The Aretha Franklin documentary “Amazing Grace,” the moon-mission chronicle “Apollo 11” and the first film from Barack and Michelle Obama’s production company, “American Factory,” have made the short list for the International Documentary Association’s 2019 Ida Documentary Awards, the Ida announced on Thursday.The announcement narrows the field to 30 feature films and 21 shorts that […]
Continue readingWith documentaries on the rise and multiple backers and outlets for non-fiction films, two veteran filmmakers — married producer-financier Dan Cogan and producer-director Liz Garbus — have decided to launch their own production company, Story Syndicate. Clearly, it’s a propitious time: The public’s appetite for non-fiction stories has never been greater, as movies ranging from […]
Continue readingA spellbinding performance by the late, great singer is captured in Sydney Pollack’s 1972 film – finally brought to the screen after a long technical and legal battleThe 1970s may have been the heyday of the rock concert film, but the genre was frequently marred by questionable performances and legal squabbles. Whether it’s Led Zeppelin […]
Continue readingThis documentary, shot during recording sessions by the charismatic queen of soul in a Los Angeles church, is a transcendent joyThere’s an oceanic swell of euphoria and joy in this extraordinary film, effectively a rediscovered concert movie showing the creation of Aretha Franklin’s gospel LP, Amazing Grace, recorded over two nights in 1972 in front […]
Continue readingOne of the emerging trends in the films at this year’s True/False documentary film festival in Columbia, Missouri has been curated footage. Several of the films at this year’s festival, like Apollo 11, Amazing Grace and now director Avi Belkin’s film Mike Wallace is Here, are made up entirely of archival content, either presented in […]
Continue readingThe National Society of Film Critics announced their 2019 award winners Saturday afternoon, with winners including Olivia Colman for “The Favourite” and Ethan Hawke for “First Reformed.”Chloe Zhao’s “The Rider” took home the best picture title, with Alfonso Cuaron taking best cinematography for “Roma” and Regina King earning a nod for “If Beale Street Could […]
Continue readingAretha Franklin documentary “Amazing Grace” will set a one-week record for New York’s Film Forum, where it opened December 7 — the same day that Neon announced that the company acquired it for distribution.The box-office calculation is based on sold-out shows and advance sales through December 13, when it’s on track to make at least […]
Continue readingNeon has acquired the North American rights to “Amazing Grace,” the Aretha Franklin documentary film that made its world premiere at Doc NYC and then screened at the AFI Film Festival in November, the distributor announced.The company is planning a March 2019 theatrical release, and it has already opened in New York and Los Angeles […]
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