Jess Search, the influential documentary producer and co-founder of the U.K. Doc Society, has died at age 54 after a battle with brain cancer. She passed on July 31 after being diagnosed with cancer in June.
Nearly two decades ago, Search co-founded the non-profit Doc Society, which since 2005 has been dedicated to funding documentaries globally. Search’s many credits as a documentary film producer include the Academy Award-nominated “Virunga” about gorilla protection and for which she was nominated for a Primetime Emmy award, the Emmy-nominated LGBTQ advocacy documentary “Welcome to Chechnya,” and many more.
Doc Society leadership — Megha Agrawal Sood, Shanida Scotland, Sandra Whipham, and Maxyne Franklin — shared a note on Tuesday announcing Search’s passing.
“She was surrounded by the love of her life Beadie Finzi, their children Ella and Ben, and friends. As a fierce supporter of independent artists and co-founder of Doc Society, Jess spent the weeks following...
Nearly two decades ago, Search co-founded the non-profit Doc Society, which since 2005 has been dedicated to funding documentaries globally. Search’s many credits as a documentary film producer include the Academy Award-nominated “Virunga” about gorilla protection and for which she was nominated for a Primetime Emmy award, the Emmy-nominated LGBTQ advocacy documentary “Welcome to Chechnya,” and many more.
Doc Society leadership — Megha Agrawal Sood, Shanida Scotland, Sandra Whipham, and Maxyne Franklin — shared a note on Tuesday announcing Search’s passing.
“She was surrounded by the love of her life Beadie Finzi, their children Ella and Ben, and friends. As a fierce supporter of independent artists and co-founder of Doc Society, Jess spent the weeks following...
- 8/2/2023
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Jess Search, producer and co-founder of U.K.’s Doc Society, has died. She was 54.
Search died in London on July 31 following a brain tumor diagnosis in early June.
Search was a near two-decade member and co-founder of the U.K. based Doc Society, a non-profit organization started in 2005 dedicated to producing and funding documentaries from around the world.
A month after the diagnosis of her brain tumor, Search announced on Doc Society’s website that she’d be stepping down from her director position. In her note, Search wrote “Today I am sharing that I’m currently under the care of a neurosurgeon because like 300,000 others every year around the world, I’ve been diagnosed with a brain tumor. I’m stepping back from Doc Society — after 18 years of nonstop creative collaboration, dedicated craft, joyous partying and fierce camaraderie.”
She continued, “You may know that for years six women directors – Beadie,...
Search died in London on July 31 following a brain tumor diagnosis in early June.
Search was a near two-decade member and co-founder of the U.K. based Doc Society, a non-profit organization started in 2005 dedicated to producing and funding documentaries from around the world.
A month after the diagnosis of her brain tumor, Search announced on Doc Society’s website that she’d be stepping down from her director position. In her note, Search wrote “Today I am sharing that I’m currently under the care of a neurosurgeon because like 300,000 others every year around the world, I’ve been diagnosed with a brain tumor. I’m stepping back from Doc Society — after 18 years of nonstop creative collaboration, dedicated craft, joyous partying and fierce camaraderie.”
She continued, “You may know that for years six women directors – Beadie,...
- 8/2/2023
- by Sophia Scorziello
- Variety Film + TV
Search had published a letter revealing her brain tumour diagnosis last month.
Jess Search, co-founder and CEO of non-profit documentary organisation Doc Society, has died at the age of 54 from brain cancer.
Search’s death was announced in a statement on Tuesday, August 1 by Doc Society, which read:
Yesterday morning, our dear Jess Search died peacefully in London, England, from brain cancer. She was surrounded by the love of her life Beadie Finzi, their children Ella and Ben, and friends.
As a fierce supporter of independent artists and co-founder of Doc Society, Jess spent the weeks following her diagnosis focused...
Jess Search, co-founder and CEO of non-profit documentary organisation Doc Society, has died at the age of 54 from brain cancer.
Search’s death was announced in a statement on Tuesday, August 1 by Doc Society, which read:
Yesterday morning, our dear Jess Search died peacefully in London, England, from brain cancer. She was surrounded by the love of her life Beadie Finzi, their children Ella and Ben, and friends.
As a fierce supporter of independent artists and co-founder of Doc Society, Jess spent the weeks following her diagnosis focused...
- 8/1/2023
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Jess Search, a titan of the documentary world and co-founder of the U.K.-headquartered Doc Society, is stepping away after 18 years following a brain tumor diagnosis.
The executive revealed her condition in a newsletter post sent to members on Thursday.
“Today I am sharing that I’m currently under the care of a neurosurgeon because like 300,000 others every year around the world, I’ve been diagnosed with a brain tumour,” Search wrote. “I’m stepping back from Doc Society — after 18 years of nonstop creative collaboration, dedicated craft, joyous partying and fierce camaraderie.”
Search, a well-respected leader and fierce advocate for the doc community, noted that the org has been led for years by six female directors in a “flat, power-sharing model.” “So I can do this, knowing that someone else will step in to be unfeasibly late for meetings and break the printer constantly,” joked Search.
“Whether you know...
The executive revealed her condition in a newsletter post sent to members on Thursday.
“Today I am sharing that I’m currently under the care of a neurosurgeon because like 300,000 others every year around the world, I’ve been diagnosed with a brain tumour,” Search wrote. “I’m stepping back from Doc Society — after 18 years of nonstop creative collaboration, dedicated craft, joyous partying and fierce camaraderie.”
Search, a well-respected leader and fierce advocate for the doc community, noted that the org has been led for years by six female directors in a “flat, power-sharing model.” “So I can do this, knowing that someone else will step in to be unfeasibly late for meetings and break the printer constantly,” joked Search.
“Whether you know...
- 7/6/2023
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
Documentary about the state of news in India to receive its European premiere at IDFA.
Paris-based documentary specialist Cat&Docs has acquired international rights to Vinay Shukla’s While We Watched, which is receiving its European premiere at International Documentary Festival Amstedam (IDFA), after winning prizes at Toronto and Busan.
Cat&Docs will represent the film in all territories excluding the UK, US, India and Qatar, which are handled by the filmmakers.
The documentary goes inside the newsroom of India’s Ndtv — one of the country’s most trusted news channels — and follows veteran journalist Ravish Kumar, who is known for...
Paris-based documentary specialist Cat&Docs has acquired international rights to Vinay Shukla’s While We Watched, which is receiving its European premiere at International Documentary Festival Amstedam (IDFA), after winning prizes at Toronto and Busan.
Cat&Docs will represent the film in all territories excluding the UK, US, India and Qatar, which are handled by the filmmakers.
The documentary goes inside the newsroom of India’s Ndtv — one of the country’s most trusted news channels — and follows veteran journalist Ravish Kumar, who is known for...
- 11/10/2022
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
Distributor and filmmaker worked together on 2010 release of Fish Tank.
IFC Films has acquired North American rights to Andrea Arnold’s Cow following its world premiere in the Cannes Premiere sidebar earlier this month.
Arnold shot Cow over seven years and described her bovine chronicle as “one dairy cow’s reality and acknowledging her great service to us”. She added, “When I look at Luma, our cow, I see the whole world in her.”
Kat Mansoor of Halcyon Pictures produced the documentary, and executive producers are Rose Garnett of BBC Films and Maxyne Franklin and Sandra Whipham of Doc Society.
IFC Films has acquired North American rights to Andrea Arnold’s Cow following its world premiere in the Cannes Premiere sidebar earlier this month.
Arnold shot Cow over seven years and described her bovine chronicle as “one dairy cow’s reality and acknowledging her great service to us”. She added, “When I look at Luma, our cow, I see the whole world in her.”
Kat Mansoor of Halcyon Pictures produced the documentary, and executive producers are Rose Garnett of BBC Films and Maxyne Franklin and Sandra Whipham of Doc Society.
- 7/28/2021
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
IFC Films has acquired the North American rights to Andrea Arnold’s “Cow,” which had its world premiere at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival, an individual with knowledge of the deal told TheWrap.
This marks the second collaboration for IFC and Arnold, who previously worked together on her award-winning film “Fish Tank.” The film was produced by Kat Mansoor of Halcyon Pictures, and executive producers are Rose Garnett of BBC Films and Maxyne Franklin and Sandra Whipham of Doc Society.
Arnold described the film as: “This film is an endeavor to consider cows. To move us closer to them. To see both their beauty and the challenge of their lives. Not in a romantic way but in a real way. It’s a film about one dairy cow’s reality and acknowledging her great service to us. When I look at Luma, our cow, I see the whole world in her.
This marks the second collaboration for IFC and Arnold, who previously worked together on her award-winning film “Fish Tank.” The film was produced by Kat Mansoor of Halcyon Pictures, and executive producers are Rose Garnett of BBC Films and Maxyne Franklin and Sandra Whipham of Doc Society.
Arnold described the film as: “This film is an endeavor to consider cows. To move us closer to them. To see both their beauty and the challenge of their lives. Not in a romantic way but in a real way. It’s a film about one dairy cow’s reality and acknowledging her great service to us. When I look at Luma, our cow, I see the whole world in her.
- 7/28/2021
- by Beatrice Verhoeven
- The Wrap
Exclusive: IFC Films has taken North American rights to Andrea Arnold’s well-received Cannes Film Festival documentary Cow.
Cow, which made its world premiere earlier this month in the newly created Cannes Premiere section, reps IFC and Arnold’s second teaming together after her award-winning Fish Tank, which starred Katie Jarvis and Michael Fassbender.
U.S. sales rep Submarine Entertainment brokered the deal for Cow on behalf of the filmmakers. Submarine sold Todd Haynes’ The Velvet Underground to Apple TV+ back in October; that doc also made its world premiere at Cannes this year.
Cow was shot over seven years, and repped Arnold’s return to Cannes after her 2016 young-adult movie American Honey. It was produced by Kat Mansoor of Halcyon Pictures and executive produced by Rose Garnett of BBC Film and Maxyne Franklin and Sandra Whipham of Doc Society.
This film is an endeavour to consider cows. To move us closer to them.
Cow, which made its world premiere earlier this month in the newly created Cannes Premiere section, reps IFC and Arnold’s second teaming together after her award-winning Fish Tank, which starred Katie Jarvis and Michael Fassbender.
U.S. sales rep Submarine Entertainment brokered the deal for Cow on behalf of the filmmakers. Submarine sold Todd Haynes’ The Velvet Underground to Apple TV+ back in October; that doc also made its world premiere at Cannes this year.
Cow was shot over seven years, and repped Arnold’s return to Cannes after her 2016 young-adult movie American Honey. It was produced by Kat Mansoor of Halcyon Pictures and executive produced by Rose Garnett of BBC Film and Maxyne Franklin and Sandra Whipham of Doc Society.
This film is an endeavour to consider cows. To move us closer to them.
- 7/28/2021
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Following its well-received debut in Cannes Film Festival’s inaugural Premieres section, Andrea Arnold’s latest feature, Cow, is recording brisk business for Paris-based Mk2 Films.
Streaming service and theatrical distributor Mubi has boarded the movie for Italy, Germany, Austria and Latin America, adding to the deal it did for UK, Ireland and Turkey pre-festival. Pic has also gone to: Anz (Madman), France (Ad Vitam), Benelux (Cherry Pickers), Spain (Elastica), Scandinavia (Non Stop), Poland (Against Gravity), Portugal (Alambique), Romania (Independenta), and South Korea (Green Narae).
Arnold’s fifth feature, and her first since Cannes hit American Honey, is an intriguing proposition. More than six years in the making, the film is an observational documentary about the titular animal, tracking the beauty and hardships of our bovine companions.
In Arnold’s own words: “This film is an endeavour to consider cows. To move us closer to them. To see both...
Streaming service and theatrical distributor Mubi has boarded the movie for Italy, Germany, Austria and Latin America, adding to the deal it did for UK, Ireland and Turkey pre-festival. Pic has also gone to: Anz (Madman), France (Ad Vitam), Benelux (Cherry Pickers), Spain (Elastica), Scandinavia (Non Stop), Poland (Against Gravity), Portugal (Alambique), Romania (Independenta), and South Korea (Green Narae).
Arnold’s fifth feature, and her first since Cannes hit American Honey, is an intriguing proposition. More than six years in the making, the film is an observational documentary about the titular animal, tracking the beauty and hardships of our bovine companions.
In Arnold’s own words: “This film is an endeavour to consider cows. To move us closer to them. To see both...
- 7/23/2021
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
Academy Award-winning director Andrea Arnold will have her feature documentary “Cow” distributed by theatrical distributor and streamer Mubi in select European markets.
The global curated film streamer has acquired all rights to the movie in the U.K., Ireland and Turkey.
The documentary, which tells the story of life for a single dairy cow, will premiere at the Cannes Premières during the festival next week and is scheduled for a theatrical release in Ireland and the U.K. “The film is an endeavour to consider cows,” Arnold has said of her work. “To move us closer to them. To see both their beauty and the challenge of their lives. Not in a romantic way but in a real way.”
In 2005, Arnold won an Academy Award for her short “Wasp.” She also also won three Jury Prizes at Cannes, most recently for “American Honey,” which stars Sasha Lane and Riley Keough,...
The global curated film streamer has acquired all rights to the movie in the U.K., Ireland and Turkey.
The documentary, which tells the story of life for a single dairy cow, will premiere at the Cannes Premières during the festival next week and is scheduled for a theatrical release in Ireland and the U.K. “The film is an endeavour to consider cows,” Arnold has said of her work. “To move us closer to them. To see both their beauty and the challenge of their lives. Not in a romantic way but in a real way.”
In 2005, Arnold won an Academy Award for her short “Wasp.” She also also won three Jury Prizes at Cannes, most recently for “American Honey,” which stars Sasha Lane and Riley Keough,...
- 7/1/2021
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety Film + TV
Mubi has taken all rights for the UK, Ireland and Turkey to American Honey[/link] filmmaker Andrea Arnold’s next picture Cow, which is set to premiere at Cannes this month.
The documentary chronicles one dairy cow’s reality. “The film is an endeavour to consider cows. To move us closer to them. To see both their beauty and the challenge of their lives. Not in a romantic way but in a real way,” said Arnold[/link].
Pic is produced by Kat Mansoor for Halcyon Pictures. It is financed by BBC Film and Doc Society. Executive producers are Rose Garnett for BBC Film and Sandra Whipman and Maxyne Franklin for Doc Society. Submarine Entertainment will be handling North America and mk2 films international sales.
Mubi said it will release the doc theatrically in the UK and Ireland. The deal does not include free TV in the UK, which remains with the BBC.
The documentary chronicles one dairy cow’s reality. “The film is an endeavour to consider cows. To move us closer to them. To see both their beauty and the challenge of their lives. Not in a romantic way but in a real way,” said Arnold[/link].
Pic is produced by Kat Mansoor for Halcyon Pictures. It is financed by BBC Film and Doc Society. Executive producers are Rose Garnett for BBC Film and Sandra Whipman and Maxyne Franklin for Doc Society. Submarine Entertainment will be handling North America and mk2 films international sales.
Mubi said it will release the doc theatrically in the UK and Ireland. The deal does not include free TV in the UK, which remains with the BBC.
- 7/1/2021
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
MK2 Films will handle international sales for “Cow,” the fifth feature of celebrated British director Andrea Arnold, which will bow in Official Selection in Cannes next month.
U.S sales banner Submarine Entertainment is handing North America sales.
“Cow” will unspool in the new section called Cannes Premieres which is dedicated to anticipated movies from well-established directors. Each film will have a gala premiere at the Debussy Theater.
Arnold is considered a Cannes regular, having previously won three Jury Prizes for “American Honey” in 2016, “Fish Tank” in 2009 and “Red Road” in 2006. She was also a jury member for the 2012 Competition.
A passion project for Arnold, “Cow” has been in the making for over six years. “This film is an endeavour to consider cows. To move us closer to them. To see both their beauty and the challenge of their lives. Not in a romantic way but in a real way,...
U.S sales banner Submarine Entertainment is handing North America sales.
“Cow” will unspool in the new section called Cannes Premieres which is dedicated to anticipated movies from well-established directors. Each film will have a gala premiere at the Debussy Theater.
Arnold is considered a Cannes regular, having previously won three Jury Prizes for “American Honey” in 2016, “Fish Tank” in 2009 and “Red Road” in 2006. She was also a jury member for the 2012 Competition.
A passion project for Arnold, “Cow” has been in the making for over six years. “This film is an endeavour to consider cows. To move us closer to them. To see both their beauty and the challenge of their lives. Not in a romantic way but in a real way,...
- 6/3/2021
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
The experienced doc executive has worked previously at Guardian Docs and the BBC.
Leading UK non-profit organisation Doc Society has appointed Shanida Scotland, a former Guardian Docs commissioning editor and BBC Storyville executive, to the newly-created role of head of film.
She will work directly with Doc Society directors in the UK, Jess Search, Sandra Whipham and Beadie Finzi, as well as Lisa Marie Russo, the BFI Doc Society fund executive.
In the US, she will work with Doc Society Inc director Maxyne Franklin.
Scotand’s responsibilites will encompass all of Doc Society’s film activities, strengthening the work of grantees,...
Leading UK non-profit organisation Doc Society has appointed Shanida Scotland, a former Guardian Docs commissioning editor and BBC Storyville executive, to the newly-created role of head of film.
She will work directly with Doc Society directors in the UK, Jess Search, Sandra Whipham and Beadie Finzi, as well as Lisa Marie Russo, the BFI Doc Society fund executive.
In the US, she will work with Doc Society Inc director Maxyne Franklin.
Scotand’s responsibilites will encompass all of Doc Society’s film activities, strengthening the work of grantees,...
- 10/21/2020
- by Geoffrey Macnab
- ScreenDaily
One of the most acclaimed films to burst out of the True/False Film Festival dedicated to documentary cinema earlier this year was David Osit’s “Mayor.” The blackly comic documentary microcosm of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict zooms in on the highs and lows of the second term in office for Musa Hadid, the mayor of the Palestinian city of Ramallah. Film Movement will release the film in cinemas and virtual cinemas on December 2, including at New York’s Film Forum. Check out the first trailer for the film below, exclusive to IndieWire.
Here’s the official synopsis: “‘Mayor’ is a real-life political saga following Musa Hadid, the Christian mayor of Ramallah, during his second term in office. Surrounded on all sides by Israeli settlements and soldiers, most people in Ramallah will never have the chance to travel more than a few miles outside their home, which is why Mayor Hadid...
Here’s the official synopsis: “‘Mayor’ is a real-life political saga following Musa Hadid, the Christian mayor of Ramallah, during his second term in office. Surrounded on all sides by Israeli settlements and soldiers, most people in Ramallah will never have the chance to travel more than a few miles outside their home, which is why Mayor Hadid...
- 10/19/2020
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Exclusive: After landing strong reviews from its world premiere at U.S. documentary event True/False, David Osit’s feature Mayor has been picked up for sales by Dogwoof and Cinetic.
The film follows Musa Hadid, the Christian mayor of Palestinian city Ramallah, during his second term in office. His immediate goals: repave the sidewalks, attract more tourism, and plan the city’s Christmas celebrations. His ultimate mission: to end the occupation of Palestine.
London-based Dogwoof will oversee international rights and Cinetic will handle the U.S. sale. The film is set to have its international premiere at Copenhagen-based festival Cph:dox later this month.
Osit’s previous work includes 2015 Tribeca premiere Thank You For Playing, which won the Emmy for Outstanding Arts and Culture Documentary. He also edited and produced Off Frame, which premiered at Toronto and Berlinale in 2016. His first film, Building Babel, premiered at True/False in 2012.
Mayor...
The film follows Musa Hadid, the Christian mayor of Palestinian city Ramallah, during his second term in office. His immediate goals: repave the sidewalks, attract more tourism, and plan the city’s Christmas celebrations. His ultimate mission: to end the occupation of Palestine.
London-based Dogwoof will oversee international rights and Cinetic will handle the U.S. sale. The film is set to have its international premiere at Copenhagen-based festival Cph:dox later this month.
Osit’s previous work includes 2015 Tribeca premiere Thank You For Playing, which won the Emmy for Outstanding Arts and Culture Documentary. He also edited and produced Off Frame, which premiered at Toronto and Berlinale in 2016. His first film, Building Babel, premiered at True/False in 2012.
Mayor...
- 3/11/2020
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
September 4
– The Points North Institute has unveiled the lineup for its 10th annual Points North Forum, as well as the 30 documentary filmmakers selected for its 2018 Artist Programs. Industry delegates include Maxyne Franklin (Doc Society), Ryan Harrington (Pulse Films), Hayley Pappas (Ryot Films), Chi-hui Yang (Ford Foundation / JustFilms), and many more.
The Points North Forumruns concurrently with the Camden International Film Festival (Ciff) from September 14 – 16 at the historic Camden Opera House and High Mountain Hall in Camden, Maine. Workshops, masterclasses and panel discussions are presented in tandem with Ciff screenings, parties and receptions, presenting attendees with numerous opportunities to connect – both formally and informally – with an impressive roster of the documentary film industry’s most accomplished storytellers and influential decision makers.
A full conference schedule and list of industry delegates is available online right here.
– The mission-driven, artist-led production company and studio Majority has announced its full roster, featuring women directors...
– The Points North Institute has unveiled the lineup for its 10th annual Points North Forum, as well as the 30 documentary filmmakers selected for its 2018 Artist Programs. Industry delegates include Maxyne Franklin (Doc Society), Ryan Harrington (Pulse Films), Hayley Pappas (Ryot Films), Chi-hui Yang (Ford Foundation / JustFilms), and many more.
The Points North Forumruns concurrently with the Camden International Film Festival (Ciff) from September 14 – 16 at the historic Camden Opera House and High Mountain Hall in Camden, Maine. Workshops, masterclasses and panel discussions are presented in tandem with Ciff screenings, parties and receptions, presenting attendees with numerous opportunities to connect – both formally and informally – with an impressive roster of the documentary film industry’s most accomplished storytellers and influential decision makers.
A full conference schedule and list of industry delegates is available online right here.
– The mission-driven, artist-led production company and studio Majority has announced its full roster, featuring women directors...
- 9/4/2018
- by Indiewire Staff
- Indiewire
The North American deal understood to be a little over $2m was announced before the Friday world premiere of Shaul Schwarz and Christina Clusiau’s U.S. Documentary Competition selection.
The Orchard will handle all North American distribution excluding broadcast and plans a theatrical release later this year on a minimum of 150 screens.
CNN will air the documentary later this year. It is understood a studio international deal is in the works.
Lauren Haber and Pulse Films’ Julia Nottingham produced the film about the evolving relationship between big-game hunting and wildlife conservation. Production companies include Reel Peak Films and Impact Partners.
The Orchard’s vice-president of acquisitions Danielle Digiacomo and CNN Films vice-president for business affairs Stacey Wolf and CNN Films vice-president for content development Courtney Sexton brokered the deal.
Negotiating for the Trophy filmmakers were Josh Braun and Ben Braun of Submarine, UTA Independent Film Group, and Anita Surendran of Gray Krauss Stratford Sandler Des Rochers.
Executive...
The Orchard will handle all North American distribution excluding broadcast and plans a theatrical release later this year on a minimum of 150 screens.
CNN will air the documentary later this year. It is understood a studio international deal is in the works.
Lauren Haber and Pulse Films’ Julia Nottingham produced the film about the evolving relationship between big-game hunting and wildlife conservation. Production companies include Reel Peak Films and Impact Partners.
The Orchard’s vice-president of acquisitions Danielle Digiacomo and CNN Films vice-president for business affairs Stacey Wolf and CNN Films vice-president for content development Courtney Sexton brokered the deal.
Negotiating for the Trophy filmmakers were Josh Braun and Ben Braun of Submarine, UTA Independent Film Group, and Anita Surendran of Gray Krauss Stratford Sandler Des Rochers.
Executive...
- 1/20/2017
- ScreenDaily
The Orchard and CNN Films have acquired the North American rights to the Sundance entry “Trophy,” directed by Shaul Schwarz and Christina Clusiau. The Orchard is taking all North American rights except broadcast, which will be handled by CNN. A studio is in the process of negotiating international rights to the film.
The acquisition comes on the day of the premiere of the movie, which was produced by Lauren Haber and Julia Nottingham of Pulse Films and screens in Sundance’s U.S. Documentary Competition section.
“Trophy” is a “startling exploration of the evolving relationship between big-game hunting and wildlife conservation,” and will be released this year on at least 150 screens, according to The Orchard. The film looks at endangered African species like elephants, rhinos and lions, and investigates the industries of big-game hunting, breeding and wildlife conservation to ask the question: What are the implications of treating animals as commodities?...
The acquisition comes on the day of the premiere of the movie, which was produced by Lauren Haber and Julia Nottingham of Pulse Films and screens in Sundance’s U.S. Documentary Competition section.
“Trophy” is a “startling exploration of the evolving relationship between big-game hunting and wildlife conservation,” and will be released this year on at least 150 screens, according to The Orchard. The film looks at endangered African species like elephants, rhinos and lions, and investigates the industries of big-game hunting, breeding and wildlife conservation to ask the question: What are the implications of treating animals as commodities?...
- 1/20/2017
- by Graham Winfrey
- Indiewire
Sundance Institute has announced the participants for its weeklong Creative Film Producing Initiative at the Sundance Resort in Utah, July 27 – August 3, including nine feature film and documentary projects for the Creative Producing Labs and more than 50 industry leaders for the Creative Producing Summit.
The Institute’s Creative Producing Initiative encompasses a year-round series of Labs, Fellowships, granting and events focusing on nurturing the next generation of independent producers and renewing the community of veteran producers who sustain the vibrancy and vitality of independent film.
The Feature Film Creative Producing Lab (July 27 – July 31) identifies emerging producers and, under the guidance of Creative Advisors, allows them to develop their creative instincts and evolve their communicating and problem-solving skills at all stages of their feature film project. This year’s Creative Advisors include producers Lindsay Doran ("Sense and Sensibility"), Lynette Howell Taylor (The Place Beyond the Pines), Gina Kwon ("Me You and Everyone We Know"), Paul Mezey ("Beasts of the Southern Wild"), Jay Van Hoy (
"Beginners" ) and director Matthew Ross ("28 Hotel Rooms" ).
The Documentary Film Creative Producing Lab (July 27 – August 1) brings together documentarians with award-winning Advisors to focus on their current projects to explore the wide range of creative approaches to distribution, outreach and impact strategies. This year’s Creative Advisors include producers Julie Goldman ( "Best of Enemies"), Bonni Cohen ("3 1/2 Minutes," "10 Bullets"), Ryan Werner (Cinetic), Maxyne Franklin (Britdoc), and Wendy Cohen (Picture Motion).
The Creative Producing Summit takes place immediately following the Labs, July 31 – August 3. More than 50 industry leaders will participate in a series of curated panels, case studies, roundtables, and one-on-one meetings addressing critical issues producers face including financing, distribution, audience engagement, marketing and sustainability. Panelists this year include Len Amato (HBO Films),
Michael Barker (Sony Pictures Classics), Dori Begley (Magnolia Pictures), Josh Braun (Submarine), Dan Cogan (Impact Partners), Victoria S. Cook (Frankfurt Kurnit), Danielle Di Giacomo (The Orchard), Fred Dust (Ideo), Ted Hope (Amazon), Micah Green (CAA), John Hoffman (Discovery Channel), Marcus Hu (Strand Releasing), Charles King (MacRo), Jessica Lacy (ICM Partners), Stephanie Langhoff (Duplass Brothers), David Magdael (Tcdm Associates), Victor Moyers (Broad Green), Annie Roney (ro*co Films), John Sloss (Cinetic Media), Graham Taylor (William Morris Endeavor), and Jay Van Hoy (Parts & Labor).
The Fellows and projects selected for the 2015 Feature Film Creative Producing Lab are:
"50 Miles From Boomtown"
Producing Fellow: Alex Scharfman
After years of saving for her hard-earned dream, the only woman working on the fracking fields of North Dakota can finally quit but unexpectedly finds herself falling in love with the young man she's training to take her place. (writer/director Flo Linus Baumann).
Alex Scharfman is a New York-based producer whose past feature credits include "The Heart Machine" and "Lyle," as well as the short film "Superior," which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2015, and the WGA Award-nominated webseries "F to 7th." He is an executive at Parts & Labor Films where he worked on films including "Keep The Lights On" and "Loitering with Intent." He has also produced content for Vice, Google, the Ford Foundation, and At&T. Alex received his BA from Cornell University, is a former Mfa candidate from Nyu’s Tisch School of the Arts, and received his Mba from Nyu’s Stern School of Business.
"Bexar County"
Mark Silverman Honorees and Producing Fellows: Blake Pickens and Stephen Love Jr.
In sunny San Antonio, Texas, where nothing ever changes, a town is turned on its head when a delusional Texas housewife accidentally poisons her son’s fiancée, learning that killing people is an efficient way to solve her problems. (Co-writer/director Catherine Grieve, co-writer Dylan Slocum)
Blake Pickens is from the south side of Oklahoma City, from a neighborhood known as the Flats. Despite the community’s rampant drug use and gang wars, Blake found his way into storytelling with a writing position at National Lampoon. He later attended the Peter Stark Producing Program at USC where he and his producing partner, Stephen Love Jr., formed their company Bs Pictures. They are currently in pre-production on the Steven Caple Jr.’s film The Land and in development on "The Friendship Nine" with producer Nina Yang Bongiovi. Blake’s aspirations are to tell the stories that make people laugh, cry, and ultimately impact their lives.
Stephen Love Jr. grew up in the rural towns of Filbert and Bennettsville, South Carolina. During his time as a business major at Morehouse College, Love founded the Morehouse Filmmakers' Association, for which Spike Lee is the honorary advisor. He also received his Mfa from USC’s Peter Stark Producing Program and formed Bs Pictures with fellow graduate Blake Pickens. Love’s primary career goal is to produce film and television that gives "a voice to the voiceless" while challenging the confines of the business of filmmaking.
"Dolores"
Producing Fellow: Drew Houpt
A restless teenager becomes obsessed with a mysterious Colombian woman who exploits his desire and lures him into her plot for revenge. (Writer/director Mary Angélica Molina)
Drew Houpt is an independent producer based in Brooklyn. For over ten years he was the head of operations at Mike Zoss Productions, Joel and Ethan Coen’s Tribeca-based production company. During that time he worked on the Academy Award-winning "No Country For Old Men" and the Academy Award-nominated "A Serious Man" and "True Grit." He served as Associate Producer on the Coens’ Grand Prix-winning "Inside Llewyn Davis" and Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s Academy Award-winning film "Birdman: or The Unexpected Virtue Of Ignorance." This past year he co-produced Maris Curran’s directorial-debut "Five Nights in Maine" and produced "Every Day,' a short documentary for Espn’s 30 for 30 Shorts series that had its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in 2015. He has also produced music videos for the Pulitzer Prize-winning composer David Lang and an experimental documentary, "When A Priest Marries A Witch," by Suzanne Bocanegra.
"Rita Mahtoubian Is Not A Terrorist"
Producing Fellow: Deanna Barillari
When Iranian-born Rita Mahtoubian sets out to change her life from ordinary to extraordinary, she accidentally captures the attention of a homeland security agent in this satirical comedy about romance, terrorism and trying to be a better person. (Co-writers/directors Roja Gashtili & Julia Lerman)
Upon graduating Nyu Tisch, Deanna Barillari co-founded a non-profit theater company producing Off-Off-Broadway plays, including the NYC premiere of Leslye Headland's "Cinephilia" (2008), which funded in-school arts initiatives in the NYC Public School system. She then went on to work in TV on NBC's "Mercy" (2009), CBS’ "Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior" (2010), ABC’s "Pan Am," 86th Oscars (Ellen DeGeneres; 2014) and in Drama Development at Universal Television. Recently, she collaborated with AFI Dww Fellows Roja Gashtili and Julia Lerman, producing their web-series K(ID) starring Caterina Scorsone ("Grey's Anatomy") and their short "Rita Mahtoubian Is Not A Terrorist" starring Patrick Fugit ("Almost Famous") which made its World Premiere at the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival. She also produces for the La based Ovation Award-winning Iama Theatre Company.
"The Space Between"
Producing Fellow: Angela C. Lee
A female body builder devotes her life to turning ‘pro’ when she unexpectedly falls in love, forcing her to confront her fractured past with her dying father. (Writer/director Philiane Phang)
Angela C. Lee is a Los Angeles based independent producer. She produced "Songs My Brothers Taught Me," which premiered in competition at the Sundance Film Festival and recently screened in the Directors’ Fortnight program at the Cannes Film Festival. Angela is also the Artist Development Manager at Film Independent, where she oversees the selection process and curriculum for the Filmmaker Labs program, including Screenwriting, Directing, Producing, and Documentary Labs, the Fast Track Finance Market and the Fox Writers Intensive, managed in conjunction with Fox Audience Strategy. Previously, Angela served as Director of Creative Affairs at New York based Vox3 Films. Prior to her career in film, Angela was an Associate at Goldman Sachs. A native Chicagoan, Angela graduated from the University of Chicago with a degree in Economics and is on the Board of Directors for the University of Chicago National Arts Alumni Network.
The Fellows and projects selected for the 2015 Documentary Film Creative Producing Lab are:
"Brick"
Co-Directors/Producers: Jessica Dimmock & Christopher Lamarca
"Brick" reveals the raw emotional and physical experience of being a middle aged to senior transgender woman coming out for the first time in the Pacific Northwest. The film follows three intersecting stories of individuals who have lived their whole lives as men and decided this burdensome secret is one they can no longer keep.
Jessica Dimmock is the recipient of the 2013 World Press Photo Multimedia Contest as the director and cinematographer of the online feature, "Too Young to Wed." In 2010, Dimmock won Kodak's Best Cinematography Award at the Hamptons International Film Festival for "Without." The film premiered at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, received an Independent Spirit Award, and was nominated for a Gotham Independent Film Award. Dimmock contributed two short films to Doctors Without Borders' Emmy-nominated campaign, “Starved for Attention.” Her first photojournalism project, “The Ninth Floor” was published as a monograph. Most recently, she worked as photographer and videographer for Emmy-nominated HBO series, "The Weight of the Nation." She is represented by VII agency.
Christopher Lamarca is an award-winning photographer and filmmaker and based in Portland, Oregon. Lamarca has recently entered post-production on his first feature length film, "Boone." In 2012, it was chosen as one of eight films for Film Independent's Documentary Film lab. Lamarca's monograph, “Forest Defenders: The Confrontational American Landscape ” was published by PowerHouse Books in 2008. He was chosen to participate in the International Center of Photography’s triennial exhibition (2007), New York Photo festival (2009) and Lishui photo festival in China (2010). He reported on environmental and energy issues for magazines such as Rolling Stone, GQ, Fortune, and Newsweek.
"The Island and the Whales" (working title)
Directore/Producer: Mike Day
The pilot whale hunters of the Faroe Islands believe that hunting is vital to their way of life, but when a local professor makes a grim discovery about the effects of marine pollution, and the seabirds populations collapse, environmental changes threaten to change the community and their way of life forever.
Mike Day is a Scottish director and producer. Formerly a lawyer in London and the Middle East he founded Intrepid Cinema in 2009 before heading out into the North Atlantic to make his previous film. His debut documentary "The Guga Hunters of Ness" broadcast on the BBC in 2011 and screened at festivals internationally to critical acclaim. It was while at sea in the Atlantic that he met a group of Faroese sailors, leading to his next film. Mike was listed as one of '10 Filmmakers to Watch' by Filmmaker Magazine, he was one of Edn's ’12 for the Future 2012’, and is supported by the Scottish Documentary Institute's Docscene programme. Intrepid Cinema also has two other feature documentaries in development.
"The Road From Hainan"
Director/Producer: Nanfu Wang
State surveillance. Harassment. Imprisonment. Human rights activist Ye Haiyan, Aka Sparrow, knew she faced these risks when she went to Hainan Province to seek justice for six elementary school girls who were sexually abused by their principal. But the scale and intensity of the government's reaction surprised even the most seasoned activists across China.
"The Road From Hainan" follows Sparrow as she was chased from town to town by local governments, national secret police, and even her own neighbors. Nanfu Wang is a documentary filmmaker based in New York. Originally from a remote village in China, Wang overcame poverty and lack of access to formal secondary education and went on to earn graduate degrees in communications and documentary film from universities in China and the United States. Her work often features the stories of marginalized or mistreated people, from Chinese blood donors stricken with HIV after being issued used needles by the government to the left-behind children of migrant laborers. During the production of her first full-length documentary, Wang lived on the streets of Miami with a homeless former drug dealer who relied on the kindness of strangers for his survival. Wang’s short films have been distributed on many platforms and translated into several languages, and she continues to seek out and tell the stories of people who have been ignored by their societies.
"Southwest of Salem: The Story of the San Antonio Four"
Director/Producer: Deborah Esquenazi
"Southwest of Salem: The Story of the San Antonio Four" excavates the nightmarish persecution of Elizabeth Ramirez, Cassandra Rivera, Kristie Mayhugh, and Anna Vasquez — four Latina lesbians wrongfully convicted of allegedly gang-raping two little girls in San Antonio, Texas. The film also unravels the sinister interplay of mythology, homophobia and prosecutorial fervor which led to this modern day witch hunt during the 'Satanic Sexual Abuse Panic' of the late-80's and early-90's in the United States.
Deborah S. Esquenazi is an Austin, Texas-based documentary film and radio producer, instructor, and journalist. Her in-progress documentary feature, "Southwest of Salem: The Story of the San Antonio Four," has received international attention for its investigation into this controversial criminal case, and has been mentioned in Forbes Magazine, New York Times, Texas Observer, Vice Magazine, among others. Her film and radio documentaries have been funded by Chicken & Egg Pictures, Paul Robeson Fund for Independent Media, Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program | John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Initiative, Humanities Texas, Astraea Global Arts Fund, and many others.
The Institute’s Creative Producing Initiative encompasses a year-round series of Labs, Fellowships, granting and events focusing on nurturing the next generation of independent producers and renewing the community of veteran producers who sustain the vibrancy and vitality of independent film.
The Feature Film Creative Producing Lab (July 27 – July 31) identifies emerging producers and, under the guidance of Creative Advisors, allows them to develop their creative instincts and evolve their communicating and problem-solving skills at all stages of their feature film project. This year’s Creative Advisors include producers Lindsay Doran ("Sense and Sensibility"), Lynette Howell Taylor (The Place Beyond the Pines), Gina Kwon ("Me You and Everyone We Know"), Paul Mezey ("Beasts of the Southern Wild"), Jay Van Hoy (
"Beginners" ) and director Matthew Ross ("28 Hotel Rooms" ).
The Documentary Film Creative Producing Lab (July 27 – August 1) brings together documentarians with award-winning Advisors to focus on their current projects to explore the wide range of creative approaches to distribution, outreach and impact strategies. This year’s Creative Advisors include producers Julie Goldman ( "Best of Enemies"), Bonni Cohen ("3 1/2 Minutes," "10 Bullets"), Ryan Werner (Cinetic), Maxyne Franklin (Britdoc), and Wendy Cohen (Picture Motion).
The Creative Producing Summit takes place immediately following the Labs, July 31 – August 3. More than 50 industry leaders will participate in a series of curated panels, case studies, roundtables, and one-on-one meetings addressing critical issues producers face including financing, distribution, audience engagement, marketing and sustainability. Panelists this year include Len Amato (HBO Films),
Michael Barker (Sony Pictures Classics), Dori Begley (Magnolia Pictures), Josh Braun (Submarine), Dan Cogan (Impact Partners), Victoria S. Cook (Frankfurt Kurnit), Danielle Di Giacomo (The Orchard), Fred Dust (Ideo), Ted Hope (Amazon), Micah Green (CAA), John Hoffman (Discovery Channel), Marcus Hu (Strand Releasing), Charles King (MacRo), Jessica Lacy (ICM Partners), Stephanie Langhoff (Duplass Brothers), David Magdael (Tcdm Associates), Victor Moyers (Broad Green), Annie Roney (ro*co Films), John Sloss (Cinetic Media), Graham Taylor (William Morris Endeavor), and Jay Van Hoy (Parts & Labor).
The Fellows and projects selected for the 2015 Feature Film Creative Producing Lab are:
"50 Miles From Boomtown"
Producing Fellow: Alex Scharfman
After years of saving for her hard-earned dream, the only woman working on the fracking fields of North Dakota can finally quit but unexpectedly finds herself falling in love with the young man she's training to take her place. (writer/director Flo Linus Baumann).
Alex Scharfman is a New York-based producer whose past feature credits include "The Heart Machine" and "Lyle," as well as the short film "Superior," which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2015, and the WGA Award-nominated webseries "F to 7th." He is an executive at Parts & Labor Films where he worked on films including "Keep The Lights On" and "Loitering with Intent." He has also produced content for Vice, Google, the Ford Foundation, and At&T. Alex received his BA from Cornell University, is a former Mfa candidate from Nyu’s Tisch School of the Arts, and received his Mba from Nyu’s Stern School of Business.
"Bexar County"
Mark Silverman Honorees and Producing Fellows: Blake Pickens and Stephen Love Jr.
In sunny San Antonio, Texas, where nothing ever changes, a town is turned on its head when a delusional Texas housewife accidentally poisons her son’s fiancée, learning that killing people is an efficient way to solve her problems. (Co-writer/director Catherine Grieve, co-writer Dylan Slocum)
Blake Pickens is from the south side of Oklahoma City, from a neighborhood known as the Flats. Despite the community’s rampant drug use and gang wars, Blake found his way into storytelling with a writing position at National Lampoon. He later attended the Peter Stark Producing Program at USC where he and his producing partner, Stephen Love Jr., formed their company Bs Pictures. They are currently in pre-production on the Steven Caple Jr.’s film The Land and in development on "The Friendship Nine" with producer Nina Yang Bongiovi. Blake’s aspirations are to tell the stories that make people laugh, cry, and ultimately impact their lives.
Stephen Love Jr. grew up in the rural towns of Filbert and Bennettsville, South Carolina. During his time as a business major at Morehouse College, Love founded the Morehouse Filmmakers' Association, for which Spike Lee is the honorary advisor. He also received his Mfa from USC’s Peter Stark Producing Program and formed Bs Pictures with fellow graduate Blake Pickens. Love’s primary career goal is to produce film and television that gives "a voice to the voiceless" while challenging the confines of the business of filmmaking.
"Dolores"
Producing Fellow: Drew Houpt
A restless teenager becomes obsessed with a mysterious Colombian woman who exploits his desire and lures him into her plot for revenge. (Writer/director Mary Angélica Molina)
Drew Houpt is an independent producer based in Brooklyn. For over ten years he was the head of operations at Mike Zoss Productions, Joel and Ethan Coen’s Tribeca-based production company. During that time he worked on the Academy Award-winning "No Country For Old Men" and the Academy Award-nominated "A Serious Man" and "True Grit." He served as Associate Producer on the Coens’ Grand Prix-winning "Inside Llewyn Davis" and Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s Academy Award-winning film "Birdman: or The Unexpected Virtue Of Ignorance." This past year he co-produced Maris Curran’s directorial-debut "Five Nights in Maine" and produced "Every Day,' a short documentary for Espn’s 30 for 30 Shorts series that had its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in 2015. He has also produced music videos for the Pulitzer Prize-winning composer David Lang and an experimental documentary, "When A Priest Marries A Witch," by Suzanne Bocanegra.
"Rita Mahtoubian Is Not A Terrorist"
Producing Fellow: Deanna Barillari
When Iranian-born Rita Mahtoubian sets out to change her life from ordinary to extraordinary, she accidentally captures the attention of a homeland security agent in this satirical comedy about romance, terrorism and trying to be a better person. (Co-writers/directors Roja Gashtili & Julia Lerman)
Upon graduating Nyu Tisch, Deanna Barillari co-founded a non-profit theater company producing Off-Off-Broadway plays, including the NYC premiere of Leslye Headland's "Cinephilia" (2008), which funded in-school arts initiatives in the NYC Public School system. She then went on to work in TV on NBC's "Mercy" (2009), CBS’ "Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior" (2010), ABC’s "Pan Am," 86th Oscars (Ellen DeGeneres; 2014) and in Drama Development at Universal Television. Recently, she collaborated with AFI Dww Fellows Roja Gashtili and Julia Lerman, producing their web-series K(ID) starring Caterina Scorsone ("Grey's Anatomy") and their short "Rita Mahtoubian Is Not A Terrorist" starring Patrick Fugit ("Almost Famous") which made its World Premiere at the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival. She also produces for the La based Ovation Award-winning Iama Theatre Company.
"The Space Between"
Producing Fellow: Angela C. Lee
A female body builder devotes her life to turning ‘pro’ when she unexpectedly falls in love, forcing her to confront her fractured past with her dying father. (Writer/director Philiane Phang)
Angela C. Lee is a Los Angeles based independent producer. She produced "Songs My Brothers Taught Me," which premiered in competition at the Sundance Film Festival and recently screened in the Directors’ Fortnight program at the Cannes Film Festival. Angela is also the Artist Development Manager at Film Independent, where she oversees the selection process and curriculum for the Filmmaker Labs program, including Screenwriting, Directing, Producing, and Documentary Labs, the Fast Track Finance Market and the Fox Writers Intensive, managed in conjunction with Fox Audience Strategy. Previously, Angela served as Director of Creative Affairs at New York based Vox3 Films. Prior to her career in film, Angela was an Associate at Goldman Sachs. A native Chicagoan, Angela graduated from the University of Chicago with a degree in Economics and is on the Board of Directors for the University of Chicago National Arts Alumni Network.
The Fellows and projects selected for the 2015 Documentary Film Creative Producing Lab are:
"Brick"
Co-Directors/Producers: Jessica Dimmock & Christopher Lamarca
"Brick" reveals the raw emotional and physical experience of being a middle aged to senior transgender woman coming out for the first time in the Pacific Northwest. The film follows three intersecting stories of individuals who have lived their whole lives as men and decided this burdensome secret is one they can no longer keep.
Jessica Dimmock is the recipient of the 2013 World Press Photo Multimedia Contest as the director and cinematographer of the online feature, "Too Young to Wed." In 2010, Dimmock won Kodak's Best Cinematography Award at the Hamptons International Film Festival for "Without." The film premiered at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, received an Independent Spirit Award, and was nominated for a Gotham Independent Film Award. Dimmock contributed two short films to Doctors Without Borders' Emmy-nominated campaign, “Starved for Attention.” Her first photojournalism project, “The Ninth Floor” was published as a monograph. Most recently, she worked as photographer and videographer for Emmy-nominated HBO series, "The Weight of the Nation." She is represented by VII agency.
Christopher Lamarca is an award-winning photographer and filmmaker and based in Portland, Oregon. Lamarca has recently entered post-production on his first feature length film, "Boone." In 2012, it was chosen as one of eight films for Film Independent's Documentary Film lab. Lamarca's monograph, “Forest Defenders: The Confrontational American Landscape ” was published by PowerHouse Books in 2008. He was chosen to participate in the International Center of Photography’s triennial exhibition (2007), New York Photo festival (2009) and Lishui photo festival in China (2010). He reported on environmental and energy issues for magazines such as Rolling Stone, GQ, Fortune, and Newsweek.
"The Island and the Whales" (working title)
Directore/Producer: Mike Day
The pilot whale hunters of the Faroe Islands believe that hunting is vital to their way of life, but when a local professor makes a grim discovery about the effects of marine pollution, and the seabirds populations collapse, environmental changes threaten to change the community and their way of life forever.
Mike Day is a Scottish director and producer. Formerly a lawyer in London and the Middle East he founded Intrepid Cinema in 2009 before heading out into the North Atlantic to make his previous film. His debut documentary "The Guga Hunters of Ness" broadcast on the BBC in 2011 and screened at festivals internationally to critical acclaim. It was while at sea in the Atlantic that he met a group of Faroese sailors, leading to his next film. Mike was listed as one of '10 Filmmakers to Watch' by Filmmaker Magazine, he was one of Edn's ’12 for the Future 2012’, and is supported by the Scottish Documentary Institute's Docscene programme. Intrepid Cinema also has two other feature documentaries in development.
"The Road From Hainan"
Director/Producer: Nanfu Wang
State surveillance. Harassment. Imprisonment. Human rights activist Ye Haiyan, Aka Sparrow, knew she faced these risks when she went to Hainan Province to seek justice for six elementary school girls who were sexually abused by their principal. But the scale and intensity of the government's reaction surprised even the most seasoned activists across China.
"The Road From Hainan" follows Sparrow as she was chased from town to town by local governments, national secret police, and even her own neighbors. Nanfu Wang is a documentary filmmaker based in New York. Originally from a remote village in China, Wang overcame poverty and lack of access to formal secondary education and went on to earn graduate degrees in communications and documentary film from universities in China and the United States. Her work often features the stories of marginalized or mistreated people, from Chinese blood donors stricken with HIV after being issued used needles by the government to the left-behind children of migrant laborers. During the production of her first full-length documentary, Wang lived on the streets of Miami with a homeless former drug dealer who relied on the kindness of strangers for his survival. Wang’s short films have been distributed on many platforms and translated into several languages, and she continues to seek out and tell the stories of people who have been ignored by their societies.
"Southwest of Salem: The Story of the San Antonio Four"
Director/Producer: Deborah Esquenazi
"Southwest of Salem: The Story of the San Antonio Four" excavates the nightmarish persecution of Elizabeth Ramirez, Cassandra Rivera, Kristie Mayhugh, and Anna Vasquez — four Latina lesbians wrongfully convicted of allegedly gang-raping two little girls in San Antonio, Texas. The film also unravels the sinister interplay of mythology, homophobia and prosecutorial fervor which led to this modern day witch hunt during the 'Satanic Sexual Abuse Panic' of the late-80's and early-90's in the United States.
Deborah S. Esquenazi is an Austin, Texas-based documentary film and radio producer, instructor, and journalist. Her in-progress documentary feature, "Southwest of Salem: The Story of the San Antonio Four," has received international attention for its investigation into this controversial criminal case, and has been mentioned in Forbes Magazine, New York Times, Texas Observer, Vice Magazine, among others. Her film and radio documentaries have been funded by Chicken & Egg Pictures, Paul Robeson Fund for Independent Media, Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program | John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Initiative, Humanities Texas, Astraea Global Arts Fund, and many others.
- 7/20/2015
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Britdoc backs feature that was on hold due to funding issues.
Production has begun in London on a feature documentary about the life of musician M.I.A.
The film is directed by Steve Loveridge, who reportedly stepped down from making the documentary in July.
At that time, Loveridge used his Tumblr account to leak a teaser trailer for the film, which was later removed.
According to an email posted to Loveridge’s site, a representative from Roc Nation claimed “the timing of this leak … screws with everything we’ve been working on”.
“I know how frustrated you must be with the [film],” they wrote, “but I promise we’ve been having ongoing conversations internally, trying to get legal stuff and funding resolved, it Is going to move forward and get done in time for this album cycle and festivals.”
“I really couldn’t give a flying fuck,” Loveridge replied. “Count me out. Would rather...
Production has begun in London on a feature documentary about the life of musician M.I.A.
The film is directed by Steve Loveridge, who reportedly stepped down from making the documentary in July.
At that time, Loveridge used his Tumblr account to leak a teaser trailer for the film, which was later removed.
According to an email posted to Loveridge’s site, a representative from Roc Nation claimed “the timing of this leak … screws with everything we’ve been working on”.
“I know how frustrated you must be with the [film],” they wrote, “but I promise we’ve been having ongoing conversations internally, trying to get legal stuff and funding resolved, it Is going to move forward and get done in time for this album cycle and festivals.”
“I really couldn’t give a flying fuck,” Loveridge replied. “Count me out. Would rather...
- 11/6/2013
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Park City, Ut (January 20, 2013) – HBO Documentary Films today announced the acquisition of the crowd-pleaser “Pussy Riot – A Punk Prayer” at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival. HBO Documentary Films acquired U.S. television rights. Directed by Mike Lerner and Maxim Pozdorovkin, the film made its world premiere Friday night to a sold out crowd. “Pussy Riot – A Punk Prayer” tells the incredible story of three young women: Nadia, Masha and Katia. As members of the feminist art collective Pussy Riot, they performed a 40 second “punk prayer” inside Russia’s main cathedral. This performance led to their arrest on charges of religious hatred and culminated in a trial that has reverberated around the world and transformed the face of Russian society forever. With unparalleled access and exclusive footage, this film looks at the real people behind their now famous colorful balaclavas. Mike Lerner and Maxim Pozdorovkin, the directors of “Pussy Riot” “are thrilled...
- 1/21/2013
- by MIKE FLEMING JR
- Deadline
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