Hulu Orders Sherri Papini Kidnapping Hoax Documentary From ‘Britney vs. Spears’ Director (Exclusive)
Hulu has ordered a new documentary series on the Sherri Papini disappearance story, Variety has learned.
Hailing from filmmakers Erin Lee Carr, Michael Beach Nichols, and Marwar Junction Productions, the limited series dives into “the six-year journey of Sherri Papini’s disappearance to her arrest and the ripple effect of the case felt across the nation,” per Hulu.
Sherri Papini was 34 years old when she disappeared from a rural neighborhood in Northern California which catapulted her family — including her husband, Keith Papini — at the center of a global news story as they waited for answers. Suddenly, after 22 days of searching, Sherri was found alive. Burned and battered, with a metal chain tied around her waist, she claimed that she’d been kidnapped at gunpoint and had been tortured for three weeks by her captors.
Six years after her disappearance, Sherri Papini began serving 18 months in prison for lying to the FBI about her kidnapping.
Hailing from filmmakers Erin Lee Carr, Michael Beach Nichols, and Marwar Junction Productions, the limited series dives into “the six-year journey of Sherri Papini’s disappearance to her arrest and the ripple effect of the case felt across the nation,” per Hulu.
Sherri Papini was 34 years old when she disappeared from a rural neighborhood in Northern California which catapulted her family — including her husband, Keith Papini — at the center of a global news story as they waited for answers. Suddenly, after 22 days of searching, Sherri was found alive. Burned and battered, with a metal chain tied around her waist, she claimed that she’d been kidnapped at gunpoint and had been tortured for three weeks by her captors.
Six years after her disappearance, Sherri Papini began serving 18 months in prison for lying to the FBI about her kidnapping.
- 7/25/2023
- by BreAnna Bell
- Variety Film + TV
Truth may be stranger than fiction, but it’s often scarier as well. After all, it’s not unusual for real life mysteries and deaths to leave Hollywood in the dust when it comes to producing genuine fear. With that in mind, we’ve previously published a couple of lists celebrating some of the scariest documentaries ever made.
However, there’s no shortage of authentic scares when it comes to filmmaking, and that’s why we’re back with another list recommending six more scary documentaries that horror fans might enjoy. After all, whether you’re into true crime or paranormal investigations, there’s something for everyone when it comes to non-fiction thrills.
As usual, we’ll be abiding by a couple of rules when selecting our movies. First of all, no docs that have been previously featured on any of our lists. Second, we’ll be excluding mockumentaries like...
However, there’s no shortage of authentic scares when it comes to filmmaking, and that’s why we’re back with another list recommending six more scary documentaries that horror fans might enjoy. After all, whether you’re into true crime or paranormal investigations, there’s something for everyone when it comes to non-fiction thrills.
As usual, we’ll be abiding by a couple of rules when selecting our movies. First of all, no docs that have been previously featured on any of our lists. Second, we’ll be excluding mockumentaries like...
- 2/24/2023
- by Luiz H. C.
- bloody-disgusting.com
While there will be legions of Pennywises roaming the streets this Halloween, fans of real-life horror clowns may want to emulate the titular star of the recent documentary Wrinkles the Clown. Who exactly is Wrinkles? Read my interview with director Michael Beach Nichols by following the link below. Related Article: Exclusive Interview with Wrinkles The […]
The post Dress Like Wrinkles The Clown on Halloween with This Printable Mask & Costume Guide appeared first on Dread Central.
The post Dress Like Wrinkles The Clown on Halloween with This Printable Mask & Costume Guide appeared first on Dread Central.
- 10/29/2019
- by Josh Millican
- DreadCentral.com
One of my favorite films out of Fantastic Feast 2019 was the documentary Wrinkles the Clown. As opposed to Pennywise, Art the Clown, and the legion of grease-painted villains haunting the horror genre, Wrinkles is real. No seriously. You can call him right now at 407-734-0254 (although you’ll most likely get his voicemail). Wrinkles offers […]
The post Exclusive Interview with Wrinkles The Clown Director/Documentarian Michael Beach Nichols appeared first on Dread Central.
The post Exclusive Interview with Wrinkles The Clown Director/Documentarian Michael Beach Nichols appeared first on Dread Central.
- 10/17/2019
- by Josh Millican
- DreadCentral.com
After Judy opened to nearly $3 million last weekend, the specialty box office has a hard act to follow this frame. But there are a couple of films that could possibly match Roadside Attractions and Ld Entertainment’s biopic about musical legend Judy Garland.
Fox Searchlight is releasing Lucy in the Sky today. The space drama stars Natalie Portman, who’s always a box office draw, and the pic marks the first theatrical release for Noah Hawley — we’ll see if the collaboration can strike gold at the box office. Meanwhile, Sony Pictures Classics is riding a wave of confidence, kicking down the door with Pedro Almodovar’s Pain and Glory starring Antonio Banderas. Cinephiles are expected to flock to the Spanish auteur’s latest, which marks the eighth cinematic collaboration between the director and star.
Also opening this weekend is Michael Beach Nichols’ too-creepy-to-be-true documentary Wrinkles the Clown, which can...
Fox Searchlight is releasing Lucy in the Sky today. The space drama stars Natalie Portman, who’s always a box office draw, and the pic marks the first theatrical release for Noah Hawley — we’ll see if the collaboration can strike gold at the box office. Meanwhile, Sony Pictures Classics is riding a wave of confidence, kicking down the door with Pedro Almodovar’s Pain and Glory starring Antonio Banderas. Cinephiles are expected to flock to the Spanish auteur’s latest, which marks the eighth cinematic collaboration between the director and star.
Also opening this weekend is Michael Beach Nichols’ too-creepy-to-be-true documentary Wrinkles the Clown, which can...
- 10/4/2019
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
‘Wrinkles the Clown’ Film Review: There’s a Great Doc To Be Made About Creepy Clowns — This Isn’t It
“I’ve been asked before if I feel guilty. You know, that’s a contract between me and Mom and Dad. You got a problem with me, you can take it up with Mom and Dad. ‘Cause I’m just doin’ my job.”
Is there any profession that could require that defense, and still be a good idea? Doubtful. But even if there is, it’s definitely not “Terrifying Middle-Aged Clown Hired by Parents to Scare Naughty Children.”
You may have heard of the gentleman who gives Michael Beach Nichols’ documentary, “Wrinkles the Clown,” its name. And if you aren’t familiar with Wrinkles, you might know of the many imitators he’s inspired, from that time your oldest relatives forwarded you Facebook stories about how clowns were terrorizing suburban neighborhoods across America.
Also Read: Joaquin Phoenix's 'Joker' Is 'Brooding,' 'Fearless,' 'Divisive,' Critics Say
To tell the truth,...
Is there any profession that could require that defense, and still be a good idea? Doubtful. But even if there is, it’s definitely not “Terrifying Middle-Aged Clown Hired by Parents to Scare Naughty Children.”
You may have heard of the gentleman who gives Michael Beach Nichols’ documentary, “Wrinkles the Clown,” its name. And if you aren’t familiar with Wrinkles, you might know of the many imitators he’s inspired, from that time your oldest relatives forwarded you Facebook stories about how clowns were terrorizing suburban neighborhoods across America.
Also Read: Joaquin Phoenix's 'Joker' Is 'Brooding,' 'Fearless,' 'Divisive,' Critics Say
To tell the truth,...
- 10/3/2019
- by Elizabeth Weitzman
- The Wrap
This Friday, Magnet Releasing is unleashing Michael Beach Nichols’ intriguing documentary Wrinkles the Clown in theaters and on demand. The project is centered around the mysterious figure known as “Wrinkles the Clown,” who shows up randomly to terrorize small children and even has a phone number you can call if you want to try and connect with him. In his exploration of the Wrinkles mythology, Nichols also examines the clown hysteria that was happening around the country a few years back and how the internet has changed the landscape of modern urban legends.
While at Fantastic Fest 2019, Daily Dead spoke with Nichols, who discussed what drew him to the project initially, what he uncovered during his filmmaking processing, getting Wrinkles involved in the doc, and more.
What was the initial appeal about going into this story in particular and exploring the phenomenon of Wrinkles? It does seem like right now clowns are everywhere.
While at Fantastic Fest 2019, Daily Dead spoke with Nichols, who discussed what drew him to the project initially, what he uncovered during his filmmaking processing, getting Wrinkles involved in the doc, and more.
What was the initial appeal about going into this story in particular and exploring the phenomenon of Wrinkles? It does seem like right now clowns are everywhere.
- 10/3/2019
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
Right in-between Pennywise the Dancing Clown and Joaquin Phoenix’ Clown Prince of Crime, a different type of clown wants to make it to the big screen – Wrinkles the Clown. Director Michael Beach Nichols takes a hard look at one of the most fascinating Internet legends of the past few years, a clown that is […]
The post ‘Wrinkles the Clown’ Director Michael Beach Nichols on Internet Urban Legends and Why We’re Afraid of Clowns [Interview] appeared first on /Film.
The post ‘Wrinkles the Clown’ Director Michael Beach Nichols on Internet Urban Legends and Why We’re Afraid of Clowns [Interview] appeared first on /Film.
- 10/3/2019
- by Rafael Motamayor
- Slash Film
Horror lovers looking for new scares after the release of It: Chapter 2 are in luck.
The trailer for the documentary Wrinkles the Clown was recently released, and it features a real-life clown eerily similar to It‘s Pennywise.
According to the Tampa Bay Times, the story of Wrinkles went viral in 2015. The clown was featured in a Washington Post story that year, which reported that parents in Naples, Florida would pay him to scare their misbehaving children.
Wrinkles was then spotted at multiple points along the western coast of Florida, according to the Times, and went viral on social media...
The trailer for the documentary Wrinkles the Clown was recently released, and it features a real-life clown eerily similar to It‘s Pennywise.
According to the Tampa Bay Times, the story of Wrinkles went viral in 2015. The clown was featured in a Washington Post story that year, which reported that parents in Naples, Florida would pay him to scare their misbehaving children.
Wrinkles was then spotted at multiple points along the western coast of Florida, according to the Times, and went viral on social media...
- 9/19/2019
- by Helen Murphy
- PEOPLE.com
Despite their non-fiction foundation, documentary films are seemingly limitless in their presentation. Sure, you can go the tried-and-true method of presenting talking heads, archival footage, and some narration to tell the story that you intend. Or, as in the case of “Cunningham,” you can give the information that you feel is necessary, but also immerse the audience in the subject, allowing them to see the beauty of the work themselves.
Read More: ‘Wrinkles The Clown’ Trailer: Michael Beach Nichols’ Chronicles A Youtube Clown Paid To Scare Children
As seen in the new trailer for “Cunningham,” the film is obviously a look at the life and career of one of the most respected and acclaimed dancers/choreographers of all time — Merce Cunningham.
Continue reading ‘Cunningham’ Trailer: Dance Takes Centerstage In New Doc Focused On The Life & Career Of Merce Cunningham at The Playlist.
Read More: ‘Wrinkles The Clown’ Trailer: Michael Beach Nichols’ Chronicles A Youtube Clown Paid To Scare Children
As seen in the new trailer for “Cunningham,” the film is obviously a look at the life and career of one of the most respected and acclaimed dancers/choreographers of all time — Merce Cunningham.
Continue reading ‘Cunningham’ Trailer: Dance Takes Centerstage In New Doc Focused On The Life & Career Of Merce Cunningham at The Playlist.
- 9/19/2019
- by Charles Barfield
- The Playlist
This past weekend Pennywise The Clown was back in theaters for It: Chapter 2 to scare the crap out of audiences. Pennywise is a fictional clown, but the good people of southwest Florida have a real life clown named Wrinkles that they can hire to scare their kids!
No joke! Parents are actually hiring this clown to punish their children for misbehaving! It’s madness! After a video of Wrinkles went viral people were hiring him for his “behavioral services”. I guess some kids in southwest Florida are going to grow up having some serious clown issues.
This is real and director Michael Beach Nichols (Welcome to Leith) has made a documentary called Wrinkles the Clown that dives into the story of this craziness. Here’s the synopsis:
In late 2014, a low-res video of a person in a clown mask emerging from underneath a sleeping child’s bed appears on YouTube.
No joke! Parents are actually hiring this clown to punish their children for misbehaving! It’s madness! After a video of Wrinkles went viral people were hiring him for his “behavioral services”. I guess some kids in southwest Florida are going to grow up having some serious clown issues.
This is real and director Michael Beach Nichols (Welcome to Leith) has made a documentary called Wrinkles the Clown that dives into the story of this craziness. Here’s the synopsis:
In late 2014, a low-res video of a person in a clown mask emerging from underneath a sleeping child’s bed appears on YouTube.
- 9/9/2019
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
"You don't know if he's trying to do this for fun, or trying to kill you..." Magnolia Pictures has debuted an official trailer for an indie documentary titled Wrinkles the Clown, the latest doc film from filmmaker Michael Beach Nichols. In Florida, parents can hire Wrinkles the Clown to scare their misbehaving children. This for-hire clown service first went viral in 2014, and they decided to make a doc about him. Who is he? Why exactly does he do this? Is it really for real? "With incredible access to the mastermind behind the mask, Wrinkles the Clown is a cryptic and playful exploration of these questions, as well as an inside look at myth-building and the unpredictable spread of imagination in the internet age." Ahaha this looks so deliciously creepy, and mysterious, and the perfect doc film to tie in with Stephen King's It Chapter Two ...
- 9/6/2019
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Looking for to learn more about the real-life creepy clown phenomenon that has swept the nation in recent years? Ahead of its world premiere at Fantastic Fest, the documentary Wrinkles the Clown was acquired by Magnet Releasing, with an October 4th theatrical release planned. Here's a look at the new trailer:
Previous Press Release: New York, NY – Magnet Releasing, the genre arm of Magnolia Pictures, announced today that they have acquired worldwide rights to Wrinkles The Clown, an unnerving new documentary that seeks to uncover the mystery behind chilling accounts of a nightmarish clown seen terrorizing disobedient children throughout Florida. Directed by Emmy-nominated filmmaker Michael Beach Nichols (Welcome To Leith) and financed and produced by Topic Studios, Wrinkles The Clown will world-premiere at Fantastic Fest, followed by an October 4th theatrical release.
It started with a silent black and white surveillance video uploaded to YouTube that depicted a child sleeping peacefully.
Previous Press Release: New York, NY – Magnet Releasing, the genre arm of Magnolia Pictures, announced today that they have acquired worldwide rights to Wrinkles The Clown, an unnerving new documentary that seeks to uncover the mystery behind chilling accounts of a nightmarish clown seen terrorizing disobedient children throughout Florida. Directed by Emmy-nominated filmmaker Michael Beach Nichols (Welcome To Leith) and financed and produced by Topic Studios, Wrinkles The Clown will world-premiere at Fantastic Fest, followed by an October 4th theatrical release.
It started with a silent black and white surveillance video uploaded to YouTube that depicted a child sleeping peacefully.
- 9/6/2019
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
Children at a young age can be naughty and unruly, but when the parents have had enough, it was time to bring in “Wrinkles The Clown” to scare the bad behavior right out of them. The documentary is based on a clown who went viral from a YouTube video where he is seen emerging from under a sleeping child’s bed. The video description claimed the parents had hired him to scare the child for misbehaving.
Continue reading ‘Wrinkles The Clown’ Trailer: Michael Beach Nichols’ Chronicles A Youtube Clown Paid To Scare Children at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘Wrinkles The Clown’ Trailer: Michael Beach Nichols’ Chronicles A Youtube Clown Paid To Scare Children at The Playlist.
- 9/6/2019
- by Harry Frazer
- The Playlist
Pennywise isn’t real. But Wrinkles is. Variety reported the other day that, ahead of its world premiere at Fantastic Fest next month, Welcome to Leith director Michael Beach Nichols‘s documentary Wrinkles the Clown was acquired by Magnet Releasing with plans to unleash on the world October 4th. We now have the trailer for the documentary that explores the story of the […]...
- 9/6/2019
- by Brad Miska
- bloody-disgusting.com
Pennywise the Dancing Clown is horrifying audiences in theaters everywhere this weekend in It: Chapter 2, but the people of southwest Florida have been terrified by a real life clown named Wrinkles, and it’s time for his story to be told. Wrinkles the Clown is a new documentary from director Michael Beach Nichols (Welcome to […]
The post ‘Wrinkles the Clown’ Trailer: A New Documentary Profiles a Clown Hired to Scare Children appeared first on /Film.
The post ‘Wrinkles the Clown’ Trailer: A New Documentary Profiles a Clown Hired to Scare Children appeared first on /Film.
- 9/6/2019
- by Ethan Anderton
- Slash Film
Looking for to learn more about the real-life creepy clown phenomenon that has swept the nation in recent years? Ahead of its world premiere at Fantastic Fest, the documentary Wrinkles the Clown has been acquired by Magnet Releasing, with an October 4th theatrical release planned.
Press Release: New York, NY – Magnet Releasing, the genre arm of Magnolia Pictures, announced today that they have acquired worldwide rights to Wrinkles The Clown, an unnerving new documentary that seeks to uncover the mystery behind chilling accounts of a nightmarish clown seen terrorizing disobedient children throughout Florida. Directed by Emmy-nominated filmmaker Michael Beach Nichols (Welcome To Leith) and financed and produced by Topic Studios, Wrinkles The Clown will world-premiere at Fantastic Fest, followed by an October 4th theatrical release.
It started with a silent black and white surveillance video uploaded to YouTube that depicted a child sleeping peacefully. Until a disheveled old man disguised...
Press Release: New York, NY – Magnet Releasing, the genre arm of Magnolia Pictures, announced today that they have acquired worldwide rights to Wrinkles The Clown, an unnerving new documentary that seeks to uncover the mystery behind chilling accounts of a nightmarish clown seen terrorizing disobedient children throughout Florida. Directed by Emmy-nominated filmmaker Michael Beach Nichols (Welcome To Leith) and financed and produced by Topic Studios, Wrinkles The Clown will world-premiere at Fantastic Fest, followed by an October 4th theatrical release.
It started with a silent black and white surveillance video uploaded to YouTube that depicted a child sleeping peacefully. Until a disheveled old man disguised...
- 8/28/2019
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Magnet Releasing, the genre arm of Magnolia Pictures, has acquired global rights to “Wrinkles the Clown,” Variety has learned.
Directed by Emmy-nominated filmmaker Michael Beach Nichols (“Welcome to Leith”), the film is eyeing an Oct. 4 theatrical release. The documentary looks at a creepy clown who is hired to terrify misbehaving children in Southwest Florida. Wrinkles went viral after a silent black and white surveillance video was uploaded to YouTube, depicting a child sleeping peacefully before a disheveled old man disguised as a clown slid out from beneath her bed. That led to an outpouring of similar videos and the creation of an internet sensation that rivals Pennywise in sheer, malevolently cheery creepiness.
“Michael has concocted an incredibly unsettling film evocative of urban legend classics like ‘Slender Man’ and ‘The Blair Witch Project,’” said Magnolia President Eamonn Bowles. “From Pennywise to the Joker, creepy clowns have terrified people for decades. ‘Wrinkles the Clown...
Directed by Emmy-nominated filmmaker Michael Beach Nichols (“Welcome to Leith”), the film is eyeing an Oct. 4 theatrical release. The documentary looks at a creepy clown who is hired to terrify misbehaving children in Southwest Florida. Wrinkles went viral after a silent black and white surveillance video was uploaded to YouTube, depicting a child sleeping peacefully before a disheveled old man disguised as a clown slid out from beneath her bed. That led to an outpouring of similar videos and the creation of an internet sensation that rivals Pennywise in sheer, malevolently cheery creepiness.
“Michael has concocted an incredibly unsettling film evocative of urban legend classics like ‘Slender Man’ and ‘The Blair Witch Project,’” said Magnolia President Eamonn Bowles. “From Pennywise to the Joker, creepy clowns have terrified people for decades. ‘Wrinkles the Clown...
- 8/27/2019
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: The Orchard has picked up the Us distribution rights to Susanna Bartsch: On Top, an eponymous documentary about the Swiss-born party promoter and well-known figure of New York City’s gay and downtown nightlife. RuPaul is on board as an exec producer along with Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato of World of Wonder, the production company behind RuPaul’s Drag Race.
Anthony Caronna and Alexander Smith, the filmmaking duo who go by Anthony&Alex, wrote and directed the documentary, which was produced by Michael Beach Nichols and Christopher K. Walker. It world premiered at Toronto’s Hot Docs.
Bartsch is recognized for contribution in 1989, at the height of the AIDS epidemic, where she organized the first Love Ball, which raised over a million dollars for AIDS research while also putting the Harlem vogue balls on the radar of both high fashion and Madonna.
“We’ve known Susanne personally for many years,...
Anthony Caronna and Alexander Smith, the filmmaking duo who go by Anthony&Alex, wrote and directed the documentary, which was produced by Michael Beach Nichols and Christopher K. Walker. It world premiered at Toronto’s Hot Docs.
Bartsch is recognized for contribution in 1989, at the height of the AIDS epidemic, where she organized the first Love Ball, which raised over a million dollars for AIDS research while also putting the Harlem vogue balls on the radar of both high fashion and Madonna.
“We’ve known Susanne personally for many years,...
- 7/3/2018
- by Amanda N'Duka
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: British thriller Monochrome is set to market premiere at the London Screenings this month.
UK genre specialists Devilworks has acquired worldwide rights to Monochrome, Thomas Lawes’ thriller starring 2013 Screen Star of Tomorrow Cosmo Jarvis (The Naughty Room), Jo Woodcock (Dorian Gray) James Cosmo (Braveheart, Game Of Thrones) and Lee Boardman (Longford).
The film tells the story of a female serial killer who targets the wealthy. Cosmo’s detective tracks her down using special abilities granted to him by his neurological condition synaesthesia, which confuses his senses, allowing him to hear colours and see sounds.
Suzie Norton is producing the project for Birmingham-based Electric Flix.
Monochrome is set to receive a market premiere at the London Screenings later this month.
Devilworks has also acquired international rights (excluding UK, Germany, Australia, Nz, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania) to documentary Welcome To Leith, which premiered at Sundance 2015 and went on to pick up awards at HotDocs...
UK genre specialists Devilworks has acquired worldwide rights to Monochrome, Thomas Lawes’ thriller starring 2013 Screen Star of Tomorrow Cosmo Jarvis (The Naughty Room), Jo Woodcock (Dorian Gray) James Cosmo (Braveheart, Game Of Thrones) and Lee Boardman (Longford).
The film tells the story of a female serial killer who targets the wealthy. Cosmo’s detective tracks her down using special abilities granted to him by his neurological condition synaesthesia, which confuses his senses, allowing him to hear colours and see sounds.
Suzie Norton is producing the project for Birmingham-based Electric Flix.
Monochrome is set to receive a market premiere at the London Screenings later this month.
Devilworks has also acquired international rights (excluding UK, Germany, Australia, Nz, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania) to documentary Welcome To Leith, which premiered at Sundance 2015 and went on to pick up awards at HotDocs...
- 6/6/2016
- ScreenDaily
Welcome to Leith
Directed by Michael Beach Nichols and Christopher K. Walker
United States, 2015
Philadelphia Film Festival
Welcome to Leith is a documentary, but it might as well be a thriller. Directors Michael Beach Nichols and Christopher K. Walker shoot the film with harrowing, slowly moving B-roll, an ominous score, and a structure designed like a cliffhanger, home-invasion movie.
Infamous white supremacist Craig Cobb moves to the small (population: 24) town of Leith, North Dakota and starts buying up property. Soon he’s posting on racist message boards, calling others of his ilk to the area, and planning a town takeover.
Welcome to Leith is gorgeous. The directors capture the slow, frosty town in frequent sunrise and sunset frames, small pushes into the surrounding woods (made more foreboding once swastikas are painted on trees), and impressive set pieces (including a house fire, where the shallow depth of field and embers falling...
Directed by Michael Beach Nichols and Christopher K. Walker
United States, 2015
Philadelphia Film Festival
Welcome to Leith is a documentary, but it might as well be a thriller. Directors Michael Beach Nichols and Christopher K. Walker shoot the film with harrowing, slowly moving B-roll, an ominous score, and a structure designed like a cliffhanger, home-invasion movie.
Infamous white supremacist Craig Cobb moves to the small (population: 24) town of Leith, North Dakota and starts buying up property. Soon he’s posting on racist message boards, calling others of his ilk to the area, and planning a town takeover.
Welcome to Leith is gorgeous. The directors capture the slow, frosty town in frequent sunrise and sunset frames, small pushes into the surrounding woods (made more foreboding once swastikas are painted on trees), and impressive set pieces (including a house fire, where the shallow depth of field and embers falling...
- 11/3/2015
- by Neal Dhand
- SoundOnSight
Full line-up of the Stockholm film festival includes feature and documentary competition line-ups.Scroll down for full line-up
The Stockholm International Film Festival (Nov 11-22) has unveiled the line-up for its 26th edition, comprising more than 190 films from over 70 countries.
The Stockholm Xxvi Competition includes Marielle Heller’s Us title The Diary of a Teenage Girl and László Nemes’ Holocaust drama Son Of Saul.
It marks the first time Stockholm has a greater number of women than men competing for the Bronze Horse – the festival’s top prize.
The documentary competition includes Amy Berg’s An Open Secret, an investigation into accusations of teenagers being sexually abused within the film industry; and Cosima Spender’s Palio, centred on the annual horse race in Siena, Italy.
Announcing the programme, festival director Git Scheynius also revealed that Chinese artist Ai Weiwei will visit Stockholm for the first time as chairman of the jury for the first Stockholm Impact Award, which...
The Stockholm International Film Festival (Nov 11-22) has unveiled the line-up for its 26th edition, comprising more than 190 films from over 70 countries.
The Stockholm Xxvi Competition includes Marielle Heller’s Us title The Diary of a Teenage Girl and László Nemes’ Holocaust drama Son Of Saul.
It marks the first time Stockholm has a greater number of women than men competing for the Bronze Horse – the festival’s top prize.
The documentary competition includes Amy Berg’s An Open Secret, an investigation into accusations of teenagers being sexually abused within the film industry; and Cosima Spender’s Palio, centred on the annual horse race in Siena, Italy.
Announcing the programme, festival director Git Scheynius also revealed that Chinese artist Ai Weiwei will visit Stockholm for the first time as chairman of the jury for the first Stockholm Impact Award, which...
- 10/20/2015
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Few things are being more perverted in modern society than the First Amendment. For most people, this right allows us to speak our mind openly and participate in what, ideally, should be an open discourse between adults about everything from religion to the quality of the government leading us. In many ways playing as a sort of check and balance allowing for citizens to have a voice in this discourse between the government and its people, it has become the grounds on which some people spew bile ranging from simple online bullying to full on racism and violent anger.
And it has seemingly hit a tipping point, at least according to a new documentary that is as eye opening as it is thought provoking and deeply frightening.
Entitled Welcome To Leith, directors Michael Beach Nichols and Christopher K. Walker take a direct look at the First Amendment, by taking us...
And it has seemingly hit a tipping point, at least according to a new documentary that is as eye opening as it is thought provoking and deeply frightening.
Entitled Welcome To Leith, directors Michael Beach Nichols and Christopher K. Walker take a direct look at the First Amendment, by taking us...
- 9/11/2015
- by Joshua Brunsting
- CriterionCast
An uncomfortable, essential documentary that takes no sides as it raises questions about American ideals that are almost unanswerable but demand exploration. I’m “biast” (pro): nothing
I’m “biast” (con): nothing
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)
In an open, pluralistic society, where do we draw the line between what’s acceptable and what isn’t? This is the difficult question that the uncomfortable, essential documentary Welcome to Leith asks. Leith is an impossibly tiny town — just a handful of people, really — in rural North Dakota that found itself under an apparently entirely legal siege of sorts, based in municipal rules and regs, by infamous white supremacist Craig Cobb. Cobb started buying up land within the town’s borders — there are no amenities, barely any utilities, and only one business, which appears to be little more than a bar, so land is dirt cheap...
I’m “biast” (con): nothing
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)
In an open, pluralistic society, where do we draw the line between what’s acceptable and what isn’t? This is the difficult question that the uncomfortable, essential documentary Welcome to Leith asks. Leith is an impossibly tiny town — just a handful of people, really — in rural North Dakota that found itself under an apparently entirely legal siege of sorts, based in municipal rules and regs, by infamous white supremacist Craig Cobb. Cobb started buying up land within the town’s borders — there are no amenities, barely any utilities, and only one business, which appears to be little more than a bar, so land is dirt cheap...
- 9/10/2015
- by MaryAnn Johanson
- www.flickfilosopher.com
Tiny Leith, North Dakota looks as if it would make a fine setting for a horror film. Grossly underpopulated and generously dotted with crumbling abandoned buildings, there are plenty of places to hide in the town with no one ever being the wiser. But that’s not what happens in Michael Beach Nichols and Christopher K. Walker’s terrifying and insightful “Welcome to Leith.” The Kickstarter-funded documentary chronicles an unsettling and hopefully brief chapter in Leith's history, when for a few months in 2012 and 2013 white supremacist Craig Cobb made it his goal to take over the entire town and turn it into a haven for his ideological kin. With a population of only twenty-four people (including kids), his idea, while scary and weird and horrible, was achievable, and that possibility is what makes “Welcome to Leith” sharply upsetting. In late 2012, Cobb, who is considered “one of the top ten white...
- 9/9/2015
- by Kate Erbland
- The Playlist
Welcome To Leith First Run Features Reviewed by: Harvey Karten for Shockya. Databased on Rotten Tomatoes. Grade: A- Director: Michael Beach Nichols, Christopher K. Walker Cast: Craig Cobb, Ryan Schlock Screened at: Critics’ link, N Yc, 8/27/15 Opens: September 9, 2015 When President George W. Bush launched a war with Afghanistan soon after the tragedy of 9/11—when terrorists killed 3,000 Americans by crashing a plane into the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers—he thought he would defeat the enemy by taking away their training grounds. He should have realized that radical Islamists could easily regroup elsewhere as they have—in Yemen, in the wild reaches of North Waziristan on the Pakistan-Afghan border, [ Read More ]
The post Welcome to Leith Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post Welcome to Leith Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 8/27/2015
- by Harvey Karten
- ShockYa
Welcome To Leith Movie Trailer & Poster Arrive. Michael Beach Nichols and Christopher K. Walker‘s Welcome To Leith (2015) movie trailer stars various citizens of the small town of Leith. Welcome To Leith‘s plot synopsis: “Welcome to Leith is a feature documentary chronicling the attempted takeover of a small town in North Dakota by notorious white supremacist Craig Cobb. Filmed in the […]...
- 8/12/2015
- by Marco Margaritoff
- Film-Book
Know your neighbors. The first official trailer has debuted for a documentary called Welcome to Leith, that played at many festivals after premiering at Sundance earlier this year. The doc profiles a small town in North Dakota called Leith, a tiny "ghost town" that gets taken over by a notorious white supremacist named Craig Cobb. There's some very harrowing and remarkable footage in this, showing some very scary things, but I'm also intrigued to see what angle some of the video is taken from. This looks like a very fascinating and disturbing thriller that examines one extreme example of American white supremacy. Worth watching. Trailer for Michael Beach Nichols & Christopher K. Walker's doc Welcome to Leith (via The Film Stage): Leith, North Dakota is a registered ghost town of only 24 people. Its inhabitants are mostly farmers or ranchers... Welcome to Leith is a feature documentary chronicling the attempted...
- 8/11/2015
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Read More: Sundance Review: White Supremacist Takes Over Small Town in Mesmerizing Doc 'Welcome to Leith' The new trailer for "Welcome to Leith," a documentary about the dangerous and cruel plans of white supremacist Craig Cobb, shows the almost apocalyptic-like effects of the detrimental mindset of a few terrifying individuals. The film takes place in Leith, a tiny ghost town of under thirty people in North Dakota. A newcomer to the town named Craig Cobb moves in, attempting to overthrow the government with his ruthlessly racist, homophobic and anti-Semitic ideals. In a scary account of what could happen when one person with ominous plans tries to manipulate and control, Michael Beach Nichols and Christopher K. Walker's "Welcome to Leith" documents the fear and fighting power of those whom Cobb tried to affect while terrorizing innocent people. Watch the trailer above. The film opens in New York on September 9. Read.
- 8/7/2015
- by Meredith Mattlin
- Indiewire
Psychological drama Ivy (Sarmasik) Turkish drama Ivy (Sarmasik) has taken the Best Film award at the 2015 East End Film Festival.
Tolga Karaçelik's film tells the story of a ship's crew who discover, after their boat's owner goes bankrupt, that they are stuck maintaining it until it can be brought to a safe dock - sparking psychological tensions on board.
Michael Beach Nichols and Christopher K Walker's Welcome To Leith, chronicling the attempted take-over of a small Us town by a far-right group, was named Best Documentary.
Amelia Hashemi's Don't Blame Us Because We're Famous took home the award for Best Short, and the Accession Award - given "to champion a vital craft in filmmaking" - was won by composer Graham Hadfield for his soundtrack to thriller Containment....
Tolga Karaçelik's film tells the story of a ship's crew who discover, after their boat's owner goes bankrupt, that they are stuck maintaining it until it can be brought to a safe dock - sparking psychological tensions on board.
Michael Beach Nichols and Christopher K Walker's Welcome To Leith, chronicling the attempted take-over of a small Us town by a far-right group, was named Best Documentary.
Amelia Hashemi's Don't Blame Us Because We're Famous took home the award for Best Short, and the Accession Award - given "to champion a vital craft in filmmaking" - was won by composer Graham Hadfield for his soundtrack to thriller Containment....
- 7/10/2015
- by Amber Wilkinson
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Read More: Sundance Review: White Supremacist Takes Over Small Town in Mesmerizing Doc 'Welcome to Leith' Submarine Entertainment has announced it has sold all North American distribution rights of Michael Beach Nichols and Christopher K. Walker's "Welcome to Leith" to First Run Features, with the exception of U.S. television rights. "Welcome to Leith" is a documentary chronicling the attempted takeover of Leith, North Dakota by white supremacist Craig Cobb. The film uses a western-thriller style to describe the story of the Leith community's fight to remove Cobb from the community. It premiered at 2015 Sundance Film Festival and was screened at the SXSW Film Festival and Nashville Film Festival, among others. "Films like 'Welcome to Leith' are few and far between: a carefully crafted, timely and highly provocative documentary with a story that's so hard to believe that you need to see it with your own eyes,...
- 6/22/2015
- by Kaeli Van Cott
- Indiewire
Kennedy Brice, Casper Van Dien (pictured) and Victoria Pratt star in the sci-fi thriller.
L Gustavo Cooper directed June from a screenplay he co-wrote with Sharon Y Cobb about June a nine-year-old orphan girl who shares her body with an ancient supernatural being whose mission is to destroy mankind.
When June is adopted by a loving family, she must battle with the being to save her new parents and herself.
Cooper produced with James Fler, Jacquelyn Frisco, Gregor Habsburg, Andrew Thomas Hunt, Michael Paszt and Duane A Sikes.
Michelle Czernin von Chudenitz and Jessica Kill served as executive producers.
Mark Ward, chief acquisition officer at Image owner Rlj Entertainment, brokered the deal with Raven Banner’s Paszt and Fler on behalf of the filmmakers.
In other news, First Run Features has picked up North America from Submarine Entertainment to Welcome To Leith. Michael Beach Nichols and Christopher K. Walker directed the documentary about townspeople in North Dakota...
L Gustavo Cooper directed June from a screenplay he co-wrote with Sharon Y Cobb about June a nine-year-old orphan girl who shares her body with an ancient supernatural being whose mission is to destroy mankind.
When June is adopted by a loving family, she must battle with the being to save her new parents and herself.
Cooper produced with James Fler, Jacquelyn Frisco, Gregor Habsburg, Andrew Thomas Hunt, Michael Paszt and Duane A Sikes.
Michelle Czernin von Chudenitz and Jessica Kill served as executive producers.
Mark Ward, chief acquisition officer at Image owner Rlj Entertainment, brokered the deal with Raven Banner’s Paszt and Fler on behalf of the filmmakers.
In other news, First Run Features has picked up North America from Submarine Entertainment to Welcome To Leith. Michael Beach Nichols and Christopher K. Walker directed the documentary about townspeople in North Dakota...
- 6/19/2015
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Neil Armfield.s Holding the Man, Simon Stone.s The Daughter, Jeremy Sims. Last Cab to Darwin and Jen Peedom.s feature doc Sherpa will have their world premieres at the Sydney Film Festival.
The festival program unveiled today includes 33 world premieres (including 22 shorts) and 135 Australian premieres (with 18 shorts) among 251 titles from 68 countries.
Among the other premieres will be Daina Reid.s The Secret River, Ruby Entertainment's. ABC-tv miniseries starring Oliver Jackson Cohen and Sarah Snook, and three Oz docs, Marc Eberle.s The Cambodian Space Project — Not Easy Rock .n. Roll, Steve Thomas. Freedom Stories and Lisa Nicol.s Wide Open Sky.
Festival director Nashen Moodley boasted. this year.s event will be far larger than 2014's when 183 films from 47 countries were screened, including 15 world premieres. The expansion is possible in part due to the addition of two new screening venues in Newtown and Liverpool.
As previously announced, Brendan Cowell...
The festival program unveiled today includes 33 world premieres (including 22 shorts) and 135 Australian premieres (with 18 shorts) among 251 titles from 68 countries.
Among the other premieres will be Daina Reid.s The Secret River, Ruby Entertainment's. ABC-tv miniseries starring Oliver Jackson Cohen and Sarah Snook, and three Oz docs, Marc Eberle.s The Cambodian Space Project — Not Easy Rock .n. Roll, Steve Thomas. Freedom Stories and Lisa Nicol.s Wide Open Sky.
Festival director Nashen Moodley boasted. this year.s event will be far larger than 2014's when 183 films from 47 countries were screened, including 15 world premieres. The expansion is possible in part due to the addition of two new screening venues in Newtown and Liverpool.
As previously announced, Brendan Cowell...
- 5/6/2015
- by Don Groves
- IF.com.au
Think Drive-in sans automobile. Think film festival that isn’t over with the blink of an eye. We’ve mentioned just how important a role it has in supporting works in progress from the participating Ifp’s Independent Filmmaker Lab folks, but it’s also a indie film love-in destination for some of the more innovative items found on the film fest circuit. Brooklynites and visiting cinephiles have several reasons to rejoice as the Rooftop Films folks have unveiled their 2015 Summer Series program and they’ll be serving up a must see plate of indie, docu and shorts.
Among the more tantalizing offerings, Sundance is well repped with Tangerine, The Wolfpack and Finders Keepers and SXSW menu offerings are found in Trey Shults’ Krisha award-winner and in Bob Byington’s 7 Chinese Brothers, which technically opens the 19th edition on May 30th. Here is the list of feature film offerings (dates...
Among the more tantalizing offerings, Sundance is well repped with Tangerine, The Wolfpack and Finders Keepers and SXSW menu offerings are found in Trey Shults’ Krisha award-winner and in Bob Byington’s 7 Chinese Brothers, which technically opens the 19th edition on May 30th. Here is the list of feature film offerings (dates...
- 5/5/2015
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
Sundance preemed docs Matthew Heineman’s Cartel Land and Michael Beach Nichols & Christopher K. Walker’s Welcome to Leith are going up against Sebastian Silva’s Nasty Baby, Nathan Silver’s Stinking Heaven, Gren Wells’ The Road Within and Andrew Renzi’s Franny in the competition section of the 4th Champs-Élysées Film Festival. Conveniently taking place after a break from Cannes (06.10-06.16) the fest along with American Film Festival, Wroclaw, Poland host the U.S in Progress program, the three-day workshop which basically plays hosts to five American indie films in post-production and gets them before Euro distribution, buyer and producer eyes.
A mix of new and old films, the fest will open with Cannes Film Fest Main Comp entry Guillaume Nicloux’s Valley of Love., and special guests include William Friedkin and the Safdie brothers will have a retrospective of their work with a carte blanche. Look for the U.
A mix of new and old films, the fest will open with Cannes Film Fest Main Comp entry Guillaume Nicloux’s Valley of Love., and special guests include William Friedkin and the Safdie brothers will have a retrospective of their work with a carte blanche. Look for the U.
- 5/1/2015
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
David Gordon Green returns to his alma mater to present Manglehorn; local newcomers impress with Homeless feature.Scroll down for full list of winners
RiverRun International Film Festival in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, wrapped last night with Shawkat Amin Korki’s Memories on Stone winning best narrative feature and Hao Zhou’s The Chinese Mayor winning best documentary feature.
In the audience awards, best of the fest went to honoree Stanley Nelson’s The Black Panthers: Vanguard Of The Revolution; best narrative feature went to Anywhere Else by Ester Amrami; best documentary feature went to Marc Silver’s 3 ½ Minutes and best indie was Proud Citizen by Thomas Southerland.
The festival presented 165 films in total in its 17th annual edition; more filmmakers than ever before attended the event.
“Films showcased at our festival this year reflected diverse stories from around the world, immense talent from directors, many trained in Winston-Salem, and a host of passionate projects that are jewels...
RiverRun International Film Festival in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, wrapped last night with Shawkat Amin Korki’s Memories on Stone winning best narrative feature and Hao Zhou’s The Chinese Mayor winning best documentary feature.
In the audience awards, best of the fest went to honoree Stanley Nelson’s The Black Panthers: Vanguard Of The Revolution; best narrative feature went to Anywhere Else by Ester Amrami; best documentary feature went to Marc Silver’s 3 ½ Minutes and best indie was Proud Citizen by Thomas Southerland.
The festival presented 165 films in total in its 17th annual edition; more filmmakers than ever before attended the event.
“Films showcased at our festival this year reflected diverse stories from around the world, immense talent from directors, many trained in Winston-Salem, and a host of passionate projects that are jewels...
- 4/27/2015
- by wendy.mitchell@screendaily.com (Wendy Mitchell)
- ScreenDaily
Welcome To Leith (2015) Film Review from the 37th Annual Sundance Film Festival, a movie directed by Michael Beach Nichols and Christopher K. Walker. Given that not a single soul has attempted to do just what this film’s main subject did for the first time in modern times, it’s safe to say [...]
Continue reading: Film Review: Welcome To Leith: Hellish, Neo-Nazi Provocation [Sff 2015]...
Continue reading: Film Review: Welcome To Leith: Hellish, Neo-Nazi Provocation [Sff 2015]...
- 4/21/2015
- by Drew Stelter
- Film-Book
Welcome to Leith
Written and directed by Michael Beach Nichols and Christopher K. Walker
USA, 2015
The story at the center of Welcome to Leith is so surreal that it’s hard to believe you’re watching a documentary. When Craig Cobb first moved to the minuscule town of Leith, North Dakota – population 24 – residents thought he was just an unassuming old man who enjoyed his privacy. In reality, he was a neo-Nazi planning to buy up parcels of land and turn the town into a refuge for white supremacists. Welcome to Leith packages this strange tale in the form of a riveting war film, with the Leith residents battling against Cobb in an attempt to retake their formerly serene hamlet.
The film shuffles through an expansive cast of fascinating characters. First, there is the mayor of Leith, Ryan Schock, a no-nonsense cattle wrangler who works to keep the hostility between Cobb and the residents under control,...
Written and directed by Michael Beach Nichols and Christopher K. Walker
USA, 2015
The story at the center of Welcome to Leith is so surreal that it’s hard to believe you’re watching a documentary. When Craig Cobb first moved to the minuscule town of Leith, North Dakota – population 24 – residents thought he was just an unassuming old man who enjoyed his privacy. In reality, he was a neo-Nazi planning to buy up parcels of land and turn the town into a refuge for white supremacists. Welcome to Leith packages this strange tale in the form of a riveting war film, with the Leith residents battling against Cobb in an attempt to retake their formerly serene hamlet.
The film shuffles through an expansive cast of fascinating characters. First, there is the mayor of Leith, Ryan Schock, a no-nonsense cattle wrangler who works to keep the hostility between Cobb and the residents under control,...
- 3/18/2015
- by Jacob Carter
- SoundOnSight
Exclusive: Deals with Wild Bunch, Memento, Submarine include doc The Seventh Fire, presented by Terrence Malick.
UK distributor Metrodome has finalised deals on five titles out of the European Film Market (Efm) (Feb 5-13) in Berlin, including well-received Berlinale Special documentary The Seventh Fire and Lucile Hadzihalilovic’s drama Evolution from Wild Bunch.
Jack Pettibone Riccobono’s documentary The Seventh Fire, about the unseen world of Native American criminal gangs, is executive produced by Natalie Portman and Chris Eyre, and presented by Terrence Malick.
The deal was negotiated between Metrodome’s TV and new media manager Ella Field and Wide House’s Anais Clanet with Metrodome planning a theatrical release in late 2015.
Interview: Jack Pettibone Riccobono (dir), Shane Slattery-Quintanilla (pro)
From Wild Bunch, Metrodome inked a deal for Lucile Hadzihalilovic’s (Innocence) follow-up fantasy horror Evolution, which stars Max Brebant and Roxane Duran.
Evolution charts the story of a quiet seaside village where boys are forced to undergo...
UK distributor Metrodome has finalised deals on five titles out of the European Film Market (Efm) (Feb 5-13) in Berlin, including well-received Berlinale Special documentary The Seventh Fire and Lucile Hadzihalilovic’s drama Evolution from Wild Bunch.
Jack Pettibone Riccobono’s documentary The Seventh Fire, about the unseen world of Native American criminal gangs, is executive produced by Natalie Portman and Chris Eyre, and presented by Terrence Malick.
The deal was negotiated between Metrodome’s TV and new media manager Ella Field and Wide House’s Anais Clanet with Metrodome planning a theatrical release in late 2015.
Interview: Jack Pettibone Riccobono (dir), Shane Slattery-Quintanilla (pro)
From Wild Bunch, Metrodome inked a deal for Lucile Hadzihalilovic’s (Innocence) follow-up fantasy horror Evolution, which stars Max Brebant and Roxane Duran.
Evolution charts the story of a quiet seaside village where boys are forced to undergo...
- 2/27/2015
- by andreas.wiseman@screendaily.com (Andreas Wiseman)
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Deals with Wild Bunch, Memento, Submarine include doc The Seventh Fire, presented by Terrence Malick.
UK distributor Metrodome has finalised deals on five titles out of the European Film Market (Efm) (Feb 5-13) in Berlin, including well-received Berlinale Special documentary The Seventh Fire and Lucile Hadzihalilovic’s drama Evolution from Wild Bunch.
Jack Pettibone Riccobono’s documentary The Seventh Fire, about the unseen world of Native American criminal gangs, is executive produced by Natalie Portman and Chris Eyre, and presented by Terrence Malick.
The deal was negotiated between Metrodome’s head of acquisitions Giles Edwards and Wide House’s Anais Clanet with Metrodome planning a theatrical release in late 2015.
Interview: Jack Pettibone Riccobono (dir), Shane Slattery-Quintanilla (pro)
From Wild Bunch, Metrodome inked a deal for Lucile Hadzihalilovic’s (Innocence) follow-up fantasy horror Evolution, which stars Max Brebant and Roxane Duran.
Evolution charts the story of a quiet seaside village where boys are forced to undergo strange...
UK distributor Metrodome has finalised deals on five titles out of the European Film Market (Efm) (Feb 5-13) in Berlin, including well-received Berlinale Special documentary The Seventh Fire and Lucile Hadzihalilovic’s drama Evolution from Wild Bunch.
Jack Pettibone Riccobono’s documentary The Seventh Fire, about the unseen world of Native American criminal gangs, is executive produced by Natalie Portman and Chris Eyre, and presented by Terrence Malick.
The deal was negotiated between Metrodome’s head of acquisitions Giles Edwards and Wide House’s Anais Clanet with Metrodome planning a theatrical release in late 2015.
Interview: Jack Pettibone Riccobono (dir), Shane Slattery-Quintanilla (pro)
From Wild Bunch, Metrodome inked a deal for Lucile Hadzihalilovic’s (Innocence) follow-up fantasy horror Evolution, which stars Max Brebant and Roxane Duran.
Evolution charts the story of a quiet seaside village where boys are forced to undergo strange...
- 2/27/2015
- by andreas.wiseman@screendaily.com (Andreas Wiseman)
- ScreenDaily
Amy Schumer and Bill Hader in TrainwreckPhoto: Universal Pictures With Sundance just wrapping up and Berlin starting up in a few days, we are now immersed in the year-long barrage of film festivals. One such festival in South By Southwest. A few weeks back they announced the first seven films of their program, including the opening night film Brand: A Second Coming. Today, they have revealed the rest of the features to be shown in March (except for the midnight program), and some of it has me very excited. The bigger titles announced do not do much for me. Paul Feig's Spy, starring Melissa McCarthy, and the Will Ferrell/Kevin Hart starrer Get Hard leave a lot to be desired in terms of anticipation, as does a work in progress cut of Judd Apatow's latest film Trainwreck. I'm guessing an Apatow work in progress is probably around three and a half hours.
- 2/3/2015
- by Mike Shutt
- Rope of Silicon
In 2012, longtime white supremacist leader Craig Cobb bought a property in Leith, North Dakota, a minuscule town that at the time counted 24 people as its population. That ominous development provides the starting point for "Welcome to Leith," directors Michael Beach Nichols and Christopher K. Walker's fascinating portrait of bigotry incarnate. The filmmakers deliver an up-close look at recurring showdowns between infuriated locals and the disturbing figure of Cobb, along with the various likeminded forces who sprang up to support him. Filled with gripping showdowns and sinister agendas, the movie builds its unsettling power by depicting the struggle from both perspectives. While the delineation between good and evil holds strong, "Welcome to Leith" is also creepily even-handed. The town's ramshackle appearance — "b-roll from 'The Walking Dead,'" as one journalist puts it — lends itself to the disturbing proceedings at hand. The vacant streets...
- 1/30/2015
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
Tiny Leith, North Dakota looks as if it would make a fine setting for a horror film. Grossly underpopulated and generously dotted with crumbling abandoned buildings, there are plenty of places to hide in the town with no one ever being the wiser. But that’s not what happens in Michael Beach Nichols and Christopher K. Walker’s terrifying and insightful “Welcome to Leith.” The Kickstarter-funded documentary chronicles an unsettling and hopefully brief chapter in Leith's history, when for a few months in 2012 and 2013 white supremacist Craig Cobb made it his goal to take over the entire town and turn it into a haven for his ideological kin. With a population of only twenty-four people (including kids), his idea, while scary and weird and horrible, was achievable, and that possibility is what makes “Welcome to Leith” sharply upsetting. In late 2012, Cobb, who is considered “one of the top ten white...
- 1/28/2015
- by Kate Erbland
- The Playlist
Documentary has a rich history of films by filmmakers who must honestly engage subjects with odious views. Directors Michael Beach Nichols and Christopher Walker stumbled across one such fellow in Craig Cobb, a white supremacist with a devious and possibly quite legal plan to produce a white power enclave in the American heartland. Premiering at Sundance in the Documentary Competition, their Welcome to Leith chronicles the story of the town of Leith against Cobb but also, implicitly, their own story of engaging their subject — who says he’s available for Skype interviews after the premiere. Welcome to Leith premieres Monday, […]...
- 1/26/2015
- by Scott Macaulay
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Documentary has a rich history of films by filmmakers who must honestly engage subjects with odious views. Directors Michael Beach Nichols and Christopher Walker stumbled across one such fellow in Craig Cobb, a white supremacist with a devious and possibly quite legal plan to produce a white power enclave in the American heartland. Premiering at Sundance in the Documentary Competition, their Welcome to Leith chronicles the story of the town of Leith against Cobb but also, implicitly, their own story of engaging their subject — who says he’s available for Skype interviews after the premiere. Welcome to Leith premieres Monday, […]...
- 1/26/2015
- by Scott Macaulay
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
Sundance Exclusive: Get To Know Your Neighbors In Poster And Clip For Documentary 'Welcome To Leith'
In light of discussion swirling around diversity at the Oscars and the deaths of Eric Garner, Michael Brown and Trayvon Martin still lingering in the national memory, race is very much a lightning rod. Should you believe extremist thought and behavior is waning, the upcoming documentary "Welcome To Leith" tells a particularly unsettling story of hate. Today we have an exclusive poster and a clip from the film premiering at the Sundance Film Festival. Directors Michael Beach Nichols and Christopher K. Walker turn their camera toward Leith, North Dakota where in the fall of 2012, one Craig Cobb moved into a tiny town with grand plans to buy up plots of land, take over the local government and establish a white supremacist haven. Joining him was follower Kynan Dutton, and as you'll see in the scene below, from his facial hair to the plethora of flags on his front lawn, he...
- 1/20/2015
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
Chicago – This Thursday marks the beginning of the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, and yours truly will be in attendance to cover the fest for HollywoodChicago.com. Last year, the Park City, Utah event introduced the world to its 2014-defining sensations like “Whiplash” and “Boyhood”.
Those titles followed in the paths of indie landmarks such as “sex, lies and videotape,” “Clerks,” “Hoop Dreams,” “American Movie,” “Memento,” “Frozen River,” “Winter’s Bone,” and “Fruitvale Station,” among many others.
In pursuit of new favorite films for a new year, I’ve composed a relatively solid schedule so that I can devour as much diverse Sundance goodness as possible. Narratives, documentaries, white supremacists, nasty babies, Neil Hamburger, Chiwetel Ejiofor, stolen cop cars, and much, much more are all in play. But with hopes that everything I witness is the next “Boyhood”-like zeitgeist, I’ll be sure to report back here on what’s worth,...
Those titles followed in the paths of indie landmarks such as “sex, lies and videotape,” “Clerks,” “Hoop Dreams,” “American Movie,” “Memento,” “Frozen River,” “Winter’s Bone,” and “Fruitvale Station,” among many others.
In pursuit of new favorite films for a new year, I’ve composed a relatively solid schedule so that I can devour as much diverse Sundance goodness as possible. Narratives, documentaries, white supremacists, nasty babies, Neil Hamburger, Chiwetel Ejiofor, stolen cop cars, and much, much more are all in play. But with hopes that everything I witness is the next “Boyhood”-like zeitgeist, I’ll be sure to report back here on what’s worth,...
- 1/19/2015
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Meet the 2015 Sundance Filmmakers #9: 'Welcome to Leith' Directors Tackle Extremism in Rural America
With their latest film, filmmakers Michael Beach Nichols and Christopher K. Walker venture outside the urban milieu of New York and travel deep into the Midwest. It's a challenge in terms of subject matter, but also, at the same time, not much of a surprise that they would choose to explore rural life in the United States given their oblique fascination with the mountain man aesthetic, as seen in "Delivery," the 10-minute short they produced last year about a middle-aged Brooklyn pizza delivery man who looks an awful lot like Paul Bunyan. What's your film about in 140 characters or less?A notorious white supremacist attempts to take over a town of 24 people in North Dakota. Now what's it really about? The film is ultimately a Western standoff that begs the question: how does an isolated community respond to a version of extremism protected by the law? Tell us briefly about yourself.
- 1/14/2015
- by Shipra Gupta
- Indiewire
The holidays are winding down and that means we at Ioncinema.com are gearing up for our annual pilgrimage to Park City where an A-list of documentaries is now set to premiere. Earlier this month Tabitha Jackson and the Sundance doc programming team let the cats out of the bag, unsurprisingly announcing much anticipated Us Doc Competition titles such as the Ross Brothers’ Western, Louie Psihoyos’ Racing Extinction, Marc Silver’s 3 1/2 Minutes and Lyric Cabral and David Felix Sutcliffe’s (T)Error, along with some surprises like Bryan Carberry and Clay Tweel’s bizarro Kickstarted doc Finders Keepers (see trailer below). Having been produced by the fine folks behind The King of Kong and Undefeated, the film bears all the markings of its well regarded pedigree, yet appears to be of even odder ilk, following the story that unfolded when a severed human foot was discovered in a grill bought at a North Carolina auction.
- 12/30/2014
- by Jordan M. Smith
- IONCINEMA.com
Announcements for the lineup for the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, taking place between January 22nd and February 1st, are starting to roll out. Watch this page for updates as more films and sections are revealed.
Premieres
Brooklyn (John Crowley, UK)
Digging for Fire (Joe Swanberg, USA)
Don Verdean (Jared Hess, USA)
End of the Tour (James Ponsoldt, USA)
Experimenter (Michael Almereyda, USA)
Grandma (Paul Weitz, USA)
I Am Michael (Justin Kelly, USA)
I'll See You In My Dreams (Brett Haley, USA)
Last Days in the Desert (Rodrigo Garcia, USA)
Lila & Eve (Charles Stone III, USA)
Mississipi Grind (Ryan Fleck & Anna Boden, USA)
Mistress America (Noah Baumbach, USA)
Seoul Searching (Benson Lee, USA/Korea)
Sleeping with Other People (Leslye Headland, USA)
Ten Thousand Saints (Robert Pulcini & Shari Springer Berman, USA)
True Story (Rupert Goold, USA)
A Walk in the Woods (Ken Kwapis, USA)
Zipper (Mora Stephens, USA)
Documentary Premieres
Beaver Trilogy Part IV (Brad Besser,...
Premieres
Brooklyn (John Crowley, UK)
Digging for Fire (Joe Swanberg, USA)
Don Verdean (Jared Hess, USA)
End of the Tour (James Ponsoldt, USA)
Experimenter (Michael Almereyda, USA)
Grandma (Paul Weitz, USA)
I Am Michael (Justin Kelly, USA)
I'll See You In My Dreams (Brett Haley, USA)
Last Days in the Desert (Rodrigo Garcia, USA)
Lila & Eve (Charles Stone III, USA)
Mississipi Grind (Ryan Fleck & Anna Boden, USA)
Mistress America (Noah Baumbach, USA)
Seoul Searching (Benson Lee, USA/Korea)
Sleeping with Other People (Leslye Headland, USA)
Ten Thousand Saints (Robert Pulcini & Shari Springer Berman, USA)
True Story (Rupert Goold, USA)
A Walk in the Woods (Ken Kwapis, USA)
Zipper (Mora Stephens, USA)
Documentary Premieres
Beaver Trilogy Part IV (Brad Besser,...
- 12/16/2014
- by Notebook
- MUBI
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.