural Resources Defense Council; director of entertainment industry outreach for the California Democratic Coordinated Campaign during the 2000 presidential campaign; director of special projects and special assistant to the CEO for the Democratic National Convention in Los...

400 Screens, 400 Blows is a weekly column that takes an in-depth look at the films playing below the radar, beneath the top ten, and on 400 screens or less.

Every year critics are subjected to who knows how many dozen documentaries; most probably don't bother to see them all, and others will be reluctant to admit that most of them are the same. Oh, the subjects are different. One may be about war in Asia and one will be about war in Europe and another is about politics in the U.S.A., but they're the same in structure and tone and rhythm. We usually get the big three: talking heads, stock footage and photographs, and sometimes some "re-creation footage." Here are some pointers for future documentarians. 1) Don't do that thing where, if the subject starts crying, you discreetly keep the camera rolling, and then use that footage in the final film.

• New kids on the block Werc Werk Works are backing some “out there” filmmakers in Todd Solondz (Forgiveness) and Bela Tarr's rumoured last feature film (The Turin Horse), and now they are backing an “out there” project in Rob Esptein (The Times of Harvey Milk) and Jeffrey Friedman’s Howl. The project that will have benefited from Sundance labs and Ifp's No Borders International Co-Production Market before premiering sometime next year - probably during the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. Photography begins March 16th in NYC. This will be Esptein's and Friedman's fiction film debut. Based on Allen Ginsberg's beatnik book of poetry Howl, this focuses on the obscenity trial launched to censor Ginsberg's groundbreaking book-length poem. Among the real-life characters featured in the film are prosecuting attorney Ralph McIntosh (David Strathairn), Judge Clayton Horn (Alan Alda), prosecution witness Professor David Kirk (Jeff Daniels), radio personality and prosecution witness Gail

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A year after the 100-day writers strike, Writers Guild of America West President Patric Verrone took to the stage to celebrate achievements made following a February 2008 deal with the Alliance of Motion Pictures and Television Producers.

“This is our future, and we are embracing it,” Verrone told the congregation, citing a handful of projects written for the Internet. Last year’s ceremony was canceled due to the strike.

Dustin Lance Black won for his original screenplay, Milk, and Simon Beaufoy received the honor for best adapted screenplay, Slumdog Millionaire. The latter looks poised to win the “Best Picture” Oscar on February 22 after sweeping the awards for the Writers Guild, Screen Actors Guild, Producers Guild of America, Directors Guild of America, and the Golden Globes.

The original screenplay winner has matched the Oscar winner 9 out of the last 14 years. Last year’s winner was Diablo Cody’s Juno. The adapted screenplay...

Woody Allen has claimed his 19th Writers Guild Awards nomination, while Coen Brothers Ethan and Joel and The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button screenwriter Eric Roth have landed their fourth nod.

The Writers Guild of America Award nominations were announced on Wednesday.

Allen (Vicky Cristina Barcelona) will battle the Coens (Burn After Reading), Dustin Lance Black (Milk), Tom McCarthy (The Visitor) and Robert Siegel (The Wrestler) for the Best Original Screenplay honour.

Meanwhile, Roth is in competition with Jonathan and Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight), John Patrick Shanley (Doubt), Peter Morgan (Frost/Nixon) and Simon Beaufoy (Slumdog Millionaire) for the Best Adapted Screenplay prize.

Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater Story, Chicago 10, Fuel, Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson and Waltz With Bashir will compete for the Best Documentary Screenplay.

The awards will be presented on 7 February in both Los Angeles and New York.

The WGA West cancelled last year's black-tie ceremony due to the writers strike.

"The Dark Knight" has bagged another prestigious awards' nomination. After collecting a nod for its producers from the 20th Producers Guild Awards, the superhero movie starring Christian Bale and Heath Ledger earned a 2009 Writers Guild Awards' count for its writers from the Writers Guild of America on Wednesday, January 7.

Contending for the adapted screenplay kudo, "Dark Knight" enlisted its writers team consisting of Jonathan Nolan, Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer. The trio will be in competition with Eric Roth and Robin Swicord of "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button", John Patrick Shanley of "Doubt", Peter Morgan of "Frost/Nixon" and Simon Beaufoy of "Slumdog Millionaire".

"Dark Knight" aside, last year WGA Award winners for best adapted screenplay, Joel and Ethan Coen, have once again received a nomination from the WGA. This time, the men behind gritty crime drama "No Country for Old Men" vie for Best Original Screenplay for...

Words. I love them. And if you're reading maybe you do, too. Or do I provide too many photoshop goodies to for any wordy appeal. Never mind. Blogger has decided photos are off limits today. No illustrations for you. The Writers Guild have announced their nominations for this film year and they go like so...

Original Screenplay

Burn After Reading, Joel Coen & Ethan Coen

Milk, Dustin Lance Black

Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Woody Allen

The Visitor, Tom McCarthy

The Wrestler, Robert Siegel

I knew that Woody Allen would eventually show up. One should never bet against him in the Screenplay races. Remarkably he'd been pretty absent up until now in the precursors. This lineup is bad news for both Jenny Lumet's Rachel Getting Married and Courtney Hunt's Frozen River which had been getting precursor attention. After last year's record making Oscar lineup --three female screenwriters were nominated (for Juno,...

"The Dark Knight," "Slumdog Millionaire," "Doubt," "Frost/Nixon," and "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" are among the nominees in the Adapted Screenplay category for the WGA's (Writers Guild Awards) 61st Anniversary awards show.

Winners will be announced February 7th, and will be held simultaneously between two ceremonies -- West Coast at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles, and the East Coast at the Hudson Theatre at the Millennium Broadway Hotel in New York City.

What about "Milk" or "The Wrestler?" Click Read More to see full list of nominees!

Original Screenplay

Burn After Reading, Written by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen, Focus Features

Milk, Written by Dustin Lance Black, Focus Features

Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Written by Woody Allen, The Weinstein Company

The Visitor, Written by Tom McCarthy, Overture Films

The Wrestler, Written by Robert Siegel, Fox Searchlight Pictures

Adapted Screenplay

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Screenplay...

The Writers Guild of America, East (Wgae) and the Writers Guild of America, West (Wgaw) and have offered up The Dark Knight as a legitimate contender for Best Adapted Screenplay by making it one of their five nominees in the category. On top of that my favorite film of the year, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, saw Woody Allen's screenplay nominated for original screenplay along with a few you may not have expected. As Ryan Adams at AwardsDaily points out, this is Woody's 19th WGA nom and could potentially lead to his 15th Best Screenplay Oscar nomination on top of his two Oscar wins. The complete lists for Original, Adapted and Documentary Screenplay noms are below. Winners will be honored at the 2009 Writers Guild Awards held on Saturday, February 7, 2009, at simultaneous ceremonies in New York and Los Angeles. Original Screenplay Burn After Reading, Written by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, Focus Features Milk,...

The Writers Guild of America has announced their nominations for outstanding achievements in screen writing during 2008. The ceremonies will be held simultaneously in New York and Los Angeles on February 7, 2009.

It looks like the WGA was a little more careful this year and put the titles in alphabetical order. Last year the original list was in no particular order other than the obvious “most votes” to “least votes” ranking, which turned out to be true when the statues were awarded to Juno and No Country for Old Men.

Here are the nominees for 2009:

Original Screenplay:

Burn After Reading, Written by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen

Milk, Written by Dustin Lance Black

Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Written by Woody Allen

The Visitor, Written by Tom McCarthy

The Wrestler, Written by Robert Siegel

Adapted Screenplay:

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Screenplay by Eric Roth; Screen Story by Eric Roth and Robin Swicord...

Original Screenplay

Burn After Reading, Written by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen, Focus Features

Milk, Written by Dustin Lance Black, Focus Features

Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Written by Woody Allen, The Weinstein Company

The Visitor, Written by Tom McCarthy, Overture Films

The Wrestler, Written by Robert Siegel, Fox Searchlight Pictures

Adapted Screenplay

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Screenplay by Eric Roth; Screen Story by Eric Roth and Robin Swicord; Based on the Short Story by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros. Pictures

The Dark Knight, Screenplay by Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan; Story by Christopher Nolan & David S. Goyer; Based on Characters Appearing in Comic Books Published by DC Comics; Batman Created by Bob Kane, Warner Bros. Pictures

Doubt, Screenplay by John Patrick Shanley, Based on his Stage Play, Miramax Films

Frost/Nixon, Screenplay by Peter Morgan, Based on his Stage Play, Universal Pictures

Slumdog Millionaire, Screenplay by Simon Beaufoy, Based on the Novel Q and A by Vikas Swarup, Fox Searchlight Pictures

Documentary Screenplay

Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater Story, Written by Stefan Forbes and Noland Walker, InterPositive Media

Chicago 10, Written by Brett Morgen, Roadside Attractions

Fuel, Written by Johnny O'Hara, Greenlight Theatrical / Intention Media

Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson, Screenplay by Alex Gibney, From the Words of Hunter S. Thompson, Magnolia Pictures

Waltz with Bashir, Written by Ari Folman, Sony Pictures Classics...