Welcome back to the Weekend Warrior, your weekly look at the new movies hitting theaters this weekend, as well as other cool events and things to check out. And if you're into box office and how movies might do, come play some of the box office games at EZ1 Productions including their new Pick 5 game!
This Past Weekend:
As expected, Legendary Pictures’ Kong: Skull Island won the weekend, and honestly, the Weekend Warrior’s original prediction of $61.6 million was pretty darn close to the movie’s opening weekend which ended up at $61 million. (Unfortunately, I chickened out on Thursday because my prediction was so much higher than all others and lowered it to $58 million, which was Still closer to than every other prediction last weekend.) Also, as expected (at least by me), Hugh Jackman’s Logan took a 2nd weekend tumble as has been the case with most X-Men movies,...
This Past Weekend:
As expected, Legendary Pictures’ Kong: Skull Island won the weekend, and honestly, the Weekend Warrior’s original prediction of $61.6 million was pretty darn close to the movie’s opening weekend which ended up at $61 million. (Unfortunately, I chickened out on Thursday because my prediction was so much higher than all others and lowered it to $58 million, which was Still closer to than every other prediction last weekend.) Also, as expected (at least by me), Hugh Jackman’s Logan took a 2nd weekend tumble as has been the case with most X-Men movies,...
- 3/15/2017
- by Edward Douglas
- LRMonline.com
From “Darfur Now” writer/director Ted Braun comes docu-thriller “Betting on Zero” following hedge fund titan Bill Ackman as he puts $1 billion on the line in his crusade to expose Herbalife as the largest pyramid scheme in history. Herbalife claims Ackman is simply a market manipulator out to make a fortune from short-selling their stock, but Ackman insists Herbalife deliberately targets low-income and immigrant communities and robs them of their life savings. Distributed by Gunpowder and Sky, the film will hit theaters in major and regional markets on March 17 following National Consumer Protection Week. Also Read: Richard Schickel, Veteran Film Critic.
- 3/1/2017
- by Umberto Gonzalez
- The Wrap
“Betting On Zero,” the documentary that has D.C. lobbyists buying tickets to keep people from seeing it just released its thrilling new trailer.
Writer/director Ted Braun (“Darfur Now”) tells the story of controversial hedge fund titan Bill Ackman, an activist investor on a crusade to expose global nutritional giant Herbalife as the largest pyramid scheme in history. Meanwhile, Herbalife executives claim Ackman is a market manipulator out to bankrupt them and make a killing off his billion dollar short.
The trailer plays like a bona fide corporate takedown thriller, pitting Ackman against Herbalife CEO Michael O. Johnson and investor Carl Icahn. It also features interviews with countless people who have lost their life savings. “They took my dreams, my hope to be successful,” says one man interviewed in the film. One woman wipes tears from her eyes before the trailer cuts to Johnson telling a large, smiling crowd: “You,...
Writer/director Ted Braun (“Darfur Now”) tells the story of controversial hedge fund titan Bill Ackman, an activist investor on a crusade to expose global nutritional giant Herbalife as the largest pyramid scheme in history. Meanwhile, Herbalife executives claim Ackman is a market manipulator out to bankrupt them and make a killing off his billion dollar short.
The trailer plays like a bona fide corporate takedown thriller, pitting Ackman against Herbalife CEO Michael O. Johnson and investor Carl Icahn. It also features interviews with countless people who have lost their life savings. “They took my dreams, my hope to be successful,” says one man interviewed in the film. One woman wipes tears from her eyes before the trailer cuts to Johnson telling a large, smiling crowd: “You,...
- 2/15/2017
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
Bill Ackman and Herbalife go head-to-head in a new promotional video for the upcoming documentary “Betting on Zero.” Written and directed by Ted Braun (“Darfur Now”), the documentary follows the controversial hedge fund titan as he goes on a crusade to expose the global nutritional giant as the largest pyramid scheme in history. But Herbalife executives claim Ackman is a market manipulator out to bankrupt them and make a killing off his billion-dollar short. Also Read: 'Oj: Made in America' and 'I Am Not Your Negro' Top Cinema Eye Honors Documentary Nominations The documentary, which first premiered...
- 11/5/2016
- by Reid Nakamura
- The Wrap
Kirsten Johnson has been working as a documentary cinematographer and filmmaker for 25 years, and has credits on films as “Darfur Now,” ‘The Invisible War,” “Fahrenheit 9/11,” and “Citizenfour” under her belt, as well as many more. “Cameraperson” is what she calls her memoir, or autobiography, and it’s also a rumination, a treatise, a theory […]
The post The Moving ‘Cameraperson’ Is One Of The Best Documentaries Of The Year [Review] appeared first on The Playlist.
The post The Moving ‘Cameraperson’ Is One Of The Best Documentaries Of The Year [Review] appeared first on The Playlist.
- 9/8/2016
- by Katie Walsh
- The Playlist
Hopefully you’ve taken a moment to peruse our On The Rise 2016: 20 Filmmakers To Watch, and if you have, you’ll know we’re pretty keen on filmmaker Kirsten Johnson. In the game for over two decades, and earning credits on films like “Darfur Now,” ‘The Invisible War,” “Fahrenheit 9/11,” and “Citizenfour,” in “Cameraperson” Johnson puts herself in front […]
The post First Trailer For Kirsten Johnson’s Acclaimed Documentary ‘Cameraperson’ appeared first on The Playlist.
The post First Trailer For Kirsten Johnson’s Acclaimed Documentary ‘Cameraperson’ appeared first on The Playlist.
- 8/22/2016
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
Earlier today we unveiled our list 25 Filmmakers & Actors That Rocked The 2016 Sundance Film Festival, and ranked among them was Kirsten Johnson. She's the director behind "Cameraperson," a documentary that was a very pleasant surprise for our own Katie Walsh, who raved about the "surprisingly emotional and heartfelt film." While there's no word yet on a release date, today we're happy to give you a look at the film with two exclusive clips. Read More: Review: Surprise Emotional And Heartfelt Documentary 'Cameraperson' Is A Stunning Achievement A veteran with over two decades of experience on documentaries like “Darfur Now,” ‘The Invisible War,” “Fahrenheit 9/11,” and “Citizenfour,” in "Cameraperson," Johnson takes a memoir approach to depict her own life behind the camera, using outtakes and more to create a vivid portrait of her career. And it goes to some places both lighthearted and deeply moving. Keep "Cameraperson"...
- 1/28/2016
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
Kirsten Johnson has been working as a documentary cinematographer and filmmaker for 25 years, and has credits on films as “Darfur Now,” ‘The Invisible War,” “Fahrenheit 9/11,” and “Citizenfour” under her belt, as well as many more. “Cameraperson” is what she calls her memoir, or autobiography, and it’s also a rumination, a treatise, a theory of documentary filmmaking — a manifesto of sorts that asserts the importance of the camera as a person. The film is made up of snippets and outtakes of footage from films that she’s worked on, and it’s primarily the moments where someone on camera interacts with her or with the camera itself. In these small interactions, in which we often only hear her, we are able to glean an understanding of the relationship between subject and filmmaker that is sometimes obfuscated in a final documentary. The result is a surprisingly emotional and heartfelt film that...
- 1/27/2016
- by Katie Walsh
- The Playlist
The line-up of speakers has been announced for the Toronto Screenwriting Conference (Tsc), taking place over April 11-12.
The two-day event boasts the best creative talent, authors and speakers in writing for film, television and media.
Attendees, which consist of a large range of screen-based industry professionals, receive opportunities to learn and develop their screenwriting skills.
Speakers for the Master Classes include Schitt’s Creek co-creators Eugene Levy and Dan Levy, writer and producer of Man Of Steel, The Dark Knight and Da Vinci’s Demons David S Goyer and creators and executive producers of Being Mary Jane, Girlfriends and The Game Mara Brock Akil and Salim Akil.
Other sessions during the weekend include a workshop called Setting The Scene (pictured) led by the writer and director of Darfur Now Ted Braun.
Emmy and Golden Globe executive producer Jeff Melvoin will head a session entitled Running The Show: Moving From Writer To Showrunner.
For more details...
The two-day event boasts the best creative talent, authors and speakers in writing for film, television and media.
Attendees, which consist of a large range of screen-based industry professionals, receive opportunities to learn and develop their screenwriting skills.
Speakers for the Master Classes include Schitt’s Creek co-creators Eugene Levy and Dan Levy, writer and producer of Man Of Steel, The Dark Knight and Da Vinci’s Demons David S Goyer and creators and executive producers of Being Mary Jane, Girlfriends and The Game Mara Brock Akil and Salim Akil.
Other sessions during the weekend include a workshop called Setting The Scene (pictured) led by the writer and director of Darfur Now Ted Braun.
Emmy and Golden Globe executive producer Jeff Melvoin will head a session entitled Running The Show: Moving From Writer To Showrunner.
For more details...
- 4/9/2015
- ScreenDaily
The Athena Film Festival Awards annually honor directors, producers and other members of the film industry for their leadership and creative accomplishments. This year’s awardees include Sheila Nevins, President of HBO Documentary Films, Gina Prince-Bythewood, director, writer and producer behind films such as "Love & Basketball," "The Secret Life of Bees" and this year's indie sleeper "Beyond the Lights," and Cathy Schulman, Academy Award-winning producer, President of Mandalay Pictures, and President of Women in Film, known for films including "Crash," "The Illusionist," "Darfur Now" and "Bernie." This year's Athena Film Festival will return to Barnard in Morningside Heights, running February 5 to 8, 2015. The fest showcases female-driven films with screenings, master classes, Q & As and more. Regina K. Scully, the Phoebe Snow Foundation and the Artemis Rising...
- 12/9/2014
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Thompson on Hollywood
Herbalife, the most controversial nutritional supplement company in the world, has spent the last few years in the spotlight. Now, it's about to get a whole lot more attention. Also read: Amy Berg on Her Hollywood Sex Ring Documentary: ‘It's Bigger Than the One Case’ Filmmaker Ted Braun, the director of the National Board of Review-nominated and NAACP Image Award-winning documentary “Darfur Now,” will next direct a doc about the direct-selling business and Wall Street flashpoint, TheWrap has learned. The film will be produced by Glen Zipper, the producer of the Oscar-winning doc “Undefeated,” and Devin Adair. Herbalife is in the midst of a.
- 5/29/2014
- by Jordan Zakarin
- The Wrap
As a cinematographer, Kirsten Johnson has been a staple of the festival with the likes of Darfur Now, The Oath and more recently, The Invisible War – a docu about sexual assault in the United States military that unfathomably only got worse since the widespread media attention this docu received. Her (co-directed) non-fiction feature debut Deadline premiered at the fest back in 2004 – so it would have a nice ring to it if she returns a decade later with the Sundance-supported, sophomore effort titled A Blind Eye – a sort of Orwellian state in Afghanistan, with once removed Pov from a documentarist and her subjects. The doc received some coin via Sundance’s Documentary Film Program and Fund (Dfp) in 2012 and I imagine this year’s support from Sundance Institute and Skywalker Sound to help with the score means this is fully ready to go. Sounds like a sizzler – I’m hoping that...
- 11/18/2013
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
Don Cheadle is further deepening his professional relationship with Showtime. The "Iron Man 2" actor, who's starring in the cable network's upcoming comedy "House of Lies," has signed a one-year first look production deal with Showtime via his company Crescendo Productions. Under the agreement, Crescendo will develop series for Showtime. The most recent project for Crescendo, which produced the 2007 documentary "Darfur Now," is the comedy "The Guard," which co-stars Cheadle, Brendan Gleeson and Mark Strong and is scheduled for a July 29 release. The deal was first reported by Deadline.
- 6/28/2011
- The Wrap
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has released its annual list of invited new members, and it’s clear they’re continuing to try to make their membership younger. On the list alongside veterans like John Hawkes and David Duchovny are a slew of twentysomethings, including Mia Wasikowska, Ellen Page, Jesse Eisenberg, Mila Kunis, Beyonce Knowles, Jennifer Lawrence, and Rooney Mara. The Board of Governors also decided to extend an invitation to Restrepo codirector Tim Hetherington, the first time Academy membership has been bestowed posthumously. As a side note, it’s also a hoot to now say the phrase Oscar voter Russell Brand.
- 6/17/2011
- by Dave Karger
- EW - Inside Movies
Beverly Hills, CA . The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is extending invitations to join the organization to 178 artists and executives who have distinguished themselves by their contributions to theatrical motion pictures. Those who accept the invitation will be the only additions in 2011 to the Academy.s roster of members.
.These individuals are among the best filmmakers working in the industry today,. said Academy President Tom Sherak. .Their talent and creativity have entertained moviegoers around the world, and I welcome each of them to our ranks..
The Academy.s membership policies would have allowed a maximum of 211 new members in 2011, but as in other recent years, several branch committees endorsed fewer candidates than were proposed to them. Voting membership in the organization has now held steady at just under 6,000 members since 2003.
In an unprecedented gesture, the list of new members includes documentary filmmaker Tim Hetherington, who was killed in action in Libya in April.
.These individuals are among the best filmmakers working in the industry today,. said Academy President Tom Sherak. .Their talent and creativity have entertained moviegoers around the world, and I welcome each of them to our ranks..
The Academy.s membership policies would have allowed a maximum of 211 new members in 2011, but as in other recent years, several branch committees endorsed fewer candidates than were proposed to them. Voting membership in the organization has now held steady at just under 6,000 members since 2003.
In an unprecedented gesture, the list of new members includes documentary filmmaker Tim Hetherington, who was killed in action in Libya in April.
- 6/17/2011
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
HollywoodNews.com: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is extending invitations to join the organization to 178 artists and executives who have distinguished themselves by their contributions to theatrical motion pictures. Those who accept the invitation will be the only additions in 2011 to the Academy’s roster of members.
“These individuals are among the best filmmakers working in the industry today,” said Academy President Tom Sherak. “Their talent and creativity have entertained moviegoers around the world, and I welcome each of them to our ranks.”
The Academy’s membership policies would have allowed a maximum of 211 new members in 2011, but as in other recent years, several branch committees endorsed fewer candidates than were proposed to them. Voting membership in the organization has now held steady at just under 6,000 members since 2003.
In an unprecedented gesture, the list of new members includes documentary filmmaker Tim Hetherington, who was killed in action in Libya in April.
“These individuals are among the best filmmakers working in the industry today,” said Academy President Tom Sherak. “Their talent and creativity have entertained moviegoers around the world, and I welcome each of them to our ranks.”
The Academy’s membership policies would have allowed a maximum of 211 new members in 2011, but as in other recent years, several branch committees endorsed fewer candidates than were proposed to them. Voting membership in the organization has now held steady at just under 6,000 members since 2003.
In an unprecedented gesture, the list of new members includes documentary filmmaker Tim Hetherington, who was killed in action in Libya in April.
- 6/17/2011
- by Josh Abraham
- Hollywoodnews.com
Los Angeles, CA (February 2, 2011) – Guy East and Nigel Sinclair, Co-Chairmen of Exclusive Media Group (“Exclusive”), announced today that the company has brought Chris Miller on board to serve as President of Film Finance Operations for Exclusive, and as the new President of Spitfire Pictures. Miller makes the move to Exclusive after spending three years as the Head of Production for National Geographic Films Worldwide. While at National Geographic, Miller worked on several other high profile projects including Peter Weir’s The Way Back, a co-production with Exclusive Films, as well as on The Last Lions, a new Natural History film event by world renowned filmmakers Dereck and Beverly Joubert, to be released in North America next month. Prior to joining National Geographic, Miller in 2001 co-founded Visionbox Media Group and Visionbox Pictures, where he served as president for six years, creating original content in digital formats for the marketplace. Over the six years at Visionbox,...
- 2/2/2011
- by MIKE FLEMING
- Deadline
Ahead of an early January referendum, the two partners, along with Harvard and the United Nations, want Sudanese rebels to know that they are being watched.
George Clooney is joining Google, the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, and the United Nations in an effort called the Satellite Sentinel Project to monitor violence and human rights violations in Sudan as the country prepares to vote on January 9 on whether or not to split into two nations--North and South Sudan.
The explicit goal of the partnership is deterrence--Clooney and his partners want to make sure that Sudan does not erupt in another civil war. Some small pockets of violence have already been reported and the employment of satellites is meant to give war-mongers on the ground the message that the world is watching and genocide will not be tolerated.
Clooney's interest in Sudan is not new--back in 2007 he was featured in the documentary film,...
George Clooney is joining Google, the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, and the United Nations in an effort called the Satellite Sentinel Project to monitor violence and human rights violations in Sudan as the country prepares to vote on January 9 on whether or not to split into two nations--North and South Sudan.
The explicit goal of the partnership is deterrence--Clooney and his partners want to make sure that Sudan does not erupt in another civil war. Some small pockets of violence have already been reported and the employment of satellites is meant to give war-mongers on the ground the message that the world is watching and genocide will not be tolerated.
Clooney's interest in Sudan is not new--back in 2007 he was featured in the documentary film,...
- 12/29/2010
- by Jenara Nerenberg
- Fast Company
30,000 People Pledge To See Waiting For “Superman” DonorsChoose.org Set to Make Donation in Support of Education – First Benchmark Met on WaitingForSuperman.com “Pledge Progress Meter”
Paramount Pictures, Participant Media and Walden Media announced today 30,000 people have pledged to see the award-winning documentary film Waiting For “Superman” when it opens this fall, making it the first goal reached on the campaign’s “Pledge Progress Meter.” As a result, DonorsChoose.org is fulfilling their commitment and donating $5 gift cards to every person who pledges to see the film by September 15th.
The gift cards can be used to fulfill requests made by public school teachers from every corner of America who post classroom project needs on DonorsChoose.org. The mission of DonorsChoose.org is to improve public education by empowering every teacher to be a change-maker and enabling any citizen to be a philanthropist.
“Thanks to our generous supporters, DonorsChoose.org...
Paramount Pictures, Participant Media and Walden Media announced today 30,000 people have pledged to see the award-winning documentary film Waiting For “Superman” when it opens this fall, making it the first goal reached on the campaign’s “Pledge Progress Meter.” As a result, DonorsChoose.org is fulfilling their commitment and donating $5 gift cards to every person who pledges to see the film by September 15th.
The gift cards can be used to fulfill requests made by public school teachers from every corner of America who post classroom project needs on DonorsChoose.org. The mission of DonorsChoose.org is to improve public education by empowering every teacher to be a change-maker and enabling any citizen to be a philanthropist.
“Thanks to our generous supporters, DonorsChoose.org...
- 8/9/2010
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
After starring in films like Hotel Rwanda (and the Criterion release, Traffic as well of course), as well as spearheading documentaries like Darfur Now, Don Cheadle has now become not only one of today’s most gifted thespians, but also a member of the United Nations.
The Hollywood Reporter is now reporting that the actor has become a spokesman for the Un’s environmental program. He was given the honor in Rwanda’s capital, Kigali, and is now a Un Environment Program Good Will Ambassador.
The actor also had the chance to name a baby gorilla, Zoya, which was chosen by internet users as a part of the Un’s Unep awareness campaign.
Cheadle, always one to stay socially relevant is not only a big enough star that his name will bring quite a lot of weight as an ambassador, but he’s also a perfect fit for this new role in the Un,...
The Hollywood Reporter is now reporting that the actor has become a spokesman for the Un’s environmental program. He was given the honor in Rwanda’s capital, Kigali, and is now a Un Environment Program Good Will Ambassador.
The actor also had the chance to name a baby gorilla, Zoya, which was chosen by internet users as a part of the Un’s Unep awareness campaign.
Cheadle, always one to stay socially relevant is not only a big enough star that his name will bring quite a lot of weight as an ambassador, but he’s also a perfect fit for this new role in the Un,...
- 6/7/2010
- by Joshua Brunsting
- CriterionCast
I hope that headline got your attention, because basically there are no celebrities involved with Freakonomics as far as most moviegoers are concerned (unlike that blockbuster Darfur Now, which featured George Clooney, Don Cheadle and Arnold Schwarzenegger). However, to documentary aficionados this anthology film is an all-star collaboration, including segments helmed by acclaimed directors Alex Gibney (Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room; Taxi to the Dark Side), Morgan Spurlock (Super Size Me: Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden?), Eugene Jarecki (Why We Fight; The Trials of Henry Kissinger) and Heidi Ewing & Rachel Grady (The Boys of Baraka, Jesus Camp), as well as connective interludes from Seth Gordon (The King of Kong; umm, Four Christmases).
As Monika wrote way back in 2007, all these segments will represent and adapt from different sections of the 2005 non-fiction best seller Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything,...
As Monika wrote way back in 2007, all these segments will represent and adapt from different sections of the 2005 non-fiction best seller Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything,...
- 4/5/2010
- by Christopher Campbell
- Cinematical
Have you seen Chris Rock's Good Hair yet? Sorry, that's Jeff Stilson's Good Hair. Have you seen it yet? If so, was it because you're really interested in the subject of black women's hair? Or, was it because you knew with Rock hosting and guiding us through the documentary that it'd be at least a funny movie? I finally caught up with Good Hair, which was released to DVD last month, and I can honestly say that I wouldn't have bothered with it had Rock not been involved so prominently. The funny thing is, though, the film isn't as hilarious as I had hoped -- yet I came away from it gladly informed about such things as relaxer, weaves and the fact Nia Long prefers to be on top during sex so as not to disturb her hair.
Scott had a similar reaction when he reviewed the film from Sundance a year ago.
Scott had a similar reaction when he reviewed the film from Sundance a year ago.
- 3/18/2010
- by Christopher Campbell
- Cinematical
Thank you Participant Media. The production company, founded in 2004 by original Ebay employee Jeff Skoll, is working overtime to finance and distribute films that are not only informative, but that also carry a heavy social relevance. After only 2 years in business (2004-2006), Participant Media’s films (then Participant Productions) were nominated for a total of 11 Academy Awards. Participant has been a driving force behind films such as An Inconvenient Truth, Syriana and Darfur Now. Participant Media’s latest offering is Emmy-winner Robert Kenner’s documentary, Food, Inc.
The film takes on the task of unveiling problems associated with large-scale factory farming and unfair practices within the food industry. Beef and poultry manufacturing is explored as are corn and seed production. Food, Inc is anchored by the narration of authors Michael Pollan and Eric Schlosser, two of America’s long-time critics of the food industry. It is the mission of the film to show you,...
The film takes on the task of unveiling problems associated with large-scale factory farming and unfair practices within the food industry. Beef and poultry manufacturing is explored as are corn and seed production. Food, Inc is anchored by the narration of authors Michael Pollan and Eric Schlosser, two of America’s long-time critics of the food industry. It is the mission of the film to show you,...
- 7/4/2009
- by NickO
- Atomic Popcorn
Darfur Now and The Devil Came on Horseback, both focusing on the ongoing Darfur crisis, will screen as part of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ 27th annual "Contemporary Documentaries" series on Wednesday, April 15, at 7 p.m. at the Linwood Dunn Theater in Hollywood. Admission is free. Darfur Now is a call for people everywhere to take action against the human tragedies taking place in Darfur, Sudan. Director Theodore Braun and producer Cathy Schulman will be present to take questions from the audience following the screening. Directed by Annie Sundberg and Ricki Stern, The Devil Came on Horseback depicts the events in Darfur through the eyes of an American marine who has since tried to spread the word about the atrocities he witnessed. The 27th annual Contemporary Documentaries series continues through June 3. The series showcases feature-length and short documentaries nominated for the 2007 Academy Awards, as well [...]...
- 4/7/2009
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences kicks off Part 2 of its 27th annual "Contemporary Documentaries" screening series with James Longley's "Sari's Mother" and Michael Moore's "Sicko" at 7 p.m. March 25 at the Linwood Dunn Theater in Hollywood.
A showcase for both feature-length and short documentaries drawn from among films considered for the 2007 Academy Awards, the program, for which admission is free, runs through June.
The schedule includes:
March 25: Longley's "Sari's Mother" and Moore's "Sicko"
April 1: Jon Blair's "Ochberg's Orphans" and Richard Berge, Nicole Newnham and Bonni Cohen's "The Rape of Europa"
April 15: Theordore Braun's "Darfur Now" and Annie Sundberg and Ricki Stern's "The Devil Came on Horseback"
April 29: Neil Leifer's "Portraits of a Lady" and Peter Raymon'ts "A Promise to the Dead: The Exile Journey of Ariel Dorfman"
May 13: Richard E. Robbins' "Operation Homecoming: Writing the...
A showcase for both feature-length and short documentaries drawn from among films considered for the 2007 Academy Awards, the program, for which admission is free, runs through June.
The schedule includes:
March 25: Longley's "Sari's Mother" and Moore's "Sicko"
April 1: Jon Blair's "Ochberg's Orphans" and Richard Berge, Nicole Newnham and Bonni Cohen's "The Rape of Europa"
April 15: Theordore Braun's "Darfur Now" and Annie Sundberg and Ricki Stern's "The Devil Came on Horseback"
April 29: Neil Leifer's "Portraits of a Lady" and Peter Raymon'ts "A Promise to the Dead: The Exile Journey of Ariel Dorfman"
May 13: Richard E. Robbins' "Operation Homecoming: Writing the...
Oscar-nominated actor-producer Don Cheadle and his Crescendo Prods. are making a big push in television with a two-year, first-look deal at Universal Media Studios.
Under the pact, expected to be announced today during NBC's portion of the winter Television Critics Assn. press tour, Crescendo will develop series projects for the studio.
"Don Cheadle is such a smart and dynamic presence both on the screen and behind the scenes," said Angela Bromstad, president of primetime entertainment for NBC and Ums. "We are already at work discussing ideas that will bring Don's strong and creative voice to our primetime schedule."
Founded in 2005, Crescendo is run by Cheadle and producing partners Kay Liberman and Lenore Zerman. The company, which recently signed a two-year, first-look deal with Overture Films on the feature side, has produced such films as "Traitor" and the documentary "Darfur Now."
Cheadle also was a producer of the Oscar-winning "Crash." He...
Under the pact, expected to be announced today during NBC's portion of the winter Television Critics Assn. press tour, Crescendo will develop series projects for the studio.
"Don Cheadle is such a smart and dynamic presence both on the screen and behind the scenes," said Angela Bromstad, president of primetime entertainment for NBC and Ums. "We are already at work discussing ideas that will bring Don's strong and creative voice to our primetime schedule."
Founded in 2005, Crescendo is run by Cheadle and producing partners Kay Liberman and Lenore Zerman. The company, which recently signed a two-year, first-look deal with Overture Films on the feature side, has produced such films as "Traitor" and the documentary "Darfur Now."
Cheadle also was a producer of the Oscar-winning "Crash." He...
- 1/15/2009
- by By Nellie Andreeva
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Participant Media's Jeff Skoll will be honored with the Producers Guild of America's 2009 Visionary Award at the 20th annual PGA Awards on Jan. 24 at the Hollywood Palladium.
The award honors producers and/or a TV or film production that demonstrates a "unique and uplifting quality."
Skoll founded Participant in 2004 and has served as executive producer on a slate of socially relevant films that includes "Charlie Wilson's War," "The Kite Runner," "Darfur Now," "Good Night, and Good Luck" and "An Inconvenient Truth," which won two Oscars, including best feature documentary.
"When I first saw movies such as 'To Kill a Mockingbird' and 'Gandhi,' I realized the tremendous power of film to inspire people to do good," Skoll said. "My hope is that this award will inspire others to continue to use this medium to make the world a better place."
With this award, Skoll joins past honorees that include Joel Gallen...
The award honors producers and/or a TV or film production that demonstrates a "unique and uplifting quality."
Skoll founded Participant in 2004 and has served as executive producer on a slate of socially relevant films that includes "Charlie Wilson's War," "The Kite Runner," "Darfur Now," "Good Night, and Good Luck" and "An Inconvenient Truth," which won two Oscars, including best feature documentary.
"When I first saw movies such as 'To Kill a Mockingbird' and 'Gandhi,' I realized the tremendous power of film to inspire people to do good," Skoll said. "My hope is that this award will inspire others to continue to use this medium to make the world a better place."
With this award, Skoll joins past honorees that include Joel Gallen...
- 11/18/2008
- by By Leslie Simmons
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
- Known for laughers and knee-slappers such as An Inconvenient Truth, Darfur Now and Standard Operating Procedure, THR announced that Participant Media is teaming up (with Tapestry Films) on a comedy that goes by a storyline that should have occured for a couple of high-ranking folks at Enron. The partnership puts together a company with a great track record in terms of quality content and another with forgettable slew of comedies such as The Comebacks, the Van Wilder franchise and box office gold Wedding Crashers and The Wedding Planner to vouch for. Currently being polished off by scripters Tegan West ("The Cave") and actor Scott Atkinson, Minimum Wage tells the story of a thieving corporate exec sentenced to live on minimum wage in the town his company bankrupted. Tapestry's partners Peter Abrams, Robert Levy and Andrew Panay will produce the feature and Participant's vp Creative Affairs and Production Jodi Zuckerman
- 3/19/2008
- IONCINEMA.com
American Cinema Editors have announced 10 feature film nominations for the 58th annual ACE Eddie Awards, set for Feb. 16 at the Beverly Hilton.
Christopher Rouse for The Bourne Ultimatum, Jay Cassidy for Into the Wild, John Gilroy for Michael Clayton, Roderick Jaynes for No Country for Old Men and Dylan Tichenor for There Will Be Blood will compete for best edited dramatic feature.
Nominees for best edited feature, comedy or musical are Michael Tronick for Hairspray, Dana E. Glauberman for Juno, Craig Wood and Stephen Rivkin for Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, Darren Holmes for Ratatouille and Chris Lebenzon for Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.
Two-thirds of the films that won Eddies during the past 15 years have also been best picture nominees.
Competing in the documentary category are Edgar Burcksen & Leonard Feinstein for Darfur Now, Leslie Iwerks & Stephen Myers for The Pixar Story and Geoffrey Richman, Chris Seward & Dan Swietlik for Sicko.
In television, the nominees for half-hour series are Ken Eluto for 30 Rock (The C Word episode), Shannon Mitchell for Californication (Hell-A Woman) and Grady Cooper for Curb Your Enthusiasm (The Bat Mitzvah). Contenders for their work on one-hour series for commercial TV are Norman Buckley for Chuck (Pilot), Malcolm Jamieson for Damages (Pilot) and Karen Stern for Law & Order: SVU (Paternity).
Stewart Schill for Dexter (It's Alive), David Siegel for Rome (De Patre Vostro) and Sidney Wolinsky for The Sopranos (Made in America) are nominated for one-hour series for non-commercial TV.
Christopher Rouse for The Bourne Ultimatum, Jay Cassidy for Into the Wild, John Gilroy for Michael Clayton, Roderick Jaynes for No Country for Old Men and Dylan Tichenor for There Will Be Blood will compete for best edited dramatic feature.
Nominees for best edited feature, comedy or musical are Michael Tronick for Hairspray, Dana E. Glauberman for Juno, Craig Wood and Stephen Rivkin for Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, Darren Holmes for Ratatouille and Chris Lebenzon for Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.
Two-thirds of the films that won Eddies during the past 15 years have also been best picture nominees.
Competing in the documentary category are Edgar Burcksen & Leonard Feinstein for Darfur Now, Leslie Iwerks & Stephen Myers for The Pixar Story and Geoffrey Richman, Chris Seward & Dan Swietlik for Sicko.
In television, the nominees for half-hour series are Ken Eluto for 30 Rock (The C Word episode), Shannon Mitchell for Californication (Hell-A Woman) and Grady Cooper for Curb Your Enthusiasm (The Bat Mitzvah). Contenders for their work on one-hour series for commercial TV are Norman Buckley for Chuck (Pilot), Malcolm Jamieson for Damages (Pilot) and Karen Stern for Law & Order: SVU (Paternity).
Stewart Schill for Dexter (It's Alive), David Siegel for Rome (De Patre Vostro) and Sidney Wolinsky for The Sopranos (Made in America) are nominated for one-hour series for non-commercial TV.
- 1/12/2008
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Jocelyn Shearer will accept the 2007 International Documentary Association Preservation and Scholarship Award on behalf of National Geographic Digital Motion, and Darfur Now director Ted Braun will receive the Jacqueline Donnet Emerging Documentary Filmmaker Award. The honors will be presented at the 23rd Annual IDA Distinguished Documentary Achievement Award gala benefit, Dec. 7 at the Directors Guild of America Theatre. Shearer is a National Geographic vp who has primary responsibility for repurposing the society's library of moving images, which traces back to 1903. Darfur Now is Braun's first theatrical documentary, and it details the crisis unfolding in Sudan's western region. The IDA will present the David L. Wolper Student Documentary Award to Erin Hudson for the film Long Haul.
- 11/16/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Universal/Imagine's American Gangster gunned down the competition to capture the top spot in the domestic boxoffice with an estimated $46.3 million in opening loot.
DreamWorks/Paramount's animated feature Bee Movie also generated significant buzz with its own honey of an opening, gathering $39.1 million in second place.
New Line's John Cusack-Amanda Peet starrer Martian Child bowed with $3.7 million in seventh place.
Lionsgate's Saw IV got chopped up by the new entrants and fell 65% in its second weekend to gross $11 million in third place with a $51.1 million cume. But Disney's Steve Carell comedy Dan in Real Life slid just 29% in its sophomore session to gross $8.1 million and finish fourth with a cume of almost $23 million.
In a limited bow, Warner Independent's documentary about war-torn Sudan Darfur Now grossed $24,000 from two runs in New York and one in L.A., or a solid $8,000 per location. The Don Cheadle-starring docu expands to 20 runs in 12 additional markets next weekend.
Industrywide, the weekend represented some needed good news for a town wracked by labor tensions, with the frame's $140 million in total grosses marking an 8% improvement over the same session last year. It was the first improved session after six successive weekends of year-over-year declines.
Year-to-date, boxoffice is still running 6% ahead of the same period of 2006 at a total of $7.85 billion. But fall grosses are off 4% compared with a year ago, at $966.8 million.
Gangster always looked to be the weekend's likeliest top finisher, despite an R rating and a running time two hours and 37 minutes, as pre-release tracking surveys showed moviegoers anxious to mob movieplexes.
Its opening was the biggest ever for Washington and Crowe but fell just short of being the best debut among pics over 2 1/2 hours with restricted ratings. Troy (2:43) still holds those bragging rights after unspooling with $46.9 million in May 2004.
DreamWorks/Paramount's animated feature Bee Movie also generated significant buzz with its own honey of an opening, gathering $39.1 million in second place.
New Line's John Cusack-Amanda Peet starrer Martian Child bowed with $3.7 million in seventh place.
Lionsgate's Saw IV got chopped up by the new entrants and fell 65% in its second weekend to gross $11 million in third place with a $51.1 million cume. But Disney's Steve Carell comedy Dan in Real Life slid just 29% in its sophomore session to gross $8.1 million and finish fourth with a cume of almost $23 million.
In a limited bow, Warner Independent's documentary about war-torn Sudan Darfur Now grossed $24,000 from two runs in New York and one in L.A., or a solid $8,000 per location. The Don Cheadle-starring docu expands to 20 runs in 12 additional markets next weekend.
Industrywide, the weekend represented some needed good news for a town wracked by labor tensions, with the frame's $140 million in total grosses marking an 8% improvement over the same session last year. It was the first improved session after six successive weekends of year-over-year declines.
Year-to-date, boxoffice is still running 6% ahead of the same period of 2006 at a total of $7.85 billion. But fall grosses are off 4% compared with a year ago, at $966.8 million.
Gangster always looked to be the weekend's likeliest top finisher, despite an R rating and a running time two hours and 37 minutes, as pre-release tracking surveys showed moviegoers anxious to mob movieplexes.
Its opening was the biggest ever for Washington and Crowe but fell just short of being the best debut among pics over 2 1/2 hours with restricted ratings. Troy (2:43) still holds those bragging rights after unspooling with $46.9 million in May 2004.
- 11/5/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
- Ever notice that the acting crew from Ocean's Eleven (12, 13...) fight the good cause. Matt does his thing, Clooney and Pitt and politically involved and now Don Cheadle is one among five subjects who are attempting to address genocide in Darfur. To be released on November 2nd by Warner Independent Pictures, this film is a call to action for people everywhere to help stop the genocide in Darfur. For the first time in human history, genocide has been declared in a region while it is still ongoing. In the Darfur documentary, the struggles and achievements of six very different individuals bring to light the situation in Darfur and illustrate the absolute need to get involved. From an undergraduate student in Santa Monica, California, to a Darfurian refugee woman who joins rebel forces, to a lawyer at The Hague, to a United Nations worker for the World Food Program, to an internationally known actor and activist,
- 10/12/2007
- IONCINEMA.com
NEW YORK -- This documentary might co-star Don Cheadle and George Clooney and feature a cameo by Arnold Schwarzenegger, but it's not another installment of the popular "Ocean's" franchise. Rather, Darfur Now is a sober and passionate accounting of the efforts of six people working hard to help bring the world's attention to the ongoing tragedy in the Sudan region.
Unfortunately, for all its good intentions, Theodore Braun's docu feels at times misplaced in its emphasis and more than a little self-congratulatory in its tone. This is particularly true in the case of its profile of Cheadle (who also produced), which takes on the air of a high-minded Entertainment Tonight segment.
The people profiled in the film include the aforementioned actor, who describes his awakening to the African situation during the filming of Hotel Rwanda; Adam Sterling, a young UCLA student whose political activism helped lead to the passing of a California bill keeping state funds out of the region; Ahmed Mohammed Abakar, the leader of a massive camp inhabited by about 47,000 refugees; Luis Moreno-Ocampo, the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court in the Hague, who sets out to pursue Darfurian war criminals; Pablo Recalde, an Ecuadorian who has led efforts to bring food to the starving people of the area; and Hejewa Adam, a young mother who became an armed rebel after her 3-month-old son was killed by government forces.
The filmmakers gained unprecedented access to the region, garnering much footage that provides a vivid picture of the ongoing horrors. But it fails to deliver much in the way of background information and context, with the result that those not already familiar with the details of the situation might find themselves a bit lost.
While its activist subjects are indeed laudable, the film squanders much of its running time on ephemera. This is somewhat true with Sterling, who we see working his day job waiting tables in a Santa Monica restaurant, and very true of Cheadle, who admittedly gave needed star power to the project.
Interviewed at length to mournful piano under-scoring, the actor is seen hanging out with his kids, driving in his car, autographing his book and traveling across the world with his friend Clooney attempting to sway whatever politicians and government officials will meet them. It's a depressing reminder that in today's world, not even the effort to prevent an ongoing genocide is immune from the need for celebrity endorsement.
DARFUR NOW
Warner Independent Pictures
A Participant Prods. presentation of a
Crescendo/Mandalay Independent Pictures production
Credits:
Director-writer: Theodore Braun
Producers: Cathy Schulman, Don Cheadle, Mark Jonathan Harris
Executive producers: Jeff Skoll, Diane Weyermann, Omar Amanat, Matt Palmieri, Gary Greenebaum, Dean Schramm
Director of photography: Kirsten Johnson
Music: Graeme Revell
Co-producer: Lenore Zerman
Editor: Leonard Feinstein
Running time -- 99 minutes...
Unfortunately, for all its good intentions, Theodore Braun's docu feels at times misplaced in its emphasis and more than a little self-congratulatory in its tone. This is particularly true in the case of its profile of Cheadle (who also produced), which takes on the air of a high-minded Entertainment Tonight segment.
The people profiled in the film include the aforementioned actor, who describes his awakening to the African situation during the filming of Hotel Rwanda; Adam Sterling, a young UCLA student whose political activism helped lead to the passing of a California bill keeping state funds out of the region; Ahmed Mohammed Abakar, the leader of a massive camp inhabited by about 47,000 refugees; Luis Moreno-Ocampo, the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court in the Hague, who sets out to pursue Darfurian war criminals; Pablo Recalde, an Ecuadorian who has led efforts to bring food to the starving people of the area; and Hejewa Adam, a young mother who became an armed rebel after her 3-month-old son was killed by government forces.
The filmmakers gained unprecedented access to the region, garnering much footage that provides a vivid picture of the ongoing horrors. But it fails to deliver much in the way of background information and context, with the result that those not already familiar with the details of the situation might find themselves a bit lost.
While its activist subjects are indeed laudable, the film squanders much of its running time on ephemera. This is somewhat true with Sterling, who we see working his day job waiting tables in a Santa Monica restaurant, and very true of Cheadle, who admittedly gave needed star power to the project.
Interviewed at length to mournful piano under-scoring, the actor is seen hanging out with his kids, driving in his car, autographing his book and traveling across the world with his friend Clooney attempting to sway whatever politicians and government officials will meet them. It's a depressing reminder that in today's world, not even the effort to prevent an ongoing genocide is immune from the need for celebrity endorsement.
DARFUR NOW
Warner Independent Pictures
A Participant Prods. presentation of a
Crescendo/Mandalay Independent Pictures production
Credits:
Director-writer: Theodore Braun
Producers: Cathy Schulman, Don Cheadle, Mark Jonathan Harris
Executive producers: Jeff Skoll, Diane Weyermann, Omar Amanat, Matt Palmieri, Gary Greenebaum, Dean Schramm
Director of photography: Kirsten Johnson
Music: Graeme Revell
Co-producer: Lenore Zerman
Editor: Leonard Feinstein
Running time -- 99 minutes...
- 10/5/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
- I’m not sure what the previous years have churned out, but this year’s Real to Reel (Tiff's doc section) packs a wallop: either the film’s selected happen to have a muscle name among doc filmmakers attached or the docu subject will raise more than one eyebrow. Among the mix we have Phil Donahue’s Body of War – a doc that is coming to the fest with ample buzz, we have film critic Todd McCarthy’s documentary of a Cannes fest icon Pierre Rissient who makes the term 'cinephile' sound like a disease, and after a successful crossover into feature films, Kevin Macdonald looks into the mind of Gestapo commander Klaus Barbie, a.k.a the Butcher of Lyon. Here is the complete list:algerie, Histoires A Ne Pas Dire Jean-Pierre Lledo, AlgeriaFour Algerians of Muslim origin revisit the last years of their country's War of Independence, searching
- 7/31/2007
- IONCINEMA.com
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.