Universal Pictures Content Group and Passion Pictures have wrapped on a new documentary about the nun who inspired 1995 Oscar-winning hit “Dead Man Walking,” Variety can exclusively confirm.
Titled “Rebel Nun,” the doc follows the story of Catholic nun and leading death penalty abolitionist Sister Helen Prejean. Susan Sarandaon won her first and only Oscar playing Prejean in “Dead Man Walking,” which was written and directed by Tim Robbins and co-starred Sean Penn as a convicted murderer.
“Rebel Nun” will explore Sister Helen’s life to date and her ongoing fight against the death penalty.
“Sister Helen Prejean was a humble nun from Louisiana who embarked on a controversial battle that would change the world,” reads the logline. “Now 84 years old, Sister Helen is currently fighting to stop the execution of a Death Row inmate in Oklahoma even lawmakers are convinced is innocent.”
The doc is directed by Dominic Sivyer (“The...
Titled “Rebel Nun,” the doc follows the story of Catholic nun and leading death penalty abolitionist Sister Helen Prejean. Susan Sarandaon won her first and only Oscar playing Prejean in “Dead Man Walking,” which was written and directed by Tim Robbins and co-starred Sean Penn as a convicted murderer.
“Rebel Nun” will explore Sister Helen’s life to date and her ongoing fight against the death penalty.
“Sister Helen Prejean was a humble nun from Louisiana who embarked on a controversial battle that would change the world,” reads the logline. “Now 84 years old, Sister Helen is currently fighting to stop the execution of a Death Row inmate in Oklahoma even lawmakers are convinced is innocent.”
The doc is directed by Dominic Sivyer (“The...
- 3/26/2024
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety Film + TV
Deadline for Submissions: May 24, 2024
The 20th Jecheon International Music & Film Festival is set to open its call for entries for domestic and international feature and short films from March 11th, 2024, at 14:00. The submission deadline is May 24th, 2024, at 23:59(Kst).
Eligible submissions must be works completed after January 1st, 2022. Shorts must be less than 60 minutes in running time, while features should be 60 minutes or longer. Qualifying entries include feature films, shorts, dramas, documentaries, animations, and experimental films that primarily involve or are themed around music. Films entered in the ‘International Competition' and ‘Korean Competition' categories must not have been screened anywhere in Korea before the 20th Jimff.
The ‘Made in Jecheon' category is open to both feature and short films of any genre and subject, aimed at invigorating independent cinema based in the Chungcheong region and supporting local filmmakers. To qualify, at least one key staff member must be...
The 20th Jecheon International Music & Film Festival is set to open its call for entries for domestic and international feature and short films from March 11th, 2024, at 14:00. The submission deadline is May 24th, 2024, at 23:59(Kst).
Eligible submissions must be works completed after January 1st, 2022. Shorts must be less than 60 minutes in running time, while features should be 60 minutes or longer. Qualifying entries include feature films, shorts, dramas, documentaries, animations, and experimental films that primarily involve or are themed around music. Films entered in the ‘International Competition' and ‘Korean Competition' categories must not have been screened anywhere in Korea before the 20th Jimff.
The ‘Made in Jecheon' category is open to both feature and short films of any genre and subject, aimed at invigorating independent cinema based in the Chungcheong region and supporting local filmmakers. To qualify, at least one key staff member must be...
- 3/12/2024
- by Adam Symchuk
- AsianMoviePulse
Kim Kardashian is set to both executive produce and feature in an upcoming docuseries about Elizabeth Taylor.
Commissioned by the BBC, the three-part documentary — given the working title “Elizabeth Taylor: Rebel Superstar” — is coming from the Oscar-winning “Searching for Sugar Man” production house Passion Pictures, behind the recent Sundance hit “Super/Man” about Christopher Reeve.
The series will take a deep dive into Taylor’s craft and technique as an actor — one who mesmerized cinema-goers, but also changed the relationship between audiences and stars — showing how she reinvented the nature of fame, even as she smashed the glass ceiling in Hollywood, before going on to become a billion-dollar businesswoman, activist and advocate. Fremantle will be shopping the doc series globally.
“Elizabeth Taylor was unapologetically herself, a fighter,” said Kardashian, who conducted the last interview with her before she died. “She is proof that you can keep evolving and changing and...
Commissioned by the BBC, the three-part documentary — given the working title “Elizabeth Taylor: Rebel Superstar” — is coming from the Oscar-winning “Searching for Sugar Man” production house Passion Pictures, behind the recent Sundance hit “Super/Man” about Christopher Reeve.
The series will take a deep dive into Taylor’s craft and technique as an actor — one who mesmerized cinema-goers, but also changed the relationship between audiences and stars — showing how she reinvented the nature of fame, even as she smashed the glass ceiling in Hollywood, before going on to become a billion-dollar businesswoman, activist and advocate. Fremantle will be shopping the doc series globally.
“Elizabeth Taylor was unapologetically herself, a fighter,” said Kardashian, who conducted the last interview with her before she died. “She is proof that you can keep evolving and changing and...
- 1/29/2024
- by Alex Ritman
- Variety Film + TV
BBC Arts has commissioned Academy Award-winning production firm Passion Pictures (Searching for Sugar Man, Wham!) to make a three-part documentary series on Elizabeth Taylor, executive produced by and featuring Kim Kardashian.
The BBC unveiled the project with the working title Elizabeth Taylor: Rebel Superstar on Monday, noting that Taylor is “one of Hollywood’s most famous names.”
Executive produced by Kari Lia, Hamish Fergusson and Kardashian, the series promises to feature “privileged access to those who knew her best, including members of Elizabeth Taylor’s family, friends, and colleagues from throughout her stellar career.” And it vows to shine the spotlight on “a superstar who transformed not just Hollywood but fame itself, as she went from child star to highest-paid actress in the world.”
A show description also highlights: “For too long the story of Elizabeth Taylor has been told as a soap opera. The eight marriages, the diamonds, the addictions.
The BBC unveiled the project with the working title Elizabeth Taylor: Rebel Superstar on Monday, noting that Taylor is “one of Hollywood’s most famous names.”
Executive produced by Kari Lia, Hamish Fergusson and Kardashian, the series promises to feature “privileged access to those who knew her best, including members of Elizabeth Taylor’s family, friends, and colleagues from throughout her stellar career.” And it vows to shine the spotlight on “a superstar who transformed not just Hollywood but fame itself, as she went from child star to highest-paid actress in the world.”
A show description also highlights: “For too long the story of Elizabeth Taylor has been told as a soap opera. The eight marriages, the diamonds, the addictions.
- 1/29/2024
- by Georg Szalai
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
‘Searching for Sugarman’ Producer Passion Signs ‘Planet Earth II’ Showrunner
Searching for Sugarman producer Passion Pictures has snapped up the showrunner of Planet Earth II from Plimsoll. Tom Hugh-Jones will boost Passion’s natural history offering and be based in Bristol, taking on the new title of MD Passion Planet (Bristol). He has a wealth of major natural history credits including Planet Earth, Human Planet and Life Story across a 30-year career, while he most recently helmed A Real Bug’s Life for Disney+, which launches today. “Planet Earth II and Tiny World are two of my favourite natural history series of all time,” said Passion CEO Nick Southgate. “The chance to work with the showrunner of these extraordinary pieces of TV was a no-brainer. I can’t wait to dig in with Tom and Dave and create a new era of intelligent, big wildlife shows.”
Netflix Explores UFO-Inspired Religion
Netflix...
Searching for Sugarman producer Passion Pictures has snapped up the showrunner of Planet Earth II from Plimsoll. Tom Hugh-Jones will boost Passion’s natural history offering and be based in Bristol, taking on the new title of MD Passion Planet (Bristol). He has a wealth of major natural history credits including Planet Earth, Human Planet and Life Story across a 30-year career, while he most recently helmed A Real Bug’s Life for Disney+, which launches today. “Planet Earth II and Tiny World are two of my favourite natural history series of all time,” said Passion CEO Nick Southgate. “The chance to work with the showrunner of these extraordinary pieces of TV was a no-brainer. I can’t wait to dig in with Tom and Dave and create a new era of intelligent, big wildlife shows.”
Netflix Explores UFO-Inspired Religion
Netflix...
- 1/24/2024
- by Jesse Whittock and Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
The 2024 Sundance Film Festival has its first major sale, and for arguably the wildest feature in the lineup.
“Kneecap,” the raucous comedy biopic about the Irish rap group and co-starring Michael Fassbender, has been picked up Sony Pictures Classics, which has acquired all rights to the title for North America, Latin America, Eastern Europe, Turkey and the Middle East.
The film, the debut feature of director Rich Peppiatt and the first Irish-language feature to play Sundance, premiered on Thursday night at the Prospector Square Theater to critical acclaim, after which the band played a set at the after-party at The Cabin on Main Street. The three-piece also brought along a Northern Irish police van for a stunt ahead of the first screening.
“Kneecap” follows the emergence of the riotous rap trio in post-Troubles Belfast, setting the stage for the Irish language’s resurgence against the establishment. Self-proclaimed “low life scum” Liam Óg and Naoise,...
“Kneecap,” the raucous comedy biopic about the Irish rap group and co-starring Michael Fassbender, has been picked up Sony Pictures Classics, which has acquired all rights to the title for North America, Latin America, Eastern Europe, Turkey and the Middle East.
The film, the debut feature of director Rich Peppiatt and the first Irish-language feature to play Sundance, premiered on Thursday night at the Prospector Square Theater to critical acclaim, after which the band played a set at the after-party at The Cabin on Main Street. The three-piece also brought along a Northern Irish police van for a stunt ahead of the first screening.
“Kneecap” follows the emergence of the riotous rap trio in post-Troubles Belfast, setting the stage for the Irish language’s resurgence against the establishment. Self-proclaimed “low life scum” Liam Óg and Naoise,...
- 1/19/2024
- by Alex Ritman
- Variety Film + TV
Oscar-winning “My Octopus Teacher” documentarian Pippa Ehrlich is one of the voices behind a surprise A24 doc, streaming quietly on Prime Video since Friday, January 12.
Titled “My Mercury,” the film follows then-28-year-old conservationist Yves Chesselet, who sheds the comforts of modern living to relocate to the remote Mercury Island off the coast of Namibia. Chesselet is determined to bring 15,000 seals off the island and have Mercury Island solely be home to the critically endangered seabirds of the South Atlantic.
Chesselet’s sister Joelle Chesselet directed the documentary, with Ehrlich co-directing. Joelle said in a press statement, “My brother’s island saga has held me spellbound for three decades, challenging me to do justice to his tale of exhilaration, courage, positive masculinity and sacrifice. This journey has matured into what I see as a parable for our times, chronicling an intimate account of a re-wilding experiment and then zooming out to the choices we,...
Titled “My Mercury,” the film follows then-28-year-old conservationist Yves Chesselet, who sheds the comforts of modern living to relocate to the remote Mercury Island off the coast of Namibia. Chesselet is determined to bring 15,000 seals off the island and have Mercury Island solely be home to the critically endangered seabirds of the South Atlantic.
Chesselet’s sister Joelle Chesselet directed the documentary, with Ehrlich co-directing. Joelle said in a press statement, “My brother’s island saga has held me spellbound for three decades, challenging me to do justice to his tale of exhilaration, courage, positive masculinity and sacrifice. This journey has matured into what I see as a parable for our times, chronicling an intimate account of a re-wilding experiment and then zooming out to the choices we,...
- 1/18/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Exclusive: Submarine has acquired worldwide distribution rights to Ilya Chaiken’s music documentary feature Pretty Ugly: The Story of the Lunachicks, ahead of its world premiere at Doc NYC.
Concord Originals, the narrative content creation division of L.A.-based music management company Concord, has come on board to finance and produce.
The film revolves around influential underground New York punk band Les Lunachicks which had its heyday in the 1990s with songs such as Fallopian Rhapsody and Bitterness Barbie, and performed live with the likes of No Doubt, Green Day, The Offspring, The Go-Go’s, Nofx, Rancid, The Ramones, Rev Horton Heat, The Buzzcocks and Joan Jett.
Director and producer Chaiken catches up with the group decades after its messy break-up as its members attempt to reunite for one last show.
“I’ve been a devoted Lunachicks fangirl since I lucked into their very first show in 1988 when we were all teenagers.
Concord Originals, the narrative content creation division of L.A.-based music management company Concord, has come on board to finance and produce.
The film revolves around influential underground New York punk band Les Lunachicks which had its heyday in the 1990s with songs such as Fallopian Rhapsody and Bitterness Barbie, and performed live with the likes of No Doubt, Green Day, The Offspring, The Go-Go’s, Nofx, Rancid, The Ramones, Rev Horton Heat, The Buzzcocks and Joan Jett.
Director and producer Chaiken catches up with the group decades after its messy break-up as its members attempt to reunite for one last show.
“I’ve been a devoted Lunachicks fangirl since I lucked into their very first show in 1988 when we were all teenagers.
- 11/9/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Welcome to the world of documentaries, where real lives and real stories come to life on the screen. There’s something profoundly moving about witnessing the human experience captured through the lens of a camera – the raw emotions, the untold struggles, and the amazing moments that shape our lives. As a documentary enthusiast who believes in the power of storytelling, I’m excited to share with you a curated list of seven documentaries that offer a deep dive into the complexities of our existence.
Related: 10 Must-Watch Documentaries That Changed Public Perception
These documentaries are more than just films; they’re windows into the lives of individuals who have experienced the spectrum of human emotions and challenges. From the comfort of your couch, you’ll have the privilege of walking in their shoes, experiencing their journeys, and gaining insights that might just change your perspective on the world.
Each documentary on...
Related: 10 Must-Watch Documentaries That Changed Public Perception
These documentaries are more than just films; they’re windows into the lives of individuals who have experienced the spectrum of human emotions and challenges. From the comfort of your couch, you’ll have the privilege of walking in their shoes, experiencing their journeys, and gaining insights that might just change your perspective on the world.
Each documentary on...
- 10/25/2023
- by Pia Vermaak
- buddytv.com
Thirteen-year-old Doc NYC, America’s largest documentary festival, has revealed its influential 15-film Short List. The festival will run its main lineup of 114 features and 129 short films in-person November 8-16 in New York City’s IFC Center, Sva Theatre and Village East by Angelika and continue online until November 26 with films available to viewers across the U.S. All the films will have theatrical screenings at the festival, often with the directors in person.
Historically, most of the Doc NYC shortlist titles overlap with the Academy’s official 15-film Oscar Shortlist. With the notable exception of Netflix’s Oscar-winning “My Octopus Teacher,” for 11 years the festival has screened the documentary that went on to win the Academy Award, including “Navalny,” “Summer of Soul,” “American Factory,” “Free Solo,” “Icarus,” “O.J.: Made in America,” “Amy,” “Citizenfour,” “20 Feet From Stardom,” “Searching for Sugar Man,” and “Undefeated.” The festival has also screened 49 of the last 55 Oscar-nominated documentary features.
Historically, most of the Doc NYC shortlist titles overlap with the Academy’s official 15-film Oscar Shortlist. With the notable exception of Netflix’s Oscar-winning “My Octopus Teacher,” for 11 years the festival has screened the documentary that went on to win the Academy Award, including “Navalny,” “Summer of Soul,” “American Factory,” “Free Solo,” “Icarus,” “O.J.: Made in America,” “Amy,” “Citizenfour,” “20 Feet From Stardom,” “Searching for Sugar Man,” and “Undefeated.” The festival has also screened 49 of the last 55 Oscar-nominated documentary features.
- 10/17/2023
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Exclusive: WME has signed Fisher Stevens and his production company Highly Flammable, which he launched last spring alongside producers Maura Anderson and Zak Kilberg. They’ll rep the Academy Award-winning multi-hyphenate, going forward, across all scripted and documentary projects.
The move comes less than a week after Stevens’ Beckham docuseries was released on Netflix, debuting as the streamer’s most-watched English-language series of the week. The four-parter, on which he teamed with Oscar and Emmy-winning producer John Battsek (Searching for Sugar Man), tells the inside story of the global football star and cultural icon, offering unprecedented access not only to Beckham, but also to his wife Victoria, his family, his friends and his teammates.
Fisher’s scripted directing credits include the ex-convict drama Palmer, starring Justin Timberlake, which remains one of Apple TV+’s top 10 most popular films; the comedic thriller Stand Up Guys, starring Al Pacino, Christopher Walken, Alan Arkin,...
The move comes less than a week after Stevens’ Beckham docuseries was released on Netflix, debuting as the streamer’s most-watched English-language series of the week. The four-parter, on which he teamed with Oscar and Emmy-winning producer John Battsek (Searching for Sugar Man), tells the inside story of the global football star and cultural icon, offering unprecedented access not only to Beckham, but also to his wife Victoria, his family, his friends and his teammates.
Fisher’s scripted directing credits include the ex-convict drama Palmer, starring Justin Timberlake, which remains one of Apple TV+’s top 10 most popular films; the comedic thriller Stand Up Guys, starring Al Pacino, Christopher Walken, Alan Arkin,...
- 10/12/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Universal Pictures Content Group has boarded “The Beat of a Nation: Kerouac’s Road,” a feature documentary directed by Ebs Burnough (“The Capote Tapes”) about Jack Kerouac’s seminal novel “On the Road.”
Produced by London-based banner Ventureland, the documentary starts filming this week and sees Burnough using the prism of “On the Road” to depict the turmoils of today’s political and cultural landscape in the U.S.
Burnough is the former White House deputy social secretary and senior advisor to First Lady Michelle Obama. He made his directorial debut with the documentary “The Capote Tapes,” which world premiered at the Toronto Film Festival and explores the impact of Truman Capote’s explosive unfinished novel “Answered Prayers.”
“The Beat of a Nation: Kerouac’s Road” is produced by John Battsek and Eliza Hindmarch of Ventureland, in collaboration with the Kerouac Estate, for which Jim Sampas will executive produce.
The...
Produced by London-based banner Ventureland, the documentary starts filming this week and sees Burnough using the prism of “On the Road” to depict the turmoils of today’s political and cultural landscape in the U.S.
Burnough is the former White House deputy social secretary and senior advisor to First Lady Michelle Obama. He made his directorial debut with the documentary “The Capote Tapes,” which world premiered at the Toronto Film Festival and explores the impact of Truman Capote’s explosive unfinished novel “Answered Prayers.”
“The Beat of a Nation: Kerouac’s Road” is produced by John Battsek and Eliza Hindmarch of Ventureland, in collaboration with the Kerouac Estate, for which Jim Sampas will executive produce.
The...
- 10/9/2023
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Mega Merger
The proposed merger between Indian powerhouse Zee Entertainment Enterprises and Sony‘s Indian TV businesses, which has been nearly two years in the making, is likely to be delayed further, Sony said in a filing on Friday. The companies cleared a key regulatory hurdle in August, but there are other matters pending, especially that of leadership. The original plan had foreseen that Zee’s CEO Punit Goenka would be its captain, while Sony would own a 51% controlling stake. However, Goenka was banned from managing any listed company in India following an interim regulatory report that accused him and Zee founder Subhash Chandra of running the company for their own benefit and “siphoning off” money.
Goenka appealed the decision with India’s Securities Appellate Tribunal, who heard his plea on Wednesday but has reserved a verdict for at least a week.
On Friday, Sony said: “Both companies continue to...
The proposed merger between Indian powerhouse Zee Entertainment Enterprises and Sony‘s Indian TV businesses, which has been nearly two years in the making, is likely to be delayed further, Sony said in a filing on Friday. The companies cleared a key regulatory hurdle in August, but there are other matters pending, especially that of leadership. The original plan had foreseen that Zee’s CEO Punit Goenka would be its captain, while Sony would own a 51% controlling stake. However, Goenka was banned from managing any listed company in India following an interim regulatory report that accused him and Zee founder Subhash Chandra of running the company for their own benefit and “siphoning off” money.
Goenka appealed the decision with India’s Securities Appellate Tribunal, who heard his plea on Wednesday but has reserved a verdict for at least a week.
On Friday, Sony said: “Both companies continue to...
- 9/29/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Netflix has debuted the trailer for the sporting documentary on the iconic English Footballer, ‘Beckham.’
The four-part documentary series, tells the inside story of a global football star and cultural icon. David Beckham is one of the most known names on the planet, yet few people know who he really is. From his humble working-class beginnings in east London, his drive and determination to win, and the battle to find balance between ambition, love and family, David’s story is one of immense ups and downs. The series takes you on that rollercoaster and builds a surprising, personal and definitive story of one of the most recognisable and scrutinised athletes of all time.
Academy Award-winner Fisher Stevens along with Academy Award and Emmy Award-winning producer John Battsek are granted unprecedented access to David, his wife Victoria, his family, his friends and his team-mates. The result is an intimate portrait of...
The four-part documentary series, tells the inside story of a global football star and cultural icon. David Beckham is one of the most known names on the planet, yet few people know who he really is. From his humble working-class beginnings in east London, his drive and determination to win, and the battle to find balance between ambition, love and family, David’s story is one of immense ups and downs. The series takes you on that rollercoaster and builds a surprising, personal and definitive story of one of the most recognisable and scrutinised athletes of all time.
Academy Award-winner Fisher Stevens along with Academy Award and Emmy Award-winning producer John Battsek are granted unprecedented access to David, his wife Victoria, his family, his friends and his team-mates. The result is an intimate portrait of...
- 9/20/2023
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Award-winning production company Ventureland has entered a first-look partnership with independent studio A24 for documentary projects.
John Battsek, producer of Oscar-winning documentaries “One Day in September” and “Searching for Sugar Man,” who also serves as Ventureland’s managing director, will be both producing and executive producing as part of the deal, alongside Ventureland CEO Kerstin Emhoff, president Ali Brown, and co-founder Paul Hunter.
The two companies recently collaborated on freediving Netflix documentary “The Deepest Breath,” which premiered earlier this year at Sundance.
Battsek and Emhoff said: “With our shared culture and ambition to broaden perspectives, we are thrilled to partner with A24. This partnership will allow us to continue to push creative boundaries in making award-winning documentary features and series.”
Headquartered in London and Los Angeles, Ventureland’s credits include PGA and BAFTA-nominated “The Rescue”; double Emmy-winning “Rising Phoenix”; Critics Choice nominee “The Real Charlie Chaplin”; Werner Herzog’s “Theater...
John Battsek, producer of Oscar-winning documentaries “One Day in September” and “Searching for Sugar Man,” who also serves as Ventureland’s managing director, will be both producing and executive producing as part of the deal, alongside Ventureland CEO Kerstin Emhoff, president Ali Brown, and co-founder Paul Hunter.
The two companies recently collaborated on freediving Netflix documentary “The Deepest Breath,” which premiered earlier this year at Sundance.
Battsek and Emhoff said: “With our shared culture and ambition to broaden perspectives, we are thrilled to partner with A24. This partnership will allow us to continue to push creative boundaries in making award-winning documentary features and series.”
Headquartered in London and Los Angeles, Ventureland’s credits include PGA and BAFTA-nominated “The Rescue”; double Emmy-winning “Rising Phoenix”; Critics Choice nominee “The Real Charlie Chaplin”; Werner Herzog’s “Theater...
- 9/19/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
How much longer will the Oscars wait? That is, wait to embrace the quality and sheer brilliance of documentary filmmaking in a significant way, meaning nominating one in the best picture category? Matthew Heineman’s deeply moving “American Symphony,” which follows Oscar and Grammy-winning composer Jon Batiste as he prepares for his performance at Carnegie Hall, is yet another home run for the filmmaker behind “Cartel Land” and “City of Ghosts,” not to mention a singular love story.
Batiste’s larger-than-life personality was on full display following the Telluride screening of the documentary, when he led a band down to the main street of Telluride.
The film doesn’t just follow Batiste in his musical element, such as his work as band leader for “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” or when he led the 2022 Grammy nominations and won album of the year. Instead, it’s an intimate portrait of...
Batiste’s larger-than-life personality was on full display following the Telluride screening of the documentary, when he led a band down to the main street of Telluride.
The film doesn’t just follow Batiste in his musical element, such as his work as band leader for “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” or when he led the 2022 Grammy nominations and won album of the year. Instead, it’s an intimate portrait of...
- 9/1/2023
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Clarence Avant, the judicious manager, entrepreneur, facilitator and adviser who helped launch or guide the careers of Quincy Jones, Bill Withers and many others and came to be known as the “Black Godfather” of music and beyond, has died. He was 92.
Avant, inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2021, died Sunday at his home in Los Angeles, according to a family statement released Monday.
Avant’s achievements were both public and behind the scenes, as a name in the credits, or a name behind the names. Born in a segregated hospital in North Carolina, he became a man of lasting and wide-ranging influence, in part by minding two pieces of advice from an early mentor, the music manager Joe Glaser: Never let on how much you know, and ask for as much money as possible, “without stuttering.”
“He exemplified a certain level of cool and street smarts...
Avant, inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2021, died Sunday at his home in Los Angeles, according to a family statement released Monday.
Avant’s achievements were both public and behind the scenes, as a name in the credits, or a name behind the names. Born in a segregated hospital in North Carolina, he became a man of lasting and wide-ranging influence, in part by minding two pieces of advice from an early mentor, the music manager Joe Glaser: Never let on how much you know, and ask for as much money as possible, “without stuttering.”
“He exemplified a certain level of cool and street smarts...
- 8/15/2023
- by Corey Atad
- ET Canada
Clarence Avant, the music executive and film producer who was known unofficially as “The Godfather” of Black entertainment, died on Sunday in his Los Angeles home. He was 92.
“It is with a heavy heart that the Avant/Sarandos family announce the passing of Clarence Alexander Avant,” a statement from his children, Nicole and Alexander, as well as his son-in-law Ted Sarandos read. “Through his revolutionary business leadership, Clarence became affectionately known as ‘the Black Godfather’ in the worlds of music, entertainment, politics and sports. Clarence leaves behind a loving family and a sea of friends and associates that have changed the world and will continue to change the world for generations to come. The joy of his legacy eases the sorrow of our loss.”
Avant began his music industry career in the 1950s as a manager of Teddy P’s Lounge in Newark, New Jersey. He would later go on...
“It is with a heavy heart that the Avant/Sarandos family announce the passing of Clarence Alexander Avant,” a statement from his children, Nicole and Alexander, as well as his son-in-law Ted Sarandos read. “Through his revolutionary business leadership, Clarence became affectionately known as ‘the Black Godfather’ in the worlds of music, entertainment, politics and sports. Clarence leaves behind a loving family and a sea of friends and associates that have changed the world and will continue to change the world for generations to come. The joy of his legacy eases the sorrow of our loss.”
Avant began his music industry career in the 1950s as a manager of Teddy P’s Lounge in Newark, New Jersey. He would later go on...
- 8/14/2023
- by Kayla Cobb
- The Wrap
Clarence Avant, who was dubbed the “Godfather of Black Music,” died Sunday in Los Angeles, his family has confirmed. He was 92.
A statement provided by his family including son-in-law Ted Sarandos, Netflix’s co-ceo, announced Avant’s passing “with a heavy heart,” and said he had “passed away gently.”
“Through his revolutionary business leadership, Clarence became affectionately known as ‘the Black Godfather’ in the worlds of music, entertainment, politics, and sports,” the statement said. “Top artists and executives like Quincy Jones, JayZ, Whitney Houston, Pharrell Williams, Lionel Richie, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Sean Combs, L.A. Reid, Suzanne de Passe, Kenny ‘Baby Face’ Edmonds, Jon Platt, Irving Azoff, Snoop Dogg Reginald Hudland, Benny Medina and Queen Latifah all credit Avant for his inspiration and guidance.”
The news comes almost two years after the shooting death of his wife, Jackie Avant, during a break-in at the family’s Beverly Hills home...
A statement provided by his family including son-in-law Ted Sarandos, Netflix’s co-ceo, announced Avant’s passing “with a heavy heart,” and said he had “passed away gently.”
“Through his revolutionary business leadership, Clarence became affectionately known as ‘the Black Godfather’ in the worlds of music, entertainment, politics, and sports,” the statement said. “Top artists and executives like Quincy Jones, JayZ, Whitney Houston, Pharrell Williams, Lionel Richie, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Sean Combs, L.A. Reid, Suzanne de Passe, Kenny ‘Baby Face’ Edmonds, Jon Platt, Irving Azoff, Snoop Dogg Reginald Hudland, Benny Medina and Queen Latifah all credit Avant for his inspiration and guidance.”
The news comes almost two years after the shooting death of his wife, Jackie Avant, during a break-in at the family’s Beverly Hills home...
- 8/14/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Clarence Avant, the beloved recording industry insider whose work as an executive, label owner, dealmaker and mentor earned him the nickname the “Godfather of Black Music,” has died. He was 92.
Avant died Sunday at his home in Los Angeles, his family announced in a statement. His death came 20 months after his wife of 54 years, philanthropist Jacqueline Avant, was shot and killed by an intruder in their Beverly Hills home in the early morning hours of Dec. 1, 2021.
Survivors include their daughter, Nicole Avant, a producer, former U.S. ambassador to the Bahamas and the wife of Netflix co-ceo and chief content officer Ted Sarandos, and their son, Alexander, a producer (Dad Stop Embarrassing Me!) and talent rep.
“Clarence leaves behind a loving family and a sea of friends and associates that have changed the world and will continue to change the world for generations to come,” the Avant/Sarandos family said.
Avant died Sunday at his home in Los Angeles, his family announced in a statement. His death came 20 months after his wife of 54 years, philanthropist Jacqueline Avant, was shot and killed by an intruder in their Beverly Hills home in the early morning hours of Dec. 1, 2021.
Survivors include their daughter, Nicole Avant, a producer, former U.S. ambassador to the Bahamas and the wife of Netflix co-ceo and chief content officer Ted Sarandos, and their son, Alexander, a producer (Dad Stop Embarrassing Me!) and talent rep.
“Clarence leaves behind a loving family and a sea of friends and associates that have changed the world and will continue to change the world for generations to come,” the Avant/Sarandos family said.
- 8/14/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Lil Tay is alive and well.
On Thursday, the family of the 14-year-old internet star released a statement to TMZ saying that she and her brother are not dead, despite a now-deleted Instagram post from Wednesday claiming otherwise.
Read More: Lil Tay’s Ex-Manager Cannot Confirm Or Deny ‘Legitimacy’ Of Family’s Statement Over Rapper’s Death
“I want to make it clear that my brother and I are safe and alive, but I’m completely heartbroken, and struggling to even find the right words to say,” Lil Tay said in the statement. “It’s been a very traumatizing 24 hours. All day yesterday, I was bombarded with endless heartbreaking and tearful phone calls from loved ones all while trying to sort out this mess.”
She added, “My Instagram account was compromised by a 3rd party and used to spread jarring misinformation and rumours regarding me, to the point that even my name was wrong.
On Thursday, the family of the 14-year-old internet star released a statement to TMZ saying that she and her brother are not dead, despite a now-deleted Instagram post from Wednesday claiming otherwise.
Read More: Lil Tay’s Ex-Manager Cannot Confirm Or Deny ‘Legitimacy’ Of Family’s Statement Over Rapper’s Death
“I want to make it clear that my brother and I are safe and alive, but I’m completely heartbroken, and struggling to even find the right words to say,” Lil Tay said in the statement. “It’s been a very traumatizing 24 hours. All day yesterday, I was bombarded with endless heartbreaking and tearful phone calls from loved ones all while trying to sort out this mess.”
She added, “My Instagram account was compromised by a 3rd party and used to spread jarring misinformation and rumours regarding me, to the point that even my name was wrong.
- 8/10/2023
- by Corey Atad
- ET Canada
Los Angeles, Aug 10 (Ians) American songwriter Sixto Diaz Rodriguez, who is just called Rodriguez, died on August 8, aged 81. Having started his career in the 1970’s, the singer is known for garnering an Academy Award for his 2013 documentary ‘Searching for Sugar Man’; but after some brief folk rock hits, he quit the music industry for a quiet life.
The singer’s death was later announced on his official website which stated “It is with great sadness that we at Sugarman.org announce that Sixto Diaz Rodriguez has passed away.”
“We extend our most heartfelt condolences to his daughters – Sandra, Eva and Regan – and to all his family. Rodriguez was 81 years old.”
“May His Dear Soul Rest In Peace”
The singer was heavily influenced by Bob Dylan and other 1960s-’70s folk musicians such as The Band and even some other groups that used folk elements in their music as Led Zeppelin and Jethro Tull.
The singer’s death was later announced on his official website which stated “It is with great sadness that we at Sugarman.org announce that Sixto Diaz Rodriguez has passed away.”
“We extend our most heartfelt condolences to his daughters – Sandra, Eva and Regan – and to all his family. Rodriguez was 81 years old.”
“May His Dear Soul Rest In Peace”
The singer was heavily influenced by Bob Dylan and other 1960s-’70s folk musicians such as The Band and even some other groups that used folk elements in their music as Led Zeppelin and Jethro Tull.
- 8/10/2023
- by Agency News Desk
- GlamSham
Oscar-nominated producer Bill Pohlad has a long history of aligning himself with auteurs on award-winning fare—from Ang Lee’s Brokeback Mountain to Terrence Malick on the Palme d’Or winning The Tree of Life to Steve McQueen’s Oscar Best Picture winner 12 Years a Slave, and getting financially behind them with his River Road Entertainment banner. We talk with Pohlad on Crew Call today about his third career feature as director, Dreamin’ Wild, based on the New York Times Steven Kurutz article about the Fruitland, Wa-based Emerson brothers whose dad literally bet the farm (mortgaging it to the tune of $100K) on the duo’s singing talents in the 1970s, and built them a studio. They didn’t make it initially — not until 2008 when the album they made some near 40 years prior, “Dreamin’ Wild,” was discovered by a record collector in Spokane, Jack Fleischer, and championed fervently. The...
- 8/9/2023
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Actor Robert Swan, best known for roles in The Untouchables, Hoosiers, The Babe, and more, died on Wednesday. He was 78.
Swan died after a battle with liver cancer, a family friend confirmed to multipleoutlets.
Born in Chicago, Swan got his start in local theater — earning three Joseph Jefferson Award nominations — before his first film appearance in the 1980 film Somewhere in Time. He continued to work in film and television throughout his career, playing a Mountie captain in The Untouchables in 1987, and Deputy Napalatoni in 1994’s Natural Born Killers.
Two of his most high-profile roles came in sports movies. He played Rollin Butcher, the assistant coach to Gene Hackman’s Norman Dale in the 1986 high school basketball drama Hoosiers, and in 1992’s The Babe — which starred John Goodman in the titular role — he played Babe Ruth’s father, George Herman Ruth Sr.
Swan was also the founder of Harbor Country Opera,...
Swan died after a battle with liver cancer, a family friend confirmed to multipleoutlets.
Born in Chicago, Swan got his start in local theater — earning three Joseph Jefferson Award nominations — before his first film appearance in the 1980 film Somewhere in Time. He continued to work in film and television throughout his career, playing a Mountie captain in The Untouchables in 1987, and Deputy Napalatoni in 1994’s Natural Born Killers.
Two of his most high-profile roles came in sports movies. He played Rollin Butcher, the assistant coach to Gene Hackman’s Norman Dale in the 1986 high school basketball drama Hoosiers, and in 1992’s The Babe — which starred John Goodman in the titular role — he played Babe Ruth’s father, George Herman Ruth Sr.
Swan was also the founder of Harbor Country Opera,...
- 8/9/2023
- by Emerson Pearson
- ET Canada
Rodriguez, the subject of the 2012 Oscar-winning documentary Searching for Sugar Man, has passed away at the age of 81. The news of Rodriguez’s death was announced on the official webpage and on Facebook with the following message: “It is with great sadness that we at Sugarman.org announce that Sixto Diaz Rodriguez has passed away earlier today. We extend our most heartfelt condolences to his daughters – Sandra, Eva and Regan – and to all his family. Rodriguez was 81 years old. May His Dear Soul Rest In Peace.”
Rodriguez – whose full name was Sixto Diaz Rodriguez – may have been most famous at one point for being practically untraceable outside of the mainstream. Indeed, the hunt led by two die-hard fans (Stephen “Sugar” Segerman and Craig Bartholomew Strydom) inspired the aforementioned Searching for Sugar Man which renewed interest in the music career of Rodriguez.
In his career, Rodriguez only recorded two albums, with...
Rodriguez – whose full name was Sixto Diaz Rodriguez – may have been most famous at one point for being practically untraceable outside of the mainstream. Indeed, the hunt led by two die-hard fans (Stephen “Sugar” Segerman and Craig Bartholomew Strydom) inspired the aforementioned Searching for Sugar Man which renewed interest in the music career of Rodriguez.
In his career, Rodriguez only recorded two albums, with...
- 8/9/2023
- by Mathew Plale
- JoBlo.com
Rodriguez, the singer-songwriter who gained renewed fame thanks to the documentary “Searching for Sugar Man”, has died at age 81.
The news of his passing was shared on his official website, which posted, “It is with great sadness that we at Sugarman.org announce that Sixto Diaz Rodriguez has passed away earlier today.”
Read More: John Gosling, Keyboardist For The Kinks, Dead At 75
The statement added, “We extend our most heartfelt condolences to his daughters – Sandra, Eva and Regan – and to all his family. Rodriguez was 81 years old. May His Dear Soul Rest In Peace.”
Rodriguez, who hailed from Detroit, broke onto the music scene playing in clubs around the city while working on a Chrysler assembly line during the day.
After attracting the attention of producers Mike Theodore and Dennis Coffey, he released his 1970 debut album Cold Fact.
Both his first and second album, Coming From Reality, were commercial failures,...
The news of his passing was shared on his official website, which posted, “It is with great sadness that we at Sugarman.org announce that Sixto Diaz Rodriguez has passed away earlier today.”
Read More: John Gosling, Keyboardist For The Kinks, Dead At 75
The statement added, “We extend our most heartfelt condolences to his daughters – Sandra, Eva and Regan – and to all his family. Rodriguez was 81 years old. May His Dear Soul Rest In Peace.”
Rodriguez, who hailed from Detroit, broke onto the music scene playing in clubs around the city while working on a Chrysler assembly line during the day.
After attracting the attention of producers Mike Theodore and Dennis Coffey, he released his 1970 debut album Cold Fact.
Both his first and second album, Coming From Reality, were commercial failures,...
- 8/9/2023
- by Corey Atad
- ET Canada
Sixto Diaz Rodriguez, the Detroit-born singer-songwriter who found cult success in South Africa and Australia before becoming the subject of the Oscar-winning 2012 documentary Searching for Sugar Man, has died. He was 81.
The musician, known professionally as Rodriguez, died Wednesday, it was announced on his official website. No cause of death was revealed.
The note on his website continued: “We extend our most heartfelt condolences to his daughters — Sandra, Eva and Regan — and to all his family. May His Dear Soul Rest In Peace.”
Rodriguez garnered more widespread recognition in the U.S. later in his career, following the release of Searching for Sugar Man. The doc, directed by Malik Bendjelloul, traced the folk musician’s journey from near obscurity to international cult success after his first two albums — which he recorded in Detroit in the early 1970s — struggled to sell.
The film received the 2013 Academy Award for best documentary feature,...
The musician, known professionally as Rodriguez, died Wednesday, it was announced on his official website. No cause of death was revealed.
The note on his website continued: “We extend our most heartfelt condolences to his daughters — Sandra, Eva and Regan — and to all his family. May His Dear Soul Rest In Peace.”
Rodriguez garnered more widespread recognition in the U.S. later in his career, following the release of Searching for Sugar Man. The doc, directed by Malik Bendjelloul, traced the folk musician’s journey from near obscurity to international cult success after his first two albums — which he recorded in Detroit in the early 1970s — struggled to sell.
The film received the 2013 Academy Award for best documentary feature,...
- 8/9/2023
- by Abbey White
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Sixto Rodriguez, the Detroit musician who found surprise success in South Africa and became the subject of the Oscar-winning documentary Searching for Sugar Man, has died at the age of 81.
The news was announced in a statement from his official website, which reads, “It is with great sadness that we at Sugarman.org announce that Sixto Diaz Rodriguez has passed away earlier today. We extend our most heartfelt condolences to his daughters — Sandra, Eva and Regan — and to all his family.”
Though Rodriguez’s cause of death is unknown, The Detroit News reports he had been in declining health.
Born July 10th, 1942 in Detroit, Michigan as the sixth child of a Mexican father and Native American mother, Sixto Diaz Rodriguez began his music career in 1967 under the name Rod Riguez. Three years later, he signed with Sussex Records and began recording under the name Rodriguez. Following two albums, Cold Fact and Coming from Reality,...
The news was announced in a statement from his official website, which reads, “It is with great sadness that we at Sugarman.org announce that Sixto Diaz Rodriguez has passed away earlier today. We extend our most heartfelt condolences to his daughters — Sandra, Eva and Regan — and to all his family.”
Though Rodriguez’s cause of death is unknown, The Detroit News reports he had been in declining health.
Born July 10th, 1942 in Detroit, Michigan as the sixth child of a Mexican father and Native American mother, Sixto Diaz Rodriguez began his music career in 1967 under the name Rod Riguez. Three years later, he signed with Sussex Records and began recording under the name Rodriguez. Following two albums, Cold Fact and Coming from Reality,...
- 8/9/2023
- by Eddie Fu
- Consequence - Music
Sixto Diaz Rodriguez, the Detroit singer-songwriter better known simply as Rodriguez whose seeming disappearance after a brief flirtation with musical success in the early 1970s was the subject of the Oscar-winning 2012 documentary Searching for Sugar Man, died today. He was 81.
His death was announced on his official website.
“It is with great sadness that we at Sugarman.org announce that Sixto Diaz Rodriguez has passed away earlier today,” the statement reads. “We extend our most heartfelt condolences to his daughters – Sandra, Eva and Regan – and to all his family.”
A singer-songwriter heavily influenced by Bob Dylan and other 1960s-’70s confessional folk musicians, Rodriguez seemed poise for success, or at least a sustainable career in music, when his 1970 debut album Cold Fact was released on the Los Angeles indie label Sussex Records. Already familiar in the Detroit area for his club and barroom performances, Rodriguez was hailed by some as the next Dylan.
His death was announced on his official website.
“It is with great sadness that we at Sugarman.org announce that Sixto Diaz Rodriguez has passed away earlier today,” the statement reads. “We extend our most heartfelt condolences to his daughters – Sandra, Eva and Regan – and to all his family.”
A singer-songwriter heavily influenced by Bob Dylan and other 1960s-’70s confessional folk musicians, Rodriguez seemed poise for success, or at least a sustainable career in music, when his 1970 debut album Cold Fact was released on the Los Angeles indie label Sussex Records. Already familiar in the Detroit area for his club and barroom performances, Rodriguez was hailed by some as the next Dylan.
- 8/9/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Sixto Rodriguez, the Mexican-American singer-songwriter who languished in obscurity for decades before his brilliant music was rediscovered and chronicled in the 2012 Oscar-winning documentary Searching for Sugar Man, died on Tuesday. He was 81.
Rodriguez’s death was announced Wednesday on his official website. “It is with great sadness that we at Sugarman.org announce that Sixto Diaz Rodriguez has passed away earlier today,” the statement read. No cause of death was provided, but Rodriguez reportedly dealt with health issues in recent years.
Rodriguez only released two studio albums: 1970’s Cold Fact and 1971’s Coming From Reality.
Rodriguez’s death was announced Wednesday on his official website. “It is with great sadness that we at Sugarman.org announce that Sixto Diaz Rodriguez has passed away earlier today,” the statement read. No cause of death was provided, but Rodriguez reportedly dealt with health issues in recent years.
Rodriguez only released two studio albums: 1970’s Cold Fact and 1971’s Coming From Reality.
- 8/9/2023
- by Andy Greene
- Rollingstone.com
Michigan-born singer-songwriter whose improbable career was detailed in 2012 Oscar-winning documentary has died
Rodriguez, the singer-songwriter whose unlikely career was the subject of Oscar-winning documentary Searching for Sugar Man, has died at 81.
The news was announced on his official site with his cause of death unknown. “It is with great sadness that we at Sugarman.org announce that Sixto Diaz Rodriguez has passed away earlier today,” the official statement read. “We extend our most heartfelt condolences to his daughters – Sandra, Eva and Regan – and to all his family. Rodriguez was 81 years old. May His Dear Soul Rest In Peace.”...
Rodriguez, the singer-songwriter whose unlikely career was the subject of Oscar-winning documentary Searching for Sugar Man, has died at 81.
The news was announced on his official site with his cause of death unknown. “It is with great sadness that we at Sugarman.org announce that Sixto Diaz Rodriguez has passed away earlier today,” the official statement read. “We extend our most heartfelt condolences to his daughters – Sandra, Eva and Regan – and to all his family. Rodriguez was 81 years old. May His Dear Soul Rest In Peace.”...
- 8/9/2023
- by Benjamin Lee
- The Guardian - Film News
The true story of the late-blooming musical duo, Emerson Brothers, at the heart of Bill Pohlad’s elegiac yet bizarrely dull “Dreamin’ Wild” goes a bit like that of Rodriguez, the Michigan-based musician followed in the Oscar-winning documentary, “Searching for Sugarman.”
Growing up amid modest means at their hardworking family’s Washington State farm, Donnie and Joe Emerson were two teenagers in love with making music. A real talent often charges family-wide operations of this sort—in the Emerson clan that was Donnie, a gifted songwriter on his guitar and an expressive soloist to boot, with boundless aspirations for the future of his still young life.
On the drums was his older sibling Joe, for whom music had never been an all-or-nothing pursuit. Through much sacrifice and support from their caring family the two released their only record, “Dreamin’ Wild,” in the late ’70s, a soulful, genuinely beautiful album doomed with the dead-end,...
Growing up amid modest means at their hardworking family’s Washington State farm, Donnie and Joe Emerson were two teenagers in love with making music. A real talent often charges family-wide operations of this sort—in the Emerson clan that was Donnie, a gifted songwriter on his guitar and an expressive soloist to boot, with boundless aspirations for the future of his still young life.
On the drums was his older sibling Joe, for whom music had never been an all-or-nothing pursuit. Through much sacrifice and support from their caring family the two released their only record, “Dreamin’ Wild,” in the late ’70s, a soulful, genuinely beautiful album doomed with the dead-end,...
- 8/2/2023
- by Tomris Laffly
- The Wrap
August is heating up on Max, with “90 Day: The Last Resort” premiering on the streamer Aug. 15 (one day after it airs on TLC).
Five fan-favorite couples from “90 Day Fiance” have reached their breaking points. In a final attempt to salvage their relationships, each couple will participate in a couples retreat to determine whether or not they can heal old wounds. Alongside a team of professionals, they’ll actively navigate issues with trust, sex, jealousy, anger and intimacy. Explosive group therapies, intense couples sessions, past life regressions, unique on-and-off-resort activities and so much more ensue. At the end of the retreat, each couple must decide if they will stay together or move on separately.
Fans of dating and relationship shows may also be interested in “Kim vs Kayne: The Divorce” on August 7, which chronicles the split between Kim Kardashian and Kanye West. There’s also Season 18 of “Sister Wives,...
Five fan-favorite couples from “90 Day Fiance” have reached their breaking points. In a final attempt to salvage their relationships, each couple will participate in a couples retreat to determine whether or not they can heal old wounds. Alongside a team of professionals, they’ll actively navigate issues with trust, sex, jealousy, anger and intimacy. Explosive group therapies, intense couples sessions, past life regressions, unique on-and-off-resort activities and so much more ensue. At the end of the retreat, each couple must decide if they will stay together or move on separately.
Fans of dating and relationship shows may also be interested in “Kim vs Kayne: The Divorce” on August 7, which chronicles the split between Kim Kardashian and Kanye West. There’s also Season 18 of “Sister Wives,...
- 8/1/2023
- by Lawrence Yee
- The Wrap
Summer isn’t over yet but HBO and its streaming arm Max are already moving on to fall. With its list of new releases for August 2023, Max is focusing on football! The American kind, mind you, not the actually footy kind.
August 2023 sees the release of two major football documentaries on HBO and Max. The first is the premiere of Hard Knocks on Aug. 10. The new season of long-running NFL training camp docuseries will center on the New York Jets, new employers of legendary quarterback Aaron Rodgers. On Aug. 23, Max will air the aptly named Bs High. The doc tells the stranger-than-fiction story of high school football team Bishop Sycamore, which pulled off one of the more notable sports scams you’re likely to ever hear about.
Not of the football variety but in keeping with the North American sports theme will be season 2 of Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty on Aug.
August 2023 sees the release of two major football documentaries on HBO and Max. The first is the premiere of Hard Knocks on Aug. 10. The new season of long-running NFL training camp docuseries will center on the New York Jets, new employers of legendary quarterback Aaron Rodgers. On Aug. 23, Max will air the aptly named Bs High. The doc tells the stranger-than-fiction story of high school football team Bishop Sycamore, which pulled off one of the more notable sports scams you’re likely to ever hear about.
Not of the football variety but in keeping with the North American sports theme will be season 2 of Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty on Aug.
- 8/1/2023
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
DeVaughn Nixon, Quincy Isaiah, and Delante Desouza in ‘Winning Time’ season 2 (Photograph by Warrick Page/HBO)
Hard Knock‘s new season focusing on the New York Jets and the second season of the original drama Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty join Max’s August 2023 lineup, along with Tracy Morgan’s latest comedy special. August’s schedule also includes the season finales of And Just Like That… and Warrior.
Rap Sh!t season two premieres on August 10th, and the new half-hour young adult animated series Adventure Time: Fionna & Cake arrives on August 31st.
Series & Films Arriving On Max In August 2023:
August 1
A Hologram for the King (2016)
A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010)
A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge (1985)
A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987)
A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988)
A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child...
Hard Knock‘s new season focusing on the New York Jets and the second season of the original drama Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty join Max’s August 2023 lineup, along with Tracy Morgan’s latest comedy special. August’s schedule also includes the season finales of And Just Like That… and Warrior.
Rap Sh!t season two premieres on August 10th, and the new half-hour young adult animated series Adventure Time: Fionna & Cake arrives on August 31st.
Series & Films Arriving On Max In August 2023:
August 1
A Hologram for the King (2016)
A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010)
A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge (1985)
A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987)
A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988)
A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child...
- 7/26/2023
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
Documentary film editors are like crash test dummies, according to Alexis Johnson. You keep letting yourself crash, assuming the seatbelts will work, over and over again just to see what impact a scene is having on you.
“If I am going to harness a feeling, I have to feel it myself,” she said, recalling working on director Alex Gibney’s powerful 2021 documentary “The Forever Prisoner,” about the CIA’s interrogation treatment of prisoner Abu Zubaydah. In addition to the countless hours reworking scenes of waterboarding and other harsh treatments, Johnson edited a sequence that depicts the technique of playing high-decibel music to terrorize a prisoner. It was particularly grueling, as Johnson repeatedly subjected herself to the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ cacophonous “Give It Away” for hours while shaping the depiction of Zubaydah being tortured by the same song.
By the end of working on “The Forever Prisoner,” Johnson said, she...
“If I am going to harness a feeling, I have to feel it myself,” she said, recalling working on director Alex Gibney’s powerful 2021 documentary “The Forever Prisoner,” about the CIA’s interrogation treatment of prisoner Abu Zubaydah. In addition to the countless hours reworking scenes of waterboarding and other harsh treatments, Johnson edited a sequence that depicts the technique of playing high-decibel music to terrorize a prisoner. It was particularly grueling, as Johnson repeatedly subjected herself to the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ cacophonous “Give It Away” for hours while shaping the depiction of Zubaydah being tortured by the same song.
By the end of working on “The Forever Prisoner,” Johnson said, she...
- 6/12/2023
- by Tom Roston
- Indiewire
Exclusive: Oscar winner Fisher Stevens has today announced the launch of Highly Flammable, a new director-led production company that will focus on setting up premium unscripted stories for streamers across various series and feature formats, operating out of both New York and Los Angeles.
Joining Stevens as Partners at the company are Emmy nominated director-producer Maura Anderson (Menudo: Forever Young) and producer Zak Kilberg of Social Construct. Iz Web and Caitlin Lawrie are also on board to support the company as part of the development team.
We Are Guardians
Highly Flammable is premiering its first feature doc, We Are Guardians, at the Hot Docs Film Festival on May 3rd, with UTA to handle sales. The company is completing editorial on a documentary about New Orleans’ Zulu Club, directed by Matthew Henderson, with Impact Partners and Terry Douglas/Rhea Films, and is also in production with Exile Content and Muck Media...
Joining Stevens as Partners at the company are Emmy nominated director-producer Maura Anderson (Menudo: Forever Young) and producer Zak Kilberg of Social Construct. Iz Web and Caitlin Lawrie are also on board to support the company as part of the development team.
We Are Guardians
Highly Flammable is premiering its first feature doc, We Are Guardians, at the Hot Docs Film Festival on May 3rd, with UTA to handle sales. The company is completing editorial on a documentary about New Orleans’ Zulu Club, directed by Matthew Henderson, with Impact Partners and Terry Douglas/Rhea Films, and is also in production with Exile Content and Muck Media...
- 5/3/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Docaviv, the prestigious all-documentary film festival in Tel Aviv, today announced the International Competition lineup for the 25th anniversary of the event, which takes place May 11-20.
In competition are some of the early favorites for Oscar recognition, including Apolonia, Apolonia, winner of Best Feature at IDFA; 20 Days in Mariupol, the harrowing examination of the siege of the Ukrainian port city in the early days of the Russian invasion; Kokomo City, winner of two awards at Sundance, and The Eternal Memory, winner of the Grand Jury Prize for World Cinema Documentary at Sundance [scroll for the full International Competition lineup].
Docaviv is an Oscar-qualifying festival, with winners in the International, Israeli, and Shorts competitions automatically becoming eligible for Academy Awards consideration. It is the only all-documentary festival in Israel and widely considered one of the world’s foremost nonfiction film events.
Some of the expected international guests include Emmy-winning documentary producer John Battsek, who will hold...
In competition are some of the early favorites for Oscar recognition, including Apolonia, Apolonia, winner of Best Feature at IDFA; 20 Days in Mariupol, the harrowing examination of the siege of the Ukrainian port city in the early days of the Russian invasion; Kokomo City, winner of two awards at Sundance, and The Eternal Memory, winner of the Grand Jury Prize for World Cinema Documentary at Sundance [scroll for the full International Competition lineup].
Docaviv is an Oscar-qualifying festival, with winners in the International, Israeli, and Shorts competitions automatically becoming eligible for Academy Awards consideration. It is the only all-documentary festival in Israel and widely considered one of the world’s foremost nonfiction film events.
Some of the expected international guests include Emmy-winning documentary producer John Battsek, who will hold...
- 4/20/2023
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Apple TV+ has released the official trailer for “Boom! Boom! The World vs. Boris Becker,” the new two-part documentary event from Oscar-winning director Alex Gibney and Oscar-winning producer John Battsek will premiere globally on April 7, 2023. The docuseries explores every aspect of the man who became a tennis sensation after winning The Wimbledon Championships at the age of just 17, going on to win 49 career titles, including six Grand Slams and an Olympic gold medal, as well as his high-profile, sometimes tumultuous personal life. The filmmakers had special access to Becker for more than three years, until late April 2022, when he was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison for hiding assets and loans to avoid paying his debts. “Boom! Boom! The World vs. Boris Becker” features a series of personal interviews with Becker, including an exclusive conversation with the champion the week of his sentencing, alongside members of his immediate family and tennis stars,...
- 3/23/2023
- by Hollywood Outbreak
- HollywoodOutbreak.com
The match fixing scandal that shook the world of cricket in the late 1990s is the subject of Supriya Sobti Gupta’s Netflix documentary “Caught Out: Crime. Corruption. Cricket.”
The film is produced by Passion Pictures, which has credits including Oscar winners “One Day in September,” “Searching for Sugar Man” and “The Lost Thing,” and Gupta’s Mow Productions.
Gupta, a broadcast journalist by training, has worked for the BBC, Al Jazeera and Channel News Asia. She is no stranger to hard-hitting Indian subjects, having worked on “Mumbai Mafia: Police vs The Underworld” and “Bad Boy Billionaires: India.” “Caught Out” is her directorial debut.
“This story marked a turnaround point in our history because this was a time when, while growing up, either cricketers or Bollywood stars, were your role models, your heroes, there was none other than these guys. And just the coming out of this scandal, which is...
The film is produced by Passion Pictures, which has credits including Oscar winners “One Day in September,” “Searching for Sugar Man” and “The Lost Thing,” and Gupta’s Mow Productions.
Gupta, a broadcast journalist by training, has worked for the BBC, Al Jazeera and Channel News Asia. She is no stranger to hard-hitting Indian subjects, having worked on “Mumbai Mafia: Police vs The Underworld” and “Bad Boy Billionaires: India.” “Caught Out” is her directorial debut.
“This story marked a turnaround point in our history because this was a time when, while growing up, either cricketers or Bollywood stars, were your role models, your heroes, there was none other than these guys. And just the coming out of this scandal, which is...
- 3/16/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
“Boom! Boom: The World vs. Boris Becker,” the upcoming Apple TV+ documentary that premiered in Berlin last month, has confirmed a release date.
The full two-part doc, about disgraced tennis champ Boris Becker, will drop on the streamer on April. 7.
The documentary, which was directed by Alex Gibney (“Enron”) and produced by John Battsek (“Searching for Sugar Man”), promises to explore “every aspect of the man who became a tennis sensation after winning The Wimbledon Championships at the age of just 17, going on to win 49 career titles, including six Grand Slams and an Olympic gold medal, as well as his high-profile, sometimes tumultuous personal life,” according to the logline.
Becker has long been a staple of both U.K. and German tabloids due to his love life (which included fathering a child during a brief tryst with a waitress in a restaurant) followed by his recent fall from grace after...
The full two-part doc, about disgraced tennis champ Boris Becker, will drop on the streamer on April. 7.
The documentary, which was directed by Alex Gibney (“Enron”) and produced by John Battsek (“Searching for Sugar Man”), promises to explore “every aspect of the man who became a tennis sensation after winning The Wimbledon Championships at the age of just 17, going on to win 49 career titles, including six Grand Slams and an Olympic gold medal, as well as his high-profile, sometimes tumultuous personal life,” according to the logline.
Becker has long been a staple of both U.K. and German tabloids due to his love life (which included fathering a child during a brief tryst with a waitress in a restaurant) followed by his recent fall from grace after...
- 3/6/2023
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety Film + TV
“All the Beauty and the Bloodshed” seemed like a lock to win Best Documentary. The political exposé on artist Nan Goldin and the fall of a pharmaceutical empire was cleaning up among critics’ groups throughout awards season – including New York, Los Angeles, and Florida – as well as being named one of the top-five docs of the year by the National Board of Review.
But as we head toward the Oscars ceremony on March 12, “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed” feels more vulnerable than ever despite a comfortable lead in the Gold Derby combined odds. After missing a nomination at the Producers Guild Awards, director Laura Poitras lost to “Fire of Love” filmmaker Sara Dosa at the Directors Guild Awards. Then on Sunday at the BAFTA Awards, “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed” lost Best Documentary to “Navalny.”
Let’s start with the PGA Awards, which take place this weekend. The...
But as we head toward the Oscars ceremony on March 12, “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed” feels more vulnerable than ever despite a comfortable lead in the Gold Derby combined odds. After missing a nomination at the Producers Guild Awards, director Laura Poitras lost to “Fire of Love” filmmaker Sara Dosa at the Directors Guild Awards. Then on Sunday at the BAFTA Awards, “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed” lost Best Documentary to “Navalny.”
Let’s start with the PGA Awards, which take place this weekend. The...
- 2/27/2023
- by Sebastian Ochoa Mendoza
- Gold Derby
“All the Beauty and the Bloodshed” has coasted through the season as the Oscar front-runner for Best Documentary Feature, so it makes sense that it’s also out front in our forecasts for the Directors Guild Award. But the guild doesn’t always agree with the Oscars when it comes to documentaries, and the Expert journalists we’ve surveyed from major media outlets are split between all five of the nominees.
SEEBrendan Fraser (‘The Whale’): ‘I needed only to look into Hong’s eyes’ to ‘reflect the authenticity’ [Complete Interview Transcript]
Laura Poitras is the director of “Bloodshed,” which explores the life and career of Nan Goldin, a photographer and activist who fought to hold Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family responsible for the opioid crisis across the United States. Poitras won the last time she was nominated at the DGA Awards, for “Citizenfour” (2014), and by winning again she would join a...
SEEBrendan Fraser (‘The Whale’): ‘I needed only to look into Hong’s eyes’ to ‘reflect the authenticity’ [Complete Interview Transcript]
Laura Poitras is the director of “Bloodshed,” which explores the life and career of Nan Goldin, a photographer and activist who fought to hold Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family responsible for the opioid crisis across the United States. Poitras won the last time she was nominated at the DGA Awards, for “Citizenfour” (2014), and by winning again she would join a...
- 2/17/2023
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
This year, women directors – and their women-centric subjects – swept the awards at Sundance Film Festival. Three women directors – Madeleine Gavin, Maryam Keshavarz, and Noora Niasari – won Audience Awards for their films on North Korea (“Beyond Utopia”), intergenerational motherhood (“The Persian Version”), and custody in diaspora (“Shayda”). Portraits of masculinity were also celebrated as well. First-time feature filmmaker Sing J. Lee won the Directing Award for his touching portrait of masculinity and fatherhood in “The Accidental Getaway Driver,” while Sauvnik Kaur’s intimate documentary on brotherhood “Against The Tide” took home a Special Jury Award. After two years of isolation and virtual festival-ing, it seems that stories of tenderness appealed over aggressive storytelling at Park City this year.
“This year’s Festival has been an extraordinary experience,” said Joana Vicente, Sundance Institute CEO. “The artists that comprise the 2023 Sundance Film Festival have demonstrated a sense of urgency and dedication to excellence in independent film.
“This year’s Festival has been an extraordinary experience,” said Joana Vicente, Sundance Institute CEO. “The artists that comprise the 2023 Sundance Film Festival have demonstrated a sense of urgency and dedication to excellence in independent film.
- 2/1/2023
- by Grace Han
- AsianMoviePulse
Providing a masterclass in empathy, Chilean documentarian Maite Alberdi lends a certain whimsy to her works that forage hope amidst roving sadness. She manages to extract each ounce of charm from her subjects and, as in her study of aging and isolation in Oscar-nominated “The Mole Agent,” she continues to showcase a zest for life in the protagonists in her latest feature.
“The Eternal Memory,” her follow-up to “The Mole Agent,” was the subject of double news on Friday, walking off with the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Documentary – the section’s top plaudit – just hours after MTV Documentary Films acquired worldwide rights to the doc feature.
follows former Chilean journalist Augusto Góngora and his wife, actress Paulina Urrutia, in their rigorous fight against Augusto’s memory-zapping diagnosis.
Tender and sentimental, scenes oscillate between the torture of a fast-fading history and divine moments of immense love as they navigate the...
“The Eternal Memory,” her follow-up to “The Mole Agent,” was the subject of double news on Friday, walking off with the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Documentary – the section’s top plaudit – just hours after MTV Documentary Films acquired worldwide rights to the doc feature.
follows former Chilean journalist Augusto Góngora and his wife, actress Paulina Urrutia, in their rigorous fight against Augusto’s memory-zapping diagnosis.
Tender and sentimental, scenes oscillate between the torture of a fast-fading history and divine moments of immense love as they navigate the...
- 1/27/2023
- by Holly Jones
- Variety Film + TV
When documentarians go on the hunt for something specific, it’s often a historical artefact or, sometimes, as with Searching For Sugarman, a person. The object of desire in this quirky film from David Redmon and Ashley Sabin is more modern than most - the contents of a once-famous New York video rental store.
Kim’s Video was on St Mark’s Place in the city’s East Village and it was a treasure trove of films, a place where Debbie Does Dallas rubbed cases with 400 Blows. The store, which had begun as a small offshoot of a launderette run by Korean-American businessman Yongman Kim, was home to more than 55,000 movies, many of them bootleg copies which added to their rarity value. Importantly, for the purposes of this film, it was a Mecca for Redmon, whose near-obsessive love for the store is vital to the success of this highly personal doc.
Kim’s Video was on St Mark’s Place in the city’s East Village and it was a treasure trove of films, a place where Debbie Does Dallas rubbed cases with 400 Blows. The store, which had begun as a small offshoot of a launderette run by Korean-American businessman Yongman Kim, was home to more than 55,000 movies, many of them bootleg copies which added to their rarity value. Importantly, for the purposes of this film, it was a Mecca for Redmon, whose near-obsessive love for the store is vital to the success of this highly personal doc.
- 1/25/2023
- by Amber Wilkinson
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Casey Affleck heaped praise on Andrew Dominik’s forthcoming Marilyn Monroe biopic Blonde during a press conference for his latest film Dreamin’ Wild at the Venice Film Festival Wednesday.
“I’ve seen Blonde and it’s incredible,” Affleck told press corps. “I’ve seen a couple of versions of Blonde and it’s taken him [Dominik] a long time to get it out into the world. But that’s just how he is. He’s so slow with it. And it’s an amazing, beautiful film.”
Affleck began discussing the Nc-17-rated flick after he was asked about his relationship with the film’s director Andrew Dominik whom he worked with on The Assassination of Jesse James, which also debuted in Venice.
Later during the presser, Affleck continued to discuss his work with Dominik on The Assassination of Jesse James when he was asked about his personal regrets and how they...
“I’ve seen Blonde and it’s incredible,” Affleck told press corps. “I’ve seen a couple of versions of Blonde and it’s taken him [Dominik] a long time to get it out into the world. But that’s just how he is. He’s so slow with it. And it’s an amazing, beautiful film.”
Affleck began discussing the Nc-17-rated flick after he was asked about his relationship with the film’s director Andrew Dominik whom he worked with on The Assassination of Jesse James, which also debuted in Venice.
Later during the presser, Affleck continued to discuss his work with Dominik on The Assassination of Jesse James when he was asked about his personal regrets and how they...
- 9/7/2022
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
Stalwart indie filmmaker Bill Pohlad today premeres in Venice Dreamin’ Wild. His directing follow up to the critically acclaimed Brian Wilson film Love & Mercy also follows a music story, though one far less familiar. Casey Affleck, Noah Jupe, Zooey Deschanel, Walton Goggins and Beau Bridges star. When Donnie Emerson (played by Affleck and Jupe) was a teenager growing up on his father’s farm in Fruitland, Washington (population 791) he spent his days writing music and dreaming of becoming a music star. And everyone in the family became invested in that dream, including his brother Joe (Goggins) who became his drummer, and especially his father, Don Sr (Bridges). He mortgaged his farm to build a 100,000 recording studio, and more to help Donnie make and release his first record. It went nowhere and the bulk of the farm had to be sold when the loan came due. But 30 years later, the...
- 9/7/2022
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
When Mary McCartney was approached by producer John Battsek to make a film about the legendary Abbey Road Studios in London, she didn’t immediately leap at the chance, the way almost any other photographer interested in making the leap into documentary filmmaking might have. It’s not difficult to guess at the reason she might have balked at, and then succumbed to, the idea of making “If These Walls Could Sing,” which premiered at the Telluride Film Festival over the weekend and has been picked up for airing on Disney+.
“I think because of my surname, I get a little bit oversensitive,” says the daughter of Paul McCartney, sitting at a sidewalk-adjacent table in Telluride. “I used to sort of shy away from anything to do with my family, wanting with my photography to be making a name for myself in my own area. I mean, I’ve always...
“I think because of my surname, I get a little bit oversensitive,” says the daughter of Paul McCartney, sitting at a sidewalk-adjacent table in Telluride. “I used to sort of shy away from anything to do with my family, wanting with my photography to be making a name for myself in my own area. I mean, I’ve always...
- 9/6/2022
- by Chris Willman
- Variety Film + TV
“Tequila, Sex, Drugs and Rock and Roll,” from Goya Award-winning producer-helmer Alvaro Longoria, has been acquired for international sales by Latido Films.
Set up at Madrid’s Morena Films, which Longoria co-founded, doc marks a return to directing for Longoria, whose 2012 debut, “Sons of the Clouds,” produced by Javier Bardem, scored a Spanish Academy Goya while 2015’s “The Propaganda Game” nabbed a nomination. Meanwhile, just in the last few years, Longoria has produced Asghar Farhadi’s Cannes opener “Everybody Knows” and Spanish box office juggernaut “Champions.”
“I produce, that is how I make a living, but I direct documentaries as a passion.’ said Longoria.
Set to world premiere at this month’s San Sebastian Festival as part of its Made in Spain showcase, “Tequila” charts the rise of the Argentine-Spanish rock band fronted by Ariel Rot and Alejo Stivel.
The two are set to perform again in a series of post-film screening concerts.
Set up at Madrid’s Morena Films, which Longoria co-founded, doc marks a return to directing for Longoria, whose 2012 debut, “Sons of the Clouds,” produced by Javier Bardem, scored a Spanish Academy Goya while 2015’s “The Propaganda Game” nabbed a nomination. Meanwhile, just in the last few years, Longoria has produced Asghar Farhadi’s Cannes opener “Everybody Knows” and Spanish box office juggernaut “Champions.”
“I produce, that is how I make a living, but I direct documentaries as a passion.’ said Longoria.
Set to world premiere at this month’s San Sebastian Festival as part of its Made in Spain showcase, “Tequila” charts the rise of the Argentine-Spanish rock band fronted by Ariel Rot and Alejo Stivel.
The two are set to perform again in a series of post-film screening concerts.
- 9/5/2022
- by Callum McLennan
- Variety Film + TV
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