Leon Vitali, one of Stanley Kubrick’s closest collaborators, died on Saturday night at the age of 74, Kubrick announced in a series of tweets Sunday.
“It is with the greatest of sadness that we have to tell you that the mainstay of a vast number of Kubrick’s films, Leon Vitali, passed away peacefully last night. Our thoughts are with his family and all that new and loved him. 26 July 1948 – 20 August 2022,” Kubrick wrote.
In a subsequent post, Kubrick continued, “Whether giving the performance of his life as Lord Bullingdon, portraying the ominous Red Cloak, providing BTS technical support on Fmj and attending the Cannes Film Festival 4K release of The Shining, Leon Vitali was the heartbeat of Kubrick’s films after the master himself.”
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“It is with the greatest of sadness that we have to tell you that the mainstay of a vast number of Kubrick’s films, Leon Vitali, passed away peacefully last night. Our thoughts are with his family and all that new and loved him. 26 July 1948 – 20 August 2022,” Kubrick wrote.
In a subsequent post, Kubrick continued, “Whether giving the performance of his life as Lord Bullingdon, portraying the ominous Red Cloak, providing BTS technical support on Fmj and attending the Cannes Film Festival 4K release of The Shining, Leon Vitali was the heartbeat of Kubrick’s films after the master himself.”
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- 8/21/2022
- by Jeremy Fuster
- The Wrap
Leon Vitali, an actor in Barry Lyndon who went on to become director Stanley Kubrick’s right-hand man, died Friday in Los Angeles at age 74. His family confirmed his death to Associated Press, but no cause was given.
“Leon was a special and lovely man driven by his curiosity, who spread love and warmth wherever he went,” his children said in a statement provided by his daughter, Masha Vitali. “He will be remembered with love and be hugely missed by the many people he touched.”
Vitali was profiled in the 2017 documentary Filmworker, which spotlighted his contributions to Kubrick’ work. Filmmaker Tony Zierra’s noted that Vitali did everything from casting and coaching actors to overseeing restorations.
His duties went so far as to once setting up a video monitor so that Kubrick could keep an eye on his dying cat.
Matthew Modine, who starred in Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket,...
“Leon was a special and lovely man driven by his curiosity, who spread love and warmth wherever he went,” his children said in a statement provided by his daughter, Masha Vitali. “He will be remembered with love and be hugely missed by the many people he touched.”
Vitali was profiled in the 2017 documentary Filmworker, which spotlighted his contributions to Kubrick’ work. Filmmaker Tony Zierra’s noted that Vitali did everything from casting and coaching actors to overseeing restorations.
His duties went so far as to once setting up a video monitor so that Kubrick could keep an eye on his dying cat.
Matthew Modine, who starred in Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket,...
- 8/21/2022
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Leon Vitali, Stanley Kubrick’s longtime associate who starred in “Barry Lyndon” and “Eyes Wide Shut” in addition to assisting the filmmaker throughout his career, his died at the age of 74. The news was revealed by the official Twitter account of Kubrick’s estate.
The official statement reads: “It is with the greatest of sadness that we have to tell you that the mainstay of a vast number of Kubrick’s films, Leon Vitali, passed away peacefully last night. Our thoughts are with his family and all that knew and loved him. 26 July 1948 – 20 August 2022.”
Vitali began pursuing an acting career after attending the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. He had small guest spots on a variety of television shows in the early 1970s before pivoting to feature films in 1973. He starred in the Italian film “Super Bitch,” which was directed by Sergio Leone’s longtime cinematographer Massimo Dallamano,...
The official statement reads: “It is with the greatest of sadness that we have to tell you that the mainstay of a vast number of Kubrick’s films, Leon Vitali, passed away peacefully last night. Our thoughts are with his family and all that knew and loved him. 26 July 1948 – 20 August 2022.”
Vitali began pursuing an acting career after attending the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. He had small guest spots on a variety of television shows in the early 1970s before pivoting to feature films in 1973. He starred in the Italian film “Super Bitch,” which was directed by Sergio Leone’s longtime cinematographer Massimo Dallamano,...
- 8/21/2022
- by Christian Zilko
- Indiewire
Leon Vitali, an English actor who most notably played Lord Bullingdon in “Barry Lyndon” before becoming director Stanley Kubrick’s personal assistant, died Saturday. He was 74 years old.
Vitali’s death was confirmed by the official social media presence for Kubrick. No further details regarding Vitali’s death are available at this time.
“It is with the greatest of sadness that we have to tell you that the mainstay of a vast number of Kubrick’s films, Leon Vitali, passed away peacefully last night,” the account wrote in a statement. “Our thoughts are with his family.”
It is with the greatest of sadness that we have to tell you that the mainstay of a vast number of Kubrick's films, Leon Vitali, passed away peacefully last night. Our thoughts are with his family and all that new and loved him.
26 July 1948 – 20 August 2022 pic.twitter.com/uE0Q1KvQi1
— Stanley Kubrick (@StanleyKubrick) August 21, 2022
As a screen actor,...
Vitali’s death was confirmed by the official social media presence for Kubrick. No further details regarding Vitali’s death are available at this time.
“It is with the greatest of sadness that we have to tell you that the mainstay of a vast number of Kubrick’s films, Leon Vitali, passed away peacefully last night,” the account wrote in a statement. “Our thoughts are with his family.”
It is with the greatest of sadness that we have to tell you that the mainstay of a vast number of Kubrick's films, Leon Vitali, passed away peacefully last night. Our thoughts are with his family and all that new and loved him.
26 July 1948 – 20 August 2022 pic.twitter.com/uE0Q1KvQi1
— Stanley Kubrick (@StanleyKubrick) August 21, 2022
As a screen actor,...
- 8/21/2022
- by J. Kim Murphy
- Variety Film + TV
New Indie
Michael Almereyda has tackled science (as a topic of either biopics or dramas) in a fascinating way in “Experimenter” and “Marjorie Prime,” and now he’s bringing that same energy to the inventor-biopic with “Tesla” (Shout Factory/IFC), a bold and audacious look at the life of Nikola Tesla. Ethan Hawke, in the title role, is evenly matched by Eve Hewson’s Anne Morgan, and they both nail Almereyda’s unique tone, which throws in anachronisms and green-screens to tell the story of someone who stretched the notions of what his peers imagined could be possible.
Also available: Madison Iseman plays a young girl with mental-health issues who can’t convince anyone she’s witnessed a crime in “Fear of Rain” (Lionsgate); 2012 indie “Watching TV with the Red Chinese” (Mvd Visual), co-starring Constance Wu and Gillian Jacobs, makes its U.S. DVD debut; Sienna Miller and Diego Luna...
Michael Almereyda has tackled science (as a topic of either biopics or dramas) in a fascinating way in “Experimenter” and “Marjorie Prime,” and now he’s bringing that same energy to the inventor-biopic with “Tesla” (Shout Factory/IFC), a bold and audacious look at the life of Nikola Tesla. Ethan Hawke, in the title role, is evenly matched by Eve Hewson’s Anne Morgan, and they both nail Almereyda’s unique tone, which throws in anachronisms and green-screens to tell the story of someone who stretched the notions of what his peers imagined could be possible.
Also available: Madison Iseman plays a young girl with mental-health issues who can’t convince anyone she’s witnessed a crime in “Fear of Rain” (Lionsgate); 2012 indie “Watching TV with the Red Chinese” (Mvd Visual), co-starring Constance Wu and Gillian Jacobs, makes its U.S. DVD debut; Sienna Miller and Diego Luna...
- 2/17/2021
- by Alonso Duralde
- The Wrap
In the last 10 years, there’s been an ever-widening niche of documentaries about Stanley Kubrick. Every one of them has been fascinating, one or two (like “Stanley Kubrick’s Boxes”) are as idiosyncratic as the director himself, and the most artful and memorable — “Filmworker” (2017), a portrait of Kubrick’s monkishly devoted gofer and right-hand assistant, Leon Vitali — is an essential artifact. Amid the steady outpouring of Kubrickiana, the 72-minute-long “Kubrick by Kubrick” may be the least exotic, but it still gives any Kubrick believer a heady share of morsels to chew on.
The film is built around a series of tape-recorded interviews that Michel Ciment, the French film critic and editor of Positif, conducted with Kubrick over the course of 20 years. In 1968, Ciment wrote the first major overview of Kubrick’s work to appear in France, and the director got in touch with him. Kubrick, from that point on, virtually never gave interviews.
The film is built around a series of tape-recorded interviews that Michel Ciment, the French film critic and editor of Positif, conducted with Kubrick over the course of 20 years. In 1968, Ciment wrote the first major overview of Kubrick’s work to appear in France, and the director got in touch with him. Kubrick, from that point on, virtually never gave interviews.
- 5/9/2020
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
Stanley Kubrick’s career contained such multitudes that, over 20 years after his death, cinema is still sorting through the scope of his genius. There have been enough Kubrick documentaries in recent years to suggest a burgeoning subgenre based around his appeal, from the conventional overview “Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures” to “The Shining” conspiracy-theory deep dive “Room 237,” and “Filmworker,” a portrait of Kubrick righthand man Leon Vitali. The stories behind the storyteller have just gotten started.
Compared to these entries, the 72-minute French production “Kubrick by Kubrick” might look like a relatively minor addition to the canon, a concise assemblage of rare audio clips from Kubrick interviews in which he addresses his work in general terms. At the same, it may be the closest most of us can get to hearing the master explain himself, and
More from IndieWire'Fully Realized Humans' Review: Joshua Leonard and Jess Weixler Go...
Compared to these entries, the 72-minute French production “Kubrick by Kubrick” might look like a relatively minor addition to the canon, a concise assemblage of rare audio clips from Kubrick interviews in which he addresses his work in general terms. At the same, it may be the closest most of us can get to hearing the master explain himself, and
More from IndieWire'Fully Realized Humans' Review: Joshua Leonard and Jess Weixler Go...
- 4/19/2020
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
Anyone who’s ever worked with Stanley Kubrick has a story to tell, from Shelley Duvall’s traumatic experience while filming “The Shining,” to Malcolm McDowell’s physical injuries during the making of “A Clockwork Orange,” to Leon Vitali, the actor who became Kubrick’s assistant as seen in the 2017 documentary “Filmworker.” Such lore around the cinematic legend will be newly explored in the latest documentary on Stanley Kubrick, “Kubrick by Kubrick.” Watch the first trailer below.
The film is directed by French filmmaker Gregory Monro, a Hollywood obsessive who’s made movies about James Stewart, Robert Mitchum, Jerry Lewis, Calamity Jane, Toulouse-Lautrec, and other luminaries who’ve touched cinema in one way or another. “Kubrick by Kubrick” was set to premiere at this year’s edition of the Tribeca Film Festival, but the annual New York fest was called off back in March, with programming elements soon beginning to migrate online.
The film is directed by French filmmaker Gregory Monro, a Hollywood obsessive who’s made movies about James Stewart, Robert Mitchum, Jerry Lewis, Calamity Jane, Toulouse-Lautrec, and other luminaries who’ve touched cinema in one way or another. “Kubrick by Kubrick” was set to premiere at this year’s edition of the Tribeca Film Festival, but the annual New York fest was called off back in March, with programming elements soon beginning to migrate online.
- 4/9/2020
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
While on one coast the Tribeca Film Festival was opening with a well-received music documentary The Apollo, Ron Howard’s latest foray into documentary filmmaking, Pavarotti, was unveiled on the other coast Wednesday evening for a capacity screening at CAA. The audience was an invited industry crowd that also included several Oscar voters, who responded with strong applause to this definitive film portrait of the opera legend that had the crowd singing its praises at the reception afterward.
CBS Films, in one of their final releases, will be opening the film June 7, and as one staff member said, “We are going out with a bang.” That’s an understatement as this effort from Howard, who previously helmed music-oriented docus on Jay Z and the Beatles, who has really hit it out of the park with this penetrating and emotionally powerful portrait of Luciano Pavarotti, the Italian tenor who transformed the...
CBS Films, in one of their final releases, will be opening the film June 7, and as one staff member said, “We are going out with a bang.” That’s an understatement as this effort from Howard, who previously helmed music-oriented docus on Jay Z and the Beatles, who has really hit it out of the park with this penetrating and emotionally powerful portrait of Luciano Pavarotti, the Italian tenor who transformed the...
- 4/25/2019
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has released the shortlists in nine categories, including Best Feature Documentary, where hit documentaries like “Won’t You Be My Neighbor” and “Free Solo” are among the list of contenders.
While a few of the films on the doc-feature shortlist were not nominated or singled out by other awards groups – “Charm City,” “Communion” and “The Distant Barking of Dogs” being the biggest surprises – for the most part, the list stays true to the nonfiction films that have garnered the most critical and commercial attention in 2018.
Crucially, it includes the four top-grossing nonfiction films of the year: “Free Solo,” “Rbg,” “Three Identical Strangers” and the presumed frontrunner, “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” But the most-honored films of the year are also accounted for, including “Minding the Gap,” “Hale County This Morning, This Evening,” “Crime + Punishment,” “Of Fathers and Sons” and “Shirkers.”
Also...
While a few of the films on the doc-feature shortlist were not nominated or singled out by other awards groups – “Charm City,” “Communion” and “The Distant Barking of Dogs” being the biggest surprises – for the most part, the list stays true to the nonfiction films that have garnered the most critical and commercial attention in 2018.
Crucially, it includes the four top-grossing nonfiction films of the year: “Free Solo,” “Rbg,” “Three Identical Strangers” and the presumed frontrunner, “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” But the most-honored films of the year are also accounted for, including “Minding the Gap,” “Hale County This Morning, This Evening,” “Crime + Punishment,” “Of Fathers and Sons” and “Shirkers.”
Also...
- 12/17/2018
- by Jeremy Fuster and Steve Pond
- The Wrap
It won’t exactly be on a par with Oscars nominations morning, but Monday will be one of the biggest December days in the history of the Academy Awards.
That’s because for the first time, the Academy isn’t systematically doling out the short lists of films that remain in contention. Instead, they’re dropping all the lists at once in a single press release that will trim the fields in Best Documentary Feature, Best Foreign Language Film, Best Original Song and six other categories.
One drop, nine categories, a total of 101 films that’ll get good news and far more that’ll be disappointed.
The strategy of dumping all the Oscars short lists at once has not been greeted with universal approval. For one thing, contenders in the different categories were used to having their individual moments in the spotlight. Music Branch voters, who are facing a pair...
That’s because for the first time, the Academy isn’t systematically doling out the short lists of films that remain in contention. Instead, they’re dropping all the lists at once in a single press release that will trim the fields in Best Documentary Feature, Best Foreign Language Film, Best Original Song and six other categories.
One drop, nine categories, a total of 101 films that’ll get good news and far more that’ll be disappointed.
The strategy of dumping all the Oscars short lists at once has not been greeted with universal approval. For one thing, contenders in the different categories were used to having their individual moments in the spotlight. Music Branch voters, who are facing a pair...
- 12/14/2018
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
The Broadcast Film Critics and the Broadcast Television Journalists associations had a good feeling about “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” on Saturday at their third annual Critics’ Choice documentary honors event. They bestowed the evening’s top prizes, both Best Documentary and Best Director — as well as Best Editing — to Morgan Neville‘s moving portrait of beloved children’s show TV host Fred Rogers.
According to Box Office Mojo, the winner is the highest-grossing doc of the year so far, raking in $23 million.
Among the other winners at the Brooklyn-based event hosted by Bill Nye the Science Guy:
Best Sports Documentary: “Free Solo,” about the first free solo climb of El Capitan at National Yosemite Park.
Best Limited Documentary Series: “The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling”
Best Ongoing Documentary Series: “Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown”
Best Political Documentary: “Rbg,” about Supreme Court Justic Ruth Bader Ginsberg
SEECheck out the...
According to Box Office Mojo, the winner is the highest-grossing doc of the year so far, raking in $23 million.
Among the other winners at the Brooklyn-based event hosted by Bill Nye the Science Guy:
Best Sports Documentary: “Free Solo,” about the first free solo climb of El Capitan at National Yosemite Park.
Best Limited Documentary Series: “The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling”
Best Ongoing Documentary Series: “Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown”
Best Political Documentary: “Rbg,” about Supreme Court Justic Ruth Bader Ginsberg
SEECheck out the...
- 11/11/2018
- by Susan Wloszczyna
- Gold Derby
Ever since the Fred Rogers documentary “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” brought audiences to tears at the Sundance Film Festival in January, it has been the frontrunner for the Best Documentary Oscar. Sure enough, the Focus Features release, the highest-grossing biodoc of all time, took home Best Documentary and Director for Morgan Neville as well as Best Editing at the Third Annual Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards on Saturday, November 10.
Its closest competitor, NatGeo’s vertiginous climbing movie “Free Solo,” also took home three Critics’ Choice documentary awards from the Broadcast Film Critics Association (Bfca) and the Broadcast Television Journalists Association (Btja). Directed by Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, “Free Solo” won Best Sports Documentary, Best Innovative Documentary, and Best Cinematography.
During the awards show hosted by Bill Nye at Bric in Brooklyn, filmmaker Michael Moore gave a rousing political speech as he accepted the Critics’ Choice Lifetime Achievement Award,...
Its closest competitor, NatGeo’s vertiginous climbing movie “Free Solo,” also took home three Critics’ Choice documentary awards from the Broadcast Film Critics Association (Bfca) and the Broadcast Television Journalists Association (Btja). Directed by Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, “Free Solo” won Best Sports Documentary, Best Innovative Documentary, and Best Cinematography.
During the awards show hosted by Bill Nye at Bric in Brooklyn, filmmaker Michael Moore gave a rousing political speech as he accepted the Critics’ Choice Lifetime Achievement Award,...
- 11/11/2018
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
Ever since the Fred Rogers documentary “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” brought audiences to tears at the Sundance Film Festival in January, it has been the frontrunner for the Best Documentary Oscar. Sure enough, the Focus Features release, the highest-grossing biodoc of all time, took home Best Documentary and Director for Morgan Neville as well as Best Editing at the Third Annual Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards on Saturday, November 10.
Its closest competitor, NatGeo’s vertiginous climbing movie “Free Solo,” also took home three Critics’ Choice documentary awards from the Broadcast Film Critics Association (Bfca) and the Broadcast Television Journalists Association (Btja). Directed by Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, “Free Solo” won Best Sports Documentary, Best Innovative Documentary, and Best Cinematography.
During the awards show hosted by Bill Nye at Bric in Brooklyn, filmmaker Michael Moore gave a rousing political speech as he accepted the Critics’ Choice Lifetime Achievement Award,...
Its closest competitor, NatGeo’s vertiginous climbing movie “Free Solo,” also took home three Critics’ Choice documentary awards from the Broadcast Film Critics Association (Bfca) and the Broadcast Television Journalists Association (Btja). Directed by Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, “Free Solo” won Best Sports Documentary, Best Innovative Documentary, and Best Cinematography.
During the awards show hosted by Bill Nye at Bric in Brooklyn, filmmaker Michael Moore gave a rousing political speech as he accepted the Critics’ Choice Lifetime Achievement Award,...
- 11/11/2018
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Morgan Neville’s “Won’t You Be My Neighbor” has been named the best documentary of 2018 at the Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards, which were handed out on Saturday evening at Bric in Brooklyn, New York.
The film about “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood” star Fred Rogers won in a category whose other nominees were “Crime + Punishment,” “Dark Money,” “Free Solo,” “Hal,” “Hitler’s Hollywood,” “Minding the Gap,” “Rbg,” “Three Identical Strangers,” “Wild Wild Country.”
Michael Moore received a lifetime achievement award from Robert De Niro, who called him “an American hero.” Moore new film, “Fahrenheit 11/9,” was not nominated in the Best Documentary category, instead receiving a mention only in Best Political Documentary, where it lost to “Rbg.”
Also Read: 'Minding the Gap' Leads All Films in Nominations for Cinema Eye Honors
“Quincy” won the award for best music documentary, while “Free Solo” won for best sports documentary and most innovative documentary.
The film about “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood” star Fred Rogers won in a category whose other nominees were “Crime + Punishment,” “Dark Money,” “Free Solo,” “Hal,” “Hitler’s Hollywood,” “Minding the Gap,” “Rbg,” “Three Identical Strangers,” “Wild Wild Country.”
Michael Moore received a lifetime achievement award from Robert De Niro, who called him “an American hero.” Moore new film, “Fahrenheit 11/9,” was not nominated in the Best Documentary category, instead receiving a mention only in Best Political Documentary, where it lost to “Rbg.”
Also Read: 'Minding the Gap' Leads All Films in Nominations for Cinema Eye Honors
“Quincy” won the award for best music documentary, while “Free Solo” won for best sports documentary and most innovative documentary.
- 11/11/2018
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
A total of 166 films have been submitted for consideration in the documentary feature category for the 91st Academy Awards.
Notable titles up for the gold include “Rbg,” “Three Identical Strangers,” “Free Solo” and “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” — which have performed strongly at the box office. Fred Rogers documentary “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” has grossed $22.6 million domestically.
Nine of the 10 titles named as finalists for the International Documentary Association’s top feature are on the list, including “Crime + Punishment,” “Dark Money,” “Free Solo,” “Hale County This Morning, This Evening,” “Minding the Gap,” “Of Fathers and Sons,” “The Silence of Others,” “United Skates” and “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences noted that several of the 166 films have not yet had their required Los Angeles and New York qualifying runs. A shortlist of 15 movies will be announced on Dec. 17.
Nominations...
Notable titles up for the gold include “Rbg,” “Three Identical Strangers,” “Free Solo” and “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” — which have performed strongly at the box office. Fred Rogers documentary “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” has grossed $22.6 million domestically.
Nine of the 10 titles named as finalists for the International Documentary Association’s top feature are on the list, including “Crime + Punishment,” “Dark Money,” “Free Solo,” “Hale County This Morning, This Evening,” “Minding the Gap,” “Of Fathers and Sons,” “The Silence of Others,” “United Skates” and “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences noted that several of the 166 films have not yet had their required Los Angeles and New York qualifying runs. A shortlist of 15 movies will be announced on Dec. 17.
Nominations...
- 11/8/2018
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
Last year, the Academy documentary branch had to grapple with a record 170 documentary feature submissions for the Best Documentary Feature Oscar. This year, it’s not so bad: only 166 were entered. The short list of 15 will be announced, along with eight others for the first time on a single date this year: December 17.
All year, branch members have been getting lists of secure online screeners available to watch on the Academy website, increasing in volume until last month, when they received a batch of 77, with more to come. It’s a burden to watch them all, so the ones with the most attention move to the top of the much-watch list. Give the advantage to early box office hits that were made available in the summer such as “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?,” “Rbg,” and “Three Identical Strangers,” as well as September’s list including critically hailed “Dark Money,...
All year, branch members have been getting lists of secure online screeners available to watch on the Academy website, increasing in volume until last month, when they received a batch of 77, with more to come. It’s a burden to watch them all, so the ones with the most attention move to the top of the much-watch list. Give the advantage to early box office hits that were made available in the summer such as “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?,” “Rbg,” and “Three Identical Strangers,” as well as September’s list including critically hailed “Dark Money,...
- 11/8/2018
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
Last year, the Academy documentary branch had to grapple with a record 170 documentary feature submissions for the Best Documentary Feature Oscar. This year, it’s not so bad: only 166 were entered. The short list of 15 will be announced, along with eight others for the first time on a single date this year: December 17.
All year, branch members have been getting lists of secure online screeners available to watch on the Academy website, increasing in volume until last month, when they received a batch of 77, with more to come. It’s a burden to watch them all, so the ones with the most attention move to the top of the much-watch list. Give the advantage to early box office hits that were made available in the summer such as “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?,” “Rbg,” and “Three Identical Strangers,” as well as September’s list including critically hailed “Dark Money,...
All year, branch members have been getting lists of secure online screeners available to watch on the Academy website, increasing in volume until last month, when they received a batch of 77, with more to come. It’s a burden to watch them all, so the ones with the most attention move to the top of the much-watch list. Give the advantage to early box office hits that were made available in the summer such as “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?,” “Rbg,” and “Three Identical Strangers,” as well as September’s list including critically hailed “Dark Money,...
- 11/8/2018
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
A whopping 166 documentary features have been submitted to the academy for consideration at the 2019 Oscars. That is down by four from last year’s record 170 submissions. Among these contenders are all of the highest grossing documentaries of the year including “Free Solo,” “Rbg” and “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”
To winnow the entries down to the 15 semi-finalists that will be announced on December 17, the academy is sending monthly packages of the newly eligible documentary feature screeners to all 400 or so members of the documentary branch. While all members are encouraged to watch as many of these as they can, one-fifth of the voters are assigned each title. In late November, each branch member will submit a preferential ballot listing their top 15 choices.
See 2019 Oscars: Foreign-language film entries from A (Afghanistan) to Y (Yemen)
All of these ballots will be collated to determine the 15 semi-finalists. Branch members will then be...
To winnow the entries down to the 15 semi-finalists that will be announced on December 17, the academy is sending monthly packages of the newly eligible documentary feature screeners to all 400 or so members of the documentary branch. While all members are encouraged to watch as many of these as they can, one-fifth of the voters are assigned each title. In late November, each branch member will submit a preferential ballot listing their top 15 choices.
See 2019 Oscars: Foreign-language film entries from A (Afghanistan) to Y (Yemen)
All of these ballots will be collated to determine the 15 semi-finalists. Branch members will then be...
- 11/8/2018
- by Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby
In a year that has seen multiple documentaries find mainstream success, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences released the list of 166 docs that have been submitted for Oscar consideration this year.
Among the films on the list are Michael Moore’s anti-Trump polemic “Fahrenheit 11/9,” as well as CNN Films’ Ruth Bader Ginsburg biography “Rbg” and Focus’ Mister Rogers retrospective “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”
Other films considered frontrunners include “Three Identical Strangers,” the wild story of triplets who were separated at birth by a bizarre experiment, “Free Solo,” which documents the first ever attempt to climb Yosemite’s El Capitan without any climbing gear, and “Dark Money,” an investigative report into the influence of billionaires on American democracy through the lens of a Montana congressional race.
Also Read: Sorry, Oscar Documentary Voters: Your Workload Just Doubled
The contender field is slightly less than last year’s record field of 170 but does include,...
Among the films on the list are Michael Moore’s anti-Trump polemic “Fahrenheit 11/9,” as well as CNN Films’ Ruth Bader Ginsburg biography “Rbg” and Focus’ Mister Rogers retrospective “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”
Other films considered frontrunners include “Three Identical Strangers,” the wild story of triplets who were separated at birth by a bizarre experiment, “Free Solo,” which documents the first ever attempt to climb Yosemite’s El Capitan without any climbing gear, and “Dark Money,” an investigative report into the influence of billionaires on American democracy through the lens of a Montana congressional race.
Also Read: Sorry, Oscar Documentary Voters: Your Workload Just Doubled
The contender field is slightly less than last year’s record field of 170 but does include,...
- 11/8/2018
- by Jeremy Fuster
- The Wrap
Members of the Academy’s documentary branch received a generous gift from AMPAS on Friday: 77 new films that had qualified in this year’s Best Documentary Feature category.
And it turned what had been a modest year for docs — with a total of 83 films included in June, July, August and September groups — into one in which the number of eligible films that voters would need to watch nearly doubled.
The Academy also promised voters in the branch to expect a final batch of films in early November — which, if it hits double digits, will set a new record in the category.
Also Read: 'Free Solo' Leads Critics' Choice Documentary Awards Nominations
The previous high, set last year, was 170 films. With 160 already on the Oscar eligibility list and one additional (though likely small) batch yet to come, this year’s crop will give voters a lot of work to do before...
And it turned what had been a modest year for docs — with a total of 83 films included in June, July, August and September groups — into one in which the number of eligible films that voters would need to watch nearly doubled.
The Academy also promised voters in the branch to expect a final batch of films in early November — which, if it hits double digits, will set a new record in the category.
Also Read: 'Free Solo' Leads Critics' Choice Documentary Awards Nominations
The previous high, set last year, was 170 films. With 160 already on the Oscar eligibility list and one additional (though likely small) batch yet to come, this year’s crop will give voters a lot of work to do before...
- 10/27/2018
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
“Kubrick’S Right-hand Man…And Legs, Shoulders, Other Hand, Etc.”
By Raymond Benson
Tony Zierra’s fascinating documentary that premiered at Cannes in 2017 (and was released theatrically in 2018) is about an unsung hero in the lore of legendary filmmaker Stanley Kubrick—Leon Vitali, who describes himself not as an “assistant,” but as a “filmworker.”
Vitali, now 70 years old, began his career as an actor in the 1960s, appearing in various British films and television programs. After being impressed with Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey and A Clockwork Orange, Vitali told a friend, “I want to work for that guy.” He managed to get an audition for Kubrick’s next picture, Barry Lyndon, and landed the key role of Lord Bullingdon, the main antagonist of the film. Vitali received much praise for his performance, but instead of continuing an acting career, he made an extraordinary left turn. He asked Kubrick...
By Raymond Benson
Tony Zierra’s fascinating documentary that premiered at Cannes in 2017 (and was released theatrically in 2018) is about an unsung hero in the lore of legendary filmmaker Stanley Kubrick—Leon Vitali, who describes himself not as an “assistant,” but as a “filmworker.”
Vitali, now 70 years old, began his career as an actor in the 1960s, appearing in various British films and television programs. After being impressed with Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey and A Clockwork Orange, Vitali told a friend, “I want to work for that guy.” He managed to get an audition for Kubrick’s next picture, Barry Lyndon, and landed the key role of Lord Bullingdon, the main antagonist of the film. Vitali received much praise for his performance, but instead of continuing an acting career, he made an extraordinary left turn. He asked Kubrick...
- 8/29/2018
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Whit Stillman on getting confirmation of John Kelly's comment that Stanley Kubrick really loved both Barcelona and The Last Days Of Disco: "I went to the première of Eyes Wide Shut in Paris. And Nicole Kidman said the same thing." Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
Whit Stillman is currently working on episodes for The Cosmopolitan Amazon television series. The pilot TV movie starred Chloë Sevigny and Adam Brody (Damsels In Distress).
When I brought up to Whit Tony Zierra's Filmworker, the documentary on Leon Vitali and his all-encompassing role in the life and work of Stanley Kubrick, Stillman elaborated on his own Kubrick connection - from his love of Barry Lyndon to Barcelona and The Last Days Of Disco cinematographer John Thomas and how Thomas Gibson ended up in Eyes Wide Shut.
Whit Stillman on Filmworker, Tony Zierra's documentary on Leon Vitali: "I'd love to see that. You know, we have a slight Kubrick connection.
Whit Stillman is currently working on episodes for The Cosmopolitan Amazon television series. The pilot TV movie starred Chloë Sevigny and Adam Brody (Damsels In Distress).
When I brought up to Whit Tony Zierra's Filmworker, the documentary on Leon Vitali and his all-encompassing role in the life and work of Stanley Kubrick, Stillman elaborated on his own Kubrick connection - from his love of Barry Lyndon to Barcelona and The Last Days Of Disco cinematographer John Thomas and how Thomas Gibson ended up in Eyes Wide Shut.
Whit Stillman on Filmworker, Tony Zierra's documentary on Leon Vitali: "I'd love to see that. You know, we have a slight Kubrick connection.
- 7/4/2018
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
by Glenn Dunks
Sometimes you really can tell a book by its cover. Or in this case, a movie by its poster. The artwork for Tony Zierra’s Filmworker shows a photograph of Stanley Kubrick on set with his long-time yet little-known collaborator Leon Vitali hovering behind him. Kubrick, normally the focus of these sort of non-fiction works, is unusually blurred. Our eye naturally focuses on Vitali despite Kubrick’s appearance that can’t be entirely obscured no matter how hard they try.
It’s fitting for Filmworker, a documentary about Vitaly not Kubrick. Although, as was probably always inevitable about a film about the people around one of cinema’s most commanding and famous names, Kubrick remains a constant presence who is too hard to ignore...
Sometimes you really can tell a book by its cover. Or in this case, a movie by its poster. The artwork for Tony Zierra’s Filmworker shows a photograph of Stanley Kubrick on set with his long-time yet little-known collaborator Leon Vitali hovering behind him. Kubrick, normally the focus of these sort of non-fiction works, is unusually blurred. Our eye naturally focuses on Vitali despite Kubrick’s appearance that can’t be entirely obscured no matter how hard they try.
It’s fitting for Filmworker, a documentary about Vitaly not Kubrick. Although, as was probably always inevitable about a film about the people around one of cinema’s most commanding and famous names, Kubrick remains a constant presence who is too hard to ignore...
- 6/19/2018
- by Glenn Dunks
- FilmExperience
Leon Vitali, who played Lord Bullingdon, on Stanley Kubrick: "We had taken a walk when we were filming. It was like a whistle-stop tour of every Stately Home in England, it seemed like, when we were filming Barry Lyndon." Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
In the final installment of my conversation on the afternoon of the première in New York of Tony Zierra's Filmworker, Leon Vitali reveals that Stanley Kubrick was "nuts for animals", that the ballroom used in Barry Lyndon was "full of Joshua Reynolds' and Van Dykes", and that a scene they called the "Masked Ball" was filmed in the home of Lord Carnarvon, who discovered the Tutankhamun tomb.
We speak about Kubrick, the photographer, a secret nostalgia, the casting of the twins Lisa Burns and Louise Burns for The Shining, Diane Arbus and Bruno Dumont's Jeannette, The Childhood Of Joan Of Arc.
Leon Vitali on Stanley Kubrick,...
In the final installment of my conversation on the afternoon of the première in New York of Tony Zierra's Filmworker, Leon Vitali reveals that Stanley Kubrick was "nuts for animals", that the ballroom used in Barry Lyndon was "full of Joshua Reynolds' and Van Dykes", and that a scene they called the "Masked Ball" was filmed in the home of Lord Carnarvon, who discovered the Tutankhamun tomb.
We speak about Kubrick, the photographer, a secret nostalgia, the casting of the twins Lisa Burns and Louise Burns for The Shining, Diane Arbus and Bruno Dumont's Jeannette, The Childhood Of Joan Of Arc.
Leon Vitali on Stanley Kubrick,...
- 5/17/2018
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Leon Vitali could have had it all, fame, fortune and an army of adoring fans at his feet, but instead, the young promising actor decided to give it all up to serve for decades as Stanley Kubrick’s right-hand man on some the most iconic productions of the director’s career.
Having admired Kubrick for years, Vitali’s dreams came true when he landed a role in the master’s seminal 18th-century period piece Barry Lyndon as Lord Bullingdon, the title character’s mortal enemy. However, when the cameras stopped rolling, Vitali found himself shunning the limelight and the dozens of prestigious film and stage roles offered to him on the back of his brilliant performance in the film, deciding instead to dedicate the rest of his existence to working behind the scenes with Kubrick and remaining faithful to him until the director’s death in 1999.
In his remarkable documentary Filmworker,...
Having admired Kubrick for years, Vitali’s dreams came true when he landed a role in the master’s seminal 18th-century period piece Barry Lyndon as Lord Bullingdon, the title character’s mortal enemy. However, when the cameras stopped rolling, Vitali found himself shunning the limelight and the dozens of prestigious film and stage roles offered to him on the back of his brilliant performance in the film, deciding instead to dedicate the rest of his existence to working behind the scenes with Kubrick and remaining faithful to him until the director’s death in 1999.
In his remarkable documentary Filmworker,...
- 5/16/2018
- by Linda Marric
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
"There's a saying: When the shit hits the fan, it's never evenly distributed."
Leon Vitali is describing what a bad day on a Stanley Kubrick set was like. And he knows better than any man alive. Not long after he was cast as Lord Bullingdon in the 1975 period piece Barry Lyndon, the then-25-year-old actor was seriously worried he wouldn't survive the shoot. He had been a devotee of the director since seeing 2001: A Space Odyssey during its theatrical release and had watched other actors come and go on...
Leon Vitali is describing what a bad day on a Stanley Kubrick set was like. And he knows better than any man alive. Not long after he was cast as Lord Bullingdon in the 1975 period piece Barry Lyndon, the then-25-year-old actor was seriously worried he wouldn't survive the shoot. He had been a devotee of the director since seeing 2001: A Space Odyssey during its theatrical release and had watched other actors come and go on...
- 5/11/2018
- Rollingstone.com
By The Power Of Kubrick: Zierra’s Delightful Spotlight On Vitali Ultimately A Mixed Bag
Stanley Kubrick has inspired artists the world over, creating movies so utterly unique and groundbreaking that nearly every one helped craft modern filmmaking as we know it. However, sustaining the gargantuan legend of the sovereign genius for the latter half of his career, effectively making these productions possible, was Leon Vitali. Tony Zierra profiles the actor-turned-assistant, whose devotion to Kubrick’s films carried them through a relationship lasting over two decades. Filmworker is a deeply sincere, nostalgic stroll through the wacky idealism and mountainous workloads comprising a…...
Stanley Kubrick has inspired artists the world over, creating movies so utterly unique and groundbreaking that nearly every one helped craft modern filmmaking as we know it. However, sustaining the gargantuan legend of the sovereign genius for the latter half of his career, effectively making these productions possible, was Leon Vitali. Tony Zierra profiles the actor-turned-assistant, whose devotion to Kubrick’s films carried them through a relationship lasting over two decades. Filmworker is a deeply sincere, nostalgic stroll through the wacky idealism and mountainous workloads comprising a…...
- 5/10/2018
- by Matthew Roe
- IONCINEMA.com
By Mark Mawston
Normal 0 false false false En-us X-none X-none
If you look up the term osmosis in the dictionary you find the following description: “the process of gradual or unconscious assimilation of ideas and knowledge: i.e. “by some strange political osmosis private reputations become public”. I hope this will be the case for the wonderful Leon Vitali after the release of the new documentary “Filmworker” from Tony Zierra and Dogwoof in regards to recognizing the key role he played in bringing together the latter works of the great film director Stanley Kubrick.
The remarkable, untold story of Leon Vitali, who gave up fame and fortune as a much respected actor to serve for over three decades as Stanley Kubrick’s right-hand man, is told in this compelling documentary charting Vitali’s work with the maestro and their unique relationship. To say Vitali was Kubrick’s right hand man...
Normal 0 false false false En-us X-none X-none
If you look up the term osmosis in the dictionary you find the following description: “the process of gradual or unconscious assimilation of ideas and knowledge: i.e. “by some strange political osmosis private reputations become public”. I hope this will be the case for the wonderful Leon Vitali after the release of the new documentary “Filmworker” from Tony Zierra and Dogwoof in regards to recognizing the key role he played in bringing together the latter works of the great film director Stanley Kubrick.
The remarkable, untold story of Leon Vitali, who gave up fame and fortune as a much respected actor to serve for over three decades as Stanley Kubrick’s right-hand man, is told in this compelling documentary charting Vitali’s work with the maestro and their unique relationship. To say Vitali was Kubrick’s right hand man...
- 4/26/2018
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
"Stanley assigned Leon to me." Kino Lorber has debuted a trailer for the indie documentary Filmworker, telling the story of "filmworker" and Stanley Kubrick's right-hand man Leon Vitali. This is a Must see for film geeks and cinephiles, a fascinating look behind-the-scenes. Most probably don't know who Leon Vitali is, that's because he never was in the spotlight at all, but once you see this doc everything will change. Vitali started out as an up-and-coming actor in England, first landing a bigger role in Stanley Kubrick's Barry Lyndon as Lord Bullingdon. From there he gave up everything and devoted his life to Kubrick and started working behind-the-scenes as his right hand man, helping him in everything from editing to directing and so much more. This is a superb doc that is also another rare look at how Kubrick worked, what he was like on sets and how he made his masterpieces.
- 4/20/2018
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
This week, IndieWire will be rolling out our annual Summer Preview, including offerings that span genres, niche offerings for dedicated fans, a closer look at festival favorites finally headed to a theater near you, and plenty of special attention to all the new movies you need to get through a jam-packed summer movie-going season. Check back throughout the week for a new look at the best the season has to offer, and clear your schedule, because we’re going to fill it right up.
Today — 29 indie standouts and festival favorites bound for a big screen near you.
“Tully,” May 4
A very different kind of adult fairy tale (one that frequently doubles as a feature-length advertisement for tubal ligation), “Tully” is a fantasy of the highest order; it might look like an episode of “This Is Us,” but this story is every bit as magical as “The Shape of Water.” Think...
Today — 29 indie standouts and festival favorites bound for a big screen near you.
“Tully,” May 4
A very different kind of adult fairy tale (one that frequently doubles as a feature-length advertisement for tubal ligation), “Tully” is a fantasy of the highest order; it might look like an episode of “This Is Us,” but this story is every bit as magical as “The Shape of Water.” Think...
- 4/19/2018
- by Kate Erbland, Eric Kohn, David Ehrlich, Anne Thompson, Jenna Marotta, Zack Sharf, Jamie Righetti, Chris O'Falt and Jude Dry
- Indiewire
‘Filmworker’ Trailer: Stanley Kubrick’s Personal Assistant Gives You Amazing Access to a Cinema Icon
You probably don’t know the name Leon Vitali, but the upcoming documentary “Filmworker” hopes to change that forever. Vitali is a British actor who was handpicked by Stanley Kubrick to play the role of Lord Bullingdon in “Barry Lyndon.” Tony Zierra’s new documentary tells Vitali’s story as he goes from Kubrick’s actor to Kubrick’s right-hand man.
Following his work on “Lyndon,” Vitali devoted the rest of his life to working for Kubrick behind the scenes. Roles Vitali assumed under Kubrick’s guidance included casting director, acting coach, location scouter, sound engineer, color corrector, A.D., promoter, and later restorer of Kubrick’s films.
“Filmworker” looks like a priceless look inside Kubrick’s directorial career from the man who experienced it first hand. The movie premiered at Cannes last year and played the New York Film Festival. The film is Zierra’s latest documentary following “Carving...
Following his work on “Lyndon,” Vitali devoted the rest of his life to working for Kubrick behind the scenes. Roles Vitali assumed under Kubrick’s guidance included casting director, acting coach, location scouter, sound engineer, color corrector, A.D., promoter, and later restorer of Kubrick’s films.
“Filmworker” looks like a priceless look inside Kubrick’s directorial career from the man who experienced it first hand. The movie premiered at Cannes last year and played the New York Film Festival. The film is Zierra’s latest documentary following “Carving...
- 4/18/2018
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
If you’re going to devote your career to working with one filmmaker, then Stanley Kubrick would be that person. As described in the first trailer for “Filmworker,” which we are very proud to offer exclusively, many people would give their right arm to work with the legendary director. For Leon Vitali, he didn’t have to give up an appendage. No, the actor just basically had to give up his career.
- 4/18/2018
- by Charles Barfield
- The Playlist
Many words have been written, and doubtless many more will be, about the filmmaking genius of Stanley Kubrick. But if, as Thomas Edison said, genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration, Tony Zierra’s “Filmworker,” which showed in nearly completed form at the International Documentary Festival of Amsterdam (Idfa) after bowing in Cannes Classics in May, is dedicated to the far less familiar name who contributed a great deal of that sweat.
Continue reading Warm, Witty, Wise ‘Filmworker’ Honors Stanley Kubrick’s Extraordinary Right-Hand Man [Idfa Review] at The Playlist.
Continue reading Warm, Witty, Wise ‘Filmworker’ Honors Stanley Kubrick’s Extraordinary Right-Hand Man [Idfa Review] at The Playlist.
- 11/26/2017
- by Jessica Kiang
- The Playlist
Stanley Kubrick's final film Eye's Wide Shut, which starred Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman, was such a fascinating film that took audiences into a dark underground world of the powerful and elite. Obviously, there so much more to the film than that and there's a new documentary that is being developed that will dive in and examine the movie.
The movie is called SK13 and it's coming from director Tony Zierra, who recently made a film called Filmworker, which is about Stanley Kubrick's right-hand man Leon Vitali, who worked for Kubrick for decades. Why is it called SK13? Because Eyes Wide Shut was Stanley Kubrick's thirteenth movie.
While talking to Variety about his new project, he explains that it will give fans "an inside look at what is arguably Kubrick’s most controversial work, due in part to the director’s death during post-production." He says:
“The...
The movie is called SK13 and it's coming from director Tony Zierra, who recently made a film called Filmworker, which is about Stanley Kubrick's right-hand man Leon Vitali, who worked for Kubrick for decades. Why is it called SK13? Because Eyes Wide Shut was Stanley Kubrick's thirteenth movie.
While talking to Variety about his new project, he explains that it will give fans "an inside look at what is arguably Kubrick’s most controversial work, due in part to the director’s death during post-production." He says:
“The...
- 10/24/2017
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
Tony Zierra isn’t done with Stanley Kubrick yet. After directing “Filmworker,” a documentary about the meticulous auteur’s right-hand man, Zierra is set to make a movie about “Eyes Wide Shut.” In an interview with Variety, he reveals that “SK13” — shorthand for Stanley Kubrick’s 13th film — was originally meant to precede “Filmworker.”
Read More:‘Filmworker’ Review: Stanley Kubrick’s Right-Hand Man Gets His Due in Tony Zierra’s Workmanlike Documentary
“The one movie that I feel is the wrinkle in Kubrick’s filmography is ‘Eyes Wide Shut.’ The people that love him always say, ‘He’s a genius, but I’m not sure what the hell that movie was about,’” says Zierra. It makes no sense to them. The casting doesn’t make any sense to them. The story doesn’t make any sense to them.” Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman star in the film, an erotic drama about a married couple.
Read More:‘Filmworker’ Review: Stanley Kubrick’s Right-Hand Man Gets His Due in Tony Zierra’s Workmanlike Documentary
“The one movie that I feel is the wrinkle in Kubrick’s filmography is ‘Eyes Wide Shut.’ The people that love him always say, ‘He’s a genius, but I’m not sure what the hell that movie was about,’” says Zierra. It makes no sense to them. The casting doesn’t make any sense to them. The story doesn’t make any sense to them.” Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman star in the film, an erotic drama about a married couple.
- 10/21/2017
- by Michael Nordine
- Indiewire
Even well before his death in 1999, the life and work of Stanley Kubrick has been meticulously documented and expounded upon to such an extent that a cult of personality has inevitably developed around his universally acclaimed films and his notoriously fastidious, perfectionist tendencies as a filmmaker. But a bonafide auteur is not without his key collaborators. Although he did periodically work with the same crew members — e.g. cinematographer John Alcott and editor Ray Lovejoy — there is only one associate who remained a constant fixture of his late-career output.
Englishman Leon Vitali initially started as a minor, albeit prolific player in theater and television, particularly prestige costume dramas for the BBC during the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. Though Vitali occasionally starred in ultimately negligible films, it wasn’t until 1975 that he got his big break, securing an audition for Kubrick’s newest production, Barry Lyndon. He was handed a script with a single,...
Englishman Leon Vitali initially started as a minor, albeit prolific player in theater and television, particularly prestige costume dramas for the BBC during the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. Though Vitali occasionally starred in ultimately negligible films, it wasn’t until 1975 that he got his big break, securing an audition for Kubrick’s newest production, Barry Lyndon. He was handed a script with a single,...
- 10/7/2017
- by The Film Stage
- The Film Stage
Considering the esteemed level of curation at the New York Film Festival, which begins this Thursday at the Film Society of Lincoln Center, a comprehensive preview could mostly consist of the schedule.
There’s the gala slots (Last Flag Flying, Wonderstruck, and Wonder Wheel), Main Slate selections (featuring Call Me By Your Name, Lady Bird, The Square, Mudbound), two films from Film Twitter phenom Hong Sang-soo, and much more, as well as a 24-film Robert Mitchum retrospective and a delectable line-up of restorations.
So rather than single all of these out for our yearly preview, we’re looking at a handful of under-the-radar highlights from across the festival. Check them out below and return for our coverage.
Before We Vanish (Kiyoshi Kurosawa)
There are few directors who would choose to take a semi-sincere approach to a lengthy pseudo-philosophical science-fiction film — especially not one that lightly pries into our fundamental psychological...
There’s the gala slots (Last Flag Flying, Wonderstruck, and Wonder Wheel), Main Slate selections (featuring Call Me By Your Name, Lady Bird, The Square, Mudbound), two films from Film Twitter phenom Hong Sang-soo, and much more, as well as a 24-film Robert Mitchum retrospective and a delectable line-up of restorations.
So rather than single all of these out for our yearly preview, we’re looking at a handful of under-the-radar highlights from across the festival. Check them out below and return for our coverage.
Before We Vanish (Kiyoshi Kurosawa)
There are few directors who would choose to take a semi-sincere approach to a lengthy pseudo-philosophical science-fiction film — especially not one that lightly pries into our fundamental psychological...
- 9/25/2017
- by The Film Stage
- The Film Stage
The RiderThe lineup for the 2017 Telluride Film Festival (September 1st - 4th) has been announced:
Arthur Miller: Writer (Rebecca Miller, U.S.)Battle of the Sexes (Valerie Faris & Jonathan Dayton, U.S.)Darkest Hour (Joe Wright, U.K.)Downsizing (Alexander Payne, U.S.)Eating Animals (Christopher Quinn, U.S.)Faces Places (Agnès Varda & Jr, France)A Fantastic Woman (Sebastián Lelio, Chile/U.S./Germany/Spain)Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool (Paul McGuigan, U.K.)First Reformed (Paul Schrader, U.S.)First They Killed My Father (Angelina Jolie, U.S./Cambodia)Foxtrot (Samuel Maoz, Israel)Hostages (Rezo Gigineishvili, Georgia/Russia/Poland)Hostiles (Scott Cooper, U.S.)Human Flow (Ai Weiwei, U.S./Germany)The Insult (Ziad Doueiri, France-Lebanon)Lady Bird (Greta Gerwig, U.S.)Land of the Free (Camilla Magid, Denmark-Finland)Lean on Pete (Andrew Haigh, U.K./U.S)Loveless (Andrey Zvyagintsev, Russia/France/Belgium/Germany)Love,...
Arthur Miller: Writer (Rebecca Miller, U.S.)Battle of the Sexes (Valerie Faris & Jonathan Dayton, U.S.)Darkest Hour (Joe Wright, U.K.)Downsizing (Alexander Payne, U.S.)Eating Animals (Christopher Quinn, U.S.)Faces Places (Agnès Varda & Jr, France)A Fantastic Woman (Sebastián Lelio, Chile/U.S./Germany/Spain)Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool (Paul McGuigan, U.K.)First Reformed (Paul Schrader, U.S.)First They Killed My Father (Angelina Jolie, U.S./Cambodia)Foxtrot (Samuel Maoz, Israel)Hostages (Rezo Gigineishvili, Georgia/Russia/Poland)Hostiles (Scott Cooper, U.S.)Human Flow (Ai Weiwei, U.S./Germany)The Insult (Ziad Doueiri, France-Lebanon)Lady Bird (Greta Gerwig, U.S.)Land of the Free (Camilla Magid, Denmark-Finland)Lean on Pete (Andrew Haigh, U.K./U.S)Loveless (Andrey Zvyagintsev, Russia/France/Belgium/Germany)Love,...
- 8/31/2017
- MUBI
Now in its 44th year, Telluride Film Festival provides the launching pad for many of the fall’s biggest films and, as usual, we don’t know the line-up until right before it kicks off. Beginning this Friday, they’ve now unveiled the full slate, which features much of the expected players — new films from Guillermo del Toro, Greta Gerwig, Alexander Payne, Joe Wright, and Todd Haynes — as well as the latest work from Paul Schrader, Andrew Haigh, Agnes Varda, Ken Burns, Errol Morris, and more.
Check out the line-up below.
Arthur Miller: Writer (d. Rebecca Miller, U.S., 2017)
Battle Of The Sexes (d. Valerie Faris, Jonathan Dayton, U.S., 2017)
Darkest Hour (d. Joe Wright, U.K., 2017)
Downsizing (d. Alexander Payne, U.S., 2017)
Eating Animals (d. Christopher Quinn, U.S., 2017)
Faces Places (d. Agnes Varda, Jr, France, 2017)
A Fantastic Woman (d. Sebastián Lelio, Chile-u.S.-Germany-Spain, 2017)
Film Stars Don’T Die In Liverpool (d.
Check out the line-up below.
Arthur Miller: Writer (d. Rebecca Miller, U.S., 2017)
Battle Of The Sexes (d. Valerie Faris, Jonathan Dayton, U.S., 2017)
Darkest Hour (d. Joe Wright, U.K., 2017)
Downsizing (d. Alexander Payne, U.S., 2017)
Eating Animals (d. Christopher Quinn, U.S., 2017)
Faces Places (d. Agnes Varda, Jr, France, 2017)
A Fantastic Woman (d. Sebastián Lelio, Chile-u.S.-Germany-Spain, 2017)
Film Stars Don’T Die In Liverpool (d.
- 8/31/2017
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
The Telluride Film Festival has announced its 2017 lineup. As usual, the exclusive Colorado gathering features a range of buzzy fall season movies, including many films also premiering in Venice and Toronto as well as others resurfacing from earlier in the year, just in time for awards season. Filmmakers in this year’s program range from Alexander Payne to Angelina Jolie. The festival will also honor cinematographer Ed Lachman, actor Christian Bale, and screen a new cut of Francis Ford Coppola’s 1984 Harlem musical “The Cotton Club.”
One of the bigger films to make the cut in this year’s lineup should take no one by surprise: “Downsizing” (12/22, Paramount), Payne’s long-gestating near-future workplace satire starring Matt Damon, will screen at the festival where Payne has been a regular for years (both as a filmmaker and audience member). The movie opened the Venice Film Festival earlier this week, and was followed...
One of the bigger films to make the cut in this year’s lineup should take no one by surprise: “Downsizing” (12/22, Paramount), Payne’s long-gestating near-future workplace satire starring Matt Damon, will screen at the festival where Payne has been a regular for years (both as a filmmaker and audience member). The movie opened the Venice Film Festival earlier this week, and was followed...
- 8/31/2017
- by Eric Kohn and Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
The 55th New York Film Festival will debut a starry roster of documentaries featuring giants of the art and literary worlds as well as Alex Gibney’s postponed “No Stone Unturned,” a critical investigation into the 1994 Loughinisland massacre in Ireland, which was pulled from Tribeca in April.
Other new works include films from directors Abel Ferrara, Sara Driver, Nancy Buirski, Mathieu Amalric, and Barbet Schroeder; Vanessa Redgrave’s directorial debut “Sea Sorrow,” which played at Cannes; and films featuring Joan Didion, Arthur Miller, Gay Talese, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Jane Goodall, plus stories about racism, American immigration, and the global refugee crisis.
Three documentaries spotlight acclaimed writers, including the world premiere of Griffin Dunne’s “Joan Didion: The Center Will Not Hold,” returning Nyff filmmaker Rebecca Miller’s tender portrait of her father, “Arthur Miller: Writer,” and the World Premiere of Myles Kane and Josh Koury’s “Voyeur,” tracking journalist Gay Talese...
Other new works include films from directors Abel Ferrara, Sara Driver, Nancy Buirski, Mathieu Amalric, and Barbet Schroeder; Vanessa Redgrave’s directorial debut “Sea Sorrow,” which played at Cannes; and films featuring Joan Didion, Arthur Miller, Gay Talese, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Jane Goodall, plus stories about racism, American immigration, and the global refugee crisis.
Three documentaries spotlight acclaimed writers, including the world premiere of Griffin Dunne’s “Joan Didion: The Center Will Not Hold,” returning Nyff filmmaker Rebecca Miller’s tender portrait of her father, “Arthur Miller: Writer,” and the World Premiere of Myles Kane and Josh Koury’s “Voyeur,” tracking journalist Gay Talese...
- 8/23/2017
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
The 55th New York Film Festival will debut a starry roster of documentaries featuring giants of the art and literary worlds as well as Alex Gibney’s postponed “No Stone Unturned,” a critical investigation into the 1994 Loughinisland massacre in Ireland, which was pulled from Tribeca in April.
Other new works include films from directors Abel Ferrara, Sara Driver, Nancy Buirski, Mathieu Amalric, and Barbet Schroeder; Vanessa Redgrave’s directorial debut “Sea Sorrow,” which played at Cannes; and films featuring Joan Didion, Arthur Miller, Gay Talese, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Jane Goodall, plus stories about racism, American immigration, and the global refugee crisis.
Three documentaries spotlight acclaimed writers, including the world premiere of Griffin Dunne’s “Joan Didion: The Center Will Not Hold,” returning Nyff filmmaker Rebecca Miller’s tender portrait of her father, “Arthur Miller: Writer,” and the World Premiere of Myles Kane and Josh Koury’s “Voyeur,” tracking journalist...
Other new works include films from directors Abel Ferrara, Sara Driver, Nancy Buirski, Mathieu Amalric, and Barbet Schroeder; Vanessa Redgrave’s directorial debut “Sea Sorrow,” which played at Cannes; and films featuring Joan Didion, Arthur Miller, Gay Talese, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Jane Goodall, plus stories about racism, American immigration, and the global refugee crisis.
Three documentaries spotlight acclaimed writers, including the world premiere of Griffin Dunne’s “Joan Didion: The Center Will Not Hold,” returning Nyff filmmaker Rebecca Miller’s tender portrait of her father, “Arthur Miller: Writer,” and the World Premiere of Myles Kane and Josh Koury’s “Voyeur,” tracking journalist...
- 8/23/2017
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Not every filmmaker gets to make their feature-film debut at Cannes. But when you’ve studied with Abbas Kiarostami, and Jane Campion once said your voice had “a very unique flavor,” your chances are pretty good. Such is the case for Iranian writer/director Anahita Ghazvinizadeh and her stunning debut feature, “They,” an impressionistic character study about a gender non-conforming kid named J (Rhys Fehrenbacher).
Read More: ‘Top of the Lake: China Girl’ Review: The Highlight of the 2017 Cannes Film Festival Might Be a TV Show
Though Ghazvinizadeh’s voice is wholly her own, Kiarostami’s influence is all over “They.” And if you’re going to borrow from someone, one of the most singular filmmakers of the last 50 years isn’t a bad place to start. The Iranian auteur redefined the medium, eschewing flashy action sequences for quietly complex stories that often left viewers feeling baffled. In his last film to play Cannes,...
Read More: ‘Top of the Lake: China Girl’ Review: The Highlight of the 2017 Cannes Film Festival Might Be a TV Show
Though Ghazvinizadeh’s voice is wholly her own, Kiarostami’s influence is all over “They.” And if you’re going to borrow from someone, one of the most singular filmmakers of the last 50 years isn’t a bad place to start. The Iranian auteur redefined the medium, eschewing flashy action sequences for quietly complex stories that often left viewers feeling baffled. In his last film to play Cannes,...
- 5/25/2017
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
Leon Vitali has been described as a jack of all trades, an Igor-like figure, the moth to Stanley Kubrick’s flame, even a slave. He has a different title for himself, however: filmworker. It’s what he puts on visa applications when traveling to other countries and, considering his all-encompassing job description, it only makes sense that he would require a singular title.
It’s also what Tony Zierra named his suitably workmanlike documentary about Vitali, whose heretofore unheralded work behind the scenes is now on full display in the Cannes Classics sidebar. An actor who got his would-be big break in “Barry Lyndon,” Vitali made a unique career choice following the film’s success: He became Kubrick’s right-hand man. Seeing such an elaborate production come together — Vitali had been acting for years, but never on something that matched the grand scale of “Barry Lyndon” — instilled in him a...
It’s also what Tony Zierra named his suitably workmanlike documentary about Vitali, whose heretofore unheralded work behind the scenes is now on full display in the Cannes Classics sidebar. An actor who got his would-be big break in “Barry Lyndon,” Vitali made a unique career choice following the film’s success: He became Kubrick’s right-hand man. Seeing such an elaborate production come together — Vitali had been acting for years, but never on something that matched the grand scale of “Barry Lyndon” — instilled in him a...
- 5/25/2017
- by Michael Nordine
- Indiewire
Makala means charcoal in Swahili, and a suitable subtitle for Emmanuel Gras’ Critics’ Week selection might have been “Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Charcoal (But Were Too Afraid to Ask).” One of those sly, low-key films whose early scenes will leave you unsure whether you’re watching a documentary or a drama marked by a docu-real aesthetic, “Makala’s” depiction of back-breaking labor is as no-frills as the work itself.
Gras’ documentary introduces its slow-cinema vibe by devoting several minutes to observing 28-year-old Kabwita fell a mighty tree in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. When it finally topples over, the sound reverberates throughout the surrounding brush as though the earth itself is mourning the loss.
Read More: ‘The Florida Project’ Review: Sean Baker’s ‘Tangerine’ Followup Delivers — Cannes 2017
This tree-chopping isn’t recreational, of course — it accounts for a vital part of Kabwita’s livelihood as a charcoal producer.
Gras’ documentary introduces its slow-cinema vibe by devoting several minutes to observing 28-year-old Kabwita fell a mighty tree in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. When it finally topples over, the sound reverberates throughout the surrounding brush as though the earth itself is mourning the loss.
Read More: ‘The Florida Project’ Review: Sean Baker’s ‘Tangerine’ Followup Delivers — Cannes 2017
This tree-chopping isn’t recreational, of course — it accounts for a vital part of Kabwita’s livelihood as a charcoal producer.
- 5/25/2017
- by Michael Nordine
- Indiewire
If you’re a buyer, the Cannes Film Festival isn’t where you go to catch a break. Including festival sidebars like Critics’ Week and Director’s Fortnight, there are more than 75 films at Cannes from all over the world — but when it comes to English-language movies, most are already spoken for.
Read More: The Cannes Film Festival Buyers Guide: Who’s Buying the Movies You’ll Watch
Netflix took the rights to Noah Baumbach’s family drama “The Meyerowitz Stories,” while Amazon has both Todd Haynes’ “Wonderstruck” and Sofia Coppola’s “The Beguiled.” A24 has never bought a completed film at Cannes, but the company is launching four titles at the fest, including Yorgos Lanthimos’ “The Killing of a Sacred Deer” and the Safdie brothers’ “Good Time.”
What’s left are mainly foreign-language films from some of the most respected indie auteurs in world. Most of these filmmakers are...
Read More: The Cannes Film Festival Buyers Guide: Who’s Buying the Movies You’ll Watch
Netflix took the rights to Noah Baumbach’s family drama “The Meyerowitz Stories,” while Amazon has both Todd Haynes’ “Wonderstruck” and Sofia Coppola’s “The Beguiled.” A24 has never bought a completed film at Cannes, but the company is launching four titles at the fest, including Yorgos Lanthimos’ “The Killing of a Sacred Deer” and the Safdie brothers’ “Good Time.”
What’s left are mainly foreign-language films from some of the most respected indie auteurs in world. Most of these filmmakers are...
- 5/16/2017
- by Graham Winfrey
- Indiewire
The Cannes Film Festival, cinema’s most esteemed yearly event, begins this week. While we’ll soon be on the ground providing coverage, today brings a preview of what we’re most looking forward to among the eclectic line-up, ranging from films in competition to special screenings to select titles on the various sidebars. Check out our most-anticipated features below and follow our complete coverage here throughout the month.
25. Filmworker (Tony Zierra)
There’s perhaps no filmmaker that has more documentaries made about them than Stanley Kubrick, but a new one premiering at Cannes Film Festival proves not every angle about his legendary filmography and life has been explored. Filmworker takes a look at the life of Leon Vitali, who first met Kubrick playing Lord Bullingdon in Barry Lyndon then would go on to become a close assistant to the director, even overseeing restorations of his films after his passing.
25. Filmworker (Tony Zierra)
There’s perhaps no filmmaker that has more documentaries made about them than Stanley Kubrick, but a new one premiering at Cannes Film Festival proves not every angle about his legendary filmography and life has been explored. Filmworker takes a look at the life of Leon Vitali, who first met Kubrick playing Lord Bullingdon in Barry Lyndon then would go on to become a close assistant to the director, even overseeing restorations of his films after his passing.
- 5/15/2017
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
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