One of America's strangest celebrity sagas came to an abrupt, anticlimactic close when O.J. Simpson died at the age of 76 on April 10, 2024. The Heisman Trophy-winning running back from the University of Southern California became a professional football phenomenon during his 11-season tenure with the Buffalo Bills. He was blindingly handsome and charismatic, as comfortable in front of a camera as he was breaking tackles on the gridiron. Unlike Jim Brown, Simpson chose to keep playing football when he embarked on his acting career; and though Simpson was typically cast in supporting roles, they were often high-profile productions (namely the Best Picture-nominated "The Towering Inferno" and the Emmy-winning miniseries "Roots").
When Simpson retired, he continued to act while staying close to football as an on-field reporter for NBC. You never knew where The Juice was going to turn up, but you were never unhappy to see him. This was especially true...
When Simpson retired, he continued to act while staying close to football as an on-field reporter for NBC. You never knew where The Juice was going to turn up, but you were never unhappy to see him. This was especially true...
- 4/21/2024
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
As you've likely heard by now, O.J. Simpson has passed away at the age of 76.
One of the most famous -- and infamous -- Americans of the modern era, Simpson was known for many things:
He was, of course, a world-class athlete, a standout at running back for the NFL's Buffalo Bills and San Francisco 49ers.
Later in life, he would become the center of the most high-profile murder trial of the 20th century,
And though he beat the charges under dubious circumstances, the lingering suspicion that Simpson murdered his wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ronald Goldman, would make him a pariah in the upper-crust social circles that had served as his comfortable domain for so many years.
But before O.J. ever earned a dime from professional football -- before he was arrested for murder and before he served nine years in prison on unrelated robbery and...
One of the most famous -- and infamous -- Americans of the modern era, Simpson was known for many things:
He was, of course, a world-class athlete, a standout at running back for the NFL's Buffalo Bills and San Francisco 49ers.
Later in life, he would become the center of the most high-profile murder trial of the 20th century,
And though he beat the charges under dubious circumstances, the lingering suspicion that Simpson murdered his wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ronald Goldman, would make him a pariah in the upper-crust social circles that had served as his comfortable domain for so many years.
But before O.J. ever earned a dime from professional football -- before he was arrested for murder and before he served nine years in prison on unrelated robbery and...
- 4/11/2024
- by Tyler Johnson
- TVfanatic
O.J. Simpson died April 10. But the media age ushered in by his presence, his saga and his white Bronco, remains very much with us.
An all-time great NFL running back-turned-actor, Simpson was a minor celebrity and part of a circle of fame-adjacent Los Angeles hangers-on in the 1990s. The killing of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ron Goldman, on June 12, 1994, converted Simpson instantly into an object of national obsession; five days later, Simpson failed to turn himself in after the Los Angeles Police Department ordered him to surrender on charges of first-degree murder, and engaged the LAPD in a low-speed car chase.
The details of this have been chewed over, including by the recent double dose of O.J. stories — FX’s series “The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story” and Ezra Edelman’s documentary “O.J.: Made in America,” both released in 2016 — and yet they still boggle the mind.
An all-time great NFL running back-turned-actor, Simpson was a minor celebrity and part of a circle of fame-adjacent Los Angeles hangers-on in the 1990s. The killing of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ron Goldman, on June 12, 1994, converted Simpson instantly into an object of national obsession; five days later, Simpson failed to turn himself in after the Los Angeles Police Department ordered him to surrender on charges of first-degree murder, and engaged the LAPD in a low-speed car chase.
The details of this have been chewed over, including by the recent double dose of O.J. stories — FX’s series “The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story” and Ezra Edelman’s documentary “O.J.: Made in America,” both released in 2016 — and yet they still boggle the mind.
- 4/11/2024
- by Daniel D'Addario
- Variety Film + TV
If you were alive in the 1990s, you couldn’t escape the vortex of attention around the Oj Simpson murder trial. In a mostly pre-internet age, the case received wall-to-wall attention on television. In the decades that followed, media companies revisited the case with some phenomenal results.
American Crime Story February 2, 2016
The first season of this anthology series dramatizes the trial with an all-star cast: Cuba Gooding Jr., Sterling K. Brown, Nathan Lane, Sarah Paulson, David Schwimmer, John Travolta, and Courtney B. Vance. It won the Emmy for Outstanding Limited Series, and Vance, Paulson, and Brown won Emmys for acting in the series.
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American Crime Story February 2, 2016
The first season of this anthology series dramatizes the trial with an all-star cast: Cuba Gooding Jr., Sterling K. Brown, Nathan Lane, Sarah Paulson, David Schwimmer, John Travolta, and Courtney B. Vance. It won the Emmy for Outstanding Limited Series, and Vance, Paulson, and Brown won Emmys for acting in the series.
Live 6 FX directv.com/stream 5-Day Trial Directv Stream Entertainment $79.99 / month sling.com Get 50% Off Sling TV Sling Blue $40 / month Show More hulu.com Sign Up Hulu Live TV $76.99 / month fubo.tv 7-Day Trial Fubo Pro $91.99 / month xfinity.com 30-Day Trial Xfinity Instant TV $33 / month tv.youtube.com...
- 4/11/2024
- by Ben Bowman
- The Streamable
O.J. Simpson, one of the most controversial figures of our time, is dead. His family broke the news on X, writing, “On April 10th, our father, Orenthal James Simpson, succumbed to his battle with cancer. He was surrounded by his children and grandchildren. During this time of transition, his family asks that you please respect their wishes for privacy and grace.”
If you grew up in the 1990s, you likely remember where you were on June 17th during the infamous Bronco Chase, where Simpson became the subject of perhaps the lowest-speed police chase of all time. I was twelve years old and riveted. Even now, twenty years after the fact, the O.J. Simpson trial, which was dubbed by media as the “Trial of the Century,” is infamous, as in the belief of many, O.J. Simpson, a former football legend turned movie star, got away with murder.
The trial was a hotbed of controversy,...
If you grew up in the 1990s, you likely remember where you were on June 17th during the infamous Bronco Chase, where Simpson became the subject of perhaps the lowest-speed police chase of all time. I was twelve years old and riveted. Even now, twenty years after the fact, the O.J. Simpson trial, which was dubbed by media as the “Trial of the Century,” is infamous, as in the belief of many, O.J. Simpson, a former football legend turned movie star, got away with murder.
The trial was a hotbed of controversy,...
- 4/11/2024
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
Lakeith Stanfield, the Oscar-nominated star of “Judas and the Black Messiah” and “Atlanta,” has joined Raoul Peck’s “Ernest Cole: Lost and Found.” The upcoming documentary chronicles the life and work of Ernest Cole, one of the first Black freelance photographers in South Africa, whose early pictures showed Black life under apartheid. They were images that shocked the world.
Stanfield will be the voice of Cole, helping to bring his words to life on screen. Magnolia acquired North American rights from Mk2 Films and is planning a theatrical release for later this year. Peck is an acclaimed filmmaker. His credits include “I Am Not Your Negro,” an Oscar-nominated look at writer and activist James Baldwin, and the HBO documentary miniseries, “Exterminate All the Brutes,” which received a Peabody Award. Magnolia released “I Am Not Your Negro.” Stanfield’s other credits include “Get Out,” “Knives Out” and “Haunted Mansion.”
Cole fled...
Stanfield will be the voice of Cole, helping to bring his words to life on screen. Magnolia acquired North American rights from Mk2 Films and is planning a theatrical release for later this year. Peck is an acclaimed filmmaker. His credits include “I Am Not Your Negro,” an Oscar-nominated look at writer and activist James Baldwin, and the HBO documentary miniseries, “Exterminate All the Brutes,” which received a Peabody Award. Magnolia released “I Am Not Your Negro.” Stanfield’s other credits include “Get Out,” “Knives Out” and “Haunted Mansion.”
Cole fled...
- 2/12/2024
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
The 1997 race for the Heisman Trophy will be explored in an installment of the 14th season of ESPN’s “30 for 30” series.
Titled “The Great Heisman Race of 1997,” the ESPN Films docu will debut on Dec. 9 on ESPN immediately following the broadcast of the Heisman Trophy Ceremony, which will air on the network.
The doc will focus on the race between Peyton Manning and Charles Woodson. Manning stunned the sports world in 1997 by deciding to return for his senior season at the University of Tennessee and spurning the NFL, making him the Heisman front-runner as he set his sights on an SEC Championship. But while Manning was the preseason favorite, other candidates arrived during the season including Washington State quarterback Ryan Leaf, Marshall University’s wide receiver Randy Moss and Woodson (University of Michigan). The docu, directed by Gentry Kirby, will use archival footage to examine and unpack the race for the hallowed honor.
Titled “The Great Heisman Race of 1997,” the ESPN Films docu will debut on Dec. 9 on ESPN immediately following the broadcast of the Heisman Trophy Ceremony, which will air on the network.
The doc will focus on the race between Peyton Manning and Charles Woodson. Manning stunned the sports world in 1997 by deciding to return for his senior season at the University of Tennessee and spurning the NFL, making him the Heisman front-runner as he set his sights on an SEC Championship. But while Manning was the preseason favorite, other candidates arrived during the season including Washington State quarterback Ryan Leaf, Marshall University’s wide receiver Randy Moss and Woodson (University of Michigan). The docu, directed by Gentry Kirby, will use archival footage to examine and unpack the race for the hallowed honor.
- 11/21/2023
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
O.J. Trial Flashback: Christopher Darden Launches Bid For L.A. Judgeship With Backing From Lance Ito
Former O.J. prosecutor Christopher Darden has received the backing of retired Judge Lance Ito in his run for a seat on the L.A. County Superior Court, Darden’s campaign announced today.
Darden and Ito are well known for their roles in the televised 1994 O.J. Simpson murder trial, but they have a longer history. Previously, Darden and Ito worked together as prosecutors in the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office in what was then known as the Hardcore Gang Division.
Darden, 67, has been an attorney for more than 40 years, and worked as a county prosecutor for 15 years. He is best known for serving as a lead prosecutor in the Simpson case, which was presided over by Ito.
That case was not only a mainstay of ’90s news programming, it was also fodder for a pair of award-winning 2016 screen projects: the Oscar-winning documentary O.J.: Made In America, in which Darden declined to participate,...
Darden and Ito are well known for their roles in the televised 1994 O.J. Simpson murder trial, but they have a longer history. Previously, Darden and Ito worked together as prosecutors in the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office in what was then known as the Hardcore Gang Division.
Darden, 67, has been an attorney for more than 40 years, and worked as a county prosecutor for 15 years. He is best known for serving as a lead prosecutor in the Simpson case, which was presided over by Ito.
That case was not only a mainstay of ’90s news programming, it was also fodder for a pair of award-winning 2016 screen projects: the Oscar-winning documentary O.J.: Made In America, in which Darden declined to participate,...
- 11/13/2023
- by Tom Tapp
- Deadline Film + TV
It’s a sweep! The Critics Choice Association revealed the winners for its 8th annual documentary awards on Sunday, November 12, 2023, and one film claimed all five of the awards it was nominated for. Though it trailed “American Symphony” in bids going into the night, “Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie” prevailed as the night’s biggest winner, taking home prizes in all five of its categories, including Best Documentary. The film’s other wins went to Davis Guggenheim in Best Director, Michael Harte in Best Editing, and in Best Narration and Best Biographical Documentary.
“American Symphony,” the nomination leader with six, took home two prizes: Jon Batiste won Best Score and the film was named Best Music Documentary. The other two-time winners were “20 Days in Mariupol,” Best First Documentary Feature and Best Political Documentary, and “The Deepest Breath,” Best Cinematography and Best Sports Documentary.
If, like us, you’re...
“American Symphony,” the nomination leader with six, took home two prizes: Jon Batiste won Best Score and the film was named Best Music Documentary. The other two-time winners were “20 Days in Mariupol,” Best First Documentary Feature and Best Political Documentary, and “The Deepest Breath,” Best Cinematography and Best Sports Documentary.
If, like us, you’re...
- 11/13/2023
- by John Benutty
- Gold Derby
Davis Guggenheim’s “Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie,” which chronicled the actor’s life, career and battle with Parkinson’s disease, was named the best nonfiction film of 2023 at the Critics Choice Documentary Awards, which took place on Sunday night in New York City.
The Apple TV+ film won five awards overall, also including best director for Guggenheim, best narration for Fox, best biographical documentary and best editing.
Journalist Mstyslav Chernov Chernov won the award for Best First Documentary for “20 Days in Mariupol.”
Other winners included “Being Mary Tyler Moore” (Best Archival Documentary), “The Deepest Breath” (Best Sports Documentary), “20 Days in Mariupol” (Best Political Documentary), “American Symphony” (Best Music Documentary), “Secrets of the Elephants” (Best Science/Nature Documentary) and “JFK: One Day in America” (Best Historical Documentary).
Jon Batiste won for the music in “American Symphony,” and Tim Cragg won for the cinematography of “The Deepest Breath.
The Apple TV+ film won five awards overall, also including best director for Guggenheim, best narration for Fox, best biographical documentary and best editing.
Journalist Mstyslav Chernov Chernov won the award for Best First Documentary for “20 Days in Mariupol.”
Other winners included “Being Mary Tyler Moore” (Best Archival Documentary), “The Deepest Breath” (Best Sports Documentary), “20 Days in Mariupol” (Best Political Documentary), “American Symphony” (Best Music Documentary), “Secrets of the Elephants” (Best Science/Nature Documentary) and “JFK: One Day in America” (Best Historical Documentary).
Jon Batiste won for the music in “American Symphony,” and Tim Cragg won for the cinematography of “The Deepest Breath.
- 11/13/2023
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Netflix’s Uswnt Doc ‘Under Pressure: The U.S. Women’s World Cup Team’ Sets Premiere Date | Exclusive
Netflix will release a docuseries about the U.S. Women’s World Cup team, titled “Under Pressure: The U.S. Women’s World Cup Team,” in December.
The four-episode series lands on Netflix Dec. 12 and showcases the U.S. Women’s National Team’s 2023 World Cup journey. The series is a co-production with Time Studios, Words + Pictures, and Togethxr in association with FIFA.
According to the series logline “The all-access sports series will allow audiences to intimately follow the US Women’s National Team’s players and coaches and reveal an inside look at the most decorated team in soccer history. Viewers will get a first-hand look at the pressure, the euphoria, the joy, and the hardships that these world-class athletes experience as they strive to capture their third World Cup title in a row. Issues ranging from injury, criticism and doubt, equal pay, and upholding legacies are all...
The four-episode series lands on Netflix Dec. 12 and showcases the U.S. Women’s National Team’s 2023 World Cup journey. The series is a co-production with Time Studios, Words + Pictures, and Togethxr in association with FIFA.
According to the series logline “The all-access sports series will allow audiences to intimately follow the US Women’s National Team’s players and coaches and reveal an inside look at the most decorated team in soccer history. Viewers will get a first-hand look at the pressure, the euphoria, the joy, and the hardships that these world-class athletes experience as they strive to capture their third World Cup title in a row. Issues ranging from injury, criticism and doubt, equal pay, and upholding legacies are all...
- 11/8/2023
- by Dessi Gomez
- The Wrap
For the 10th year in a row, the Scad Savannah Film Festival, the 26th edition of which ran from Oct. 21 through Oct. 28, was the place to be for documentary filmmakers and documentary lovers — specifically on Oct. 25, when The Hollywood Reporter presented and your humble correspondent hosted the fest’s Docs to Watch panel that brings together the directors of up to 10 of the year’s finest documentary features.
Over the past nine years, 45 films were nominated for the best documentary feature Oscar, 19 of which were first highlighted as Docs to Watch. And in seven of those nine years, one of the Docs to Watch went on to win the best documentary feature Oscar: 2015’s Amy, 2016’s O.J.: Made in America, 2017’s Icarus, 2018’s Free Solo, 2019’s American Factory, 2021’s Summer of Soul and 2022’s Navalny. (The other two eventual winners — 2014’s Citizenfour and 2020’s My Octopus Teacher — were not screened...
Over the past nine years, 45 films were nominated for the best documentary feature Oscar, 19 of which were first highlighted as Docs to Watch. And in seven of those nine years, one of the Docs to Watch went on to win the best documentary feature Oscar: 2015’s Amy, 2016’s O.J.: Made in America, 2017’s Icarus, 2018’s Free Solo, 2019’s American Factory, 2021’s Summer of Soul and 2022’s Navalny. (The other two eventual winners — 2014’s Citizenfour and 2020’s My Octopus Teacher — were not screened...
- 11/4/2023
- by Scott Feinberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Critics Choice Association just unveiled the nominees for its 8th annual documentary awards. Topping the list is “American Symphony” with six bids, including Best Documentary, Best Director for Matthew Heineman, and notices in Cinematography, Editing, and Music Documentary. Heineman is the Oscar nominated director of “Cartel Land” from 2015. The sixth nomination for “American Symphony” is for Best Score thanks to 2022’s Grammy Award recipient for Album of the Year, Jon Batiste. You may recognize another Aoty winner in the Ccda’s lineup — Taylor Swift‘s record breaking concert movie “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” is also nominated for Music Documentary.
Just behind “American Symphony” are three films that received five nominations each: “20 Days in Mariupol” from Mstyslav Chernov, “Kokomo City” from D. Smith, and “Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie” from Davis Guggenheim, who is also nominated for Director. The other directors that were heralded for their films...
Just behind “American Symphony” are three films that received five nominations each: “20 Days in Mariupol” from Mstyslav Chernov, “Kokomo City” from D. Smith, and “Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie” from Davis Guggenheim, who is also nominated for Director. The other directors that were heralded for their films...
- 10/24/2023
- by John Benutty
- Gold Derby
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
Netflix’s “American Symphony,” which follows Grammy and Oscar winner Jon Batiste as he prepares for his performance at Carnegie Hall, leads the 2023 Critics Choice Documentary Award nominations with six, including best documentary feature and directing for Matthew Heineman. PBS’ “20 Days in Mariupol,” Magnolia Pictures’ “Kokomo City” and Apple Original Films’ “Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie” are tied for second with five nominations apiece. Each were also were nominated in the top category.
Other nominees for documentary feature include Roadside Attraction’s “Beyond Utopia,” MTV Documentary Films’ “The Eternal Memory,” Amazon’s “Judy Blume Forever,” National Geographic’s “The Mission” and Netflix’s “The Deepest Breath” and “Stamped from the Beginning.”
Read: Variety’s Awards Circuit for the latest Oscars predictions in all categories.
Now in its eighth year, the Critics Choice Documentary Awards have previously given the top prize to Oscar winners “O.J.: Made in America” (2016) and...
Other nominees for documentary feature include Roadside Attraction’s “Beyond Utopia,” MTV Documentary Films’ “The Eternal Memory,” Amazon’s “Judy Blume Forever,” National Geographic’s “The Mission” and Netflix’s “The Deepest Breath” and “Stamped from the Beginning.”
Read: Variety’s Awards Circuit for the latest Oscars predictions in all categories.
Now in its eighth year, the Critics Choice Documentary Awards have previously given the top prize to Oscar winners “O.J.: Made in America” (2016) and...
- 10/16/2023
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
A multi-episode docuseries following the United States Women’s National Team’s World Cup journey will premiere globally on Netflix this fall.
The series will highlight players and coaches of the Uswnt, giving an inside look at the most-decorated team in soccer history. Themes include the pressure athletes face, the euphoria of success, the joy, hardships and more of the sport. The doc will also cover issues like equal pay, motherhood, LGBTQ+ rights, racial diversity and family.
The narrative will trace the preparation — both individual and group — for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, paying homage to the players that came before those currently on the roster.
Also Read:
Megan Rapinoe to Retire From Professional Soccer After 2023 Women’s World Cup
Veteran champions like Alex Morgan and Megan Rapino, who recently announced her retirement from the sport at the end of the year, as well as rising stars like 18-year-old...
The series will highlight players and coaches of the Uswnt, giving an inside look at the most-decorated team in soccer history. Themes include the pressure athletes face, the euphoria of success, the joy, hardships and more of the sport. The doc will also cover issues like equal pay, motherhood, LGBTQ+ rights, racial diversity and family.
The narrative will trace the preparation — both individual and group — for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, paying homage to the players that came before those currently on the roster.
Also Read:
Megan Rapinoe to Retire From Professional Soccer After 2023 Women’s World Cup
Veteran champions like Alex Morgan and Megan Rapino, who recently announced her retirement from the sport at the end of the year, as well as rising stars like 18-year-old...
- 7/17/2023
- by Dessi Gomez
- The Wrap
The U.S. Women’s Soccer team’s journey to a possible third World Cup title will be documented in a multi-episode docuseries set to launch globally on the streaming network this fall. The series is currently in production in New Zealand and Australia following the team as they compete for the 2023 World Cup.
A co-production with Time Studios, Words + Pictures and Togethxr, “the sports series will allow audiences to intimately follow the US Women’s National Team’s players and coaches and reveal an inside look at the most decorated team in soccer history. Viewers will get a first-hand look at the pressure, the euphoria, the joy, and the hardships that these world-class athletes experience as they strive to capture their third World Cup title in a row. Issues ranging from racial diversity, LGBTQ+ rights, equal pay, family, and motherhood are all brought to light as the narrative unfolds,...
A co-production with Time Studios, Words + Pictures and Togethxr, “the sports series will allow audiences to intimately follow the US Women’s National Team’s players and coaches and reveal an inside look at the most decorated team in soccer history. Viewers will get a first-hand look at the pressure, the euphoria, the joy, and the hardships that these world-class athletes experience as they strive to capture their third World Cup title in a row. Issues ranging from racial diversity, LGBTQ+ rights, equal pay, family, and motherhood are all brought to light as the narrative unfolds,...
- 7/17/2023
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Six months after stepping down as chairman and CEO of Paramount Premium Group and chief creative officer of Paramount+ Scripted Series at the end of last year, David Nevins has been named CEO of The North Road Company.
Peter Chernin, who launched the global content studio in July 2022, announced on Thursday that Nevins will, effective immediately, oversee the studio’s expanding portfolio as Chernin continues in his role as executive chairman. Nevins will work closely with North Road’s executive team including Jenno Topping, Jan Frouman, Chris Coelen, Connor Schell and Darian Singer.
“Under any measurement as a creative company, with multiple genres and multiple territories with multiple partners, David is one of the highest-quality executives,” Chernin told TheWrap of the hire. “I’m thrilled that he decided to leave Showtime and Paramount and join up with North Road.”
Since launching just under a year ago, North Road has purchased Karga Seven Pictures,...
Peter Chernin, who launched the global content studio in July 2022, announced on Thursday that Nevins will, effective immediately, oversee the studio’s expanding portfolio as Chernin continues in his role as executive chairman. Nevins will work closely with North Road’s executive team including Jenno Topping, Jan Frouman, Chris Coelen, Connor Schell and Darian Singer.
“Under any measurement as a creative company, with multiple genres and multiple territories with multiple partners, David is one of the highest-quality executives,” Chernin told TheWrap of the hire. “I’m thrilled that he decided to leave Showtime and Paramount and join up with North Road.”
Since launching just under a year ago, North Road has purchased Karga Seven Pictures,...
- 7/6/2023
- by Scott Mendelson
- The Wrap
Exclusive: HBO and Words + Pictures have launched production on a documentary about Barry Bonds, one of baseball’s greatest players – and one of the most polarizing figures in all professional sport.
The untitled Bonds film is being directed by Keith McQuirter (By Whatever Means Necessary: The Times of Godfather of Harlem) and executive produced by Oscar winner Ezra Edelman (O.J.: Made in America) and Connor Schell and Libby Geist, creators of the Emmy-winning series 30 for 30 and EPs of the megahit docuseries The Last Dance.
“The untitled HBO Sports Documentary will tell the story of Barry Bonds, baseball’s single-season and all-time home run king, from his beginnings as the son of All-Star Bobby Bonds, and godson of the iconic Willie Mays, all the way up to his meteoric rise in the 1990s and 2000s,” notes a release about the project. “Using archival footage and original interviews, the film will...
The untitled Bonds film is being directed by Keith McQuirter (By Whatever Means Necessary: The Times of Godfather of Harlem) and executive produced by Oscar winner Ezra Edelman (O.J.: Made in America) and Connor Schell and Libby Geist, creators of the Emmy-winning series 30 for 30 and EPs of the megahit docuseries The Last Dance.
“The untitled HBO Sports Documentary will tell the story of Barry Bonds, baseball’s single-season and all-time home run king, from his beginnings as the son of All-Star Bobby Bonds, and godson of the iconic Willie Mays, all the way up to his meteoric rise in the 1990s and 2000s,” notes a release about the project. “Using archival footage and original interviews, the film will...
- 5/31/2023
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Film is currently in production, with first-ever access to the Reeve Estate’s archives.
Searching For Sugarman producers Passion Pictures are in production on a feature documentary about Superman star Christopher Reeve, directed by McQueen filmmakers Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui.
The film will chart Reeve’s rise to becoming a film star, including his portrayal of Superman; and his life following his near-fatal horse-riding accident in 1995 that left him paralyzed from the neck down. Following the accident, Reeve became an activist for spinal cord injury treatments and disability rights.
Passion Pictures and Misfits Entertainment, producers of McQueen, are producing the title.
Searching For Sugarman producers Passion Pictures are in production on a feature documentary about Superman star Christopher Reeve, directed by McQueen filmmakers Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui.
The film will chart Reeve’s rise to becoming a film star, including his portrayal of Superman; and his life following his near-fatal horse-riding accident in 1995 that left him paralyzed from the neck down. Following the accident, Reeve became an activist for spinal cord injury treatments and disability rights.
Passion Pictures and Misfits Entertainment, producers of McQueen, are producing the title.
- 5/18/2023
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
The North Road Company, the content studio founded by Peter Chernin, has acquired an unspecified minority stake in Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions. The deal includes a multi-year agreement for development, production, and sale of unscripted and scripted content.
The Chernin Group investment firm, co-founded by Chernin, will become Omaha Productions strategic partner to expand into media-adjacent consumer businesses.
The first project under the new partnership is The King of Collectibles, a multi-part documentary series that premiered on Netflix in April and became a top-10 rated show on the platform. It follows memorabilia dealer Ken Goldin and his team at Goldin Auctions. Executive producers include Omaha Productions and North Road’s Words + Pictures. Chernin Group is also an investor in Goldin Auctions.
Omaha Productions and North Road’s Words + Pictures are currently developing a full-length documentary with Amazon Prime Video about Eric Reed, the trainer of the horse Rich Strike,...
The Chernin Group investment firm, co-founded by Chernin, will become Omaha Productions strategic partner to expand into media-adjacent consumer businesses.
The first project under the new partnership is The King of Collectibles, a multi-part documentary series that premiered on Netflix in April and became a top-10 rated show on the platform. It follows memorabilia dealer Ken Goldin and his team at Goldin Auctions. Executive producers include Omaha Productions and North Road’s Words + Pictures. Chernin Group is also an investor in Goldin Auctions.
Omaha Productions and North Road’s Words + Pictures are currently developing a full-length documentary with Amazon Prime Video about Eric Reed, the trainer of the horse Rich Strike,...
- 5/17/2023
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
Magnolia Pictures and MK2 Films have acquired rights to Raoul Peck’s documentary about renowned photographer Ernest Cole.
The untitled documentary chronicles the life and work of Cole, the first Black freelance photographer in South Africa, whose early work revealed to the world the shocking, brutal realities of Black life under apartheid. Magnolia will release the film in North American theaters, while MK2 will handle the rollout internationally.
“Ernest Cole’s long and, at times, painful and tedious journey in America brings me back to a period of my life when my political commitment and artistic stamina were forged,” Peck said in a statement. “I profoundly feel, cherish and treasure his human eye on the facts of life and his piercing acuity over our terrible contradictions.”
The sale marks a reunion for Magnolia and Peck after 2016’s James Baldwin documentary “I Am Not Your Negro,” which became a modest box office hit with $8 million globally.
The untitled documentary chronicles the life and work of Cole, the first Black freelance photographer in South Africa, whose early work revealed to the world the shocking, brutal realities of Black life under apartheid. Magnolia will release the film in North American theaters, while MK2 will handle the rollout internationally.
“Ernest Cole’s long and, at times, painful and tedious journey in America brings me back to a period of my life when my political commitment and artistic stamina were forged,” Peck said in a statement. “I profoundly feel, cherish and treasure his human eye on the facts of life and his piercing acuity over our terrible contradictions.”
The sale marks a reunion for Magnolia and Peck after 2016’s James Baldwin documentary “I Am Not Your Negro,” which became a modest box office hit with $8 million globally.
- 5/15/2023
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
How long does a documentary need to be? Frederick Wiseman frequently goes long, and Oscar-winning “Oj: Made in America” ran nearly eight hours. Lately, with “Bill Russell: Legend” and “Boom! Boom! The World vs. Boris Becker,” streamers have embraced the “two-part documentary” — a fancy term for what used to be called a miniseries. So, while there are no limits on how much longer docs can get, it’s refreshing to see a compelling subject covered in 40 minutes or less, and doubly rewarding to realize that four of the five packaged in ShortsTV’s “2023 Oscar Nominated Short Films: Documentary” found audiences on their own merits, even without theatrical distribution.
The only one you can’t see for free is Jay Rosenblatt’s charming “How Do You Measure a Year?,” a 29-minute assembly of home-movie footage. Every year, Rosenblatt sat his daughter Ella down on her birthday and peppered her with questions,...
The only one you can’t see for free is Jay Rosenblatt’s charming “How Do You Measure a Year?,” a 29-minute assembly of home-movie footage. Every year, Rosenblatt sat his daughter Ella down on her birthday and peppered her with questions,...
- 3/11/2023
- by Peter Debruge
- 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
The Qatar Investment Authority has joined Providence Equity Partners and Apollo as a major investor in The North Road Company, the global, multi-genre studio launched last year by Peter Chernin.
The $150 million from Qia will support the firm’s ongoing expansion, building on launch funds that included up to $500 million from Providence and $300 million in debt financing from Apollo to grow North Road, whose companies include Chernin Entertainment; Words + Pictures, founded by the creators of 30 for 30, The Last Dance, and O.J.: Made in America; Kinetic Content; Left Right Productions; and 44 Blue.
A London-based international division focuses on global acquisitions and co-productions.
“Qia’s investment enables North Road to capitalize even further on the growing demand for premium, independent content. Building on the support from Providence Equity,...
The $150 million from Qia will support the firm’s ongoing expansion, building on launch funds that included up to $500 million from Providence and $300 million in debt financing from Apollo to grow North Road, whose companies include Chernin Entertainment; Words + Pictures, founded by the creators of 30 for 30, The Last Dance, and O.J.: Made in America; Kinetic Content; Left Right Productions; and 44 Blue.
A London-based international division focuses on global acquisitions and co-productions.
“Qia’s investment enables North Road to capitalize even further on the growing demand for premium, independent content. Building on the support from Providence Equity,...
- 1/31/2023
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
The North Road Co., the global production studio roll-up formed by Peter Chernin last year, has received an 150 million investment from Qatar Investment Authority (Qia), the country’s sovereign wealth fund.
The funding builds on the capital North Road secured at launch, which includes up to 500 million from longtime Chernin partner Providence Equity Partners and 300 million in debt financing from Apollo.
“Qia’s investment enables North Road to capitalize even further on the growing demand for premium, independent content,” Chernin, who serves as North Road’s CEO, said in a statement. Mohammed Al-Sowaidi, Qia’s chief investment officer of Americas, commented, “This investment underpins our strategy to invest in innovative media and technology companies around the world and advances our long-term partnership with the Chernin Group.”
North Road consolidated Chernin Entertainment, the film and TV studio whose credits include the “Planet of the Apes” trilogy, “Ford v Ferrari,” “Hidden Figures” and “New Girl,...
The funding builds on the capital North Road secured at launch, which includes up to 500 million from longtime Chernin partner Providence Equity Partners and 300 million in debt financing from Apollo.
“Qia’s investment enables North Road to capitalize even further on the growing demand for premium, independent content,” Chernin, who serves as North Road’s CEO, said in a statement. Mohammed Al-Sowaidi, Qia’s chief investment officer of Americas, commented, “This investment underpins our strategy to invest in innovative media and technology companies around the world and advances our long-term partnership with the Chernin Group.”
North Road consolidated Chernin Entertainment, the film and TV studio whose credits include the “Planet of the Apes” trilogy, “Ford v Ferrari,” “Hidden Figures” and “New Girl,...
- 1/31/2023
- by Todd Spangler
- Variety Film + TV
The Sundance Film Festival has rich history when it comes to documentary — and sports documentaries, in particular. Hoop Dreams, one of the greatest documentaries ever, made its premiere at Sundance ’94, while When We Were Kings (’96), Murderball (’05), O.J.: Made in America (’16) and Icarus (’17) all debuted at the fest.
One of the splashy late additions to the Sundance 2023 was Stephen Curry: Underrated, a documentary from director Peter Nicks (The Waiting Room) and producers Ryan Coogler (Black Panther) and Erick Peyton billing itself as “an intimate look at NBA superstar Stephen Curry’s...
One of the splashy late additions to the Sundance 2023 was Stephen Curry: Underrated, a documentary from director Peter Nicks (The Waiting Room) and producers Ryan Coogler (Black Panther) and Erick Peyton billing itself as “an intimate look at NBA superstar Stephen Curry’s...
- 1/23/2023
- by Marlow Stern
- Rollingstone.com
One hundred forty-four documentary features were eligible for this season’s best documentary feature Oscar. The directors of 10 appeared on the ‘Docs to Watch’ panel at October’s Scad Savannah Film Festival — the nation’s largest university-run film festival — which, for the ninth year in a row, was presented by The Hollywood Reporter and moderated by yours truly.
And in late December, the Academy announced its best documentary feature Oscar shortlist, revealing that of the 15 titles chosen to move on to the next round, eight had been represented at the ‘Docs to Watch’ gathering — Shaunak Sen’s All That Breathes (HBO), David Siev’s Bad Axe (IFC), Margaret Brown’s Descendant (Netflix), Sara Dosa’s Fire of Love (Nat Geo), Ondi Timoner’s Last Flight Home (MTV), Brett Morgen’s Moonage Daydream (Neon), Daniel Roher’s Navalny (Warner Bros./CNN) and Matthew Heineman’s Retrograde (Nat Geo) — alongside two other equally special projects,...
And in late December, the Academy announced its best documentary feature Oscar shortlist, revealing that of the 15 titles chosen to move on to the next round, eight had been represented at the ‘Docs to Watch’ gathering — Shaunak Sen’s All That Breathes (HBO), David Siev’s Bad Axe (IFC), Margaret Brown’s Descendant (Netflix), Sara Dosa’s Fire of Love (Nat Geo), Ondi Timoner’s Last Flight Home (MTV), Brett Morgen’s Moonage Daydream (Neon), Daniel Roher’s Navalny (Warner Bros./CNN) and Matthew Heineman’s Retrograde (Nat Geo) — alongside two other equally special projects,...
- 1/15/2023
- by Scott Feinberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
National Geographic Films dominated the 2023 Documentary Motion Picture nominees for the upcoming 34th Producers Guild Awards. The studio landed three of the seven spots with “Fire of Love” from Sara Dosa, “Retrograde” from Matthew Heineman and “The Territory” from Alex Pritz.
In addition to the Nat Geo trio, other nominees included HBO’s “All That Breathes,” Netflix’s “Descendant,” CNN and Warner Bros’ “Navalny” and Showtime’s “Nothing Compares.” All seven are in the discussion for Oscar recognition this year.
The Producers Guild Awards honors excellence in motion picture and television productions, as well as the most notable names in the industry who are shaping the producing profession.
PGA nominees for docs haven’t had the best track record of translating to Oscar attention, which differs from the narrative feature category. However, it strongly correlates to appearing on the Oscar doc shortlist of 15 films, which began voting today. Last year,...
In addition to the Nat Geo trio, other nominees included HBO’s “All That Breathes,” Netflix’s “Descendant,” CNN and Warner Bros’ “Navalny” and Showtime’s “Nothing Compares.” All seven are in the discussion for Oscar recognition this year.
The Producers Guild Awards honors excellence in motion picture and television productions, as well as the most notable names in the industry who are shaping the producing profession.
PGA nominees for docs haven’t had the best track record of translating to Oscar attention, which differs from the narrative feature category. However, it strongly correlates to appearing on the Oscar doc shortlist of 15 films, which began voting today. Last year,...
- 12/12/2022
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
“All That Breathes,” a lyrical documentary about two brothers who rescue birds that have fallen victim to the polluted air in New Delhi, has been named the best nonfiction feature of 2022 at the International Documentary Association’s IDA Documentary Awards, which took place on Saturday night in Los Angeles.
“All That Breathes” won four awards overall, an unusually robust showing at the IDA Awards. The HBO Documentary Films release won Best Feature in a category that also included “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed,” “Fire of Love” and “Navalny”; director Shaunak Sen and editors Charlotte Munch Bengtsen and Vedant Joshi won in their categories; and the film also won the Pare Lorentz award, which goes to a socially conscious film of note.
“Fire of Love” won in the writing and cinematography and categories. Director Sara Dosa shared the win for writing, while the film’s late subjects, married volcanologists Maurice and Katia Krafft,...
“All That Breathes” won four awards overall, an unusually robust showing at the IDA Awards. The HBO Documentary Films release won Best Feature in a category that also included “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed,” “Fire of Love” and “Navalny”; director Shaunak Sen and editors Charlotte Munch Bengtsen and Vedant Joshi won in their categories; and the film also won the Pare Lorentz award, which goes to a socially conscious film of note.
“Fire of Love” won in the writing and cinematography and categories. Director Sara Dosa shared the win for writing, while the film’s late subjects, married volcanologists Maurice and Katia Krafft,...
- 12/11/2022
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
This year’s Oscar race for documentary feature, as every other year, includes films made by veteran directors. Oscar-win- ner Laura Poitras (“All the Beauty and the Bloodshed”), Primetime Emmy nominee Ryan White (“Good Night Oppy”) and two-time Sundance grand jury prize winner Ondi Timoner (“Last Flight Home”) are among the seasoned helmers vying for a spot on the documentary shortlist, released Dec. 21.
But alongside the vets are a slew of directors who are relatively new to the scene with docs that are garnering praise and plenty of hardware. Those helmers include Sara Dosa (“Fire of Love’’), Edward Buckles Jr. (“Katrina Babies’’) Isabel Castro (“Mija”), Daniel Roher (“Navalny”) and Alex Pritz (“The Territory’’).
It’s never easy being new to the game, but if you’re a documentary filmmaker it can have its advantages, especially come Oscar season. The old guard continuously welcomes newcomers with open arms. Proof is in the past decade of winners,...
But alongside the vets are a slew of directors who are relatively new to the scene with docs that are garnering praise and plenty of hardware. Those helmers include Sara Dosa (“Fire of Love’’), Edward Buckles Jr. (“Katrina Babies’’) Isabel Castro (“Mija”), Daniel Roher (“Navalny”) and Alex Pritz (“The Territory’’).
It’s never easy being new to the game, but if you’re a documentary filmmaker it can have its advantages, especially come Oscar season. The old guard continuously welcomes newcomers with open arms. Proof is in the past decade of winners,...
- 12/10/2022
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
First nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the Oscars with the 2012 film “The Gatekeepers,” director Dror Moreh could return to the awards race 10 years later with “The Corridors of Power.” The new film from Showtime combines in-depth interviews with rare archival footage and CGI animations to examine how American leaders have responded to reports of genocide, war crimes and mass atrocities after the fall of the Soviet Union.
Among those interviewed are five figures who served as Secretary of State: James Baker, Madeleine Albright, Colin Powell, Condoleezza Rice and Hillary Clinton. In his review for The Washington Post, Michael O’Sullivan describes the effectiveness of the interviews: “The discussions that take place on camera, in tastefully appointed suites, are frank and often offer fascinating insights into these dilemmas. But it is the sharply jarring — and dismayingly repetitive — footage of carnage that will stay with you long after the echoes of the...
Among those interviewed are five figures who served as Secretary of State: James Baker, Madeleine Albright, Colin Powell, Condoleezza Rice and Hillary Clinton. In his review for The Washington Post, Michael O’Sullivan describes the effectiveness of the interviews: “The discussions that take place on camera, in tastefully appointed suites, are frank and often offer fascinating insights into these dilemmas. But it is the sharply jarring — and dismayingly repetitive — footage of carnage that will stay with you long after the echoes of the...
- 11/30/2022
- by John Benutty
- Gold Derby
The Mars Rover documentary “Good Night Oppy” as been named the best nonfiction film of 2022 at the Critics Choice Documentary Awards, which took place on Sunday night at the Edison Ballroom in New York City.
Ryan White was named the year’s best documentary director for “Good Night Oppy” at a ceremony that consistently spread the love, with a dozen different films and film series winning awards and only “Good Night Oppy” and “The Beatles: Get Back” winning more than a single award.
“Get Back” won two, while “Good Night Oppy” took five, also including Best Science/Nature Documentary, Best Narration and Best Score.
For the first time the Critics Choice Documentary Awards also announced the second- and third-place finishers in the top category, with “Fire of Love” finishing second and “Navalny” finishing third.
David Siev won in the Best First Feature category for “Bad Axe.” Genre winners were “Fire of Love” for archival documentary,...
Ryan White was named the year’s best documentary director for “Good Night Oppy” at a ceremony that consistently spread the love, with a dozen different films and film series winning awards and only “Good Night Oppy” and “The Beatles: Get Back” winning more than a single award.
“Get Back” won two, while “Good Night Oppy” took five, also including Best Science/Nature Documentary, Best Narration and Best Score.
For the first time the Critics Choice Documentary Awards also announced the second- and third-place finishers in the top category, with “Fire of Love” finishing second and “Navalny” finishing third.
David Siev won in the Best First Feature category for “Bad Axe.” Genre winners were “Fire of Love” for archival documentary,...
- 11/14/2022
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
In just 13 yearsDOC NYC has become America’s most influential documentary festival.
The nine-day affair, which runs Nov. 9-17, will feature more than 124 short docus and 112 feature-length nonfiction films that will screen at New York City’s IFC Center, Sva Theater and Cinépolis Chelsea. (The 2022 version will be both in person in New York and accessible online across the U.S.)
One key factor in the festival’s success has to do with where it falls on the calendar — one month before the AMPAS documentary branch begins voting to determine the Oscar documentary shortlist. Then there’s Doc NYC’s 15-feature film shortlist, which has become famous for including docus that eventually earn Oscar nominations and/or wins.
“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” are all films that won the Academy Award for...
The nine-day affair, which runs Nov. 9-17, will feature more than 124 short docus and 112 feature-length nonfiction films that will screen at New York City’s IFC Center, Sva Theater and Cinépolis Chelsea. (The 2022 version will be both in person in New York and accessible online across the U.S.)
One key factor in the festival’s success has to do with where it falls on the calendar — one month before the AMPAS documentary branch begins voting to determine the Oscar documentary shortlist. Then there’s Doc NYC’s 15-feature film shortlist, which has become famous for including docus that eventually earn Oscar nominations and/or wins.
“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” are all films that won the Academy Award for...
- 11/10/2022
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Production has just concluded on Jeff Lipsky’s latest feature, Goldilocks and the Two Bears. This is the eighth film directed by the veteran indie executive and filmmaker, and the seventh he’s written.
Billed as a “sexy, dark saga,” it centers on three unique strangers who encounter one another in an unoccupied condominium, seven miles from the Las Vegas Strip. In the ensuing eight days they discover how much they actually have in common, and begin to wonder whether they might be each other’s salvation. By the shocking conclusion Ingrid, Ian and Ivy will prove to be a trio of unforgettable characters.
Newcomers Claire Milligan, Bryan Mittelstadt and Serra Naiman anchor the ensemble cast.
The entire feature was shot in and around Vegas. Lipsky recalls, “I filmed some of my first film, Childhood’s End, at the once-legendary Stardust so it’s a little bit like coming full circle for me.
Billed as a “sexy, dark saga,” it centers on three unique strangers who encounter one another in an unoccupied condominium, seven miles from the Las Vegas Strip. In the ensuing eight days they discover how much they actually have in common, and begin to wonder whether they might be each other’s salvation. By the shocking conclusion Ingrid, Ian and Ivy will prove to be a trio of unforgettable characters.
Newcomers Claire Milligan, Bryan Mittelstadt and Serra Naiman anchor the ensemble cast.
The entire feature was shot in and around Vegas. Lipsky recalls, “I filmed some of my first film, Childhood’s End, at the once-legendary Stardust so it’s a little bit like coming full circle for me.
- 10/19/2022
- by Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
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 112 features and 124 short films in-person November 9-17 at the IFC Center, Sva Theatre, and Cinépolis Chelsea and continue online until November 27 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 10 years the festival has screened the documentary that went on to win the Academy Award, including “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 44 of the last 50 Oscar-nominated documentary features. In 2021, Doc...
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 10 years the festival has screened the documentary that went on to win the Academy Award, including “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 44 of the last 50 Oscar-nominated documentary features. In 2021, Doc...
- 10/18/2022
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
With the recent release of “Clerks III,” Kevin Smith finally saw one of his longest-gestating passion projects come to fruition. But the director still has plenty of other films on his bucket list and he appears to be focused on completing them. He recently expressed hope that he can make sequels to “Mallrats” and “Tusk” in the near future, and it appears that fans might get to see his long-scrapped Prince documentary soon.
In his 2002 special “An Evening with Kevin Smith,” the filmmaker revealed that he had spent a week interviewing the “Purple Rain” singer for a potential documentary. While the planned concert film the two men were working on never materialized, Smith hopes the footage may soon be repurposed.
“Very high,” Smith told The Guardian when asked about the likelihood of his documentary footage seeing the light of day. “The director of ‘Oj: Made in America’ is making a...
In his 2002 special “An Evening with Kevin Smith,” the filmmaker revealed that he had spent a week interviewing the “Purple Rain” singer for a potential documentary. While the planned concert film the two men were working on never materialized, Smith hopes the footage may soon be repurposed.
“Very high,” Smith told The Guardian when asked about the likelihood of his documentary footage seeing the light of day. “The director of ‘Oj: Made in America’ is making a...
- 10/8/2022
- by Christian Zilko
- Indiewire
Click here to read the full article.
As more and more media conglomerates shift their business models to subscription streaming platforms, the borderlines between “film” and “television” continue to dissolve. Methods of distribution are no longer concretely disparate as studio-made feature-length films now often debut exclusively on streaming sites and many TV creators describe their shows as “10-hour-long movies.” These newly permeable boundaries are rendering the taxonomies of awards season just plain weirder than ever.
Case in point: the utter grab bag that is the Emmy category for this year’s outstanding television movie, which has washed-up cartoon chipmunks competing against Auschwitz survivors. I suppose Emmy voters took the term “television” seriously, as most of the nominations center around cult-favorite TV wrap-ups and reboots. The lineup, quite frankly, is a bit bonkers.
First, there’s Disney+’s Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers, an omnisatirical family comedy mystery based on a...
As more and more media conglomerates shift their business models to subscription streaming platforms, the borderlines between “film” and “television” continue to dissolve. Methods of distribution are no longer concretely disparate as studio-made feature-length films now often debut exclusively on streaming sites and many TV creators describe their shows as “10-hour-long movies.” These newly permeable boundaries are rendering the taxonomies of awards season just plain weirder than ever.
Case in point: the utter grab bag that is the Emmy category for this year’s outstanding television movie, which has washed-up cartoon chipmunks competing against Auschwitz survivors. I suppose Emmy voters took the term “television” seriously, as most of the nominations center around cult-favorite TV wrap-ups and reboots. The lineup, quite frankly, is a bit bonkers.
First, there’s Disney+’s Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers, an omnisatirical family comedy mystery based on a...
- 8/16/2022
- by Robyn Bahr
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The longest film to ever be nominated for an Academy Award was Ezra Edelman's 2016 film "O.J.: Made in America." Running a whopping 467 minutes, "O.J." was presented theatrically in two chunks: one was four hours, the other was three and a half hours. More than a detailed account of O.J. Simpson and his infamous 1994 murder trial, "Made in America" sought to unpack the very nature of race and fame in the United States. It ended up winning the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.
Yeah, it's long. Indeed, many Oscar nominees -- outside of the Shorts categories -- tend to be all-day suckers. A study...
The post How An Under-Two-Minute Film Ended Up With An Oscar Nomination appeared first on /Film.
Yeah, it's long. Indeed, many Oscar nominees -- outside of the Shorts categories -- tend to be all-day suckers. A study...
The post How An Under-Two-Minute Film Ended Up With An Oscar Nomination appeared first on /Film.
- 8/6/2022
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Until recent years, Emmy and Oscar campaigns only intersected in the documentary categories, as Oscar favorites often continued their momentum into Emmy season. Oscar winners “O.J.: Made in America” and “Free Solo” both won Emmys, launching debates about category fraud and the porous TV vs. film distinction that felt like exercises in futility. That has changed a few times over: First, the TV Academy ruled that Oscar-nominated documentaries didn’t qualify, and then updated its policy this year to clarify that any documentary placed on the Ampav viewing platform was disqualified from Emmy consideration.
Fortunately, there are plenty of documentary achievements to go around. Two of this year’s Emmy nominees in the Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series Category clarify the value of multi-part non-fiction undertakings that are better suited for the episodic domain. These deep-dive investigations into pop culture icons aim to refine, challenge, and contextualize our collective understanding...
Fortunately, there are plenty of documentary achievements to go around. Two of this year’s Emmy nominees in the Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series Category clarify the value of multi-part non-fiction undertakings that are better suited for the episodic domain. These deep-dive investigations into pop culture icons aim to refine, challenge, and contextualize our collective understanding...
- 7/26/2022
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
Peter Chernin has launched The North Road Company, a global content studio that will bring together Chernin Entertainment, the U.S. assets of Red Arrow Studios, which includes Love Is Blind producer Kinetic Content, and Connor Schell’s non-scripted business Words + Pictures.
The move comes as the former Fox chief paid $200M for Red Arrow’s U.S. companies including Kinetic Content, The Circus producer Left/Right, 44 Blue Productions, the company behind Netflix’s Life After Death with Tyler Henry, Say Yes To The Dress producer Half Yard and Building Alaska producer Dorsey Pictures.
The new company will have access to hundreds of millions of dollars in financing for further acquisitions from Providence Equity Partners and Apollo and will open a London office with former Red Arrow Studios Chairman and CEO Jan Frouman, who Deadline revealed joined the company earlier this year, and former AMC Networks exec Kristin Jones.
The move comes as the former Fox chief paid $200M for Red Arrow’s U.S. companies including Kinetic Content, The Circus producer Left/Right, 44 Blue Productions, the company behind Netflix’s Life After Death with Tyler Henry, Say Yes To The Dress producer Half Yard and Building Alaska producer Dorsey Pictures.
The new company will have access to hundreds of millions of dollars in financing for further acquisitions from Providence Equity Partners and Apollo and will open a London office with former Red Arrow Studios Chairman and CEO Jan Frouman, who Deadline revealed joined the company earlier this year, and former AMC Networks exec Kristin Jones.
- 7/6/2022
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
I’ve long banged the drum that television is better than film, yet even now, the TV industry still carries a bit of an inferiority complex.
It’s why those of us who cover TV cringe at filmmakers who finally enter the episodic world — only to proclaim their series is actually a “10-episode movie.”
It comes from decades of the small screen being seen as the stepping stone to true stardom and success in the movies. But of course, “prestige TV” has always been around, and it only intensified in the past two decades.
The industry has itself to blame for playing second fiddle.
For a long time, the Television Academy included a loophole in which Oscar doc contenders could turn around and try again for sloppy seconds at the Emmys — even though the Motion Picture Academy didn’t allow Emmy titles to do the same.
That’s how we...
It’s why those of us who cover TV cringe at filmmakers who finally enter the episodic world — only to proclaim their series is actually a “10-episode movie.”
It comes from decades of the small screen being seen as the stepping stone to true stardom and success in the movies. But of course, “prestige TV” has always been around, and it only intensified in the past two decades.
The industry has itself to blame for playing second fiddle.
For a long time, the Television Academy included a loophole in which Oscar doc contenders could turn around and try again for sloppy seconds at the Emmys — even though the Motion Picture Academy didn’t allow Emmy titles to do the same.
That’s how we...
- 6/17/2022
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
Last Year’s Winner: “Secrets of the Whales”
Still Eligible: No.
Hot Streak: Disney+ itself is not on a hot streak, having only won last year, and no other year since its existence. Disney as a whole though has won two years running, with ESPN winning in 2020 for the blockbuster docuseries “The Last Dance.”
Notable Ineligible Series: “The New York Times Presents”; “Biography”
This article will be updated throughout the season, along with all our predictions, so make sure to keep checking IndieWire for the latest news from the 2022 Emmys race. The nomination round of voting will take place from June 16 to June 27, with the official Emmy nominations to be announced on Tuesday, July 12. The Creative Arts Emmy Awards will be given out over two consecutive nights on Saturday, September 3 and Sunday, September 4, with an edited presentation on the ceremonies to be broadcast on Saturday, Sept. 10, at 8:00 p.m.
Still Eligible: No.
Hot Streak: Disney+ itself is not on a hot streak, having only won last year, and no other year since its existence. Disney as a whole though has won two years running, with ESPN winning in 2020 for the blockbuster docuseries “The Last Dance.”
Notable Ineligible Series: “The New York Times Presents”; “Biography”
This article will be updated throughout the season, along with all our predictions, so make sure to keep checking IndieWire for the latest news from the 2022 Emmys race. The nomination round of voting will take place from June 16 to June 27, with the official Emmy nominations to be announced on Tuesday, July 12. The Creative Arts Emmy Awards will be given out over two consecutive nights on Saturday, September 3 and Sunday, September 4, with an edited presentation on the ceremonies to be broadcast on Saturday, Sept. 10, at 8:00 p.m.
- 5/23/2022
- by Marcus Jones
- Indiewire
Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson went from spinning records at last year’s Oscar ceremony to winning a statuette of his own tonight, for directing Best Documentary Feature champ Summer of Soul.
The acclaimed DJ, music historian, and founding member of the Roots – The Tonight Show’s house band – accepted the award along with producers Joseph Patel, Robert Fyvolent and David Dinerstein. He began his speech by acknowledging the other nominees for Best Documentary Feature — Ascension, Attica, Flee, and Writing With Fire — then became emotional as he referenced the subject of his film: the long-overlooked Harlem Cultural Festival of 1969, a series of concerts that showcased some of the greatest African American musical talent ever assembled on stage. The concerts were filmed at the time, with the intention of packaging them into a TV special, but back then the white-run television networks gave a collective shrug and passed.
The acclaimed DJ, music historian, and founding member of the Roots – The Tonight Show’s house band – accepted the award along with producers Joseph Patel, Robert Fyvolent and David Dinerstein. He began his speech by acknowledging the other nominees for Best Documentary Feature — Ascension, Attica, Flee, and Writing With Fire — then became emotional as he referenced the subject of his film: the long-overlooked Harlem Cultural Festival of 1969, a series of concerts that showcased some of the greatest African American musical talent ever assembled on stage. The concerts were filmed at the time, with the intention of packaging them into a TV special, but back then the white-run television networks gave a collective shrug and passed.
- 3/28/2022
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
When former ESPN president John Skipper greenlit Bill Simmons’ and Connor Schell’s award-winning “30 for 30” documentary series, he also built the template for his new company, Meadowlark Media: Great content that may or may not be about sports, but is never afraid to show its politics.
“We have credibility in sports, so you use that credibility to get started,” Skipper said before boarding an airplane traveling south-by-southwest to SXSW. There, he and former ESPN host-turned-Meadowlark partner Dan Le Batard will tape leading sports podcast “The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz” March 13 and 14 (from 3-5:30 p.m. Ct) with a live studio audience at Austin’s Four Seasons Hotel. Le Batard is also hosting a conversation at SXSW’s Athlete Empowerment Summit with Ricky Williams, the 1998 Heisman Trophy winner who now does astrology readings on the podcast.
Skipper said he roots for artists as hard as he roots for athletes.
“We have credibility in sports, so you use that credibility to get started,” Skipper said before boarding an airplane traveling south-by-southwest to SXSW. There, he and former ESPN host-turned-Meadowlark partner Dan Le Batard will tape leading sports podcast “The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz” March 13 and 14 (from 3-5:30 p.m. Ct) with a live studio audience at Austin’s Four Seasons Hotel. Le Batard is also hosting a conversation at SXSW’s Athlete Empowerment Summit with Ricky Williams, the 1998 Heisman Trophy winner who now does astrology readings on the podcast.
Skipper said he roots for artists as hard as he roots for athletes.
- 3/11/2022
- by Tony Maglio
- Indiewire
The 37th Annual Indie Spirit Awards were at California’s Santa Monica Pier on Sunday, March 6, honoring the best American films made for less than $20 million (foreign films get their own International Feature category). Nominations were selected by film industry insiders and critics, while winners were voted on by the wider Film Independent membership. The organization includes industry professionals but also any movie aficionados who pay for membership starting at $95 per year. So who won? Scroll down for our live blog breaking down all the winners as they’re announced and their significance in this awards season.
SEEOscars 2022: 1st 6 presenters announced are Lady Gaga, Kevin Costner, Zoe Kravitz, Chris Rock, Rosie Perez, Yuh-Jung Youn
The Spirit Awards have often been a preview of the Oscars in recent years as the Oscars have more regularly honored lower-budget films like “Birdman,” “Spotlight,” “Moonlight,” and “Nomadland,” all of which won top honors at both awards.
SEEOscars 2022: 1st 6 presenters announced are Lady Gaga, Kevin Costner, Zoe Kravitz, Chris Rock, Rosie Perez, Yuh-Jung Youn
The Spirit Awards have often been a preview of the Oscars in recent years as the Oscars have more regularly honored lower-budget films like “Birdman,” “Spotlight,” “Moonlight,” and “Nomadland,” all of which won top honors at both awards.
- 3/7/2022
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
In 2018, comedian and TV host W. Kamau Bell was talking to TV producers about comedy documentaries when the question arose: “Could you do a doc about a comedian who has fallen?” Bell recalled his fascination with Ezra Edelman’s acclaimed O.J.: Made in America, the eight-hour series that examined the football player acquitted of murder through the wider societal lenses of celebrity, race, sports and class. A few months later, Bell was captivated by Surviving R. Kelly, which gave voice to multiple women who have accused the disgraced R&b singer of sexual,...
- 1/28/2022
- by Jason Newman
- Rollingstone.com
In the past decade, the inclusion of streaming services in the documentary market has made it increasingly harder for smaller docus struggling with funding to break into the nonfiction feature Oscar race. But in spite of the deep pockets they are up against, a number of cash-strapped docs inevitably make it onto the shortlist every year. This year was no exception.
Jessica Beshir’s “Faya Dayi”, Camilla Nielsson’s “President” (Greenwich Entertainment) and Sushmit Ghosh and Rintu Thomas’ “Writing with Fire” (Music Box Films) are three films on this year’s feature doc shortlist that are up against competitors with multi-million-dollar campaign budgets being paid by media and tech conglomerates including Apple, Netflix, ViacomCBS, the Walt Disney Co. and WarnerMedia.
As the field narrows and lobbying and marketing takeover, it’s clear that money and brand recognition are key factors in the race for Oscar gold, which makes “Faya Dayi,...
Jessica Beshir’s “Faya Dayi”, Camilla Nielsson’s “President” (Greenwich Entertainment) and Sushmit Ghosh and Rintu Thomas’ “Writing with Fire” (Music Box Films) are three films on this year’s feature doc shortlist that are up against competitors with multi-million-dollar campaign budgets being paid by media and tech conglomerates including Apple, Netflix, ViacomCBS, the Walt Disney Co. and WarnerMedia.
As the field narrows and lobbying and marketing takeover, it’s clear that money and brand recognition are key factors in the race for Oscar gold, which makes “Faya Dayi,...
- 1/20/2022
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
Former ESPN content chief Connor Schell has brought in former colleague Libby Geist to help run his new nonfiction banner Words + Pictures as it ramps up productions of documentary fare.
Libby Geist will serve as the production company’s executive VP and head of documentaries, overseeing the development of one-off docus and docuseries for the New York-based company founded in February 2021 with Chernin Entertainment as its sole investor. Geist worked alongside Schell for more than a decade at ESPN, where she served as VP and executive producer of ESPN Films and Original Content until 2020. During her tenure at ESPN Films, Geist executive produced several seminal nonfiction projects including “The Last Dance,” the “30 for 30” series, and “O.J.: Made in America,” which won an Academy Award in 2017.
As an executive producer on the “30 for 30” series, which Schell co-founded with Bill Simmons in 2007, Geist has worked alongside some of...
Libby Geist will serve as the production company’s executive VP and head of documentaries, overseeing the development of one-off docus and docuseries for the New York-based company founded in February 2021 with Chernin Entertainment as its sole investor. Geist worked alongside Schell for more than a decade at ESPN, where she served as VP and executive producer of ESPN Films and Original Content until 2020. During her tenure at ESPN Films, Geist executive produced several seminal nonfiction projects including “The Last Dance,” the “30 for 30” series, and “O.J.: Made in America,” which won an Academy Award in 2017.
As an executive producer on the “30 for 30” series, which Schell co-founded with Bill Simmons in 2007, Geist has worked alongside some of...
- 1/12/2022
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
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