Exclusive: With the NBA’s 75th season underway, Mike Tollin — who helped produce last year’s Michael Jordan docuseries The Last Dance — has found another basketball legend whose story he’s looking to tell. Tollin’s Msm is planning a new documentary on the life of George Gervin, aka “The Iceman,” who was just named to the NBA’s 75th anniversary team. The film will showcase Gervin’s influence on the game that can still be seen at all levels throughout the world.
Currently in production, the untitled project will be directed by One9 and produced by Msm, alongside Keith Stone’s GameAbove Entertainment and its subsidiary Front Runner Films. The documentary will be produced by Msm’s Mason Gordon with Tollin executive producing, alongside two longtime executives: Charles Rosenzweig of the NBA and Mark Thomashow, formerly of Nike advertising.
“It’s a true honor and pleasure to direct a...
Currently in production, the untitled project will be directed by One9 and produced by Msm, alongside Keith Stone’s GameAbove Entertainment and its subsidiary Front Runner Films. The documentary will be produced by Msm’s Mason Gordon with Tollin executive producing, alongside two longtime executives: Charles Rosenzweig of the NBA and Mark Thomashow, formerly of Nike advertising.
“It’s a true honor and pleasure to direct a...
- 11/17/2021
- by Justin Kroll
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: A feature documentary about legendary media figure Dan Rather is in the works.
Original Productions, the Fremantle-owned producer of shows such as Deadliest Catch, has teamed up with Knock Down The House producer Wavelength, Anchor Entertainment and The Kennedy/Marshall Company on the project.
The doc, which is directed by One9, director of Nas: Time Is Illmatic, and Jessica Sherif, who worked on Dan Rather Reports, will take a close and personal look into Rather’s 60-year career and offer unrestricted access into his journey of becoming one of journalism’s most emphatic forces.
The feature will examine the evolution of American journalism through the personal lens of Rather, who was a witness to the birth of the civil rights movement, Watergate, and the current social upheaval, where he has become a star with millennials. Rather has opened up his personal archives to the filmmakers.
One9, who also produced L.
Original Productions, the Fremantle-owned producer of shows such as Deadliest Catch, has teamed up with Knock Down The House producer Wavelength, Anchor Entertainment and The Kennedy/Marshall Company on the project.
The doc, which is directed by One9, director of Nas: Time Is Illmatic, and Jessica Sherif, who worked on Dan Rather Reports, will take a close and personal look into Rather’s 60-year career and offer unrestricted access into his journey of becoming one of journalism’s most emphatic forces.
The feature will examine the evolution of American journalism through the personal lens of Rather, who was a witness to the birth of the civil rights movement, Watergate, and the current social upheaval, where he has become a star with millennials. Rather has opened up his personal archives to the filmmakers.
One9, who also produced L.
- 4/8/2021
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
There’s no question that Rodney King was brutally beaten by Los Angeles Police Department officers – video taken of the savage act proves it. Yet the four men seen clubbing King were acquitted by a Simi Valley jury in 1992, lighting a match for one of the deadliest and costliest civil unrests in U.S. history.
Read More: How Spike Lee, John Singleton and John Ridley Left Their Marks on the 25th Anniversary of the Los Angeles Riots
It’s 25 years later, and Los Angeles – and the Lapd – have changed. But has the rest of the country? Regular reports of police brutality, now well-documented in an age of phone cameras, makes it clear that we haven’t come all that far. Several new documentaries explore the L.A. riots, including the underlying reasons, the actual events, what happened next, and how it relates to today. Among the filmmakers putting their own...
Read More: How Spike Lee, John Singleton and John Ridley Left Their Marks on the 25th Anniversary of the Los Angeles Riots
It’s 25 years later, and Los Angeles – and the Lapd – have changed. But has the rest of the country? Regular reports of police brutality, now well-documented in an age of phone cameras, makes it clear that we haven’t come all that far. Several new documentaries explore the L.A. riots, including the underlying reasons, the actual events, what happened next, and how it relates to today. Among the filmmakers putting their own...
- 4/22/2017
- by Ben Travers, Hanh Nguyen, Liz Shannon Miller, Michael Schneider and Steve Greene
- Indiewire
This year, the April 29 anniversary of the Rodney King riots became a recognized event on the programming calendar. Over the next week, networks are releasing a half-dozen nonfiction narratives to commemorate the 25 years since the Los Angeles uprising, including three from some of our most compelling African-American filmmakers: Spike Lee, John Singleton, and John Ridley.
“Black directors have different viewpoints,” said Lee, who directed writer-actor Roger Guenveur Smith’s one-man show “Rodney King” for Netflix. “We don’t see the world all the same.”
Read More: L.A. Riots 25th Anniversary Documentaries, Ranked: Which Ones Best Explain the Unrest Now
Ridley and Singleton took a more traditional path to the material, digging into period video archives and interviewing many of the people directly involved in the riots that yielded 55 lives lost, 1,100 buildings destroyed by fire, and some $1 billion in property damage.
Lee came at the subject from another direction. Smith has...
“Black directors have different viewpoints,” said Lee, who directed writer-actor Roger Guenveur Smith’s one-man show “Rodney King” for Netflix. “We don’t see the world all the same.”
Read More: L.A. Riots 25th Anniversary Documentaries, Ranked: Which Ones Best Explain the Unrest Now
Ridley and Singleton took a more traditional path to the material, digging into period video archives and interviewing many of the people directly involved in the riots that yielded 55 lives lost, 1,100 buildings destroyed by fire, and some $1 billion in property damage.
Lee came at the subject from another direction. Smith has...
- 4/21/2017
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
This year, the April 29 anniversary of the Rodney King riots became a recognized event on the programming calendar. Over the next week, networks are releasing a half-dozen nonfiction narratives to commemorate the 25 years since the Los Angeles uprising, including three from some of our most compelling African-American filmmakers: Spike Lee, John Singleton, and John Ridley.
“Black directors have different viewpoints,” said Lee, who directed writer-actor Roger Guenveur Smith’s one-man show “Rodney King” for Netflix. “We don’t see the world all the same.”
Ridley and Singleton took a more traditional path to the material, digging into period video archives and interviewing many of the people directly involved in the riots that yielded 55 lives lost, 1,100 buildings destroyed by fire, and some $1 billion in property damage.
Lee came at the subject from another direction. Smith has performed “Rodney King” for four years in small venues and when “Rodney King” hits Netflix on April 28 in 190 countries,...
“Black directors have different viewpoints,” said Lee, who directed writer-actor Roger Guenveur Smith’s one-man show “Rodney King” for Netflix. “We don’t see the world all the same.”
Ridley and Singleton took a more traditional path to the material, digging into period video archives and interviewing many of the people directly involved in the riots that yielded 55 lives lost, 1,100 buildings destroyed by fire, and some $1 billion in property damage.
Lee came at the subject from another direction. Smith has performed “Rodney King” for four years in small venues and when “Rodney King” hits Netflix on April 28 in 190 countries,...
- 4/21/2017
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
★★★☆☆In the attempt to present a life on film, there will always be parts that are left out. The camera cannot capture every minute detail of a person’s life, and that’s an understanding audiences will usually approach with. Where biopics may attempt to cram in all the information necessary, documentaries rarely try; they aim to capture real life without truncating events to fit a neat runtime, but rather honing in a moment and building a story out from there. The documentary as celebration of a milestone means that the viewer can reminisce and engage with the subject in a contemplative and intrigued manner. This is exactly where we are put with director One9’s Nas: Time Is Illmatic (2014).
- 12/15/2014
- by CineVue UK
- CineVue
Cph:dox has broken its own audience record for the 12th consecutive year.
This year’s tally was 83,900 visitors, up 20% from 70,100 last year. Of those, 3,586 were online views.
There were 1,356 delegate industry visitors.
Tine Fischer, festival director at Cph:dox, said: “Cph:dox has both audience- and industry-wise experienced an outstanding year. We are extremely happy, but hands down the most important thing that has happened this year without comparison, is that the festival has really taken the documentary into an active social and political space with its new project Megatrends. The project is not limited to journalistic criticism and analysis, but puts more focus on how we can get an active dialogue going on some of the most important global issues and challenges. The interaction, innovation and strengthening of an active democratic dialogue have been the objectives and we think it has had a flying start. The project is intended as a recurring initiative and we are looking forward...
This year’s tally was 83,900 visitors, up 20% from 70,100 last year. Of those, 3,586 were online views.
There were 1,356 delegate industry visitors.
Tine Fischer, festival director at Cph:dox, said: “Cph:dox has both audience- and industry-wise experienced an outstanding year. We are extremely happy, but hands down the most important thing that has happened this year without comparison, is that the festival has really taken the documentary into an active social and political space with its new project Megatrends. The project is not limited to journalistic criticism and analysis, but puts more focus on how we can get an active dialogue going on some of the most important global issues and challenges. The interaction, innovation and strengthening of an active democratic dialogue have been the objectives and we think it has had a flying start. The project is intended as a recurring initiative and we are looking forward...
- 11/25/2014
- by wendy.mitchell@screendaily.com (Wendy Mitchell)
- ScreenDaily
The rapper is touring with a documentary about the making of his famous debut.
Twenty years after the release of Nas' classic debut, Illmatic -- widely considered one of the best and most influential rap albums ever made -- the rapper is making a victory lap tour with shows that are half movie premiere, half concert.
Directed by One9 and written by Erik Parker, the documentary Nas: Time is Illmatic is more than a look back at a famous moment in music -- it's a heartfelt look into Nasir Jones' family and New York City in the late 1980s.
Flashback: See 19-Year-Old Kanye West Freestyle Rap
A young, lyrical genius from Queensbridge, in 1994 Nas made an album filled with rage and longing for a better life, chronicling the conflicting emotions felt by a community rife with poverty, drugs and crime in the city's housing projects. Nas' rhymes didn't only paint a vivid picture of what...
Twenty years after the release of Nas' classic debut, Illmatic -- widely considered one of the best and most influential rap albums ever made -- the rapper is making a victory lap tour with shows that are half movie premiere, half concert.
Directed by One9 and written by Erik Parker, the documentary Nas: Time is Illmatic is more than a look back at a famous moment in music -- it's a heartfelt look into Nasir Jones' family and New York City in the late 1980s.
Flashback: See 19-Year-Old Kanye West Freestyle Rap
A young, lyrical genius from Queensbridge, in 1994 Nas made an album filled with rage and longing for a better life, chronicling the conflicting emotions felt by a community rife with poverty, drugs and crime in the city's housing projects. Nas' rhymes didn't only paint a vivid picture of what...
- 10/21/2014
- Entertainment Tonight
The festival’s 25th edition will feature a contribution from Ai Weiwei and competition titles including Whiplash, Nightcrawler and Foxcatcher.
The Stockholm International Film Festival (Nov 5-16) is to present its Achievement Award to Us actress Uma Thurman.
The Kill Bill star will will visit Stockholm to receive the prestigious Bronze Horse and meet the audience during an exclusive “Face2Face”.
Thurman will also take part in the inauguration ceremony, which will include the unveiling of an ice sculpture by Chinese artist Ai Weiwei.
Weiwei was a Stockholm jury member last year but since he wasn’t allowed to leave China, he sent an empty chair named ”The Chair for Non-attendance” as symbol of his absence.
He is still not allowed to leave China so will send a design that will be portrayed in the form of a large ice sculpture symbolising this years’ Spotlight theme - Hope.
Brazil
The festival will focus this year on Brazil...
The Stockholm International Film Festival (Nov 5-16) is to present its Achievement Award to Us actress Uma Thurman.
The Kill Bill star will will visit Stockholm to receive the prestigious Bronze Horse and meet the audience during an exclusive “Face2Face”.
Thurman will also take part in the inauguration ceremony, which will include the unveiling of an ice sculpture by Chinese artist Ai Weiwei.
Weiwei was a Stockholm jury member last year but since he wasn’t allowed to leave China, he sent an empty chair named ”The Chair for Non-attendance” as symbol of his absence.
He is still not allowed to leave China so will send a design that will be portrayed in the form of a large ice sculpture symbolising this years’ Spotlight theme - Hope.
Brazil
The festival will focus this year on Brazil...
- 10/16/2014
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Jump ahead two decades and here One9 is making a documentary about one of the most influential rappers in the genre’s history. Time is Illmatic explores how the visionary album came to fruition, and more importantly, what inspired the man behind the mic to create it. Making his directorial debut, One9 was eager to discuss his experiences going back to Queensbridge with Nas, the enduring power of Illmatic as a profound snapshot of a battered society and why his film is a response to the recurring nightmare that is Ferguson.
- 10/6/2014
- Fandor: Keyframe
Jump ahead two decades and here One9 is making a documentary about one of the most influential rappers in the genre’s history. Time is Illmatic explores how the visionary album came to fruition, and more importantly, what inspired the man behind the mic to create it. Making his directorial debut, One9 was eager to discuss his experiences going back to Queensbridge with Nas, the enduring power of Illmatic as a profound snapshot of a battered society and why his film is a response to the recurring nightmare that is Ferguson.
- 10/6/2014
- Keyframe
“Life’s a bitch and then you die,” rapper Nasir Jones spit on Illmatic, his groundbreaking 1994 debut album. A grim, cynical statement, Nas was simply following the tradition of hip-hop—reflecting your environment back to the audience. As Chuck D of Public Enemy once said, rap music was the “CNN for black people.” And so with Illmatic, Nas’ now-landmark record, the rapper changed the game, broadcasting his pains, frustrations, ugly truths and hardships to a nation of listeners through a filter of lyrically dense, angry, blunt rhymes and jazz-inflected boom-bap beats. “It was real. He spoke the truth,” Alicia Keys says in a new documentary, seemingly still taken aback by Nas’ unflinching approach. Directed by multimedia artist One9, written by Erik Parker and produced by One9, Parker, and Anthony Saleh, “Nas: Time Is Illmatic” is a look back on the now-cherished, seminal hip-hop record, but also focuses deeply on of the environment that created it.
- 10/3/2014
- by Rodrigo Perez
- The Playlist
Excitement was mounting at New York City's Museum of Modern Art on Tuesday night, as celebrities took a trip down the red carpet and memory lane with the premiere of Time Is Illmatic, the Nas documentary from One9 and Erik Parker. "I actually have a tingling sensation, it's kind of weird." Today's Tamron Hall told The Hollywood Reporter. "I truly see this as a work of art. His creative process, what he delivered, what he continues to deliver. It's almost as if you want to talk into this cave of artistry and just be wrapped around it." The film,
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- 10/1/2014
- by Ted Simmons
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Fury (David Ayer)
[via the BFI]
The programme for the 58th BFI London Film Festival launched today, with Festival Director Clare Stewart presenting this year’s rich and diverse selection of films and events. The lineup includes highly anticipated fall titles including David Ayer’s Fury, Bennett Miller’s Foxcatcher, the Sundance smash Whiplash, Jean-Luc Godard’s Goodbye to Language 3D, The Imitation Game starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Mike Leigh’s Mr. Turner, Jason Reitman’s Men, Women and Children and Jean-Marc Vallee’s Wild.
As Britain’s leading film event and one of the world’s oldest film festivals, it introduces the finest new British and international films to an expanding London and UK-wide audience, offering a compelling combination of red carpet glamour, engaged audiences and vibrant exchange. The Festival provides an essential profiling opportunity for films seeking global success at the start of the Awards season, promotes the careers of British and...
[via the BFI]
The programme for the 58th BFI London Film Festival launched today, with Festival Director Clare Stewart presenting this year’s rich and diverse selection of films and events. The lineup includes highly anticipated fall titles including David Ayer’s Fury, Bennett Miller’s Foxcatcher, the Sundance smash Whiplash, Jean-Luc Godard’s Goodbye to Language 3D, The Imitation Game starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Mike Leigh’s Mr. Turner, Jason Reitman’s Men, Women and Children and Jean-Marc Vallee’s Wild.
As Britain’s leading film event and one of the world’s oldest film festivals, it introduces the finest new British and international films to an expanding London and UK-wide audience, offering a compelling combination of red carpet glamour, engaged audiences and vibrant exchange. The Festival provides an essential profiling opportunity for films seeking global success at the start of the Awards season, promotes the careers of British and...
- 9/3/2014
- by John
- SoundOnSight
Tribeca Film will release One9’s "Time Is Illmatic," which had its world premiere as the opening night film of the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival, this fall. Written by Erik Parker and produced by One9, Parker, and Anthony Saleh, the film follows the trajectory of Nas’ 1994 landmark debut album, "Illmatic" - widely considered one of the most important and revolutionary albums in hip-hop. Tribeca Film is planning a simultaneous theatrical and VOD release in October, along with performances from Nas in select cities. Additionally an educational youth screening series will complement the release. "Time Is Illmatic" traces...
- 9/2/2014
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
Can documentaries about famous rap groups and albums be a new thing please? A few years ago we got the excellent "Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels Of A Tribe Called Quest," detailing the fascinating and incredible story of the highly influential hip hop group, and now comes "Nas: Time Is Illmatic," another snapshot of a rapper who has inspired a generation of artists. Directed by One9 (huh?) and featuring the participation of Nas, Large Professor, Pete Rock, Q-Tip, L.E.S., DJ Premier, Pharrell Williams, Alicia Keys and more, the movie goes twenty years back in time to 1994, when Illmatic dropped and turned heads everywhere. The doc chronicles Nas' influences, his life story and career—which saw him signing to major label at 20 years old—and how he developed his unique artistic voice. "Nas: Time Is Illmatic" arrives in select theaters beginning October 1st and on nationwide VOD...
- 8/29/2014
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
Submarine has sold a raft of territories on Tribeca opener Time Is Illmatic.
Deals have closed for Australia and New Zealand (Madman), the UK (Dogwoof), Germany (Nfp Films), Italy (Feltrinelli), Scandinavia (NonStop) and Japan (Parco).
David Koh, Dan Braun and Josh Braun negotiated the deals for Submarine.
Multimedia artist One9 directed Time Is Illmatic, about the influences that led the celebrated hip-hop star Nas to record the album Illmatic.
Deals have closed for Australia and New Zealand (Madman), the UK (Dogwoof), Germany (Nfp Films), Italy (Feltrinelli), Scandinavia (NonStop) and Japan (Parco).
David Koh, Dan Braun and Josh Braun negotiated the deals for Submarine.
Multimedia artist One9 directed Time Is Illmatic, about the influences that led the celebrated hip-hop star Nas to record the album Illmatic.
- 5/20/2014
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Time is Illmatic, a music documentary on the seminal New York rapper Nas, has been a hot seller at the Cannes film market, with sales group Submarine closing deals for most of Europe along with Japan and Australia. Tribeca Film Enterprises recently picked up the doc — directed and produced by multimedia artist One9 — for North America. Review: Time Is Illmatic: Tribeca Review The film follows the creation and release of Nas’ 1994 debut album, Illmatic, considered by some to be the most important and influential hip-hop record of all time. The deals, negotiated by David Koh, Dan Braun
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- 5/20/2014
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Tribeca Film has announced its acquisition of North American rights to One9’s Time Is Illmatic, which had its world premiere as the opening night film of the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival. The documentary is directed by multimedia artist, One9, written by Erik Parker and produced by One9, Parker, and Anthony Saleh. It follows the trajectory of Nas’ 1994 landmark debut album, Illmatic-- widely considered one of the most important and revolutionary albums in hip-hop. Tribeca Film is planning a simultaneous theatrical and VOD release in October, along with performances from Nas in select cities. Additionally an educational youth screening series will complement...
- 5/14/2014
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
Tribeca Film has acquired North American rights to "Time Is Illmatic," the Nas documentary which which had its world premiere as the opening night of the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival. The documentary is directed by multimedia artist, One9, written by Erik Parker, and produced by One9, Parker, and Anthony Saleh. It follows the trajectory of Nas’ 1994 landmark debut album, "Illmatic," which is widely considered to be one of the most important albums in hip-hop. Tribeca Film is planning a day-and-date release in October along with performances by Nas in select cities. The company is also planning educational youth screening series to complement the release. In his review of the film when it premiered at Tribeca, Eric Kohn wrote, "The debut feature of multimedia artist One9 does justice to the record's significance for the hordes of fans that have consumed it over the course of a generation." "I want to thank Robert De Niro,...
- 5/13/2014
- by Paula Bernstein
- Indiewire
Tribeca Film has acquired North American rights to Time Is Illmatic, the documentary by the artist One9 which recounts the creation of Nas’ classic 1994 hip-hop album Illmatic. The film had its world premiere as the opening night selection at the recent Tribeca Film Festival. Tribeca Film is planning a simultaneous theatrical and VOD release in October along with performances by Nas in selected cities. Written by Erik Parker, the doc was produced by One9, Parker and Anthony Saleh. It received support from The Ford Foundation’s Just Films and Tribeca Film Institute’s Tribeca All Access program. Photos: Tribeca: Nas, Alicia
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- 5/13/2014
- by Gregg Kilday
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
This year's Tribeca Film Festival got off to a rousing start with the screening (and accompanying concert by its subject) of Time is Illmatic, a documentary by multimedia artist One9 about the making of Nas' immensely influential 1994 debut album Illmatic. Timed to coincide with the 20th anniversary of this album, and the attendant release of a tricked-out anniversary reissue, Time is Illmatic gets well beyond the promotional, ready-made aspects of such a project by delving deep into the details of what went into the record's creation. Not only are the musical aspects covered here, but also the emotional details, Nas' family history, and stories of life on the streets of his native Queensbridge which Nas so vividly described on the album. As a result,...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 4/24/2014
- Screen Anarchy
Last year the Tribeca Film Festival opened with Mistaken For Strangers, a sideways documentary view of The National followed by a performance from the band. Attendees moved from screening venue to a separate show space, but this year both opening night parts were combined at Madison Square Garden’s Beacon Theater. First came One9′s Time Is Illmatic, a history of Nas’ seminal 1994 album, then the 20th anniversary performance. You can go here to read Brandon Harris’ take on the movie (which plays once more on Friday). Ten years in the making, One9′s debut documentary tracks the making of the instant […]...
- 4/21/2014
- by Vadim Rizov
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
Last year the Tribeca Film Festival opened with Mistaken For Strangers, a sideways documentary view of The National followed by a performance from the band. Attendees moved from screening venue to a separate show space, but this year both opening night parts were combined at Madison Square Garden’s Beacon Theater. First came One9′s Time Is Illmatic, a history of Nas’ seminal 1994 album, then the 20th anniversary performance. You can go here to read Brandon Harris’ take on the movie (which plays once more on Friday). Ten years in the making, One9′s debut documentary tracks the making of the instant […]...
- 4/21/2014
- by Vadim Rizov
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Time is Illmatic
Written by Erik Parker
Directed by One9
USA, 2014
According to the tale told by the documentary Time is Illmatic, an 18-year-old New York rapper named Nasir Jones, calling himself Nasty Nas, changed hip-hop forever by going onstage at a local barbeque party in Queens in 1991 and delivering a verse that included the lyric “At the age of twelve, I went to hell for snuffing Jesus.” That line was noticed by local legend Mc Serch, who gave Nas a lyric on his next album, which got the attention of Columbia Records, who signed Nas to deliver a debut album that would eventually be called Illmatic. As Malcolm Gladwell might say, sometimes it’s all about being an outlier in full view of the right people.
However, Time is Illmatic succeeds as a documentary because it has almost zero focus on such oddities of the music business. Illmatic became...
Written by Erik Parker
Directed by One9
USA, 2014
According to the tale told by the documentary Time is Illmatic, an 18-year-old New York rapper named Nasir Jones, calling himself Nasty Nas, changed hip-hop forever by going onstage at a local barbeque party in Queens in 1991 and delivering a verse that included the lyric “At the age of twelve, I went to hell for snuffing Jesus.” That line was noticed by local legend Mc Serch, who gave Nas a lyric on his next album, which got the attention of Columbia Records, who signed Nas to deliver a debut album that would eventually be called Illmatic. As Malcolm Gladwell might say, sometimes it’s all about being an outlier in full view of the right people.
However, Time is Illmatic succeeds as a documentary because it has almost zero focus on such oddities of the music business. Illmatic became...
- 4/18/2014
- by Mark Young
- SoundOnSight
“Life’s a bitch and then you die,” rapper Nasir Jones spit on Illmatic, his groundbreaking 1994 debut album. A grim, cynical statement, Nas was simply following the tradition of hip-hop — reflecting your environment back to the audience. As Chuck D of Public Enemy once famously said, rap music was the “CNN for black people.” And so with Illmatic, Nas’ now-landmark ‘90s record, the rapper changed the game, broadcasting his pains, frustrations, ugly truths and hardships to a nation of listeners through a filter of lyrically dense, angry, blunt rhymes and jazz-inflected boom-bap beats. “It was real. He spoke the truth,” Alicia Keys says in the documentary, seemingly still taken aback now by Nas’ unflinching approach. Directed by multimedia artist One9, written by Erik Parker, and produced by One9, Parker, and Anthony Saleh, “Time Is Illmatic” is a look back on the now-cherished and seminal hip-hop record, but also focuses deeply...
- 4/17/2014
- by Rodrigo Perez
- The Playlist
New York (AP) — The raw New York lyricism of Nas kicked off the 13th annual Tribeca Film Festival with an exuberant hip-hop beat. Tribeca opened Wednesday night with the premiere of "Time Is Illmatic," a documentary about the creation of Nas' landmark 1994 debut album, "Illmatic." The Queens native Nas followed the screening at Manhattan's Beacon Theatre with a performance of the nine-track album, widely considered a rap classic for its angry but earnest street poetry. Tribeca co-founder Robert De Niro introduced the film as not just about the making of an album, but "about the making of an artist here in our hometown." Whereas many films about an album have stuck largely to the song-writing process and track recording, "Time Is Illmatic," directed by the filmmaker One9, summons the Queensbridge housing projects upbringing of Nas and the forces — his parents, 1980s Queens, early hip-hop — that shaped his music. The...
- 4/17/2014
- by Jake Coyle, AP
- Hitfix
New York -- Superstar Mc Nas remembers his humble roots in One9's Time is Illmatic, an evocative appreciation of his debut album on the occasion of its 20th anniversary. Though presented concurrently with the inevitable CD reissue (titled Illmatic Xx), the doc avoids the prefab feel of many similarly targeted music films, instead offering a strong sense of the neighborhood -- New York City's Queensbridge Houses, the largest public housing project in the U.S. -- that served as both a rallying cry for musicians who grew up there and a constant threat to their lives. Though too limited in scope for much
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- 4/17/2014
- by John DeFore
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The 13th Tribeca Film Festival kicked off Wednesday with Nas documentary Time is Illmatic, directed by multimedia artist and first-time director One9.
The film — which premiered at New York’s Beacon Theater — chronicles the rapper’s journey from the Queens projects to the debut of his 1994 record Illmatic, widely considered one of the best rap albums of all time.
“The nature of the subject is about surviving and thriving,” said Tribeca Film Festival co-founder Jane Rosenthal. “That’s what New York did post-9/11,” when Rosenthal, Robert De Niro and Craig Hatkoff held the first Tribeca fest. “And that’s what...
The film — which premiered at New York’s Beacon Theater — chronicles the rapper’s journey from the Queens projects to the debut of his 1994 record Illmatic, widely considered one of the best rap albums of all time.
“The nature of the subject is about surviving and thriving,” said Tribeca Film Festival co-founder Jane Rosenthal. “That’s what New York did post-9/11,” when Rosenthal, Robert De Niro and Craig Hatkoff held the first Tribeca fest. “And that’s what...
- 4/17/2014
- by Nina Terrero
- EW - Inside Movies
It may have been the most New York moment in years.
Robert De Niro, onstage Wednesday night at the Beacon Theatre, introduced Time Is Illmatic, the new documentary on Nas' 1994 landmark debut Illmatic, to kick off the Tribeca Film Festival. "Twenty years ago, I would've been 20 years too old for this music," quipped the actor and festival co-founder to a boisterous crowd of fans, media and seemingly every important hip-hop figure in mid-Nineties New York.
Nas: My Life in 20 Songs
Unlike music docs that attempt to deify or elevate the obscure — Anvil,...
Robert De Niro, onstage Wednesday night at the Beacon Theatre, introduced Time Is Illmatic, the new documentary on Nas' 1994 landmark debut Illmatic, to kick off the Tribeca Film Festival. "Twenty years ago, I would've been 20 years too old for this music," quipped the actor and festival co-founder to a boisterous crowd of fans, media and seemingly every important hip-hop figure in mid-Nineties New York.
Nas: My Life in 20 Songs
Unlike music docs that attempt to deify or elevate the obscure — Anvil,...
- 4/17/2014
- Rollingstone.com
No modern American music genre reflects its environment better than hip hop, which is why documentaries about its history have proliferated over the years. In some cases, a well-honed treatment of the scene actually has the ability to open up the insulated community to a broader range of listeners, like Ice-t's "Something From Nothing: The Art of Rap," which magnifies the creative process behind various hip hop performers. But others merely stick to their base with less thrilling results for anyone already onboard. It's this category where "Time Is Illmatic," a slim overview of the conditions behind the recording of rapper Nas' seminal debut album "Illmatic" on the occasion of its 20th anniversary, neatly fits in. The debut feature of multimedia artist One9 does justice to the record's significance for the hordes of fans that have consumed it over the course of a generation. But by almost entirely focusing on the album's conception,...
- 4/17/2014
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
This story first appeared in the May 2 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. It's called the Tribeca Film Festival, but this year's edition, which kicks off April 16, could just as easily bill itself as the Tribeca Film and Music Festival since music, musicians and performances all will be center stage. It begins on opening night, when the festival will raise its curtain with the world premiere of Time Is Illmatic, a documentary from the multimedia artist One9 about the making of hip-hop artist Nas' landmark 1994 album Illmatic. Following the screening at the Beacon Theatre, Nas himself
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- 4/16/2014
- by Gregg Kilday
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Spring has most certainly arrived in The Big Apple (finally), which means so has the Tribeca Film Festival. Now in its 13th year, the fest kicks off tonight with Time Is Illmatic, multimedia artist One9's documentary on Nas' landmark album Ilmatic. Things then get going good and proper tomorrow and on until April 27. But now... now, some members of our intrepid team in NYC bring you their selection of films playing this year's Tribeca that they're most excited about, both some they have already seen and some they have not. In the coming days keep an eye out for a slew of reviews and interviews from the fest, and for first hand impressions be sure to follow the team on Twitter at @TwitchFilm |...
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- 4/16/2014
- Screen Anarchy
Spring has come to New York City, but even with the nicer weather that comes with it, any serious moviegoer will be spending much of their free time inside to watch the line-up of movies playing at the 13th Annual Tribeca Film Festival, which runs this year from Wednesday, April 16 through Sunday, April 27. For the second year in a row, Tribeca is kicking off the festivities with a music-based doc, this time showcasing rapper Nas, whose debut album "Illmatic" dropped twenty years ago. Nas and other artists reflect on the impact of that debut album in multimedia artist One9's Time is Illmatic , which will premiere at New York's legendary Beacon Theater followed by Nas performing the album in its entirety. The last day of the festival is on Sunday the 27th, but the...
- 4/15/2014
- Comingsoon.net
The 2014 Tribeca Film Festival launches this Wednesday with the world premiere of the Nas documentary "Time is Illmatic," directed by multimedia artist One9. To get you primed for the big event, Indiewire weeded through the massive lineup of films to bring you the 10 to watch out for at this year's fest. They're listed below in alphabetical order. "6" Director Louie Psihoyos won an Academy Award for Best Documentary his first film, "The Cove" in 2010. "The Cove" was as gripping as a thriller. Now with "6," which is premiering at Tribeca as a work-in-progress, Psihoyos returns with many of his fellow activists/collaborators from "The Cove," to tackle issues of endangered species and mass extinction. Using guerilla-style tactics, as they did in "The Cove," Psihoyos and his team also manage to capture the beauty of the natural world -- as they simultaneously warn us of the danger we are in of losing it.
- 4/14/2014
- by Indiewire
- Indiewire
Fans of Nas and his 1994 album "Illmatic" will undoubtedly appreciate One9's documentary feature "Time Is Illmatic," which chronicles the creation of the revered rapper's most significant piece of work, along with the personal obstacles Nas had to face in order to become the man he eventually came to be known. Tell us about yourself. I'm an artist, director, producer and chess player. I grew up as a graffiti/street artist in the Washington DC area and used that background to transition to a graphic designer, editor and a director/producer. Over the years I've done work with Google, PBS, Viacom, Sony Music, and several non-profit organizations. As an artist I was selected by the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York to create an original series of artwork presented to their selected music talent in 2013-2014. "Time is Illmatic" is my feature length directorial debut. I was born in Washington DC and reside in Bedstuy,...
- 4/11/2014
- by Ziyad Saadi
- Indiewire
Tribeca Film Festival opening-night film Time Is Illmatic -- chronicling the making of hip-hop artist Nas' 1994 debut album -- will be the inaugural recipient of the Candescent Award, part of a new grant program designed to support the making of documentary films. Lilly Hartley's Candescent Films announced the multi-year award program on Wednesday in conjunction with the Tribeca Film Institute. The grant will be given through the Institute, home of the Tribeca Film Festival, which runs April 16-27. Photos: Top 10 Movie Songs of All Time Time Is Illmatic was directed by multimedia artist One9, who produced
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- 4/2/2014
- by Pamela McClintock
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
With the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival less than a month away, the full lineup has been announced along with its closing night premiere. Begin Again (formerly known as Can A Song Save Your Life?), starring Keira Knightley, Mark Ruffalo, Hailee Steinfeld, and Adam Levine, will close the 13th annual festival on Saturday, April 26th at Bmcc Tribeca Pac.
From writer-director John Carney, of Once, Begin Again is a comedy about lost souls who meet and make music together. The film will be released by The Weinstein Company in July. The 13th annual Tribeca Film Festival will take place from April 16-27, 2014. Below is the official press release about closing night at Tribeca and trailer for Begin Again.
The festival also recently announced that it will open with director One9’s exploration of hip-hop rapper Nas’ legendary album, Time is Illmatic on April 16th at Beacon Theater, celebrating 20 years on the album’s release.
From writer-director John Carney, of Once, Begin Again is a comedy about lost souls who meet and make music together. The film will be released by The Weinstein Company in July. The 13th annual Tribeca Film Festival will take place from April 16-27, 2014. Below is the official press release about closing night at Tribeca and trailer for Begin Again.
The festival also recently announced that it will open with director One9’s exploration of hip-hop rapper Nas’ legendary album, Time is Illmatic on April 16th at Beacon Theater, celebrating 20 years on the album’s release.
- 3/31/2014
- by Christopher Clemente
- SoundOnSight
The 2014 Tribeca Film Festival has added two feature music documentaries to its special screenings program: Alex Gibney's work-in-progress, Untitled James Brown Documentary, and the world premiere of Bjork: Biophilia Live. The festival, which runs April 16-27 in New York, also announced that Tff’s opening night world premiere of Time Is Illmatic followed by a performance by rapper Nas, will take place at the Beacon Theatre. Tickets will be available to the public at tribecafilm.com/openingnight. Director One9’s documentary Time is Illmatic follows the trajectory of Nas' 1994 landmark debut album Illmatic -- considered to be one of the most groundbreaking albums
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- 3/26/2014
- by Tatiana Siegel
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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