Exclusive: For NASA’s pioneering Black astronauts, gravity wasn’t the only barrier impeding them from reaching the highest heights. They also faced another implacable force, in the form of racial bias.
National Geographic Documentary Films today announced filmmakers Lisa Cortés and Diego Hurtado de Mendoza will direct and produce The Space Race, a feature documentary “that will uncover the little-known stories of the first Black pilots, engineers and scientists to become astronauts” and the obstacles that impacted their trajectory. Frank Marshall and Tony Rosenthal of The Kennedy/Marshall Company will executive produce the film, along with Carolyn Bernstein of National Geographic Documentary Films and Leland Melvin. The project will be produced by Kennedy/Marshall’s Alexandra Bowen and Aly Parker, Diamond Docs’ Mark Monroe and independent producer Keero Birla. Monroe will also serve as the film’s writer.
Astronaut Ed Dwight is interviewed for ‘The Space Race.
National Geographic Documentary Films today announced filmmakers Lisa Cortés and Diego Hurtado de Mendoza will direct and produce The Space Race, a feature documentary “that will uncover the little-known stories of the first Black pilots, engineers and scientists to become astronauts” and the obstacles that impacted their trajectory. Frank Marshall and Tony Rosenthal of The Kennedy/Marshall Company will executive produce the film, along with Carolyn Bernstein of National Geographic Documentary Films and Leland Melvin. The project will be produced by Kennedy/Marshall’s Alexandra Bowen and Aly Parker, Diamond Docs’ Mark Monroe and independent producer Keero Birla. Monroe will also serve as the film’s writer.
Astronaut Ed Dwight is interviewed for ‘The Space Race.
- 3/31/2023
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
‘Mulan’ actor Gong Li will serve as the chairman of the international jury doling out the top Tiantan Awards at this year’s Beijing International Film Festival (Bjiff), the event said Tuesday. The festival’s 11th iteration is set to take place in person in the Chinese capital from August 14-21, 2021.
In Bjiff’s official announcement of Gong’s role, it mentioned all of Gong’s past experiences as jury chairman at major festivals, such as the 50th Berlin International Film Festival, the 59th Venice International Film Festival, the 16th Tokyo International Film Festival, and the 17th Shanghai International Film Festival, noting that in 1997, she also served as a jury member at Cannes.
It did not, however, mention her turn as jury president of the Taipei-based Golden Horse Awards in 2018. That year, an awards speech mentioning Taiwanese independence caused a political rift between the festival and its Chinese attendees after...
In Bjiff’s official announcement of Gong’s role, it mentioned all of Gong’s past experiences as jury chairman at major festivals, such as the 50th Berlin International Film Festival, the 59th Venice International Film Festival, the 16th Tokyo International Film Festival, and the 17th Shanghai International Film Festival, noting that in 1997, she also served as a jury member at Cannes.
It did not, however, mention her turn as jury president of the Taipei-based Golden Horse Awards in 2018. That year, an awards speech mentioning Taiwanese independence caused a political rift between the festival and its Chinese attendees after...
- 7/6/2021
- by Rebecca Davis
- Variety Film + TV
What could be better than one underdog success story? Multiple underdog success stories, and this is the dogma Peter Chan used exactly in order to present the history of the Chinese volleyball team through four decades, by focusing on one of its most iconic individuals, Lang Ping.
The story revolves around three key moments in the history of the team, namely the matches against Japan at the World Cup in 1981, against USA at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, and against Brazil at the 2016 Rio Olympics. In that fashion, the narrative unfolds in three arcs. The first one focuses on Lang Ping, and how, under the borderline-exploitative but also tough love training by Yuan Weimin, she came to be the star of the team, particularly due to her strong will and dedication. Her path as a coach, firstly in the US team and then the Chinese team concludes her arc.
The story revolves around three key moments in the history of the team, namely the matches against Japan at the World Cup in 1981, against USA at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, and against Brazil at the 2016 Rio Olympics. In that fashion, the narrative unfolds in three arcs. The first one focuses on Lang Ping, and how, under the borderline-exploitative but also tough love training by Yuan Weimin, she came to be the star of the team, particularly due to her strong will and dedication. Her path as a coach, firstly in the US team and then the Chinese team concludes her arc.
- 6/30/2021
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
A sport as quickfire as indoor volleyball deserves a nimbler workout than it gets in “Leap,” Peter Ho-Sun Chan’s lavish but curiously low-boil based-in-truth sports movie. Telling the decades-spanning tale of the Chinese Women’s Volleyball team and its star-player-turned-head-coach, Lang Ping, it’s essentially a rise-and-fall-and-rise-again story. But in presenting a sanitized vision of Chinese patriotism as pretty much the sole motivating force for any of its characters, despite a hefty runtime and some unimpeachably glossy craft, the film is a mis-hit spike, delivering far less penetration than its toned, muscular surface promises.
Ignoring or eliding whole decades of interim drama (Lang’s first stint as China’s coach is a particularly strange omission), the film is organized instead around three centerpiece matches: China versus Japan at the World Cup in 1981; China versus USA at the Beijing Olympics in 2008; and China versus Brazil at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Each...
Ignoring or eliding whole decades of interim drama (Lang’s first stint as China’s coach is a particularly strange omission), the film is organized instead around three centerpiece matches: China versus Japan at the World Cup in 1981; China versus USA at the Beijing Olympics in 2008; and China versus Brazil at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Each...
- 1/22/2021
- by Jessica Kiang
- Variety Film + TV
Documentary feature “Inside the Red Brick Wall,” which chronicles one of the most dramatic chapters of the 2019 Hong Kong protests, bagged the best film at the 27th Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards.
The best director prize went to Peter Chan Ho-sun for “Leap,” a sports drama based on the trajectory of China’s national women volleyball team. The film’s star Gong Li, who plays the legendary coach Lang Ping, won best actress, awards organizers announced on Monday.
“Memories to Choke On, Drinks to Wash Them Down,” a four-part anthology film centering around different facades of Hong Kong life, took the best screenplay prize. Awards were decided after six hours of deliberation and three rounds of voting on Sunday. But the critics chose not to present a best actor award because of the lack of narrative film releases in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Shot by an anonymous collective...
The best director prize went to Peter Chan Ho-sun for “Leap,” a sports drama based on the trajectory of China’s national women volleyball team. The film’s star Gong Li, who plays the legendary coach Lang Ping, won best actress, awards organizers announced on Monday.
“Memories to Choke On, Drinks to Wash Them Down,” a four-part anthology film centering around different facades of Hong Kong life, took the best screenplay prize. Awards were decided after six hours of deliberation and three rounds of voting on Sunday. But the critics chose not to present a best actor award because of the lack of narrative film releases in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Shot by an anonymous collective...
- 1/18/2021
- by Vivienne Chow
- Variety Film + TV
China has picked Peter Chan’s biographical sports drama Leap to represent the country at next year’s Oscar race in the international feature category.
The film follows the travails and triumphs of China’s women’s national volleyball team over a period of more than 40 years. Gong Li stars as legendary player-turned-coach Lang Ping, a member of the Chinese squad that won a Gold Medal over the United States at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. As a coach, she would later lead the Chinese team to gold medal glory at the 2016 Olympics in Rio.
Leap’s ...
The film follows the travails and triumphs of China’s women’s national volleyball team over a period of more than 40 years. Gong Li stars as legendary player-turned-coach Lang Ping, a member of the Chinese squad that won a Gold Medal over the United States at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. As a coach, she would later lead the Chinese team to gold medal glory at the 2016 Olympics in Rio.
Leap’s ...
- 12/3/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
China has picked Peter Chan’s biographical sports drama Leap to represent the country at next year’s Oscar race in the international feature category.
The film follows the travails and triumphs of China’s women’s national volleyball team over a period of more than 40 years. Gong Li stars as legendary player-turned-coach Lang Ping, a member of the Chinese squad that won a Gold Medal over the United States at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. As a coach, she would later lead the Chinese team to gold medal glory at the 2016 Olympics in Rio.
Leap’s ...
The film follows the travails and triumphs of China’s women’s national volleyball team over a period of more than 40 years. Gong Li stars as legendary player-turned-coach Lang Ping, a member of the Chinese squad that won a Gold Medal over the United States at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. As a coach, she would later lead the Chinese team to gold medal glory at the 2016 Olympics in Rio.
Leap’s ...
- 12/3/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
China on Thursday announced selection of Hong Kong director Peter Chan’s sports drama “Leap” as its contender for the Academy Awards’ best international feature film competition this year.
The film tells the fact-based story of the Chinese women’s national volleyball team and their travails over the course of decades, from their world championship win in 1981 to their triumph at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Gong Li stars in the biographical drama as the legendary coach Lang Ping, who at nearly 60 remains the team’s current head coach, opposite Huang Bo.
Notably, it was produced by Hong Kong’s Jojo Hui, who also produced the youth drama “Better Days,” which was announced as Hong Kong’s Oscar contender last Friday — giving her a rare double chance at the nominee short list.
“Leap” won the mainland’s government-backed Golden Rooster Award for best feature film last weekend weekend, signaling the ruling Communist...
The film tells the fact-based story of the Chinese women’s national volleyball team and their travails over the course of decades, from their world championship win in 1981 to their triumph at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Gong Li stars in the biographical drama as the legendary coach Lang Ping, who at nearly 60 remains the team’s current head coach, opposite Huang Bo.
Notably, it was produced by Hong Kong’s Jojo Hui, who also produced the youth drama “Better Days,” which was announced as Hong Kong’s Oscar contender last Friday — giving her a rare double chance at the nominee short list.
“Leap” won the mainland’s government-backed Golden Rooster Award for best feature film last weekend weekend, signaling the ruling Communist...
- 12/3/2020
- by Rebecca Davis
- Variety Film + TV
China’s total box office over the three-day weekend (October 2-4) reached $215.6m.
Patriotic omnibus My People, My Homeland topped the China box office over the National Day weekend (October 2-4), according to figures from Artisan Gateway, grossing $97.5m. The film opened one day earlier on Thursday, October 1, the first day of the eight-day holiday, and in its first four days has grossed a cumulative total of $137.8m.
Produced by Beijing Culture, the film is executive produced by Zhang Yimou and has segments directed by Ning Hao, Xu Zheng and Chen Sicheng, among other directors. Last year’s similarly-themed My People, My Country...
Patriotic omnibus My People, My Homeland topped the China box office over the National Day weekend (October 2-4), according to figures from Artisan Gateway, grossing $97.5m. The film opened one day earlier on Thursday, October 1, the first day of the eight-day holiday, and in its first four days has grossed a cumulative total of $137.8m.
Produced by Beijing Culture, the film is executive produced by Zhang Yimou and has segments directed by Ning Hao, Xu Zheng and Chen Sicheng, among other directors. Last year’s similarly-themed My People, My Country...
- 10/5/2020
- by Liz Shackleton
- ScreenDaily
The film begins in 1979 – a time of historic change when the Chinese people yearned for the outside world to see them, according to text that scrolls across the screen. Chen Zhonghe (played as a young man by Peng Yuchang) joins the team as a trainer and meets the hard-working player Lang. The team’s training regime soon brings China the first of several world championship titles, and the two become lifelong allies.
- 10/4/2020
- by Don Anelli
- AsianMoviePulse
Sports biopic starring Gong Li grossed $24.8m on its opening weekend, one week ahead of China’s National Holidays.
Peter Ho-sun Chan’s Leap has vaulted over the competition in its opening weekend at the China box office (September 25-27), grossing $24.8m for pole position in the chart, according to figures from Artisan Gateway.
The film stars Gong Li as Chinese volleyball legend Lang Ping, who coached the China women’s national volleyball team to gold medal victory at the 2016 Rio Olympics. It was originally scheduled for release over Chinese New Year, but was pushed back when cinemas were shuttered due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Peter Ho-sun Chan’s Leap has vaulted over the competition in its opening weekend at the China box office (September 25-27), grossing $24.8m for pole position in the chart, according to figures from Artisan Gateway.
The film stars Gong Li as Chinese volleyball legend Lang Ping, who coached the China women’s national volleyball team to gold medal victory at the 2016 Rio Olympics. It was originally scheduled for release over Chinese New Year, but was pushed back when cinemas were shuttered due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
- 9/28/2020
- by Liz Shackleton
- ScreenDaily
Peter Chan’s volleyball drama “Leap” has jumped above its competition in China this weekend with a $24.6 million three-day debut, highlighting Chinese audiences’ continued preference for well-crafted local titles, according to data from the Maoyan industry tracker.
The score is higher than the $23 million opening of Disney’s “Mulan” the weekend of Sept. 11, but less than that of Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet,” which opened the first week of the month with $32.3 million. “Leap” benefits, however, from an assist of new government regulations that took effect Friday allowing cinemas to now sell 75% of available tickets rather than only 50%, in a relaxation of previous coronavirus prevention measures.
Both “Mulan” and “Leap” star China-born Singaporean actress Gong Li, who plays a powerful witch character in the former and the hard-driving, real-life head coach of the Chinese women’s national volleyball team Lang Ping in the latter.
Around $1.2 million of earnings for “Leap” came from 663 IMAX screens.
The score is higher than the $23 million opening of Disney’s “Mulan” the weekend of Sept. 11, but less than that of Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet,” which opened the first week of the month with $32.3 million. “Leap” benefits, however, from an assist of new government regulations that took effect Friday allowing cinemas to now sell 75% of available tickets rather than only 50%, in a relaxation of previous coronavirus prevention measures.
Both “Mulan” and “Leap” star China-born Singaporean actress Gong Li, who plays a powerful witch character in the former and the hard-driving, real-life head coach of the Chinese women’s national volleyball team Lang Ping in the latter.
Around $1.2 million of earnings for “Leap” came from 663 IMAX screens.
- 9/27/2020
- by Rebecca Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Female-led volleyball drama “Leap” hit China with an $8.2 million opening day Friday, narrowly topping the premiere-day box office haul of Disney’s “Mulan” earlier this month, according to industry tracker Maoyan.
Both films star China-born Singaporean actress Gong Li, who plays a powerful witch character in “Mulan” and the hard-driving, real-life head coach of the Chinese women’s national volleyball team Lang Ping in “Leap.” In contrast, “Mulan” brought in $8.1 million in its opening Friday performance. Warner Bros.’ “Tenet” made $8.9 million in its Sept. 4 debut. War epic “The Eight Hundred,” on the other hand, raked in $21 million in its Aug. 21 bow.
“Leap’s” debut coincided with the first weekend that cinemas were allowed to sell 75% of available tickets rather than 50%.
Directed by Hong Kong helmer Peter Ho-Sun Chan, “Leap” also opened in the U.S. on Friday. It is set for a limited release across 80 theaters in Boston, Chicago, Denver,...
Both films star China-born Singaporean actress Gong Li, who plays a powerful witch character in “Mulan” and the hard-driving, real-life head coach of the Chinese women’s national volleyball team Lang Ping in “Leap.” In contrast, “Mulan” brought in $8.1 million in its opening Friday performance. Warner Bros.’ “Tenet” made $8.9 million in its Sept. 4 debut. War epic “The Eight Hundred,” on the other hand, raked in $21 million in its Aug. 21 bow.
“Leap’s” debut coincided with the first weekend that cinemas were allowed to sell 75% of available tickets rather than 50%.
Directed by Hong Kong helmer Peter Ho-Sun Chan, “Leap” also opened in the U.S. on Friday. It is set for a limited release across 80 theaters in Boston, Chicago, Denver,...
- 9/26/2020
- by Rebecca Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Peter Chan’s hotly anticipated biographical sports drama “Leap” is set to hit China on Sept. 30, becoming the first of the Chinese New Year blockbusters canceled due to Covid-19 to set a theatrical outing.
Local animation “Jiang Ziya: Legend of Deification,” which was also originally scheduled to premiere over the lunar new year, will premiere the day after. They will both hit theaters over the China’s patriotic National Day holiday that begins Oct. 1, typically one of the busiest movie-going weeks of the year.
They will compete against the patriotic anthology film “My People, My Homeland,” a sequel to last National Day’s “My People, My Country,” and Chinese comedy “Coffee or Tea?,” as well as a local animated take on the classic “Mulan” legend.
The fact that major new local blockbusters are now willing to set release dates is a signal of renewed confidence in China’s box office,...
Local animation “Jiang Ziya: Legend of Deification,” which was also originally scheduled to premiere over the lunar new year, will premiere the day after. They will both hit theaters over the China’s patriotic National Day holiday that begins Oct. 1, typically one of the busiest movie-going weeks of the year.
They will compete against the patriotic anthology film “My People, My Homeland,” a sequel to last National Day’s “My People, My Country,” and Chinese comedy “Coffee or Tea?,” as well as a local animated take on the classic “Mulan” legend.
The fact that major new local blockbusters are now willing to set release dates is a signal of renewed confidence in China’s box office,...
- 8/17/2020
- by Rebecca Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Produced and organized by Tribeca Enterprises, We Are One joins together over 20 of the world’s premier film festivals, including Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Sundance, Toronto, and Tribeca, in celebration of some of the world’s most talented voices, and in a central effort to provide entertainment and relief to people globally, at a time when they need it most.
The digital festival provides audiences the opportunity to immerse themselves into new cultures, viewpoints, and perspectives from around the world that they wouldn’t typically be exposed to. We’re excited to share these voices with the world and would love your support.
The programme includes several films by female directors from across the globe. Here are the Asian titles directed by females in the online festival:
Iron Hammer / China / Premieres June 7 at 4:30pm Et
Synopsis: In her rousing and personal documentary debut, director Joan Chen charts the inspiring life...
The digital festival provides audiences the opportunity to immerse themselves into new cultures, viewpoints, and perspectives from around the world that they wouldn’t typically be exposed to. We’re excited to share these voices with the world and would love your support.
The programme includes several films by female directors from across the globe. Here are the Asian titles directed by females in the online festival:
Iron Hammer / China / Premieres June 7 at 4:30pm Et
Synopsis: In her rousing and personal documentary debut, director Joan Chen charts the inspiring life...
- 6/7/2020
- by Rhythm Zaveri
- AsianMoviePulse
The Olympic Channel’s upcoming documentary “The Iron Hammer” calls Chinese volleyball legend turned Team USA coach Lang Ping both a “national hero” and a “traitor” in a new trailer.
“The Iron Hammer” — titled after Ping’s famous nickname — is part of the Olympic Channel’s Five Rings Films documentary series, depicting iconic individuals and record-breaking teams from the modern Olympic era.
The doc follows Ping’s journey from being one of the most popular sports stars in China, to winning a gold medal for China in the 1984 Olympics, to coaching the U.S. Olympic team two decades later, to returning to her home country, where she transformed its struggling national team into Olympic champions.
Also Read: Nat Geo Unveils Slate for 2020-21 Including '9/11' Docuseries, 'Explorer' Reboot
“Lang Ping is like Michael Jordan in our minds,” one athlete says in the doc, while others call her a “champion,...
“The Iron Hammer” — titled after Ping’s famous nickname — is part of the Olympic Channel’s Five Rings Films documentary series, depicting iconic individuals and record-breaking teams from the modern Olympic era.
The doc follows Ping’s journey from being one of the most popular sports stars in China, to winning a gold medal for China in the 1984 Olympics, to coaching the U.S. Olympic team two decades later, to returning to her home country, where she transformed its struggling national team into Olympic champions.
Also Read: Nat Geo Unveils Slate for 2020-21 Including '9/11' Docuseries, 'Explorer' Reboot
“Lang Ping is like Michael Jordan in our minds,” one athlete says in the doc, while others call her a “champion,...
- 5/26/2020
- by Margeaux Sippell
- The Wrap
There will be no Olympics this summer, but Five Rings Films has announced its latest slate of documentaries on some of the biggest stars of the games.
Rulon Gardner Won’t Die bows on June 3 on OlympicChannel.com and the official Olympic Channel apps for mobile and connected TV devices.
After achieving one of the biggest upsets in Olympics history, wrestler Rulon Gardner struggled with his newfound stardom amidst a constant battle with life’s struggles.
In Rulon Gardner Won’t Die, he shares his personal journey, from humble roots growing up on a Wyoming farm to finding fame at the Olympic Games Sydney 2000, where he defeated three-time Olympic champion Aleksandr Karelin of Russia, and how his resilience has helped him to overcome adversity after the ‘miracle on the mat’ and multiple near-death experiences.
Following the release of Rulon Gardner Won’t Die, the Olympic Channel plans to release three...
Rulon Gardner Won’t Die bows on June 3 on OlympicChannel.com and the official Olympic Channel apps for mobile and connected TV devices.
After achieving one of the biggest upsets in Olympics history, wrestler Rulon Gardner struggled with his newfound stardom amidst a constant battle with life’s struggles.
In Rulon Gardner Won’t Die, he shares his personal journey, from humble roots growing up on a Wyoming farm to finding fame at the Olympic Games Sydney 2000, where he defeated three-time Olympic champion Aleksandr Karelin of Russia, and how his resilience has helped him to overcome adversity after the ‘miracle on the mat’ and multiple near-death experiences.
Following the release of Rulon Gardner Won’t Die, the Olympic Channel plans to release three...
- 5/7/2020
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
One of China's most iconic stars of the screen is set to play one of the country's greatest sports figures.
Gong Li, currently in Cannes to receive the Kering Group's annual Women in Motion award, has signed on to star in a biopic directed by Peter Chan about Chinese volleyball legend Lang Ping.
The film, produced by Chan's We Pictures and Beijing-based Jq Pictures, is targeting a major China theatrical release timed to the 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Details of the project are being kept under wraps, and it's unclear which phase ...
Gong Li, currently in Cannes to receive the Kering Group's annual Women in Motion award, has signed on to star in a biopic directed by Peter Chan about Chinese volleyball legend Lang Ping.
The film, produced by Chan's We Pictures and Beijing-based Jq Pictures, is targeting a major China theatrical release timed to the 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Details of the project are being kept under wraps, and it's unclear which phase ...
- 5/15/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
One of China's most iconic stars of the screen is set to play one of the country's greatest sports figures.
Gong Li, currently in Cannes to receive the Kering Group's annual Women in Motion award, has signed on to star in a biopic directed by Peter Chan about Chinese volleyball legend Lang Ping.
The film, produced by Chan's We Pictures and Beijing-based Jq Pictures, is targeting a major China theatrical release timed to the 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Details of the project are being kept under wraps, and it's unclear which phase ...
Gong Li, currently in Cannes to receive the Kering Group's annual Women in Motion award, has signed on to star in a biopic directed by Peter Chan about Chinese volleyball legend Lang Ping.
The film, produced by Chan's We Pictures and Beijing-based Jq Pictures, is targeting a major China theatrical release timed to the 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Details of the project are being kept under wraps, and it's unclear which phase ...
- 5/15/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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