World class climber Jimmy Chin met his future wife, filmmaker Chai Vasarhelyi , over a mountain – of footage. He had been working for a number of years on the documentary that would become Meru , the story of an attempt by Chin and his fellow alpinists and friends Conrad Anker and Renan Ozturk to become the first to summit the perilous Shark’s Fin peak in the Himalayas. Perhaps because he was so close to the subject matter, the film wasn’t quite cohering. “I had submitted it to a few film festivals and got turned down,” Chin explained during an Artists & Auteurs conversation at CPH:DOX in Copenhagen. He told moderator Thom Powers, TIFF’s documentary programmer and host of the Pure Nonfiction podcast, that while struggling over the film he crossed paths with Vasarhelyi at a conference. “I knew that she had quite an accomplished career as a filmmaker,” Chin said. “So, I asked her to screen what I had cut so far. She didn’t call me back for three months, but it … [Read more...] about Oscar-Winning Filmmakers Chai Vasarhelyi & Jimmy Chin On Love Stories – Their Own, And They One They Tell In ‘Wild Life’ – CPH:DOX
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‘Motherland,’ Belorussian Film That Challenges Country’s Nationalist Push, Takes Top Prize At CPH:DOX; See Full Winners List
Motherland , a “dark and monumental” film about neo-nationalism in Belarus, earned the top prize tonight at the prestigious CPH:DOX festival in Copenhagen. Belorussian directors Alexander Mihalkovich and Hanna Badziaka accepted the Dox:Award honor at a ceremony at the Kunsthal Charlottenborg in the Danish capital. Jurors praised Motherland as “a cinematic and meaningful film that took its time unfolding the complexity of living within an oppressive and unjust system. It poses questions about the idea of an individual choice within a cornered society. The title of the film is a way to give back the power to the women who are at the forefront of this fight.” [See the full list of CPH:DOX winners below]. The world premiere of Motherland at CPH:DOX comes at a particularly timely moment, just over a year after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine with key assistance from the Kremlin-allied Belorussian government. Russian forces trained in Belarus in advance of the … [Read more...] about ‘Motherland,’ Belorussian Film That Challenges Country’s Nationalist Push, Takes Top Prize At CPH:DOX; See Full Winners List
BBC Reverses Decision To Close Choir After Public Outcry
The BBC has suspended its plan to shutter the BBC Singers choir after a public outcry over the decision. A statement from the BBC revealed it was assessing alternative funding models for the choir after “a number of organisations” came forwards with proposals. “We have agreed with the Musicians’ Union that we will suspend the proposal to close BBC Singers, while we will actively explore these options,” added the BBC. “If viable, these alternative options would secure the future of the ensemble.” The public service network had previously announced plans to close the 100-year-old choir earlier this month as it looks to reduce costs in its classical music division and invest more money smaller groups around the country. The BBC needs to make £400M ($489M) in savings by 2027 due to a two-year freeze in the license fee. Around 20 roles would go if the choir closed in July, as planned. However, more than 140,000 people have signed a petition to stop the axing and BBC … [Read more...] about BBC Reverses Decision To Close Choir After Public Outcry
BBC Complained To Government About Chairman Appointment Process Ahead Of Richard Sharp Hire
EXCLUSIVE : The BBC raised concerns about the way the government was going about appointing its new Chairman before the controversial hire of Richard Sharp . Sir David Clementi, the BBC’s former Chairman, wrote to the government in October 2020 to complain about the recruitment process for his successor. The UK government is responsible for appointing the BBC’s Chairman, while ministers also play a role in hiring four other board members. The procedure has become increasingly divisive, with concerns about ministers installing political candidates, leaving the BBC open to the accusation that its non-executive directors are too close to the government. Clementi’s letter to Oliver Dowden, the former Culture Secretary, could fuel suspicions that the government played politics with the BBC’s board amid a wider agenda against the broadcaster. In the letter, disclosed by the BBC under a Freedom of Information request, Clementi raised questions about the Chairman … [Read more...] about BBC Complained To Government About Chairman Appointment Process Ahead Of Richard Sharp Hire
French Film & TV Stars Get Behind Petition Decrying Macron Pension Reforms; King Charles State Visit Postponed Due To Unrest
More than 300 leading figures from the French film and TV world have gotten behind a petition decrying controversial pension reforms spearheaded by the government of President Emmanuel Macron . French stars Juliette Binoche , Audrey Fleurot, Camille Cottin , Swann Arlaud, Jeanne Balibar, Bérenice Béjo, Laure Calamy, Camille Cottin, Pierre Deladonchamps and Noémie Merlant; directors Michel Hazanavicius , Alice Diop , Kim Chapiron, Maimouna Doucouré, Robert Guédiguian and Alain Guiraudie, as well as producer Saïd Ben Saïd were among the signatories. “It is high time to make our voices heard, because cinema, theater, culture, even if they sometimes offer dreams and a means of escape, above all speak of our world,” read an open letter to Macron accompanying the petition. The petition was launched under the banner of the Cinema Entertainment Collective on the Liberation newspaper website on Thursday afternoon, as a national strike brought public services to a … [Read more...] about French Film & TV Stars Get Behind Petition Decrying Macron Pension Reforms; King Charles State Visit Postponed Due To Unrest
‘The Young And The Restless’ at 50: Star Lauralee Bell Reflects On Her Dad’s Legacy, And The Future Of The CBS Soap
On Sunday, The Young and the Restless will officially celebrate 50 years on CBS. For star Lauralee Bell , it’s more than just a celebration; it’s a tribute to the work of her dad William J. Bell , who created the No. 1 daytime drama with his wife, Lee, in 1973. It’s also a heady reminder that Bell — along with her brother Bradley, who’s the head writer on The Bold and the Beautiful — is one of daytime’s most important stewards. “We’re representing dad in such big way,” said Bell of her father, who died in 2005. Her mom passed in 2020. “I was getting ready to do an interview the other day and out of nowhere this huge, overwhelming feeling came over me. I wondered, did dad ever consider that he wouldn’t be here at one point and did it make him feel a little bit better knowing that Brad and I were all in? Did he ever have a moment where he was like, ‘it’s gonna be okay because my kids got me?'” Here, Bell — who has played Christine “Cricket” Blair on the soap since … [Read more...] about ‘The Young And The Restless’ at 50: Star Lauralee Bell Reflects On Her Dad’s Legacy, And The Future Of The CBS Soap
‘Dear Edward’ Creator Jason Katims Talks Finale Episode & Plans For Potential Season 2
SPOILER ALERT! This post contains details from the season finale of Apple TV+ ’s Dear Edward . Grief isn’t linear, and it doesn’t have a time limit either. While Season 1 of the Apple TV+ series Dear Edward — which tells the story of a grief group that brings together the loved ones of the passengers of a fatal plane crash — has come to an end, creator Jason Katims tells Deadline that he’s only scratched the surface of the stories that he wants to tell with these characters. The series has not officially been renewed for a second season, though Katims is waiting patiently for the call. “There’s 15 or 16 main characters in the show, but there are 180 people on that flight. And aside from those 180, there are all the people whose lives have been touched by that,” he said, adding: “There’s lots of stories left to tell here.” Katims is also the creator of Friday Night Lights and Parenthood , both of which are known for their large ensemble casts. So, it should … [Read more...] about ‘Dear Edward’ Creator Jason Katims Talks Finale Episode & Plans For Potential Season 2
Philippa Langley On Digging Up ‘The Lost King’ Richard III After 500 Years – Specialty Preview
The much-maligned Richard III finally gets the royal treatment in Stephen Frears’ The Lost King as amateur historian Philippa Langley unearths the monarch’s five-century-old remains in a parking lot in Leicester, England, in 2012. Two books and a documentary later, IFC Films presents the feature film version in 750+ theaters. “It took eight years from starting the search to cutting the tarmac. To see it telescoped into a hundred or so minutes made it really powerful for me,” Langley, who’s played in the film by Sally Hawkins, told Deadline. Richard III (1461-1483) is one of Shakespeare’s most malevolent villains, a deformed hunchback usurper and murderer. But historians have contested the portrayal of the last king of the House of York and Plantagenet dynasty, noting history is often (re)written by the victors, in this case the Tudors. A society of “Ricardians” at work for years to rehabilitate the monarch’s image, and other well-wishers, chipped in to fund a costly … [Read more...] about Philippa Langley On Digging Up ‘The Lost King’ Richard III After 500 Years – Specialty Preview
Merritt Wever-Led ‘Midday Black Midnight Blue’ Acquired By Good Deed; Coral Peña, Nicole Byer Board ‘Thelma’; More – Film Briefs
EXCLUSIVE : Good Deed Entertainment has acquired North American and UK rights to the indie drama Midday Black Midnight Blue , starring 2x Emmy winner Merritt Wever ( Godless ), slating it for a day-and-date release in June. The first feature from writer-directors Samantha Soule and Daniel Talbott, also starring Chris Stack (AMC’s Interview with the Vampire ) and Soule ( Godless ), follows Ian (Stack) as he grapples with his shifting memories of Liv (Soule), a woman he once loved. For Ian, it’s a chance run-in with Liv’s sister (Wever) that sparks a journey in which he has a chance to reconnect to the light and fight his way back to life. The film, which world premiered at last year’s Seattle Film Festival, is produced by Soule, Talbott and Stack, as well as Lovell Holder and Addie Johnson Talbott. Exec producers are Timothy Farrell, Conner Marx and Will Pullen. GDE’s EVP of Acquisitions Erik Donley negotiated Midday Black ‘s deal for the company, with … [Read more...] about Merritt Wever-Led ‘Midday Black Midnight Blue’ Acquired By Good Deed; Coral Peña, Nicole Byer Board ‘Thelma’; More – Film Briefs
NBC Renewal Status Report: One Chicago, ‘Law & Order’ Franchise, ‘Lopez vs. Lopez’, ‘American Auto’ & More
Second in a series on broadcast network series renewals. Reboots have been hot on NBC this season, with the two freshman follow-ups to classic TV series, drama Quantum Leap and comedy Night Court , both already picked up for a second season. For the first time in years, NBC faces renewals of its four top-rated dramas: Dick Wolf’s Chicago franchise and Law & Order: SVU , whose three-season pickups all are coming to an end. I hear negotiations already are underway, and the goal again is to secure multi-season renewals for all four shows. That is considered attainable as the biggest obstacle for long-running hit shows usually is cost, and Wolf is known for keeping his productions on tight budgets. That sometimes is reflected into how long actors stay on his procedurals, with cast turnovers used as both a way to keep shows fresh creatively and keep costs in check. RELATED: We’ll Be Back: Photo Gallery Of TV Series Renewed In 2023 Of course, … [Read more...] about NBC Renewal Status Report: One Chicago, ‘Law & Order’ Franchise, ‘Lopez vs. Lopez’, ‘American Auto’ & More