News

Directors Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering, who previously directed the college sexual assault documentary The Hunting Ground, are teaming up again for a project currently known as the Hollywood Sexual Assault Documentary, which will delve into the rampant sexual assault allegations against Harvey Weinstein and many others that have come to light in recent weeks. Here's what Kirby Dick had to say about the documentary in a statement.

"Documentaries, more than any other medium, bring an intensely moving investigative lens to controversial subject matter. What our film will capture, especially at this pivotal turning point in Hollywood history, is the underlying current of abuse and manipulation at the hands of power. Our film will also underscore the courage it takes to come forward and be a catalyst for change."

Director Amy Ziering revealed that this project has been in various stages of development for the past five years, when she...

Companies set to collaborate on feature and TV docs.

Ahead of this year’s Sheffield Doc/Fest, UK documentary specialist companies Roast Beef Productions and Nutopia have struck a creative partnership to produce feature and television projects.

Roast Beef, the company behind 2014 Oscar-nominated feature docs The Square [pictured] and Hell And Back Again, will join Nutopia in its newly-expanded London office.

Television-focused Nutopia’s credits include the 2010 Primetime Emmy-winning series America: The Story Of Us and 2013 series The ’80s: The Decade That Made Us.

In their new partnership, the companies will develop feature and television documentaries, including long-form and short-form projects, aimed at the international market.

The Roast Beef team is led by Oscar-nominated producer Mike Lerner and also includes Martin Herring, Havana Marking and Janet Knipe.

The company’s latest feature, Lana Wilson’s The Departure, premiered Tribeca and will have its European premiere at Doc/Fest on June 9.

Nutopia is led by Jane Root. The company...

Just days before this year’s Sheffield Doc/Fest kicks off, two powerhouse British documentary specialists have announced that they are joining forces to form a new collaborative partnership.

Roast Beef Productions, behind Oscar-nominated features such as The Square and Hell and Back Again, is teaming with Nutopia, which produced the Emmy-winning series America: The Story of Us, and has 42 hours of programming on North American networks this year alone.

The deal will see Roast Beef move into Nutopia’s newly expanded London offices, with the two harnessing their expertise across the film and TV worlds to develop a new slate of...

J. Ralph (Courtesy: Mark Abrahams)

By: Scott Feinberg

The Hollywood Reporter

“They’re all about these giant concepts — climate change, the war, autism, species extinction, globalization, one after the next,” says songwriter/composer J. Ralph of the documentaries to which he has contributed music over the years, as we sit down at his Malibu home to record an episode of THR‘s ‘Awards Chatter’ podcast. They have included several films that won the best documentary feature Oscar (2008’s Man on Wireand 2009’s The Cove) or were nominated for it (2012’s Hell and Back Again and 2014’s Virunga). However, 2016’s Jim: The James Foley Story, the most recent doc to which he lent his talents, is different. “This one was about one person,” he notes, namely the eponymous freelance American war correspondent who, in 2014, was killed in Syria while trying to bring attention to the humanitarian crisis occurring there. “I wanted...

"They're all about these giant concepts — climate change, the war, autism, species extinction, globalization, one after the next," says songwriter/composer J. Ralph of the documentaries to which he has contributed music through the years, as we sit down at his Malibu home to record an episode of The Hollywood Reporter's 'Awards Chatter' podcast. They have included several films that won the best documentary feature Oscar (2008's Man on Wire and 2009's The Cove) or were nominated for it (2012's Hell and Back Again and 2014's Virunga). However, 2016's Jim: The James Foley Story, the most recent doc to which...

Ava DuVernay (Courtesy: Kevork Djansezian/Reuters)

By: Carson Blackwelder

Managing Editor

Let’s talk about race in this year’s Oscar race, shall we? Three of the top films up for best documentary feature this year — 13th (Netflix), I Am Not Your Negro (Magnolia), and O.J.: Made in America (Espn) — all deal with the black experience in the United States through various lenses. These movies, all favorites to make the official list of five nominees that will battle it out for the big win, drive home the fact that this is still a very important and is one of the Academy’s favorite topics to highlight — but has that always been the case?

First, let’s take a more in-depth look at what these three leading docs deal center around. Ava DuVernay’s 13th provides an in-depth look at the prison system and how the nation’s history of racial...

Eric Stevens takes up newly created role in bid to drive world sales.

Eric Stevens has joined Pinewood Studios Group in the role of global sales director, with a remit to develop and drive new revenue streams and opportunities on a global basis.

Stevens joins from media technology and software company, Arts Alliance Media (Aam), where he oversaw a doubling of the organisation’s market share during his tenure as commercial director.

Whilst at Aam, he was responsible for a series of major global deals - most notably in Latin America, Europe and Asia.

Prior to this, Stevens served as managing director at Independent Film Company, the sales, production and distribution outfit responsible for We Need To Talk About Kevin and Hell And Back Again, both Oscar nominated, as well as Lena Dunham’s Tiny Furniture.

Stevens has also held positions with Ingenious Media and United International Pictures, working in distribution, sales, marketing...

The unfolding scandal surrounding the financing of The Wolf of Wall Street — which allegedly links corruption and money laundering at the highest levels of the Malaysian government to the company behind the hit film starring Leonardo DiCaprio as a flamboyant criminal broker — is getting the documentary treatment. Mike Lerner, the Oscar-nominated British producer behind Hell and Back Again, The Square and Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer, is producing the doc, which purports to connect the dots between Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak, a sovereign wealth fund set up to spur economic development, notorious celebrity-strewn parties in Cannes and

read more...

Exclusive: ro*co films represents international sales rights to Berlinale Special title.

Documentary royalty Errol Morris and Wim Wenders have lent their names as executive producers to drones documentary National Bird, which debuts in Berlin this week.

San Francisco-based ro*co films has acquired the international rights to investigative journalist and documentary filmmaker Sonia Kennebeck’s new title, which follows the journey of three whistleblowers determined to break the silence around Us drone strikes.

Nfp will release in Germany, Austria and German-speaking Switzerland.

ro*co’s international catalog includes Hoop Dreams, Hell And Back Again, How To Survive A War and The Invisible War. The company’s North American ‘education’ catalogue includes Going Clear: Scientology and The Prison Of Belief and The Hunting Ground.

“National Bird is a provocative and timely investigation into the human costs of the Us military drone program that is destined to have a powerful impact on the debate around drone warfare,” said...

Seeing American Bison in Virtual Reality

During a preview in New York of the work Danfung Dennis created with artists Casey Brown and Phil McNally and collaborators Jay Brown, Andrew Delpit and Chris McClanahan, before it was shown in the New Frontier program at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival, I was able to come freckled nose to freckled nose with a jaguar, surround myself with monarch butterflies and settle down in the sand with a sea turtle for a few moments.

Dennis has a background as a photojournalist covering war zones and his documentary Hell And Back Again was nominated for a 2012 Academy Award. He developed a new camera capable of stereoscopic 3D, 360-degree video for his technology company Condition One.

In American Bison, wearing a headset, I was dropped off in the midst of a herd of wild buffalo and the effect was spectacular. When you turn your head to the right to.

Since its inception in 2007, Impact Partners has been involved in the financing of over 50 films, including award-winning documentaries such as "The Cove," "An Inconvenient Truth," "The Garden," "Hell and Back Again," How to Survive a Plague" and many more. These films have not only been critical successes but have also succeeded in changing public opinion. This year, six films supported by the company will be screening at Sundance: "Sembene!," "How to Change the World", "Dreamcatcher," "Chuck Norris vs. Communism," "Censored Voices" and "The Hunting Ground." "Impact Partners was a key piece in the puzzle of putting ‘Chuck Norris vs. Communism’ together," said John Battsek, managing director of Passion Pictures and an executive producer on the film. "Companies like Impact are invaluable when it comes to social issue documentaries." Cogan's...

During these past four years I have been asked to provide the curation for this initiative, on behalf of the College Of Motion Picture Arts, in support of our Student Veterans the annual featured motion picture presentation. This initiative provides a platform, utilizing cinema to engage conversation surrounding issues facing our student veterans returning from their service. The Collegiate Veterans Association leaders created the concept for this festival. As the Executive Director of the Florida State University College of Motion Picture ArtsTorchlight Program, and Faculty Executive Producer to the Fsu Svff, I have been able to merge my independent film industry background with educational opportunities at the University with the vision of expanding learning opportunities through cinema.

In year one the film selected to present was ”Hell and Back Again”, directed by Danfung Dennis, which went on to be nominated for an Oscar in 2011. Year two the Svff presented “The Invisible War”, directed by Kirby Dick, which also went on to be nominated, this time, for the Oscar in 2012. In November 2013 we presented Sebastian Junger with the Fsu Student Veteran Torchlight Award for Outstanding Achievement in Filmmaking for his documentary, "Which Way Is The Front Line From Here? The Life And Time of Tim Hetherington". This year Rory Kennedy with her documentary will be the recipient of our 2014 award.

The Collegiate Veterans Association at Florida State University is one of the most universally known and well-respected student veteran groups in the nation. The university, the administration, and the student body have joined together in an effort to make Florida State University one of the most veteran friendly public universities, in the nation. Inherent in this goal is our effort to raise awareness and promote veteran’s issues. The Student Veteran Film Festival is one of our primary vehicles for achieving these goals.

The Student Veteran Film Festival is an annual event at the Florida State University that highlights veteran issues on campus, in the local community, and nationally. This event has a proud tradition of elegance, prestige, and creation of intense dialogue between filmmakers, students, and veterans.

The education and awareness that this event has been able to cultivate for issues such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Military Sexual Trauma has been both significant and impactful. The inaugural event showcased the film ”Hell and Back Again” The nature of these films show that our student veterans are not afraid of engaging in difficult conversations and are serious about impacting real, meaningful, change.

This year, Florida State University students will bring filmmaker Rory Kennedy and her documentary film “Last Days in Vietnam” to the 4th Annual Student Veteran Film Festival Tuesday, Nov. 11.

The film, which captures the thrilling account of United States service members evacuating their South Vietnamese colleagues and friends during the closing days of the Vietnam War, will be followed by a discussion with Kennedy.

Kennedy, daughter of the late Sen. Robert Kennedy, is an Emmy Award-winning independent documentary filmmaker, as well as cofounder and president of Moxie Firecracker Films. Her films cover an array of issues ranging from poverty to politics to human rights and have been shown on HBO, A&E, MTV, Lifetime and PBS.

Kennedy also will receive the “Fsu Student Veteran Torchlight Award for Outstanding Achievement in Filmmaking” following the screening of the film. The award, which comes with a $25,000 honorarium, is presented annually to a filmmaker who illuminates issues affecting veterans returning from their service.

“Florida State is committed to becoming the most veteran-friendly university in the nation, and recognizing filmmakers who document topics related to the military is another way we raise awareness and pay tribute to our veterans,” said Interim President Garnett S. Stokes. “We are pleased to honor Rory Kennedy with this award for her enthralling story about the final days of the Vietnam War.”

The film festival is intended to raise awareness of student-veterans’ issues and bridge the gap between veterans and the community.

As executive director of the College of Motion Picture Arts' Torchlight Program, I secured the rights to this year’s film from The American Experience Films and PBS. The film will make its broadcast debut April 28, 2015 on PBS.

The Student Veteran Film Festival and its Student Veteran Torchlight Award is attracting national film industry attention, which resonates on the university’s commitment and dedication to our student veterans.

Kill or Be Killed: Krauss Meticulously Reassesses the Situation

Part courtroom drama, part frontline footage film contextualized by Morris-esque investigative interviews with those on trial for the murder of innocent Afghan citizens under the star spangled banner of the Us military, Dan Krauss’s incendiary documentary unveils the horrifying truths behind the media coined platoon, The Kill Team. Of the same ilk as The Invisible War, Kirby Dick’s recent inquisition into the military’s history of legal murkiness and systematic corruption, Krauss’s film sides with a young soldier named Adam Winfield whose reports to military authorities about the unprovoked killings of innocents within his platoon went ignored, until he himself was arrested alongside the men he was desperately trying to free himself from.

Winfield’s close-knit unit is shown dressed to the nines for Krauss’s interview, honestly sharing their versions of the events that took place with frightening candacy,...

The real story behind Bowe Bergdahl is only beginning to unfold. While it may take weeks or months to find out exactly why and how the U.S. soldier may have left his platoon in Afghanistan in 2009 and found himself held captive by the Taliban for five years, Bergdahl’s narrative has renewed long seething debates about America’s foreign entanglements in the Middle East. Was Bergdahl a deserter or hero, a traitor or a Pow? And ultimately, was his reason for being in Afghanistan justified or, to use the military acronym, Fubar (fucked-up beyond all recognition)? American documentary cinema has long embraced this debate, with U.S. soldiers like Bergdahl emerging as some of the most powerful characters in this ongoing national drama. Think of Scott Camil, the traumatized Vietnam vet, in 1972’s Winter Soldier, who testified to the horrifying brutalization and murder of innocent Vietnamese civilians by U.

Walt Disney's grandniece Abigail Disney took to Facebook to voice her opinions about him in the wake of Meryl Streep highlighting his apparent racism, sexism and antisemitism

Abigail Disney, grandniece of Walt, has backed up Meryl Streep following the actor's recent comments about Walt Disney where she referred to him as a "gender bigot" and a member of an antisemitic lobbying organisation.

Disney took to Facebook to say she "loved" the actor's remarks, as she had "mixed feelings" about her great-uncle. "You really need to be as honest as possible about those feelings, or else you are going to lead yourself into many a blind alley in life," she said. "Anti-Semite? Check. Misogynist? Of Course!! Racist? C'mon he made a film (Jungle Book) about how you should stay 'with your own kind' at the height of the fight over segregation! As if the 'King of the Jungle' number wasn't proof enough!

True Detective, Season 1: Episode 1 – “The Long Bright Dark” Written by Nick Pizzolatto Directed by Cary Fukunaga Airs Sunday nights at 9 on HBO -

Midway through the 2013 TV fall season, seven new shows glamorizing serial killers were added by various networks, bringing the total to 20. HBO seems a little late to the game with True Detective, a series which centers around two mismatched detectives, Rust Cohle (Matthew McConaughey) and Martin Hart (Woody Harrelson), who, in 1995, investigate and solve the occult-like murder of Dora Lange, a young prostitute whose body is found in a section of a sugarcane forestry in the Louisiana countryside. Cut between the mid ’90s and present-day, the two detectives are called back for questioning when a similar case arises seventeen years later. With only eight episodes to tell its story, True Detective wastes no time in laying the groundwork. The story weaves back and forth from a present day interrogation,...

Glenn here with the first of three pieces looking at this year’s 15 finalists for Best Documentary. Watch along with us!

Prior to the announcement of the shortlist, I had seen roughly 30 of the 151 contenders. Hopefully by the end of the week I will have managed to catch up with all 15 of the shortlisted titles, which will be the first time that has ever happened. As Team Experience's apparent resident doc expert, I am determined to do it, although I would be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed that I couldn't catch even more of the longlist. 151 is a lot even for me.

Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer

Synopsis: Filmed over the course of 6 months, this documentary tells the incredible story of three young moments of Pussy Riot, a Russian activist punk band out to disrupt the status quo and bring attention to their homeland's injustices by the hand of Vladimir Putin.

This November 11th will be the third year of The Florida State University Student Veteran Film Festival (Svff) . For the past three years I have been asked to be the executive advisor to this initiative to provide opportunity to curate on behalf of the College Of Motion Picture Arts, and at the request of my Dean Frank Patterson and the University President, Dr. Eric Barron, in support of our Student Veterans the annual featured motion picture presentation. This initiative provides a platform, utilizing cinema to engage conversation surrounding issues facing our returning student veterans returning from their service. The Collegiate Veterans Association leaders created the concept for this festival, and I have had the honor to participate in the opportunity. As the Executive Director of the Florida State University College of Motion Picture ArtsTorchlight Program, and Executive Advisor to the Fsu Svff, I have been able to merge my independent film industry background with educational opportunities at the University with the vision of expanding learning opportunities through cinema.

In year one the film selected to present was ”Hell and Back Again”, directed by Danfung Dennis, which went on to be nominated for an Oscar in 2011. Year two the Svff presented “The Invisible War”, directed by Kirby Dick, which went on to be nominated for the Oscar in 2012. Fsu President Eric Barron created an award that year to honor Kirby Dick for his filmmaking, the Fsu Student Veteran Torchlight Award (described in the material provided). This year, the award will be presented to Sebastian Junger for his documentary, "Which Way Is The Front Line From Here? The Life And Time of Tim Hetherington".

The Collegiate Veterans Association at Florida State University is one of the most universally known and well-respected student veteran groups in the nation. The university, the administration, and the student body have joined together in an effort to make Florida State University one of the most veteran friendly public universities, in the nation. Inherent in this goal is our effort to raise awareness and promote veteran’s issues. The Student Veteran Film Festival is one of our primary vehicles for achieving these goals.

The Student Veteran Film Festival is an annual event at the Florida State University that highlights veteran issues on campus, in the local community, and nationally. This event has a proud tradition of elegance, prestige, and creation of intense dialogue between filmmakers, students, and veterans.

The education and awareness that this event has been able to cultivate for issues such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Military Sexual Trauma has been both significant and impactful. The inaugural event showcased the film ”Hell and Back Again” with the following year hosting “The Invisible War”. The nature of these films show that our student veterans are not afraid of having difficult conversations and are serious about impacting real, meaningful, change.

Third Annual Student Veteran Film Festival To Feature Award-winning Author And Film Director Sebastian Junger

Tallahassee – Florida State University students will bring award-winning author and filmmaker Sebastian Junger and his critically acclaimed documentary film “Which Way is the Front Line from Here? The Life and Times of Tim Hetherington” to the 3rd Annual Student Veteran Film Festival on Monday, Nov. 11.

A collaborative effort among the Collegiate Veterans Association , Interfraternity Council, Panhellenic Association and College of Motion Picture Arts, the event will feature a discussion with Junger about the film, which traces Hetherington’s work across the world's battlefields to reveal what made him such a singular talent — and remarkable human being. The film also illuminates the incredible risks combat journalists face, at a time when they are dying with greater frequency in war zones.

“We are proud to screen this acclaimed film and host an event that facilitates discussion about what life is like in war-torn parts of the world, which Tim Hetherington captured so movingly through his images,” said Ryan Taylor, president of the Fsu Collegiate Veterans Association.

Junger is a bestselling author (“The Perfect Storm,” “War”) who, with Hetherington, co-directed “Restrepo,” an Academy Award nominated documentary about an American combat outpost in Afghanistan.

Junger will also receive the “Fsu Student Veteran Torchlight Award for Outstanding Achievement in Filmmaking” following the screening of the film. The award, which comes with a $25,000 honorarium, is given annually to a filmmaker who illuminates issues affecting veterans.

"As part of Florida State’s commitment to become the most veteran-friendly university in the nation, we are recognizing filmmakers who explore issues that affect military service members, veterans and their families,” said Fsu President Eric J. Barron. “I am pleased to honor Sebastian Junger with this award for his poignant tribute to Tim Hetherington."

The film festival is intended to raise awareness of student-veterans’ issues and bridge the gap between veterans and the community. Paul Cohen, director of the College of Motion Picture Arts’ Torchlight program, secured the rights to screen “Which Way is the Front Line from Here? The Life and Times of Tim Hetherington.” The film, telecast and distributed by HBO, was screened at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival.

The Student Veteran Film Festival will take place:

Monday, Nov. 11

3 – 7:30 P.M.

Ruby Diamond Concert Hall

222 S. Copeland St.

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Fla.

Student Veteran Film Festival website – http://vetfilmfest.fsu.edu Svff page on the Student Veterans Center website – http://veterans.fsu.edu/Student-Veteran-Film-Festival (As mentioned, the story on this page will be replaced by the news release, once its been finalized by the Communications office.) Svff Tickets – http://tickets.fsu.edu Ruby Diamond Concert Hall - http://tickets.fsu.edu/Venue-Information/Ruby-Diamond-Concert-Hall...

Britdoc backs feature that was on hold due to funding issues.

Production has begun in London on a feature documentary about the life of musician M.I.A.

The film is directed by Steve Loveridge, who reportedly stepped down from making the documentary in July.

At that time, Loveridge used his Tumblr account to leak a teaser trailer for the film, which was later removed.

According to an email posted to Loveridge’s site, a representative from Roc Nation claimed “the timing of this leak … screws with everything we’ve been working on”.

“I know how frustrated you must be with the [film],” they wrote, “but I promise we’ve been having ongoing conversations internally, trying to get legal stuff and funding resolved, it Is going to move forward and get done in time for this album cycle and festivals.”

“I really couldn’t give a flying fuck,” Loveridge replied. “Count me out. Would rather...

Gotham Awards 2013: Nominations don’t necessarily mean Oscar 2014 recognition (photo: Gotham Award nominee Robert Redford in ’All Is Lost’) Nominations for the indie-oriented, East Coast-based Gotham Awards, announced a few days ago, don’t necessarily translate into nominations for the equally indie-oriented, West Coast-based Spirit Awards. And they certainly don’t mean the likelihood of a matching Academy Award nod. (See list of 2013 Gotham Awards nominations.) In fact, in the last five years (2012-2008), of the 25 nominees in the Gotham Awards’ Best Feature category, only seven films — or less than one in three — received matching Academy Award nominations despite the fact that since 2009 up to ten films have been eligible for the Best Picture Oscar. Gotham Awards’ Best Feature vs. Academy Awards’ Best Picture The Gotham Awards’ Best Feature / Academy Awards’ Best Picture "double nominees" were the following: Kathryn Bigelow’s The Hurt Locker Joel and Ethan Coen’s...

Gamechanger Films, a new for-profit film fund exclusively targeting narrative feature-length films directed by women, was announced today. The New York-based company was founded by Julie Parker Benello (Afternoon Delight, Pariah, Brooklyn Castle), Dan Cogan (Hell and Back Again, How to Survive a Plague, The Queen of Versailles), Geralyn Dreyfous (Born Into Brothels, The Invisible War, The Square) and Wendy Ettinger (Semper Fi: Always Faithful, The War Room, Eye of God), and will be led by producer Mynette Louie (Cold Comes the Night, California Solo, Children of Invention). Producer Mary Jane Skalski (Very Good Girls, Win Win, The Visitor) is […]...

Gamechanger Films, a new for-profit film fund exclusively targeting narrative feature-length films directed by women, was announced today. The New York-based company was founded by Julie Parker Benello (Afternoon Delight, Pariah, Brooklyn Castle), Dan Cogan (Hell and Back Again, How to Survive a Plague, The Queen of Versailles), Geralyn Dreyfous (Born Into Brothels, The Invisible War, The Square) and Wendy Ettinger (Semper Fi: Always Faithful, The War Room, Eye of God), and will be led by producer Mynette Louie (Cold Comes the Night, California Solo, Children of Invention). Producer Mary Jane Skalski (Very Good Girls, Win Win, The Visitor) is […]...

As the co-founder and Executive Director of the equity fund Impact Partners, Dan Cogan has supported many independent films, including "How to Survive A Plague, "Hell and Back Again," "The Cove," "Detropia," "The Island President" and "Midway." Yesterday at the Doc Conference at The Toronto Film Festival, Cogan presented "The Gift," a speech about how filmmakers can best manage their relationships with the investors who make their work possible. Cogan advised producers to give filmmakers the freedom to make the film they want to make and filmmakers to respect "the gift" they have been given and make the best film they can. Read his full speech below: Venal. Manipulative. Short-sighted. Just downright pathetic. There are no better words to describe the dominant strain in the relationship between film producer and investor throughout the sorry history of filmmaking. Both sides are to blame for this state of affairs. Film producers, often...

Impact Partners (The Cove, How to Survive a Plague, Hell and Back Again, Detropia, Pandora’s Promise) will release Joe Brewster's and Michèle Stephenson's acclaimed feature documentary, American Promise, in theaters, starting October 18. But before that, those in New York City will be able to see the film when it premieres at the prestigious New York Film Festival, its 51st annual edition. It will screen amongst 36 exciting titles selected for the festival's main slate, when it opens its doors on September 27, running through October 13. This personal film, a 13-year journey, follows the directors’ son (Idris) and his best friend (seun), from their first day...

Earlier this month, Impact Partners (The Cove, How to Survive a Plague, Hell and Back Again, Detropia, Pandora’s Promise) announced that it will release Joe Brewster's and Michèle Stephenson's acclaimed feature documentary, American Promise, in theaters, starting October 18. Today, the film's first theatrical release trailer, as well as the cities in which it'll open, have been released and follow below. American Promise will open first in New York City on October 18, followed by releases in Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Atlanta, the Bay Area, Chicago and Detroit shortly after. This personal film, a 13-year journey, follows the...

The eligibility of documentaries for awardage from both that lusted after winged woman (Emmy) and the coveted naked man (Oscar) is a labyrinthine maze from which we would never exit were we to foolishly enter. In fact, someone needs to make a documentary about That to sort it all out. Documentaries leave strange crumbs all over both the big and small screens on their long walking journey through often complicated and extremely protacted "releases".

I bring this up because a portion of the Emmy nominations were announced today (like The Grammys there are hundreds of categories) in the non-fiction fields of news and documentary. I was surprised, for example, to see Semper Fi: Always Faithful, The Loving Story and We Were Here as nominees. You may recall they were all Oscar finalists (though not nominees) back in 2011 and now they're up for 2013 Emmys! Actual nominees from that Oscar year show up too,...

Impact Partners (The Cove, How to Survive a Plague, Hell and Back Again, Detropia, Pandora’s Promise) has announced that it will release Joe Brewster's and Michèle Stephenson's acclaimed feature documentary, American Promise, in theaters, starting October 18. This personal film, a 13-year journey, follows the directors’ son (Idris) and his best friend (seun), from their first day of kindergarten through high school graduation, and how their lives diverge, as they navigate an elite, performance-driven, ivy league New York City prep school in a world still largely segregated by race, class and culture. The completed film, which made its...

New documentary Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer has been given a UK cinema release date of July 5.

The filml has been directed and produced by Mike Lerner (Afghan Star, Hell and Back Again) and Maxim Pozdorovkin (Capital), and features musicians Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, Maria Alyokhina and Yekaterina Samutsevich.

"Filmed over the course of six months, this film tells the incredible story of three young women: Nadia, Masha and Katia; members of the feminist art collective Pussy Riot who performed a 40-second 'punk prayer' inside Russia's main cathedral," said producers.

"This performance led to their arrest on charges of religious hatred and culminated in a trial that has reverberated around the world and transformed the face of Russian society forever."

They added: "With unparalleled access and exclusive footage, Lerner and Pozdorovkin's Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer looks at the real people behind their now famous colourful balaclavas."

The film premiered at Sundance,...

Los Angeles, CA, May 14, 2013 Cinedigm, the global leader in digital content distribution, and Universal Studios Home Entertainment, the premier home entertainment company, have entered into a multi-year agreement whereby Universal will provide comprehensive supply-chain services across North America for Cinedigm’s growing DVD and Blu-ray library of independent films, documentaries, TV programs and other content, the two companies announced today. Cinedigm’s existing sales force will continue selling directly to customers. The arrangement encompasses Cinedigm’s library of over 5,000 titles which includes award-winning documentaries from Docurama Films, next-gen indies from Flatiron Film Company and acclaimed independent films and festival picks through partnerships with the Sundance Institute and Tribeca Film. Cinedigm also distributes many award-winning and Oscar-nominated films including “The Invisible War,” “Hell And Back Again,” “Gasland,” “Waste Land,” and “Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory.” Bob Fiorella, Chief Strategy Officer of Cinedigm, negotiated the agreement on Cinedigm’s behalf. Related: Cinedigm Will...

Hi everyone! Amir here, to bring you exciting festival news at month's end. Nathaniel is heading to the Nashville Film Festival as a jury member and for the first time at The Film Experience, we’re also going to cover the Hot Docs Festival, North America’s largest documentary fest, which is held in Toronto. It’s a record breaking year for their ever-expanding programme: there are 205 documentaries screening, 44 of which are world premieres.

The Manor, Hot Docs' opening film

Hot Docs hits two important milestones this year. First, the festival turns 20: “It’s not a teenager anymore” as the director announced at the press conference; it's a major triumph for a niche festival to become a mainstay. Second, Bloor Cinema, the theatre that hosts most of the screenings turns 100! It’s one of Canada’s oldest and most nostalgia inducing cinemas. Had it not been for their incredibly...

Cinedigm announced today it will be elevating its Docurama Films independent label into a multi-platform 'Docurama" brand with a series of national theatrical screening events and a streaming network service. For almost 15 years, Docurama Films has presented acclaimed documentaries, including Kirby Dick's "The Invisible War," Danfung Dennis' "Hell and Back Again," Rachel Grady and Heidi Ewing's "Detropia" and genre classics such as D.A. Pennebaker's "Don't Look Back" and Robert Drew's "Primary." The Docurama platform will launch on April 22 with a 7-week, 7-film series of screenings across the country, with its free streaming service launching at the same time.  Stated Cinedigm chairman and CEO Chris McGurk: "These outstanding films deserve a theatrical release, the boost from which provides ongoing community engagement and discussion. We fervently believe that most consumers desire to see what they want, when they want, on the device of their choosing. This program satisfies.

The 85th Annual Academy Awards took place Sunday in Los Angeles, with "Searching for Sugar Man" taking the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature.

Malik Bendjelloul directed "Sugar Man," which bested "The Gatekeepers," "5 Broken Cameras," "How to Survive a Plague," and "The Invisible War" for the award.

"Sugar Man," a big pre-awards favorite, tells the nearly unbelievable true story of Sixto Rodriguez. The Detroit native left music behind for construction jobs, all while being a cult figure in South Africa, where his music was revered alongside the likes of The Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan. The rediscovery of Rodriguez -- and his eventual comeback -- provide the base for Bendjelloul's sweetheart documentary.

Rodriguez has since lined up multiple gigs and eagerly made the media rounds since his film saw its American premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival.

"5 Broken Cameras" found itself at the center of a firestorm in the week leading up to the Oscars.

By Joey Magidson

Film Contributor

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Greetings from Park City, everyone! As I’m writing this piece, I’m in Utah attending the Sundance Film Festival. So far, it has been pretty cool (if a bit overwhelming at times), especially for a first-timer like myself. Being here inspired me to try and tie in the festival to the Oscars, as I’m prone to do with just about everything that I can. I’ve found that I’m on the lookout for what could move from this year’s festival lineup to the next awards season.

When I wrote about which film festivals influence the Oscar race a few weeks ago (found here), I mentioned how Sundance wasn’t the prime destination for awards hopefuls but still functioned as an essential launching pad. That was certainly true this year, and it will remain the case going forward.

It takes a certain...

American films about Afghanistan have had a good run at the Oscars lately. Both 2011’s Hell and Back Again and 2010’s Restrepo earned Best Documentary nominations for their harrowing looks at troops under fire. And this year, another U.S.-directed film on Afghanistan is in the hunt for a nod from the Academy Awards, but it’s fictional, it’s not about war, and it doesn’t feature any Americans. It is, however, the first of its ilk to feature dead livestock in a central role. Buzkashi Boys, one of eleven live-action short films to make the Academy’s short list (the five nominees will be announced on January 10), is the scripted tale of two boys in Kabul who dream of playing the Afghan national sport of buzkashi, which is kind of like polo, played atop horses, but with a headless, disemboweled goat carcass as the ball.There haven...

The 2013 Sundance Film Festival has nabbed the world premiere of "Pussy Riot - A Punk Prayer," which is to chronicle the arrest and trial of the all-women punk band from Russia. The documentary film is co-directed by Mike Lerner and Maxim Pozdorovkin. The former has who's produced titles like "Hell and Back Again" and "The Afghans" and the latter produced and directed "Capital," a doc on the 10th anniversary of the Kazakhstan city of Astana.  Three members of Pussy Riot were arrested back in March this year for performed a guerrilla concert in Moscow's main cathedral, dancing and singing to...

Tyler Perry and Matthew Fox feel the pain in the first trailer for the James Patterson adaptation.

By Josh Wigler

Tyler Perry in "Alex Cross"

Photo:

Don't cross Alex Cross. Do cross the "Alex Cross" trailer.Tyler Perry makes his debut as James Patterson's iconic detective and forensic psychologist in the first official trailer for "Alex Cross," which premiered exclusively on Amazon Tuesday (June 26). Previously played by Morgan Freeman in "Kiss the Girls" and "Along Came a Spider," Cross gets a younger makeover in the Perry-starring flick, as well as an impossibly ripped homicidal-maniac nemesis in the form of "Lost" veteran Matthew Fox.The trailer is all kinds of bonkers, with Fox shouting out sadistic one-liners and threatening women like it's his job (in this case, it actually is) and Perry doing everything he can to hold it together while going up against one of the most ruthless psychopaths this side of Madea.

I first met writer/director K. Lorrel Manning and actor/producer Michael Cuomo at the Santa Fe Independent Film Festival, where we found ourselves the fish-out-of-water New Yorkers in a sea full of Southwest cinephiles. Their SXSW 2011 (sold out) hit Happy New Year is grounded in star Cuomo’s nuanced portrayal of a fictional outsider named Cole Lewis, a sergeant who served in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and now finds himself battling demons both mental and physical in the psych ward of a veterans hospital. I spoke with the two about their veterans outreach effort, Indiegogo versus Kickstarter, and the best places to start a revolution over breakfast.

Filmmaker: Over the past couple years, there’ve been a slew of nonfiction flicks – such as Danfung Dennis’s Hell and Back Again and Heather Courtney’s Where Soldiers Come From – that address the difficulties encountered by Iraq and Afghanistan war vets returning home.

On TV this Monday: It’s time to play the family feud, with Hatfields & McCoys! Also: There’s a lot more than one Tree Hill, Cartoon Network goes Mad, Hart of Dixie goes back to the beginning and more. In addition to the specials and marathons listed in our Memorial Day Weekend guide, here are nine programs to keep on your radar.

10 am Nathan & Haley, Always & Forever: One Tree Hill Marathon (SOAPnet) | This nine-hour run of early “Naley”-themed episodes will make you nostalgic, cheery and very probably teary.

Related | Hot for Summer: Our Calendar of More Than 100 Premiere and Finale Dates!

If the weather doesn’t hold up for you, Memorial Day weekend won’t be spent grilling on the beach. But here’s the good news: There are plenty of TV marathons and specials to be found — plus, you’re being patriotic, in a way, by being an all-American couch potato. In addition to our What to Watch column (posting Sunday, and going weekly for the summer), here are some programs to keep on your radar.

Friday, May 25

3 pm – 11 pm Law & Order: Svu (USA Network) | If there’s one thing you can always count on, it’s for Svu to be marathoning somewhere.

Oscar nominated documentary Hell and Back Again on Independent Lens airs on PBS this Memorial Day, Monday, May 28 At 10 Pm. From PBS What does it mean to lead men in war? What does it mean to come home -- injured physically and psychologically -- and build a life anew? As more and more veterans return from deployment these questions will have to be answered not only by those who fought, but by their families, friends and fellow citizens. Filmed and directed by Danfung Dennis, Hell and Back Again seamlessly transitions from stunning war reportage to an intimate, visceral portrait of one man's personal struggle back home. There Sergeant Nathan Harris confronts the physical and...

With less money, more platforms and more projects, PBS is in trouble -- again. Slammed by National Endowment for the Arts funding cuts, no longer shielded from campaign ads, and threatened by the arrival of new media platforms (not to mention a Republican presidential candidate who shuns it), PBS -- and the producers of its content -- are experiencing particularly tough times. On Wednesday, the Nea released its most recent round of funded projects. It also confirmed major cuts to such established PBS programs as Independent Lens and P.O.V. -- home to some of the best lauded American nonfiction, from Oscar nominees "Enron: The Smartest Guy in the Room," "The Weather Underground" and "Waste Land" to this year's "Hell and Back Again" -- as well as shows like "American Masters" and "Art 21." Much to the chagrin of the independent documentary community, Independent Lens will see its funds slashed...

Chicago – “Undefeated” takes some time to connect. It’s like a football team that starts slow and can’t quite find the right play calls for the first quarter. I’ll admit to being nonplussed at the start of the film as it seemed unfocused and a bit disconnected. Then something amazing happens. These guys start to connect. They start to become real. You start to root for them. Feel for them. Even care about them. This is one of the best sports documentaries of the last few years and while I don’t think it should have won in a Very good year for non-fiction film, I’m really not upset at all that it did.

Rating: 4.5/5.0

Damn, 2011 was amazing for documentaries. Werner Herzog made two (“Into the Abyss,” “Cave of Forgotten Dreams”). Steve James made one nearly as good as his “Hoop Dreams” (“The Interrupters”). Cameron Crowe (“Pearl Jam Twenty...

The Artist tops off its triumphant run throughout this awards season with a big night at the Oscars. And the winners are... in bold:

Best Picture

The Artist

The Descendants

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

The Help

Hugo

Midnight in Paris

Moneyball

The Tree of Life

War Horse

Directing

The Artist, Michel Hazanavicius

The Descendants, Alexander Payne

Hugo, Martin Scorsese

Midnight in Paris, Woody Allen

The Tree of Life, Terrence Malick

Actor In A Leading Role

Demián Bichir in A Better Life

George Clooney in The Descendants

Jean Dujardin in The Artist

Gary Oldman in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Brad Pitt in Moneyball

Actor In A Supporting Role

Kenneth Branagh in My Week with Marilyn

Jonah Hill in Moneyball

Nick Nolte in Warrior

Christopher Plummer in Beginners

Max von Sydow in Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Actress In A Leading Role

Glenn Close in Albert Nobbs

Viola Davis in The Help...

Seth Rogen hosted the 2012 Film Independent Spirit Awards on Saturday evening and the winners are:

Best Feature: The Artist. Also nominated: 50/50, Beginners, Drive, Take Shelter and The Descendants.

Best Director: Michel Hazanavicius (The Artist). Nominated: Mike Mills (Beginners), Nicolas Winding Refn (Drive), Jeff Nichols (Take Shelter), and Alexander Payne (The Descendants).

Best First Feature: Margin Call. Nominated: Another Earth, In The Family, , Martha Marcy May Marlene and Natural Selection.

Best Male Lead Performance: Jean Dujardin (The Artist). Nominated: Demián Bichir (A Better Life), , Ryan Gosling (Drive), Woody Harrelson (Rampart) and Michael Shannon (Take Shelter).

Best Female Lead Performance: Michelle Williams (My Week with Marilyn). Nominated: Lauren Ambrose (Think of Me), Rachel Harris (Natural Selection), Adepero Oduye (Pariah) and Elizabeth Olsen (Martha Marcy May Marlene).

Best Supporting Male Performance: Christopher Plummer (Beginners). Nominated: Albert Brooks (Drive), John Hawkes (Martha Marcy May Marlene), John C Reilly (Cedar Rapids) and Corey Stoll (Midnight in Paris...

The 84th Annual Academy Awards ended up being one of the most entertaining Academy Award shows that I've seen in years, even though films I wanted to win didn't. I was rooting for Martin Scorsese and Hugo this year, but I knew that The Artist would end up taking home a majority of the big awards. In the end, each one of these films took home 5 Awards, Hugo took home the more technical ones though. I think it was a pretty easy year to predict the winners.

It was great to see Billy Crystal back up on stage; he really did a great job bringing light, fun entertainment that everyone could enjoy. Crystal was awesome and one of the best parts of the show. The guy is classic comedy. He helped bring back everything that the Oscars should be.

Here's the full list of nominees with the winners in bold.

The Artist and Hugo emerged as the big winners at the 84th Annual Academy Awards scoring five a piece with the silent film dominating the major awards including best picture, best director and best actor for Jean Dujardin, while Scorsese's 3D film took home the majority of technical field awards of cinematography, art direction, sound editing, sound mixing and visual effects.

The most important award of the night for Flicks News HQ was that Bret Mackenzie won the Oscar for best original song, which he did for Man or Muppet from the soundtrack to The Muppets. Disappointingly there was no musical performances at this years even so Bret and The Muppets did not get to perform the song.

Meryl Streep won best actress for her portrayal of Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady. Christopher Plummer became the oldest Oscar winner at 82 by taking the best supporting actor prize. The Help...

If, for some crazy reason, you weren't glued to your TV last night watching the Oscars, here's a quick rundown of what you missed: not much. As expected, The Artist ended up winning most of the major awards including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor, although Hugo managed to snag a lot of the technical awards. In the end, they finished in a tie with 5 wins a piece. The only real surprise of the night was Meryl Streep's Best Actress win over Viola Davis for her performance in The Iron Lady. Other than that, it was somewhat a yawn-inducing show, with Billy Crystal doing a serviceable but unremarkable job as host. I think the clear highlight of the night came on the red carpet where Sacha Baron Cohen "accidentally" spilled Kim Jong-Il's ashes on Ryan Seacrest. Were you happy with this year's Academy Award winners? What did you think of the show overall?...

By Sean O’Connell

hollywoodnews.com: Michel Hazanavicius’ “The Artist” lost a number of key technical categories to Martin Scorsese’s “Hugo” but still prevailed in the top Oscar slot on Sunday night, claiming trophies for Best Picture, Director, and Actor (for Jean Dujardin).

It was a great night for Harvey Weinstein, who helped power Meryl Streep to an unexpected win over perceived frontrunner Viola Davis on the Best Actress race. Octavia Spencer (“The Help”) and Christopher Plummer (“Beginners”) rounded out last night’s acting categories.

I went 19 out of 24 in my picks, believing the Academy would spread a lot of its technical love around to films not named “Hugo.” All is all, a successful Oscar season. Here are the winners from the 84th Annual Academy Awards (bolded below):

Best Picture

“The Artist”

“The Descendants”

“Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close”

“Hugo”

“Midnight In Paris”

“The Help”

“Moneyball”

“War Horse...

Crowded House said it best in the lyrics “Hey now, hey now, don’t dream its over.” Yes, the awards season officialy came to an end tonight at the Hollywood and Highland Center in Hollywood, CA. Tears, jubilation, substance and style were all memorable moments at the 84th Academy Awards hosted by Billy Crystal. With Sacha Baron Cohen’s shenanigans earlier on the red carpet and no huge upsets, Cirque du Soleil’s performance was the highlight of the evening.

The Oscar for Best Motion Picture of the Year went to “The Artist” produced by Thomas Langmann and Michel Hazanavicius won for Achievement in Directing. The movie becomes the first silent film to take the gold since the original Oscar ceremony 83 years ago when Wings won.

Christopher Plummer was the winner for a Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role for his role in “Beginners”; Octavia Spencer, was the...

Didn't get an invite to this year's Oscars? Neither did Xan Brooks, but he stoically blogged the red carpet and then the ceremony anyway

10.57pm: And so it begins ....

11.25pm: Roll carpet, roll cameras: it's the 84th annual Academy Awards, live and lurid from Hollywood. The Guardian film team will be covering the event throughout the night, weeping with the winners and wailing with the losers as this season's awards circus clatters exhaustedly towards the finish line. This is where it ends, inside the Hollywood and Highland Centre (reputedly the winner of the 2007 "Ugliest Building in La" award). Inside, the victors shall be encased in gold, the vanquished shown the door and all manner of movies laid tenderly to rest.

But wait, kick back, and keep the war horses tethered: the actual ceremony does not officially commence until 5pm (Pacific time). Time enough to cast an eye back over some late-breaking Oscar news.