Exclusive: Luchina Fisher, the filmmaker behind Netflix’s forthcoming documentary short The Dads, has signed with CAA for representation.
Slated to debut on Netflix November 17th, the most recent short directed and produced by Fisher watches as five fathers of trans children join Dennis Shepard, the father of slain gay college student Matthew Shepard, for a weekend fishing trip in rural Oklahoma, finding common purpose across races, generations and experiences. As the men cast their rods into the river, they discuss what has brought them together: the love for their children.
The film, billed as a quiet meditation on fatherhood, brotherhood and manhood, was executive produced by Dwyane Wade and Jon Marcus for 59th and Prairie Entertainment, winning Best Documentary Short at the 2023 El Paso Film Festival. Netflix announced its acquisition of the title, named Runner-Up for the Documentary Short Audience Award at NewFest’s 35th anniversary festival, back in June.
Slated to debut on Netflix November 17th, the most recent short directed and produced by Fisher watches as five fathers of trans children join Dennis Shepard, the father of slain gay college student Matthew Shepard, for a weekend fishing trip in rural Oklahoma, finding common purpose across races, generations and experiences. As the men cast their rods into the river, they discuss what has brought them together: the love for their children.
The film, billed as a quiet meditation on fatherhood, brotherhood and manhood, was executive produced by Dwyane Wade and Jon Marcus for 59th and Prairie Entertainment, winning Best Documentary Short at the 2023 El Paso Film Festival. Netflix announced its acquisition of the title, named Runner-Up for the Documentary Short Audience Award at NewFest’s 35th anniversary festival, back in June.
- 11/13/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
“When the LAPD Blows Up Your Neighborhood” by director Nathan Truesdell won TheWrap’s ShortList Film Festival Industry Award Wednesday night at The Culver Theater in Culver City, California.
Truesdell, who was also a producer and cinematographer on the Oscar-nominated doc “Ascension,” documented the disastrous LAPD operation of 2021 that devastated South Central after police accidentally blew up a truck full of confiscated fireworks. The 19-minute doc follows local residents, many of whom are still homeless two years later.
“For its experimental, bold truth-telling and for pushing the form of what a documentary can be while balancing tremendous narrative tension, this film brings to light issues of oppression while challenging us to find solutions,” the festival’s jury said in a statement explaining their decision.
Also Read:
ShortList 2023: ‘Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó’ Director Hopes You’ll Fall in Love With His Grandmothers
The jury was comprised of producer Amy Baer,...
Truesdell, who was also a producer and cinematographer on the Oscar-nominated doc “Ascension,” documented the disastrous LAPD operation of 2021 that devastated South Central after police accidentally blew up a truck full of confiscated fireworks. The 19-minute doc follows local residents, many of whom are still homeless two years later.
“For its experimental, bold truth-telling and for pushing the form of what a documentary can be while balancing tremendous narrative tension, this film brings to light issues of oppression while challenging us to find solutions,” the festival’s jury said in a statement explaining their decision.
Also Read:
ShortList 2023: ‘Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó’ Director Hopes You’ll Fall in Love With His Grandmothers
The jury was comprised of producer Amy Baer,...
- 7/13/2023
- by Sharon Knolle
- The Wrap
“Team Dream” was selected as a finalist in this year’s ShortList Film Festival, presented by TheWrap. You can watch the films and vote for your favorite here.
“Team Dream” documentarian Luchina Fisher knew as soon as she met her subjects Ann E. Smith and Madeline Murphy Rabb that they had a story to tell. Both women are competitive swimmers from Chicago who travel around the country for meets, where they have won dozens of medals. They both enjoyed long, impressive careers (Smith in academia and politics and Murphy Rabb in the art world) before discovering their athletic prowess later in life, post-retirement. Smith is 82 and Murphy Rabb is 76.
They came to competitive swimming through Team Dream, a Chicago-based athletic organization that trains women of color (of all ages) in a variety of sports and was founded by Derrick Milligan, a longtime friend of Fisher’s.
“Besides training Bipoc women in swimming,...
“Team Dream” documentarian Luchina Fisher knew as soon as she met her subjects Ann E. Smith and Madeline Murphy Rabb that they had a story to tell. Both women are competitive swimmers from Chicago who travel around the country for meets, where they have won dozens of medals. They both enjoyed long, impressive careers (Smith in academia and politics and Murphy Rabb in the art world) before discovering their athletic prowess later in life, post-retirement. Smith is 82 and Murphy Rabb is 76.
They came to competitive swimming through Team Dream, a Chicago-based athletic organization that trains women of color (of all ages) in a variety of sports and was founded by Derrick Milligan, a longtime friend of Fisher’s.
“Besides training Bipoc women in swimming,...
- 7/3/2023
- by Missy Schwartz
- The Wrap
TheWrap is proud to present the 12 finalist films in the 2023 ShortList Film Festival, chosen from award-winning shorts from across the world in the past year. This year’s films tell personal stories that captivate and inspire — including a film about two Chinese grandmothers, a film about scuba diving in the ruins of a tsunami and one film about the LAPD blowing up a neighborhood.
The films – which include narrative, documentaries and animation - are available to watch and vote on from June 28 through July 12, exclusively on TheWrap.
The award-winning short film that is chosen by TheWrap’s Industry Jury will be honored with the prestigious Industry Prize. This year’s jury comprises award-winning producer Christine Vachon, director Elegance Bratton, veteran producer Amy Baer and PR veteran Joshua Jackson. The Shortlist is programmed by respected short film programmer Landon Zakheim.
The top-ranking short film that receives the most online votes will...
The films – which include narrative, documentaries and animation - are available to watch and vote on from June 28 through July 12, exclusively on TheWrap.
The award-winning short film that is chosen by TheWrap’s Industry Jury will be honored with the prestigious Industry Prize. This year’s jury comprises award-winning producer Christine Vachon, director Elegance Bratton, veteran producer Amy Baer and PR veteran Joshua Jackson. The Shortlist is programmed by respected short film programmer Landon Zakheim.
The top-ranking short film that receives the most online votes will...
- 6/28/2023
- by Wrap Staff
- The Wrap
“Cinnamon” and “A Song From the Dark” were two of the big winners at the Best of the ABFF Awards presented Saturday during the American Black Film Festival.
Following its world premiere at the Tribeca Festival, “Cinnamon” continued its festival run at ABFF in Miami Beach, Fla., where it was awarded the prize for best narrative feature and best director for writer-director Bryian Keith Montgomery Jr.
The Tubi original film stars Hailey Kilgore, Damon Wayans, Pam Grier, David Iacono and Jeremie Harris. Kilgore plays Jodi, a struggling small-town gas station attendant with “killer pipes and big dreams,” who falls hopelessly in love with a hustler (Iacono) and falls foul of a local crime lord (Grier) and her murderous family. The noir thriller serves as the inaugural project filmed under Village Roadshow Pictures’ Black Noir Cinema banner, with Fox Entertainment Studios, co-founded by NBA all-star Kevin Garnett. Veteran producer Oz Scott oversees the content slate,...
Following its world premiere at the Tribeca Festival, “Cinnamon” continued its festival run at ABFF in Miami Beach, Fla., where it was awarded the prize for best narrative feature and best director for writer-director Bryian Keith Montgomery Jr.
The Tubi original film stars Hailey Kilgore, Damon Wayans, Pam Grier, David Iacono and Jeremie Harris. Kilgore plays Jodi, a struggling small-town gas station attendant with “killer pipes and big dreams,” who falls hopelessly in love with a hustler (Iacono) and falls foul of a local crime lord (Grier) and her murderous family. The noir thriller serves as the inaugural project filmed under Village Roadshow Pictures’ Black Noir Cinema banner, with Fox Entertainment Studios, co-founded by NBA all-star Kevin Garnett. Veteran producer Oz Scott oversees the content slate,...
- 6/17/2023
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Netflix on Friday announced its acquisition of The Dads, a documentary short billed as a quiet meditation on fatherhood, brotherhood and manhood that counts 13-time NBA All-Star Dwyane Wade amongst its EPs.
The film from director Luchina Fisher (Mama Gloria) watches as five fathers of trans children join Dennis Shepard, the father of slain gay college student Matthew Shepard, for a weekend fishing trip in rural Oklahoma, finding common purpose across races, generations and experiences. As the men cast their rods into the river, they discuss what has brought them together: the love for their children.
The gay University of Wyoming Student who was beaten, tortured and left to die on October 6, 1998, Matthew Shepard’s story famously inspired the Moisés Kaufman play The Laramie Project, which Kaufman later adapted into a Sundance-premiering HBO film of the same name. In the aftermath of the tragedy, Dennis Shepard and wife Judy...
The film from director Luchina Fisher (Mama Gloria) watches as five fathers of trans children join Dennis Shepard, the father of slain gay college student Matthew Shepard, for a weekend fishing trip in rural Oklahoma, finding common purpose across races, generations and experiences. As the men cast their rods into the river, they discuss what has brought them together: the love for their children.
The gay University of Wyoming Student who was beaten, tortured and left to die on October 6, 1998, Matthew Shepard’s story famously inspired the Moisés Kaufman play The Laramie Project, which Kaufman later adapted into a Sundance-premiering HBO film of the same name. In the aftermath of the tragedy, Dennis Shepard and wife Judy...
- 6/16/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Over the last four years, Queen Latifah’s Queen Collective has developed into a flourishing pipeline for women and non-binary filmmakers of color in both the film and advertising industries.
“We’re finally cooking with gas in the way that I would like it to be, in the way that I originally saw it,” Latifah tells Variety, calling on a break from rehearsals for the 54th NAACP Image Awards, which she hosted last Saturday night.
Latifah opened the show with a rousing rendition of “I’m Gonna Live Till I Die,” reminding audiences that the First Lady of Hip-Hop also has Academy Award-nominated pipes. Ultimately, the veteran awards ceremony emcee earned rave reviews for keeping the show upbeat, on brand and right at two hours, plus she stunned in four wardrobe changes.
During the broadcast, too, was a special segment called “Direct Effect,” which celebrated women filmmakers. Procter & Gamble,...
“We’re finally cooking with gas in the way that I would like it to be, in the way that I originally saw it,” Latifah tells Variety, calling on a break from rehearsals for the 54th NAACP Image Awards, which she hosted last Saturday night.
Latifah opened the show with a rousing rendition of “I’m Gonna Live Till I Die,” reminding audiences that the First Lady of Hip-Hop also has Academy Award-nominated pipes. Ultimately, the veteran awards ceremony emcee earned rave reviews for keeping the show upbeat, on brand and right at two hours, plus she stunned in four wardrobe changes.
During the broadcast, too, was a special segment called “Direct Effect,” which celebrated women filmmakers. Procter & Gamble,...
- 3/3/2023
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
Queen Latifah is determined to fix one of the most glaring flaws in the film industry: the unrelenting lack of representation, access, and opportunity for women filmmakers of color.
"When you speak to two out of three Black people, when they say they don't see themselves represented in the media, that's a problem," she tells Popsugar. The multihyphenate says she's found "one of the ways in which we can make a difference," though. That solution? Queen Collective, Procter & Gamble's powerful talent development initiative she helped launch in 2019, in partnership with her company Flavor Unit Entertainment and Tribeca Studios, that aims to create more gender and racial equality behind the camera.
Inequality in the entertainment industry is by no means a new or surprising phenomenon - history keeps a good record of that. Even after strides have been made, the jarring gender gap continues, like with the 2023 Oscars shutting...
"When you speak to two out of three Black people, when they say they don't see themselves represented in the media, that's a problem," she tells Popsugar. The multihyphenate says she's found "one of the ways in which we can make a difference," though. That solution? Queen Collective, Procter & Gamble's powerful talent development initiative she helped launch in 2019, in partnership with her company Flavor Unit Entertainment and Tribeca Studios, that aims to create more gender and racial equality behind the camera.
Inequality in the entertainment industry is by no means a new or surprising phenomenon - history keeps a good record of that. Even after strides have been made, the jarring gender gap continues, like with the 2023 Oscars shutting...
- 2/28/2023
- by Njera Perkins
- Popsugar.com
Brown Girls Doc Mafia (Bgdm) has selected the recipients of the very first Bgdm Sustainable Artist Grants and the Bgdm Black Directors Grants which will further support and sustain some of the most vital, distinctive voices in documentary today.
“In the last five years, Brown Girls Doc Mafia has created a vibrant online community of over 4,500 members, launched the Bgdm Member Directory for discovering Bipoc women/non-binary filmmakers and executives, and implemented numerous programs advocating for members’ access, visibility, creativity, growth, sustainability, and power in the documentary film industry,” said Bgdm Founder & Director Iyabo Boyd. “Today, we are absolutely thrilled to be able to add grantmaking to our portfolio of initiatives that bolster the creative and professional development of this community and spur change in the documentary field at large.”
This year’s Bgdm Sustainable Artist Grant grants were awarded to Mireya Guzman-Ortiz, Rebeca Huntt, Chithra Jeyaram, Sara Nodjoumi, and Jean Rheem.
“In the last five years, Brown Girls Doc Mafia has created a vibrant online community of over 4,500 members, launched the Bgdm Member Directory for discovering Bipoc women/non-binary filmmakers and executives, and implemented numerous programs advocating for members’ access, visibility, creativity, growth, sustainability, and power in the documentary film industry,” said Bgdm Founder & Director Iyabo Boyd. “Today, we are absolutely thrilled to be able to add grantmaking to our portfolio of initiatives that bolster the creative and professional development of this community and spur change in the documentary field at large.”
This year’s Bgdm Sustainable Artist Grant grants were awarded to Mireya Guzman-Ortiz, Rebeca Huntt, Chithra Jeyaram, Sara Nodjoumi, and Jean Rheem.
- 3/29/2021
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
Lgbtiq+ film festival comprises 26 features and four world premieres.
BFI Flare: London Lgbtiq+ Film Festival has revealed the programme for its 35th edition, which will take place virtually from March 17-28.
The festival has selected 26 features, which include four world premieres, six international premieres and one European premiere.
Scroll down for full list of titles
Receiving their world premieres are Peeter Rebane’s Firebird, a love story set in the Soviet Air Force during the Cold War; Daniel Sánchez López’s German feature Boy Meets Boy, about two young men who fall for each other over the course of a...
BFI Flare: London Lgbtiq+ Film Festival has revealed the programme for its 35th edition, which will take place virtually from March 17-28.
The festival has selected 26 features, which include four world premieres, six international premieres and one European premiere.
Scroll down for full list of titles
Receiving their world premieres are Peeter Rebane’s Firebird, a love story set in the Soviet Air Force during the Cold War; Daniel Sánchez López’s German feature Boy Meets Boy, about two young men who fall for each other over the course of a...
- 2/23/2021
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
With another day at the (virtual) 56th Chicago International Film Festival comes another batch to sift through. It was a lighter batch too, not just in numbers but also in runtimes. Day three consisted of two short documentaries and another scripted feature, but did the quality make up for quantity? Not quite, but at least they all had their moments.
Making its Midwest premiere at the festival is Gregory Monro’s Kubrick by Kubrick (Grade: C), a 72-minute documentary about Stanley Kubrick’s work. Here, Monro zips us from the filmmaker’s childhood to death, touching on a majority of his offerings in between. Yet it’s not so much Monro doing it: It’s Kubrick himself through interviews and recordings. The idea of making a documentary about the man isn’t inherently flawed, but this one’s approach is, lacking the insight or visuals to make it feel like...
Making its Midwest premiere at the festival is Gregory Monro’s Kubrick by Kubrick (Grade: C), a 72-minute documentary about Stanley Kubrick’s work. Here, Monro zips us from the filmmaker’s childhood to death, touching on a majority of his offerings in between. Yet it’s not so much Monro doing it: It’s Kubrick himself through interviews and recordings. The idea of making a documentary about the man isn’t inherently flawed, but this one’s approach is, lacking the insight or visuals to make it feel like...
- 10/17/2020
- by Matt Cipolla
- The Film Stage
Chicago – The 56th Chicago International Film Festival (Ciff) is virtual and online Right Now, so go download some movies! This is your last chance for Industry Days (through October 18th), where you can rub virtual elbows with some of the movers and shakers in the film industry here in Chicago.
..and nationally/internationally. All the information to “sit in” on the events is available by clicking here.
The 56th Chicago International Film Festival Celebrates The Weekend. On Saturday, October 17th, the Drive In is showing “Ammonite” (click here). On Sunday, October 18th, the Drive in showing “The Road Up” (click here).
Appearances Of The Day:
Friday, October 16th 7:00pm: “For Madmen Only” … Livestream Q&a with actor James Urbaniak and director Heather Ross. Suggested streaming start time, 5:20pm. 9:00pm: “Finding Yingying” … Livestream Q&a with director Jiayan “Jenny” Shi, producer Brent E. Huffman and cinematographer Shilin Sun.
..and nationally/internationally. All the information to “sit in” on the events is available by clicking here.
The 56th Chicago International Film Festival Celebrates The Weekend. On Saturday, October 17th, the Drive In is showing “Ammonite” (click here). On Sunday, October 18th, the Drive in showing “The Road Up” (click here).
Appearances Of The Day:
Friday, October 16th 7:00pm: “For Madmen Only” … Livestream Q&a with actor James Urbaniak and director Heather Ross. Suggested streaming start time, 5:20pm. 9:00pm: “Finding Yingying” … Livestream Q&a with director Jiayan “Jenny” Shi, producer Brent E. Huffman and cinematographer Shilin Sun.
- 10/16/2020
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Virtual festival to run from October 14-25.
A host of Cannes Label and autumn festival selections populate the competitions line-up at the upcoming virtual edition of the 56th Chicago International Film Festival announced on Monday (September 21).
Venice and Toronto selections in the International Feature Competition include Apples (Greece) from Christos Nikou and Philippe Lacôte’s Ivorian Night Of The Kings, while among the New Directors highlights are João Paulo Miranda Maria’s Memory House from Brazil, and Palestine-set Gaza Mon Amor from Tarzan and Arab Nasser.
True Mothers (Japan) from Naomi Kawase in International Feature Competition and Spring Blossom (France...
A host of Cannes Label and autumn festival selections populate the competitions line-up at the upcoming virtual edition of the 56th Chicago International Film Festival announced on Monday (September 21).
Venice and Toronto selections in the International Feature Competition include Apples (Greece) from Christos Nikou and Philippe Lacôte’s Ivorian Night Of The Kings, while among the New Directors highlights are João Paulo Miranda Maria’s Memory House from Brazil, and Palestine-set Gaza Mon Amor from Tarzan and Arab Nasser.
True Mothers (Japan) from Naomi Kawase in International Feature Competition and Spring Blossom (France...
- 9/21/2020
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
“This film is the real-life Handmaid’s Tale.”
That’s how Civia Tamarkin and Luchina Fisher, the filmmakers behind Birthright: A War Story, characterize their new documentary about the rapid swell of abortion restrictions in the United States.
The documentary explores the numerous ways in which the pro-life movement has continuously worked to “roll back” access to abortion and routine health care for women over the past 40 years.
“You are talking about a physical embattlement here,” Tamarkin tells People. “Women are under siege. It’s pretty clear that from the moment the Roe vs. Wade ruling came down, the anti-abortion movement declared war.
That’s how Civia Tamarkin and Luchina Fisher, the filmmakers behind Birthright: A War Story, characterize their new documentary about the rapid swell of abortion restrictions in the United States.
The documentary explores the numerous ways in which the pro-life movement has continuously worked to “roll back” access to abortion and routine health care for women over the past 40 years.
“You are talking about a physical embattlement here,” Tamarkin tells People. “Women are under siege. It’s pretty clear that from the moment the Roe vs. Wade ruling came down, the anti-abortion movement declared war.
- 7/20/2017
- by Jodi Guglielmi
- PEOPLE.com
Danger Word is a great zombie horror short that centers around a thirteen year old girl holed up in a cabin in the woods with her grandfather in the aftermath of an apocalyptic plague that's devastated the world. They "meet the challenge of their lives when her birthday trip to a trading post goes horribly awry."
The short features fantastic performances by Frankie Faison (The Silence of the Lambs, The Wire) and Saoirse Scott (One Life to Live). It was directed by Luchina Fisher (Death in the Family) from a script written by Steven Barnes and Tananarive Due. The short is based on their novel Devil's Wake.
I thought this was a fantastic and intense film, and I hope you like it!
The short features fantastic performances by Frankie Faison (The Silence of the Lambs, The Wire) and Saoirse Scott (One Life to Live). It was directed by Luchina Fisher (Death in the Family) from a script written by Steven Barnes and Tananarive Due. The short is based on their novel Devil's Wake.
I thought this was a fantastic and intense film, and I hope you like it!
- 5/24/2014
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
We’re back with another edition of the Indie Spotlight, highlighting the recent independent horror news sent our way. Today’s feature includes DVD release details for Compound Fracture, trailers for Altergeist and Aftermath, first details on Danger Word, the Stage Fright call for submissions, and the lineup from Sci Fest in Los Angeles, a review of the second season of Holliston, and much more:
Compound Fracture DVD Release Details: “Level 33 Entertainment announced today the release of the highly anticipated horror feature film Compound Fracture coming to DVD and VOD on May 13, 2014. Bringing together three iconic figures in the horror pantheon, Compound Fracture stars Tyler Mane (Michael Myers in Rob Zombie’s Hallowee), Muse Watson (Ben Willis in I Know What You Did Last Summer), and Derek Mears (Jason Voorhees in the new Friday The 13th). The movie will be available at all major retail and rental outlets including Walmart,...
Compound Fracture DVD Release Details: “Level 33 Entertainment announced today the release of the highly anticipated horror feature film Compound Fracture coming to DVD and VOD on May 13, 2014. Bringing together three iconic figures in the horror pantheon, Compound Fracture stars Tyler Mane (Michael Myers in Rob Zombie’s Hallowee), Muse Watson (Ben Willis in I Know What You Did Last Summer), and Derek Mears (Jason Voorhees in the new Friday The 13th). The movie will be available at all major retail and rental outlets including Walmart,...
- 5/4/2014
- by Tamika Jones
- DailyDead
Here's your first look (via trailer) at the upcoming short horror film from Steven Barnes and Tananarive Due, titled Danger Word. The couple adapted the apocalyptic tale from their novel Devil's Wake (currently on sale). The plot: A 13-year-old girl and her grandfather have survived the zombie plague in his wooded cabin – but her birthday celebration goes badly awry. The film stars Frankie Faison and Saoirse Scott as the grandfather and the 13-year-old girl. And Luchina Fisher, an award-winning writer and producer directs. Due and Barnes have set up a Facebook page (Here), as well as a website (Here) for the...
- 6/14/2013
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
(Michael ran this piece on MichaelDavisWorld.com and asked that we run it here at ComicMix in place of his regular column. After reading it, you’ll know why!)
When is making a short zombie film an act of protest?
When the heroes and heroines are black. When there is no Sacrificial Negro to fulfill the fantasy that our lives matter less than white lives. When there is no cooning, shucking or jiving. When no black “Spiritual Guide” exists only to ennoble and enlighten white characters. When artists and backers unite to circumvent cultural barriers to tell our own stories.
As authors and screenwriters, we never set out to become filmmakers. But after years of options, pitches and meetings, we realized Hollywood is just a money machine following the ticket-buying habits of America as a whole. It will never lead. It was time to stop waiting for Hollywood to translate our stories to screen.
When is making a short zombie film an act of protest?
When the heroes and heroines are black. When there is no Sacrificial Negro to fulfill the fantasy that our lives matter less than white lives. When there is no cooning, shucking or jiving. When no black “Spiritual Guide” exists only to ennoble and enlighten white characters. When artists and backers unite to circumvent cultural barriers to tell our own stories.
As authors and screenwriters, we never set out to become filmmakers. But after years of options, pitches and meetings, we realized Hollywood is just a money machine following the ticket-buying habits of America as a whole. It will never lead. It was time to stop waiting for Hollywood to translate our stories to screen.
- 4/30/2013
- by Michael Davis
- Comicmix.com
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