Ryan Gosling returned to “SNL” this week in a cold open with “Barbie” co-star Kate McKinnon, reviving one of their most famous sketches, “Close Encounter,” in which they recount being abducted by aliens and their vastly different experiences aboard the spaceship.
The original sketch debuted eight years ago and featured Gosling and McKinnon, alongside Cecily Strong (it currently has 60 million views on YouTube). The actor also recreated this sketch on his second time hosting six years ago. In every attempt to act through “Close Encounter” Gosling has heroically attempted to get through McKinnon’s genius bit without breaking, every time he has failed. Endearingly, Gosling broke again at least once during this one.
Bowen Yang and Mike Day played Nsa investigators in tonight’s cold open. Day tells Gosling, McKinnon, and Sarah Sherman, “Now you’re all here because you’ve experienced a verified alien abduction.”
As the camera pans to McKinnon,...
The original sketch debuted eight years ago and featured Gosling and McKinnon, alongside Cecily Strong (it currently has 60 million views on YouTube). The actor also recreated this sketch on his second time hosting six years ago. In every attempt to act through “Close Encounter” Gosling has heroically attempted to get through McKinnon’s genius bit without breaking, every time he has failed. Endearingly, Gosling broke again at least once during this one.
Bowen Yang and Mike Day played Nsa investigators in tonight’s cold open. Day tells Gosling, McKinnon, and Sarah Sherman, “Now you’re all here because you’ve experienced a verified alien abduction.”
As the camera pans to McKinnon,...
- 4/14/2024
- by Anne McCarthy
- Variety Film + TV
Four documentary filmmakers have been selected to participate in Yeti’s inaugural Pretty Wild fellowship program, which supports documentaries that give a fresh perspective on the outdoors and the people and stories that live there.
The projects are: Tasha Van Zandt’s “The Arctic Women,” Mike Day’s “Baby Highlander,” Emily Cohen Ibañez’s “River” and Juliana Schatz Preston’s “Rare Bird.”
The four filmmakers, chosen from 330 submissions spanning 30 countries, are currently in Austin, Texas, for the first of two immersive retreats featured in the eight-month program.
In addition to $50,000 in unrestricted grants, each of the four selected filmmakers will receive guidance throughout the development of their films from a board of mentors. That includes the retreat in Austin, which comes to a close on March 7, as well as another retreat in September in Camden, Maine, leading up to Points North’s 20th annual Camden International Film Festival. The retreats include feedback sessions,...
The projects are: Tasha Van Zandt’s “The Arctic Women,” Mike Day’s “Baby Highlander,” Emily Cohen Ibañez’s “River” and Juliana Schatz Preston’s “Rare Bird.”
The four filmmakers, chosen from 330 submissions spanning 30 countries, are currently in Austin, Texas, for the first of two immersive retreats featured in the eight-month program.
In addition to $50,000 in unrestricted grants, each of the four selected filmmakers will receive guidance throughout the development of their films from a board of mentors. That includes the retreat in Austin, which comes to a close on March 7, as well as another retreat in September in Camden, Maine, leading up to Points North’s 20th annual Camden International Film Festival. The retreats include feedback sessions,...
- 3/7/2024
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
“Saturday Night Live” took aim at Jim Jordan’s (Mike Day) failed bid for Speaker of the House, with the Republican being consoled by George Santos (Bowen Yang), Lauren Boebert (Chloe Fineman) and Donald Trump (James Austin Johnson).
“How did I lose? This is chaos,” Day’s Jordan says. “Some of us are here to actually serve the American people. All I want to do is get Congress back to work so I can shut it down again.”
Moments later, he’s visited by Santos, who has come to cheer him up with a baby in hand.
“I just wanted to say how sorry I am. But I want you to know I voted for you and get this, so did Shawna Loggins,” Yang said.
“Who’s that?,” Day replies, to which Yang responds: “Also me.”
Day’s Jordan says he’s not ready to give up and asks Yang...
“How did I lose? This is chaos,” Day’s Jordan says. “Some of us are here to actually serve the American people. All I want to do is get Congress back to work so I can shut it down again.”
Moments later, he’s visited by Santos, who has come to cheer him up with a baby in hand.
“I just wanted to say how sorry I am. But I want you to know I voted for you and get this, so did Shawna Loggins,” Yang said.
“Who’s that?,” Day replies, to which Yang responds: “Also me.”
Day’s Jordan says he’s not ready to give up and asks Yang...
- 10/22/2023
- by Lucas Manfredi
- The Wrap
Producers, showrunners, line producers and location managers all agree: When it comes to shooting a production in Spain, they need a bridge with local administrations.
As film and TV shoots ramp up to historic heights — doubling expenditure in 2021 vs. the average spend for 2016-19 — Spain’s intoxicating mix of historic cities, natural parks and intricate local regulations means that the role of the film commissions has become crucial in successfully carrying out production.
To date, there are 37 film commissions or offices across Spain, forming part of the Sfc Network. “Film commissions have come a long way in recent years and have understood what their role is,” says Meñakoz Films’ Fernando Victoria de Lecea, president of the Profilm line producers’ body, who fulfilled that role on Wes Anderson’s “Asteroid City.”
“When a location manager doesn’t control a region too much, the film commissioner offers a large database. Then, he...
As film and TV shoots ramp up to historic heights — doubling expenditure in 2021 vs. the average spend for 2016-19 — Spain’s intoxicating mix of historic cities, natural parks and intricate local regulations means that the role of the film commissions has become crucial in successfully carrying out production.
To date, there are 37 film commissions or offices across Spain, forming part of the Sfc Network. “Film commissions have come a long way in recent years and have understood what their role is,” says Meñakoz Films’ Fernando Victoria de Lecea, president of the Profilm line producers’ body, who fulfilled that role on Wes Anderson’s “Asteroid City.”
“When a location manager doesn’t control a region too much, the film commissioner offers a large database. Then, he...
- 9/10/2022
- by Emiliano De Pablos
- Variety Film + TV
In the opening scene of Episode 8, Season 4 of Netflix’s “The Crown,” a young Princess Elizabeth, played by Claire Foy, addresses the British Commonwealth from Capetown, South Africa, on the occasion of her 21st birthday.
What follows is a montage of people listening to her radio broadcast speech in different member countries, from India to Australia, to Jamaica and a number of African nations. These scenes were all shot in Spain, encapsulating — in less than three minutes — the great diversity of the country’s locations.
Several scenes in Seasons 3, 4 and the upcoming Season 5 of “The Crown” have all been shot in Spain while the sixth and final one, which starts shooting in late August, promises to be the show’s “largest investment in Spain in terms of time,” says independent producer Martin Harrison, one of the key producers behind the award-winning series for Sony backed London-based shingle Left Bank Pictures.
What follows is a montage of people listening to her radio broadcast speech in different member countries, from India to Australia, to Jamaica and a number of African nations. These scenes were all shot in Spain, encapsulating — in less than three minutes — the great diversity of the country’s locations.
Several scenes in Seasons 3, 4 and the upcoming Season 5 of “The Crown” have all been shot in Spain while the sixth and final one, which starts shooting in late August, promises to be the show’s “largest investment in Spain in terms of time,” says independent producer Martin Harrison, one of the key producers behind the award-winning series for Sony backed London-based shingle Left Bank Pictures.
- 9/7/2022
- by Anna Marie de la Fuente
- Variety Film + TV
Ten reasons why Spain is a favorite for big-budget productions:
Up to 70 Tax Incentives In 2020, a tax break hike catapulted Spain into the top echelon of destinations for big international shoots. Its mainland offers a competitive 30 tax rebate for the first €1 million (1 million) of spend and 25 for further expenditure, capped at 10.1 million. In the Canary Islands, the rebates reach 50 for the first 1.1 million and 45 thereafter, with a 19.4 million ceiling. The Basque Country’s Bizkaia province looks set to offer tax breaks up to 70 beginning in 2023. One thing are these figures, another the general international industry take that the tax breaks and rebates are reliable, in contrast to someplace around the world.
A Compact Variety of Climates and Landscapes Spain boasts mountains, deserts, forests, rivers and lakes, 5,000 miles of coastline, nature parks, tropical areas, flatlands and plateaus. “The combination of its extensive and diverse location backdrops, great climate, multiple airport hubs...
Up to 70 Tax Incentives In 2020, a tax break hike catapulted Spain into the top echelon of destinations for big international shoots. Its mainland offers a competitive 30 tax rebate for the first €1 million (1 million) of spend and 25 for further expenditure, capped at 10.1 million. In the Canary Islands, the rebates reach 50 for the first 1.1 million and 45 thereafter, with a 19.4 million ceiling. The Basque Country’s Bizkaia province looks set to offer tax breaks up to 70 beginning in 2023. One thing are these figures, another the general international industry take that the tax breaks and rebates are reliable, in contrast to someplace around the world.
A Compact Variety of Climates and Landscapes Spain boasts mountains, deserts, forests, rivers and lakes, 5,000 miles of coastline, nature parks, tropical areas, flatlands and plateaus. “The combination of its extensive and diverse location backdrops, great climate, multiple airport hubs...
- 9/6/2022
- by Emiliano De Pablos
- Variety Film + TV
The 18th edition of the Camden Intl. Film Festival, kicking off Sept. 15, will feature a handful of award-contending documentaries fresh off showings at Telluride and the Toronto film festivals. The Maine-based festival will unfold in a hybrid format, with both in-person events over a three-day period concluding Sept. 18, and online screenings available from Sept. 15 to Sept. 25 to audiences across North America.
This year’s Ciff highlights include the U.S. premiere of Tamana Ayazi and Marcel Mettelsiefen’s Netflix release “In Her Hands,” which follows one of Afghanistan’s first female mayors during the months leading up to the Taliban takeover the country in 2021; Chris Smith’s “Sr.,” centered on the life and career of Robert Downey Sr. and his relationship to his son, Robert Downey Jr.; and Steve James’ “A Compassionate Spy,” about Manhattan Project physicist, Soviet spy and University of Chicago alum Theodore Hall. Each of the three...
This year’s Ciff highlights include the U.S. premiere of Tamana Ayazi and Marcel Mettelsiefen’s Netflix release “In Her Hands,” which follows one of Afghanistan’s first female mayors during the months leading up to the Taliban takeover the country in 2021; Chris Smith’s “Sr.,” centered on the life and career of Robert Downey Sr. and his relationship to his son, Robert Downey Jr.; and Steve James’ “A Compassionate Spy,” about Manhattan Project physicist, Soviet spy and University of Chicago alum Theodore Hall. Each of the three...
- 8/22/2022
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
Katie Holmes has found her next project.
The “Dawson’s Creek” and “Wonder Boys” actress will star in “Rare Objects,” in addition to directing, producing and co-writing the adaptation of Kathleen Tessaro’s novel of the same name. Production on the film has started in New York with Yale Productions and Holmes’ Lafayette Pictures producing the movie.
Phaedon Papadopoulos co-wrote the script. The film is also produced by Jordan Yale Levine, Jordan Beckerman and Jesse Korman of Lafayette Pictures/Yale Productions with Shaun Sanghani of Sss Entertainment. Mark Maxey is also a producer.
“Rare Objects” tells the story of a young woman with a traumatic past who seeks to rebuild her life when she begins working at an antique store. Receiving wisdom and guidance from the kind souls that own the ship, she gains a new level of confidence that will then be put to the test when those from her...
The “Dawson’s Creek” and “Wonder Boys” actress will star in “Rare Objects,” in addition to directing, producing and co-writing the adaptation of Kathleen Tessaro’s novel of the same name. Production on the film has started in New York with Yale Productions and Holmes’ Lafayette Pictures producing the movie.
Phaedon Papadopoulos co-wrote the script. The film is also produced by Jordan Yale Levine, Jordan Beckerman and Jesse Korman of Lafayette Pictures/Yale Productions with Shaun Sanghani of Sss Entertainment. Mark Maxey is also a producer.
“Rare Objects” tells the story of a young woman with a traumatic past who seeks to rebuild her life when she begins working at an antique store. Receiving wisdom and guidance from the kind souls that own the ship, she gains a new level of confidence that will then be put to the test when those from her...
- 11/3/2021
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: A Spanish production services outfit with credits including The Crown, The Night Manager and Love Island has entered the original drama game.
Palma Pictures, which has serviced more than 25 features/TV series and 2000 commercials over the past three decades, will open Palma Pictures Studios in London with immediate effect.
The Studios opens with a number of shows in development, including a TV adaptation of West End comedy show String vs Spitta written by Ghosts star Kiell Smith-Bynoe, a mini-series, Love Jack, inspired by the secret love affair between Gunilla Von Post and John F. Kennedy and a Palma-set TV show based on novels by best-selling Swedish writer Mons Kallentoft.
Execs Trent Walton and Mike Day will oversee the scripted hub’s day-to-day operation, “drawing upon our Scandinavian, Spanish and British roots, to combine the work of international authors and writers to tell nuanced local stories with global reach,” according to Walton.
Palma Pictures, which has serviced more than 25 features/TV series and 2000 commercials over the past three decades, will open Palma Pictures Studios in London with immediate effect.
The Studios opens with a number of shows in development, including a TV adaptation of West End comedy show String vs Spitta written by Ghosts star Kiell Smith-Bynoe, a mini-series, Love Jack, inspired by the secret love affair between Gunilla Von Post and John F. Kennedy and a Palma-set TV show based on novels by best-selling Swedish writer Mons Kallentoft.
Execs Trent Walton and Mike Day will oversee the scripted hub’s day-to-day operation, “drawing upon our Scandinavian, Spanish and British roots, to combine the work of international authors and writers to tell nuanced local stories with global reach,” according to Walton.
- 11/1/2021
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Four production experts will discuss the prospects for the industry in the coming months.
The upcoming Restart Conference (May 18-20) will hear from four production experts about the potential for an international production boom as the industry continues to reopen.
Register here
Panelists at the event include location managers Mike Fantasia and Georgette Turner; line producer and unit production manager Sam Breckman; and Mike Day, CEO at Spanish production firm Palma Pictures.
In light of the challenges many have had to face in the last 12 months and the potential of the production floodgates likely to burst open as a backlog...
The upcoming Restart Conference (May 18-20) will hear from four production experts about the potential for an international production boom as the industry continues to reopen.
Register here
Panelists at the event include location managers Mike Fantasia and Georgette Turner; line producer and unit production manager Sam Breckman; and Mike Day, CEO at Spanish production firm Palma Pictures.
In light of the challenges many have had to face in the last 12 months and the potential of the production floodgates likely to burst open as a backlog...
- 5/13/2021
- by Screen staff
- ScreenDaily
In 2019, Netflix produced more hours of original productions in Spain (163) than any other country outside the U.S., aside from South Korea (238), but on a par with the U.K. (160), according to an analysis from Omdia.
Once better known for its movie auteurs, Spain is fast becoming a production center as its drama series, led by “La Casa de Papel” (“Money Heist”), reach global audiences.
With vaccination rates now hitting 400,000 jabs a day, on Thursday, four senior industry executives debated at a Spain Film Commission panel about how to attract big shoots again to Spain. Conversation turned very often to the future of series productions in Spain as it becomes one of the most exciting growth sectors in the world. Here are the six biggest takeaways:
The Sector’s on a Roll
Last May, Spain’s government raised tax rebate caps on big foreign shoots from $3.28 million to $10.8 million, and...
Once better known for its movie auteurs, Spain is fast becoming a production center as its drama series, led by “La Casa de Papel” (“Money Heist”), reach global audiences.
With vaccination rates now hitting 400,000 jabs a day, on Thursday, four senior industry executives debated at a Spain Film Commission panel about how to attract big shoots again to Spain. Conversation turned very often to the future of series productions in Spain as it becomes one of the most exciting growth sectors in the world. Here are the six biggest takeaways:
The Sector’s on a Roll
Last May, Spain’s government raised tax rebate caps on big foreign shoots from $3.28 million to $10.8 million, and...
- 4/30/2021
- by John Hopewell and Emiliano De Pablos
- Variety Film + TV
Spain now open to international productions from most territories, with a new 30% incentive.
Spain’s “tremendous versatility” as a shooting location will suit the new normal for the global production industry under coronavirus, according to a panel of leading production specialists.
The panel was hosted by Chris Evans, news and locations editor at Screen’s sister publications Kftv and World of Locations. It is available to watch in full below.
“Spain is incredibly versatile,” said Mike Day, CEO at Mallorca-based production services firm Palma Pictures, which sponsored the Talk. It also has an office also in Barcelona. “About 80% of the...
Spain’s “tremendous versatility” as a shooting location will suit the new normal for the global production industry under coronavirus, according to a panel of leading production specialists.
The panel was hosted by Chris Evans, news and locations editor at Screen’s sister publications Kftv and World of Locations. It is available to watch in full below.
“Spain is incredibly versatile,” said Mike Day, CEO at Mallorca-based production services firm Palma Pictures, which sponsored the Talk. It also has an office also in Barcelona. “About 80% of the...
- 6/30/2020
- by 1101321¦Ben Dalton¦26¦
- ScreenDaily
This Q&A Zoom event about what the country has to offer as a filming location will take place 25 June, 16:00pm BST, with leading industry speakers.
Screen’s sister site Kftv is holding a live talk on Thursday 25 June at 16:00pm BST, which will look at all that Spain has to offer as a shooting location.
Click Here To Register
We will discuss the current situation with the coronavirus in the country - how Spain is working through a phased process of re-opening, how local and international productions are starting up again, and any filming restrictions and health...
Screen’s sister site Kftv is holding a live talk on Thursday 25 June at 16:00pm BST, which will look at all that Spain has to offer as a shooting location.
Click Here To Register
We will discuss the current situation with the coronavirus in the country - how Spain is working through a phased process of re-opening, how local and international productions are starting up again, and any filming restrictions and health...
- 6/24/2020
- by 55¦Chris Evans¦147¦
- ScreenDaily
Projects include ’The Real Truman Show’, Sally Potter’s ’Oh Moscow’ and docs about Frank Bruno and Sinead O’Connor.
Sheffield Doc/Fest (June 6-11) has revealed the titles that will pitch for funding at the 15th edition of its MeetMarket initiative.
Among the line-up are films by Sally Potter and Mark Cousins, and docs about Frank Bruno and Sinead O’Connor.
62 project teams from 27 countries will pitch to international and UK decision makers for research, development and production funding. Over 300 delegates from 30 countries will attend the market, including executives from Netflix, BBC, Channel 4 and ESPN.
The festival has...
Sheffield Doc/Fest (June 6-11) has revealed the titles that will pitch for funding at the 15th edition of its MeetMarket initiative.
Among the line-up are films by Sally Potter and Mark Cousins, and docs about Frank Bruno and Sinead O’Connor.
62 project teams from 27 countries will pitch to international and UK decision makers for research, development and production funding. Over 300 delegates from 30 countries will attend the market, including executives from Netflix, BBC, Channel 4 and ESPN.
The festival has...
- 4/10/2019
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Body to offer $245,000 in support.
The International Documentary Association (Ida) announced on Thursday (28) 16 grants totalling $245,000 to films through its Enterprise Documentary Fund and Pare Lorentz Documentary Fund.
Eleven feature-length documentary projects have been selected as development grantees of the Enterprise Documentary Fund with awards totalling $150,000. The Fund aims to support projects that reframe contemporary and historical events.
A further five projects will receive $95,000 in support through the Pare Lorentz Doc Fund, which supports production and post production for films that illuminate issues in the Us. This year’s themes centre on land and water.
The 11 Enterprise Documentary Fund grantees are:...
The International Documentary Association (Ida) announced on Thursday (28) 16 grants totalling $245,000 to films through its Enterprise Documentary Fund and Pare Lorentz Documentary Fund.
Eleven feature-length documentary projects have been selected as development grantees of the Enterprise Documentary Fund with awards totalling $150,000. The Fund aims to support projects that reframe contemporary and historical events.
A further five projects will receive $95,000 in support through the Pare Lorentz Doc Fund, which supports production and post production for films that illuminate issues in the Us. This year’s themes centre on land and water.
The 11 Enterprise Documentary Fund grantees are:...
- 2/28/2019
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
“Free Solo” won the Grand Prize at the Kendal Mountain Festival on Saturday night. A contender in Kendal’s main International Film Competition, the documentary from E. Chai Vasarhelyi, who helmed Sundance hit “Meru,” and Jimmy Chin, a climber in that film, was the overall winner in a lineup of 90 mountain and adventure films.
The audience – despite being predominantly mountaineers and outdoor enthusiasts themselves – still shuddered, flinched and sweated as the story of this unroped climb of the El Capitan rockface by the climber Alex Honnold unfolded. Not only does this film record the extraordinary achievement of a near impossible climb, but it also is not afraid to confront the climber and colleagues with the real possibility of failure and death.
“Wonderful Loser,” from Lithuania’s Arunas Matelis, took the Special Judges Prize. along with Krystle Wright and Toby Pike’s short “Chasing Monsters,” from Australia. Already with a clutch of awards to its credit,...
The audience – despite being predominantly mountaineers and outdoor enthusiasts themselves – still shuddered, flinched and sweated as the story of this unroped climb of the El Capitan rockface by the climber Alex Honnold unfolded. Not only does this film record the extraordinary achievement of a near impossible climb, but it also is not afraid to confront the climber and colleagues with the real possibility of failure and death.
“Wonderful Loser,” from Lithuania’s Arunas Matelis, took the Special Judges Prize. along with Krystle Wright and Toby Pike’s short “Chasing Monsters,” from Australia. Already with a clutch of awards to its credit,...
- 11/19/2018
- by George Bird
- Variety Film + TV
The Islands And The Whales Photo: Ged Fitzsimmons
In the far north, where the sea rages and the few outcroppings of land have soil so thin that barely anything can be grown there, live the Faroese. Surviving for centuries by hunting and fishing, they now find that pollution and climate change are threatening to make their traditional way of life obsolete. Mike Day spent four years with them to make documentary The Islands And The Whales, discovering a way of looking at the world that is rarely featured onscreen. I asked him how it all began.
Director Mike Day Photo: Ged Fitzsimmons
"It was while I was filming The Guga Hunters Of Ness," he explains, "that I met a group of Faroese sailors in Stornoway harbour. We'd all just been out being battered on the Atlantic - I don't know what the hell we were doing out on those seas...
In the far north, where the sea rages and the few outcroppings of land have soil so thin that barely anything can be grown there, live the Faroese. Surviving for centuries by hunting and fishing, they now find that pollution and climate change are threatening to make their traditional way of life obsolete. Mike Day spent four years with them to make documentary The Islands And The Whales, discovering a way of looking at the world that is rarely featured onscreen. I asked him how it all began.
Director Mike Day Photo: Ged Fitzsimmons
"It was while I was filming The Guga Hunters Of Ness," he explains, "that I met a group of Faroese sailors in Stornoway harbour. We'd all just been out being battered on the Atlantic - I don't know what the hell we were doing out on those seas...
- 3/29/2018
- by Jennie Kermode
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Pamela Anderson’s appearance in this sombre documentary on hunting in the Faroe Islands is almost the least surreal thing in it
“In the past, nature was a giant, and humans were so small. Now it’s the other way around.” The speaker is a Faroe Islander in Mike Day’s sombre, poignant, almost funereal film about a growing crisis in the way of life being pursued in that wild and beautiful archipelago 200 miles off the coast of Scotland. (The Faroe Islands are a self-governing region, subject to Danish control.) With farming being almost impossible, the islanders are historically reliant on fishing and particularly whale-hunting, and also hunting seabirds for food – a slightly bizarre activity, although rationally speaking no more bizarre than any other carnivorous practice. Yet rising levels of mercury in fish and whales are causing anxiety. Are they now dependent on food which is poisoned? An older generation...
“In the past, nature was a giant, and humans were so small. Now it’s the other way around.” The speaker is a Faroe Islander in Mike Day’s sombre, poignant, almost funereal film about a growing crisis in the way of life being pursued in that wild and beautiful archipelago 200 miles off the coast of Scotland. (The Faroe Islands are a self-governing region, subject to Danish control.) With farming being almost impossible, the islanders are historically reliant on fishing and particularly whale-hunting, and also hunting seabirds for food – a slightly bizarre activity, although rationally speaking no more bizarre than any other carnivorous practice. Yet rising levels of mercury in fish and whales are causing anxiety. Are they now dependent on food which is poisoned? An older generation...
- 3/29/2018
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Whale hunts in the Faroes cause global outrage. But Mike Day spent four years filming – and getting to know – the islanders. He uncovered a far more complex story
If outsiders are dimly aware of an archipelago of 18 islands in the North Atlantic they probably picture the Faroes’ spectacular peaks or horrifying blood-red bays. The islanders’ annual slaughter of pilot whales, driven by flotillas of small boats on to the beach, is virtually the only occasion when the lives of 50,000 Faroese impinge upon the consciousness of the wider world.
Related: The Islands and the Whales review – a community poisoned...
If outsiders are dimly aware of an archipelago of 18 islands in the North Atlantic they probably picture the Faroes’ spectacular peaks or horrifying blood-red bays. The islanders’ annual slaughter of pilot whales, driven by flotillas of small boats on to the beach, is virtually the only occasion when the lives of 50,000 Faroese impinge upon the consciousness of the wider world.
Related: The Islands and the Whales review – a community poisoned...
- 3/29/2018
- by Patrick Barkham
- The Guardian - Film News
Producer and Director Mike Day brings us an intimate and interesting look into the lives of the Faroe Islanders and how they survive. For hundreds of years the Faroese have lived off the meat of Whales and Seabirds, but now with the pollution levels threatening their health – the islanders are worried about the potential mercury poisoning they could incur.
The Islands and the Whales is distressing to watch at times, there’s no doubt about that. Some scenes are shocking, with people standing in a sea of blood and with blood splattered on their faces. Seagulls lying dead on the floor and Puffins being studied, eaten and then stuffed – just to name a few, it’s simply mind-blowing. The documentary also shows you detailed glimpses into how they hunt and kill the Whales – not a normal thing to watch, surely? However, it does give you an interesting way of understanding...
The Islands and the Whales is distressing to watch at times, there’s no doubt about that. Some scenes are shocking, with people standing in a sea of blood and with blood splattered on their faces. Seagulls lying dead on the floor and Puffins being studied, eaten and then stuffed – just to name a few, it’s simply mind-blowing. The documentary also shows you detailed glimpses into how they hunt and kill the Whales – not a normal thing to watch, surely? However, it does give you an interesting way of understanding...
- 3/27/2018
- by Alex Clement
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
The introductions to these Saturday Night Live recaps have gotten somewhat stale lately: I talk about the show's inconsistencies, note that there are some highlights nonetheless, and then get into the meat of things. This time around, let's look at five things that are really working this season as a whole. Individual episodes have had ebbs and flows, but these aspects have really been clicking since the fall.
1. Mike Day might have been designed in a lab for the specific purpose of being great on SNL. The marriage between talent...
1. Mike Day might have been designed in a lab for the specific purpose of being great on SNL. The marriage between talent...
- 1/21/2018
- Rollingstone.com
Sam Rockwell made quite an impression in his SNL hosting debut. The Confessions of a Dangerous Mind star, who last weekend won a 2018 Golden Globe for his performance in the film Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, dropped an F-bomb while playing a science teacher in a sketch parodying an PBS Kids show. "I just poured the oil into the water. The oil is..." he asked his students, played by Cecily Strong and Mike Day. "False," Day's character answers. "This isn't a true or false [question], Josh," Rockwell's character says. "You can't be this f--king stupid. I'm Sorry. Kids aren't stupid." During the...
- 1/14/2018
- E! Online
Teaching kids science is difficult, doubly so when they refuse to listen. Sam Rockwell learned that lesson on “Saturday Night Live” last night, when the first-time host acted in a skit alongside two kiddos (Cecily Strong and Mike Day) who aren’t exactly future geniuses. In the heat of the moment, the recent Golden Globe winner appears to have forgotten that you’re not supposed to say “fuck” on TV. Watch the moment below.
Read More:‘Saturday Night Live’ Review: Sam Rockwell Leads ‘SNL’ Into The New Year With a Great Episode
NBC’s official upload of the skit subtly removes the f-bomb in question, but everyone watching took notice. Rockwell plays an early-’90s science expert in the host, attempting to perform a rudimentary experiment with two children who are utterly incapable of answering the simple question; in frustration, he eventually exclaims, “You can’t be this fucking stupid!
Read More:‘Saturday Night Live’ Review: Sam Rockwell Leads ‘SNL’ Into The New Year With a Great Episode
NBC’s official upload of the skit subtly removes the f-bomb in question, but everyone watching took notice. Rockwell plays an early-’90s science expert in the host, attempting to perform a rudimentary experiment with two children who are utterly incapable of answering the simple question; in frustration, he eventually exclaims, “You can’t be this fucking stupid!
- 1/14/2018
- by Michael Nordine
- Indiewire
The Islands and the Whales, which recently had its North American theatrical premiere at IFC Center and broadcast premiere on Pov, is one of the most innovative documentaries on marine conservation I’ve seen in years. Director Mike Day is carving out a niche for himself by addressing the interstices where traditional cultures butt against modern conservationist ideals, resulting in nuanced interactions that defy expectations. The Islands and the Whales, for instance, shows the people of the Faroe Islands in the North Atlantic — Viking descendants who have lived off of the sea for generations — and how they are struggling […]...
- 10/19/2017
- by Randy Astle
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
An ethnographic doc with plenty of room for artful filmmaking, Mike Day's sometimes breath-catchingly beautiful The Islands and the Whales takes moviegoers to the remote Faroe Islands, which sit between Iceland and Scotland. There, "48,000 descendants of Vikings" are currently deciding how tightly they should cling to traditions, born of necessity and common sense, that are threatened by outside forces and environmental realities. Sensitive and gratifying to the senses, it's a far more rewarding big-screen experience than most major eco-themed documentaries; it should enjoy attention at art houses before heading to smaller screens.
The Faroes are an autonomous part of...
The Faroes are an autonomous part of...
- 10/6/2017
- by John DeFore
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
We still have so many questions, but NBC announced Thursday that David S. Pumpkins is getting his own animated half-hour Halloween special. Tom Hanks, who premiered the role on “Saturday Night Live” when he hosted last year, will be returning to the special, which is set to air on Saturday, Oct. 28 at 11:30 p.m. Et. He will appear on camera at the beginning of the special. Also joining the cast is “Game of Thrones” star Peter Dinklage, along with Mike Day and Bobby Moynihan, who wrote the original sketch and played the two dancing skeletons. Streeter Seidell, another writer,...
- 9/28/2017
- by Carli Velocci
- The Wrap
Given the state of the world in 2017, it's almost unbelievable that this week marked only the seventh episode of Saturday Night Live this calendar year. Whatever momentum and ratings that it has gathered in that time, it's still constantly playing catch-up with its schedule as is. As popular as it's been (and ratings suggest it's insanely popular right now), it's still been hamstrung by the paucity of new episodes. That makes every one that it does that much more important.
Louis C.K.'s fourth episode was in line with his...
Louis C.K.'s fourth episode was in line with his...
- 4/9/2017
- Rollingstone.com
While almost no wrestler (or really, any performer) has the crossover appeal of Dwayne Johnson, it's genuinely surprising that more professional wrestlers have not hosted Saturday Night Live to this point. The best wrestlers and the best SNL hosts both have natural charisma and ability to perform live on national television. Throw in the fact that he's been excellent in comedic films such as Trainwreck, and John Cena makes for a natural if overdue appearance as host.
While Cena gave it his all throughout the episode, this turned out to...
While Cena gave it his all throughout the episode, this turned out to...
- 12/11/2016
- Rollingstone.com
Keep up with the glitzy awards world with our weekly Awards Roundup column.
– The Austin Film Society has announced three 2017 honorees of the Texas Film Hall of Fame, including “Loving” director Jeff Nichols, documentary filmmaker Hector Galan and actor Tye Sheridan. Galan will be the first ever documentarian to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. The honors will be presented at the 2017 Texas Film Awards on March 9, 2017, at Austin Studios.
Read More: Tom Hanks to Receive Icon Award, Stallone Sisters Named Miss Golden Globe and More
“We have watched as the Texas film scene has grown from a small group of creative, underground filmmakers to a bonafide artist hub,” Rebecca Campbell, Austin Film Society CEO said in a statement. “These three honorees couldn’t be more representative of the Texas film scene of today, and why we are so proud of it.”
– Irwin Winkler will be honored with the...
– The Austin Film Society has announced three 2017 honorees of the Texas Film Hall of Fame, including “Loving” director Jeff Nichols, documentary filmmaker Hector Galan and actor Tye Sheridan. Galan will be the first ever documentarian to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. The honors will be presented at the 2017 Texas Film Awards on March 9, 2017, at Austin Studios.
Read More: Tom Hanks to Receive Icon Award, Stallone Sisters Named Miss Golden Globe and More
“We have watched as the Texas film scene has grown from a small group of creative, underground filmmakers to a bonafide artist hub,” Rebecca Campbell, Austin Film Society CEO said in a statement. “These three honorees couldn’t be more representative of the Texas film scene of today, and why we are so proud of it.”
– Irwin Winkler will be honored with the...
- 11/18/2016
- by Graham Winfrey
- Indiewire
The 5th Annual Key West Film Festival has announced its official 2016 lineup, including the opening night film, “20th Century Women,” directed by Mike Mills and starring Annette Bening, Elle Fanning, Greta Gerwig and Billy Crudup. As part of the festival’s signature Critics Focus program, MTV’s Chief Film Critic Amy Nicholson will present and lead a conversation around the film, alongside David Fear, Senior Film/TV Editor of Rolling Stone.
Director of Programming Michael Tuckman said of Nicholson’s pick, “I could not be more thrilled with Amy Nicholson’s choice of ’20th Century Women’ to kick off our 5th Anniversary edition of festival. Annette Bening’s performance is Oscar-deserving and the rich depth of the balance of the leading cast is Altman-esque in its quality. Amy’s discussion after the film will bring a cunning critic’s eye to this fabulous film for audiences.”
Read More: ’20th Century...
Director of Programming Michael Tuckman said of Nicholson’s pick, “I could not be more thrilled with Amy Nicholson’s choice of ’20th Century Women’ to kick off our 5th Anniversary edition of festival. Annette Bening’s performance is Oscar-deserving and the rich depth of the balance of the leading cast is Altman-esque in its quality. Amy’s discussion after the film will bring a cunning critic’s eye to this fabulous film for audiences.”
Read More: ’20th Century...
- 10/19/2016
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Bulgarian-Danish-French drama previously won festival awards in Locarno and Sarajevo.
Ralitza Petrova’s Godless has won this year’s Golden Puffin, the top award at the 13th Reykjavik International Film Festival (Riff)
The jury, comprised of Goteborg artistic director Jonas Holmberg, Rams director Grimur Hákonarson and bestselling Icelandic novelist Yrsa Sigurðardóttir, said, “The Golden Puffin goes to a bleak but beautiful film with poignant acting and atmospheric cinematography. The film combines the downbeat suspense of an medicalised crime story with a subtle portrayal of the agony in a post communist society where redemption is only glimpsed in the sacral world of music.”
Godless, which is a Bulgarian-Danish-French co-production, previously won the Golden Leopard in Locarno and the Special Jury Award and the Heart of Sarajevo for best actress (Irena Ivanova) at Sarajevo Film Festival. It also won five national awards at the Golden Rose National Film Festival in Bulgaria.
Petrova is a graduate of the UK’s National...
Ralitza Petrova’s Godless has won this year’s Golden Puffin, the top award at the 13th Reykjavik International Film Festival (Riff)
The jury, comprised of Goteborg artistic director Jonas Holmberg, Rams director Grimur Hákonarson and bestselling Icelandic novelist Yrsa Sigurðardóttir, said, “The Golden Puffin goes to a bleak but beautiful film with poignant acting and atmospheric cinematography. The film combines the downbeat suspense of an medicalised crime story with a subtle portrayal of the agony in a post communist society where redemption is only glimpsed in the sacral world of music.”
Godless, which is a Bulgarian-Danish-French co-production, previously won the Golden Leopard in Locarno and the Special Jury Award and the Heart of Sarajevo for best actress (Irena Ivanova) at Sarajevo Film Festival. It also won five national awards at the Golden Rose National Film Festival in Bulgaria.
Petrova is a graduate of the UK’s National...
- 10/10/2016
- by wendy.mitchell@screendaily.com (Wendy Mitchell)
- ScreenDaily
★★★☆☆ Throughout much of The Islands and the Whales the rugged Faroe archipelago, jutting out of the sea with awe-inspiring majesty, is shrouded in low-hanging cloud and grey mist. A film that is jaw- dropping in its visual splendour, the choice to envelope the islands in this blanket of precipitation is a keen move by Scottish director Mike Day as it closes off the outside world, further isolating an already remote nation - located mid-way between the Hebrides and Iceland. Essentially a one-man storytelling band, Day also produced and shot this project himself and it is behind the veiled curtain, and under the skin, of the Faroese people that he takes a viewer.
- 6/19/2016
- by CineVue UK
- CineVue
Highlights include the UK premiere of Finding Dory and the world premiere of the 4K restoration of Highlander [pictured].Scroll down for competition titles
The line-up for the 70th Edinburgh International Film Festival (Eiff) has been unveiled this morning by artistic director Mark Adams.
This year’s Eiff (June 15-26) will comprise a total 161 features from 46 countries including: 22 world premieres, five international premieres, 17 European premieres and 85 UK premieres.
Highlights include the UK premiere of Disney-Pixar animation Finding Dory, in-person events that include Us indie filmmaker Kevin Smith and Sex & The City actress Kim Cattrall, and the opening and closing gala world premieres of the previously announced Tommy’s Honour and Whisky Galore!.
Old classics will be re-imagined with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra performing the score to E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial live at Edinburgh’s Festival Theatre and the world premiere of the newly-restored 4K version of Highlander, celebrating its 30th anniversary with star Clancy Brown in attendance.
The...
The line-up for the 70th Edinburgh International Film Festival (Eiff) has been unveiled this morning by artistic director Mark Adams.
This year’s Eiff (June 15-26) will comprise a total 161 features from 46 countries including: 22 world premieres, five international premieres, 17 European premieres and 85 UK premieres.
Highlights include the UK premiere of Disney-Pixar animation Finding Dory, in-person events that include Us indie filmmaker Kevin Smith and Sex & The City actress Kim Cattrall, and the opening and closing gala world premieres of the previously announced Tommy’s Honour and Whisky Galore!.
Old classics will be re-imagined with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra performing the score to E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial live at Edinburgh’s Festival Theatre and the world premiere of the newly-restored 4K version of Highlander, celebrating its 30th anniversary with star Clancy Brown in attendance.
The...
- 5/25/2016
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Sundance Institute has announced the participants for its weeklong Creative Film Producing Initiative at the Sundance Resort in Utah, July 27 – August 3, including nine feature film and documentary projects for the Creative Producing Labs and more than 50 industry leaders for the Creative Producing Summit.
The Institute’s Creative Producing Initiative encompasses a year-round series of Labs, Fellowships, granting and events focusing on nurturing the next generation of independent producers and renewing the community of veteran producers who sustain the vibrancy and vitality of independent film.
The Feature Film Creative Producing Lab (July 27 – July 31) identifies emerging producers and, under the guidance of Creative Advisors, allows them to develop their creative instincts and evolve their communicating and problem-solving skills at all stages of their feature film project. This year’s Creative Advisors include producers Lindsay Doran ("Sense and Sensibility"), Lynette Howell Taylor (The Place Beyond the Pines), Gina Kwon ("Me You and Everyone We Know"), Paul Mezey ("Beasts of the Southern Wild"), Jay Van Hoy (
"Beginners" ) and director Matthew Ross ("28 Hotel Rooms" ).
The Documentary Film Creative Producing Lab (July 27 – August 1) brings together documentarians with award-winning Advisors to focus on their current projects to explore the wide range of creative approaches to distribution, outreach and impact strategies. This year’s Creative Advisors include producers Julie Goldman ( "Best of Enemies"), Bonni Cohen ("3 1/2 Minutes," "10 Bullets"), Ryan Werner (Cinetic), Maxyne Franklin (Britdoc), and Wendy Cohen (Picture Motion).
The Creative Producing Summit takes place immediately following the Labs, July 31 – August 3. More than 50 industry leaders will participate in a series of curated panels, case studies, roundtables, and one-on-one meetings addressing critical issues producers face including financing, distribution, audience engagement, marketing and sustainability. Panelists this year include Len Amato (HBO Films),
Michael Barker (Sony Pictures Classics), Dori Begley (Magnolia Pictures), Josh Braun (Submarine), Dan Cogan (Impact Partners), Victoria S. Cook (Frankfurt Kurnit), Danielle Di Giacomo (The Orchard), Fred Dust (Ideo), Ted Hope (Amazon), Micah Green (CAA), John Hoffman (Discovery Channel), Marcus Hu (Strand Releasing), Charles King (MacRo), Jessica Lacy (ICM Partners), Stephanie Langhoff (Duplass Brothers), David Magdael (Tcdm Associates), Victor Moyers (Broad Green), Annie Roney (ro*co Films), John Sloss (Cinetic Media), Graham Taylor (William Morris Endeavor), and Jay Van Hoy (Parts & Labor).
The Fellows and projects selected for the 2015 Feature Film Creative Producing Lab are:
"50 Miles From Boomtown"
Producing Fellow: Alex Scharfman
After years of saving for her hard-earned dream, the only woman working on the fracking fields of North Dakota can finally quit but unexpectedly finds herself falling in love with the young man she's training to take her place. (writer/director Flo Linus Baumann).
Alex Scharfman is a New York-based producer whose past feature credits include "The Heart Machine" and "Lyle," as well as the short film "Superior," which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2015, and the WGA Award-nominated webseries "F to 7th." He is an executive at Parts & Labor Films where he worked on films including "Keep The Lights On" and "Loitering with Intent." He has also produced content for Vice, Google, the Ford Foundation, and At&T. Alex received his BA from Cornell University, is a former Mfa candidate from Nyu’s Tisch School of the Arts, and received his Mba from Nyu’s Stern School of Business.
"Bexar County"
Mark Silverman Honorees and Producing Fellows: Blake Pickens and Stephen Love Jr.
In sunny San Antonio, Texas, where nothing ever changes, a town is turned on its head when a delusional Texas housewife accidentally poisons her son’s fiancée, learning that killing people is an efficient way to solve her problems. (Co-writer/director Catherine Grieve, co-writer Dylan Slocum)
Blake Pickens is from the south side of Oklahoma City, from a neighborhood known as the Flats. Despite the community’s rampant drug use and gang wars, Blake found his way into storytelling with a writing position at National Lampoon. He later attended the Peter Stark Producing Program at USC where he and his producing partner, Stephen Love Jr., formed their company Bs Pictures. They are currently in pre-production on the Steven Caple Jr.’s film The Land and in development on "The Friendship Nine" with producer Nina Yang Bongiovi. Blake’s aspirations are to tell the stories that make people laugh, cry, and ultimately impact their lives.
Stephen Love Jr. grew up in the rural towns of Filbert and Bennettsville, South Carolina. During his time as a business major at Morehouse College, Love founded the Morehouse Filmmakers' Association, for which Spike Lee is the honorary advisor. He also received his Mfa from USC’s Peter Stark Producing Program and formed Bs Pictures with fellow graduate Blake Pickens. Love’s primary career goal is to produce film and television that gives "a voice to the voiceless" while challenging the confines of the business of filmmaking.
"Dolores"
Producing Fellow: Drew Houpt
A restless teenager becomes obsessed with a mysterious Colombian woman who exploits his desire and lures him into her plot for revenge. (Writer/director Mary Angélica Molina)
Drew Houpt is an independent producer based in Brooklyn. For over ten years he was the head of operations at Mike Zoss Productions, Joel and Ethan Coen’s Tribeca-based production company. During that time he worked on the Academy Award-winning "No Country For Old Men" and the Academy Award-nominated "A Serious Man" and "True Grit." He served as Associate Producer on the Coens’ Grand Prix-winning "Inside Llewyn Davis" and Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s Academy Award-winning film "Birdman: or The Unexpected Virtue Of Ignorance." This past year he co-produced Maris Curran’s directorial-debut "Five Nights in Maine" and produced "Every Day,' a short documentary for Espn’s 30 for 30 Shorts series that had its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in 2015. He has also produced music videos for the Pulitzer Prize-winning composer David Lang and an experimental documentary, "When A Priest Marries A Witch," by Suzanne Bocanegra.
"Rita Mahtoubian Is Not A Terrorist"
Producing Fellow: Deanna Barillari
When Iranian-born Rita Mahtoubian sets out to change her life from ordinary to extraordinary, she accidentally captures the attention of a homeland security agent in this satirical comedy about romance, terrorism and trying to be a better person. (Co-writers/directors Roja Gashtili & Julia Lerman)
Upon graduating Nyu Tisch, Deanna Barillari co-founded a non-profit theater company producing Off-Off-Broadway plays, including the NYC premiere of Leslye Headland's "Cinephilia" (2008), which funded in-school arts initiatives in the NYC Public School system. She then went on to work in TV on NBC's "Mercy" (2009), CBS’ "Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior" (2010), ABC’s "Pan Am," 86th Oscars (Ellen DeGeneres; 2014) and in Drama Development at Universal Television. Recently, she collaborated with AFI Dww Fellows Roja Gashtili and Julia Lerman, producing their web-series K(ID) starring Caterina Scorsone ("Grey's Anatomy") and their short "Rita Mahtoubian Is Not A Terrorist" starring Patrick Fugit ("Almost Famous") which made its World Premiere at the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival. She also produces for the La based Ovation Award-winning Iama Theatre Company.
"The Space Between"
Producing Fellow: Angela C. Lee
A female body builder devotes her life to turning ‘pro’ when she unexpectedly falls in love, forcing her to confront her fractured past with her dying father. (Writer/director Philiane Phang)
Angela C. Lee is a Los Angeles based independent producer. She produced "Songs My Brothers Taught Me," which premiered in competition at the Sundance Film Festival and recently screened in the Directors’ Fortnight program at the Cannes Film Festival. Angela is also the Artist Development Manager at Film Independent, where she oversees the selection process and curriculum for the Filmmaker Labs program, including Screenwriting, Directing, Producing, and Documentary Labs, the Fast Track Finance Market and the Fox Writers Intensive, managed in conjunction with Fox Audience Strategy. Previously, Angela served as Director of Creative Affairs at New York based Vox3 Films. Prior to her career in film, Angela was an Associate at Goldman Sachs. A native Chicagoan, Angela graduated from the University of Chicago with a degree in Economics and is on the Board of Directors for the University of Chicago National Arts Alumni Network.
The Fellows and projects selected for the 2015 Documentary Film Creative Producing Lab are:
"Brick"
Co-Directors/Producers: Jessica Dimmock & Christopher Lamarca
"Brick" reveals the raw emotional and physical experience of being a middle aged to senior transgender woman coming out for the first time in the Pacific Northwest. The film follows three intersecting stories of individuals who have lived their whole lives as men and decided this burdensome secret is one they can no longer keep.
Jessica Dimmock is the recipient of the 2013 World Press Photo Multimedia Contest as the director and cinematographer of the online feature, "Too Young to Wed." In 2010, Dimmock won Kodak's Best Cinematography Award at the Hamptons International Film Festival for "Without." The film premiered at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, received an Independent Spirit Award, and was nominated for a Gotham Independent Film Award. Dimmock contributed two short films to Doctors Without Borders' Emmy-nominated campaign, “Starved for Attention.” Her first photojournalism project, “The Ninth Floor” was published as a monograph. Most recently, she worked as photographer and videographer for Emmy-nominated HBO series, "The Weight of the Nation." She is represented by VII agency.
Christopher Lamarca is an award-winning photographer and filmmaker and based in Portland, Oregon. Lamarca has recently entered post-production on his first feature length film, "Boone." In 2012, it was chosen as one of eight films for Film Independent's Documentary Film lab. Lamarca's monograph, “Forest Defenders: The Confrontational American Landscape ” was published by PowerHouse Books in 2008. He was chosen to participate in the International Center of Photography’s triennial exhibition (2007), New York Photo festival (2009) and Lishui photo festival in China (2010). He reported on environmental and energy issues for magazines such as Rolling Stone, GQ, Fortune, and Newsweek.
"The Island and the Whales" (working title)
Directore/Producer: Mike Day
The pilot whale hunters of the Faroe Islands believe that hunting is vital to their way of life, but when a local professor makes a grim discovery about the effects of marine pollution, and the seabirds populations collapse, environmental changes threaten to change the community and their way of life forever.
Mike Day is a Scottish director and producer. Formerly a lawyer in London and the Middle East he founded Intrepid Cinema in 2009 before heading out into the North Atlantic to make his previous film. His debut documentary "The Guga Hunters of Ness" broadcast on the BBC in 2011 and screened at festivals internationally to critical acclaim. It was while at sea in the Atlantic that he met a group of Faroese sailors, leading to his next film. Mike was listed as one of '10 Filmmakers to Watch' by Filmmaker Magazine, he was one of Edn's ’12 for the Future 2012’, and is supported by the Scottish Documentary Institute's Docscene programme. Intrepid Cinema also has two other feature documentaries in development.
"The Road From Hainan"
Director/Producer: Nanfu Wang
State surveillance. Harassment. Imprisonment. Human rights activist Ye Haiyan, Aka Sparrow, knew she faced these risks when she went to Hainan Province to seek justice for six elementary school girls who were sexually abused by their principal. But the scale and intensity of the government's reaction surprised even the most seasoned activists across China.
"The Road From Hainan" follows Sparrow as she was chased from town to town by local governments, national secret police, and even her own neighbors. Nanfu Wang is a documentary filmmaker based in New York. Originally from a remote village in China, Wang overcame poverty and lack of access to formal secondary education and went on to earn graduate degrees in communications and documentary film from universities in China and the United States. Her work often features the stories of marginalized or mistreated people, from Chinese blood donors stricken with HIV after being issued used needles by the government to the left-behind children of migrant laborers. During the production of her first full-length documentary, Wang lived on the streets of Miami with a homeless former drug dealer who relied on the kindness of strangers for his survival. Wang’s short films have been distributed on many platforms and translated into several languages, and she continues to seek out and tell the stories of people who have been ignored by their societies.
"Southwest of Salem: The Story of the San Antonio Four"
Director/Producer: Deborah Esquenazi
"Southwest of Salem: The Story of the San Antonio Four" excavates the nightmarish persecution of Elizabeth Ramirez, Cassandra Rivera, Kristie Mayhugh, and Anna Vasquez — four Latina lesbians wrongfully convicted of allegedly gang-raping two little girls in San Antonio, Texas. The film also unravels the sinister interplay of mythology, homophobia and prosecutorial fervor which led to this modern day witch hunt during the 'Satanic Sexual Abuse Panic' of the late-80's and early-90's in the United States.
Deborah S. Esquenazi is an Austin, Texas-based documentary film and radio producer, instructor, and journalist. Her in-progress documentary feature, "Southwest of Salem: The Story of the San Antonio Four," has received international attention for its investigation into this controversial criminal case, and has been mentioned in Forbes Magazine, New York Times, Texas Observer, Vice Magazine, among others. Her film and radio documentaries have been funded by Chicken & Egg Pictures, Paul Robeson Fund for Independent Media, Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program | John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Initiative, Humanities Texas, Astraea Global Arts Fund, and many others.
The Institute’s Creative Producing Initiative encompasses a year-round series of Labs, Fellowships, granting and events focusing on nurturing the next generation of independent producers and renewing the community of veteran producers who sustain the vibrancy and vitality of independent film.
The Feature Film Creative Producing Lab (July 27 – July 31) identifies emerging producers and, under the guidance of Creative Advisors, allows them to develop their creative instincts and evolve their communicating and problem-solving skills at all stages of their feature film project. This year’s Creative Advisors include producers Lindsay Doran ("Sense and Sensibility"), Lynette Howell Taylor (The Place Beyond the Pines), Gina Kwon ("Me You and Everyone We Know"), Paul Mezey ("Beasts of the Southern Wild"), Jay Van Hoy (
"Beginners" ) and director Matthew Ross ("28 Hotel Rooms" ).
The Documentary Film Creative Producing Lab (July 27 – August 1) brings together documentarians with award-winning Advisors to focus on their current projects to explore the wide range of creative approaches to distribution, outreach and impact strategies. This year’s Creative Advisors include producers Julie Goldman ( "Best of Enemies"), Bonni Cohen ("3 1/2 Minutes," "10 Bullets"), Ryan Werner (Cinetic), Maxyne Franklin (Britdoc), and Wendy Cohen (Picture Motion).
The Creative Producing Summit takes place immediately following the Labs, July 31 – August 3. More than 50 industry leaders will participate in a series of curated panels, case studies, roundtables, and one-on-one meetings addressing critical issues producers face including financing, distribution, audience engagement, marketing and sustainability. Panelists this year include Len Amato (HBO Films),
Michael Barker (Sony Pictures Classics), Dori Begley (Magnolia Pictures), Josh Braun (Submarine), Dan Cogan (Impact Partners), Victoria S. Cook (Frankfurt Kurnit), Danielle Di Giacomo (The Orchard), Fred Dust (Ideo), Ted Hope (Amazon), Micah Green (CAA), John Hoffman (Discovery Channel), Marcus Hu (Strand Releasing), Charles King (MacRo), Jessica Lacy (ICM Partners), Stephanie Langhoff (Duplass Brothers), David Magdael (Tcdm Associates), Victor Moyers (Broad Green), Annie Roney (ro*co Films), John Sloss (Cinetic Media), Graham Taylor (William Morris Endeavor), and Jay Van Hoy (Parts & Labor).
The Fellows and projects selected for the 2015 Feature Film Creative Producing Lab are:
"50 Miles From Boomtown"
Producing Fellow: Alex Scharfman
After years of saving for her hard-earned dream, the only woman working on the fracking fields of North Dakota can finally quit but unexpectedly finds herself falling in love with the young man she's training to take her place. (writer/director Flo Linus Baumann).
Alex Scharfman is a New York-based producer whose past feature credits include "The Heart Machine" and "Lyle," as well as the short film "Superior," which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2015, and the WGA Award-nominated webseries "F to 7th." He is an executive at Parts & Labor Films where he worked on films including "Keep The Lights On" and "Loitering with Intent." He has also produced content for Vice, Google, the Ford Foundation, and At&T. Alex received his BA from Cornell University, is a former Mfa candidate from Nyu’s Tisch School of the Arts, and received his Mba from Nyu’s Stern School of Business.
"Bexar County"
Mark Silverman Honorees and Producing Fellows: Blake Pickens and Stephen Love Jr.
In sunny San Antonio, Texas, where nothing ever changes, a town is turned on its head when a delusional Texas housewife accidentally poisons her son’s fiancée, learning that killing people is an efficient way to solve her problems. (Co-writer/director Catherine Grieve, co-writer Dylan Slocum)
Blake Pickens is from the south side of Oklahoma City, from a neighborhood known as the Flats. Despite the community’s rampant drug use and gang wars, Blake found his way into storytelling with a writing position at National Lampoon. He later attended the Peter Stark Producing Program at USC where he and his producing partner, Stephen Love Jr., formed their company Bs Pictures. They are currently in pre-production on the Steven Caple Jr.’s film The Land and in development on "The Friendship Nine" with producer Nina Yang Bongiovi. Blake’s aspirations are to tell the stories that make people laugh, cry, and ultimately impact their lives.
Stephen Love Jr. grew up in the rural towns of Filbert and Bennettsville, South Carolina. During his time as a business major at Morehouse College, Love founded the Morehouse Filmmakers' Association, for which Spike Lee is the honorary advisor. He also received his Mfa from USC’s Peter Stark Producing Program and formed Bs Pictures with fellow graduate Blake Pickens. Love’s primary career goal is to produce film and television that gives "a voice to the voiceless" while challenging the confines of the business of filmmaking.
"Dolores"
Producing Fellow: Drew Houpt
A restless teenager becomes obsessed with a mysterious Colombian woman who exploits his desire and lures him into her plot for revenge. (Writer/director Mary Angélica Molina)
Drew Houpt is an independent producer based in Brooklyn. For over ten years he was the head of operations at Mike Zoss Productions, Joel and Ethan Coen’s Tribeca-based production company. During that time he worked on the Academy Award-winning "No Country For Old Men" and the Academy Award-nominated "A Serious Man" and "True Grit." He served as Associate Producer on the Coens’ Grand Prix-winning "Inside Llewyn Davis" and Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s Academy Award-winning film "Birdman: or The Unexpected Virtue Of Ignorance." This past year he co-produced Maris Curran’s directorial-debut "Five Nights in Maine" and produced "Every Day,' a short documentary for Espn’s 30 for 30 Shorts series that had its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in 2015. He has also produced music videos for the Pulitzer Prize-winning composer David Lang and an experimental documentary, "When A Priest Marries A Witch," by Suzanne Bocanegra.
"Rita Mahtoubian Is Not A Terrorist"
Producing Fellow: Deanna Barillari
When Iranian-born Rita Mahtoubian sets out to change her life from ordinary to extraordinary, she accidentally captures the attention of a homeland security agent in this satirical comedy about romance, terrorism and trying to be a better person. (Co-writers/directors Roja Gashtili & Julia Lerman)
Upon graduating Nyu Tisch, Deanna Barillari co-founded a non-profit theater company producing Off-Off-Broadway plays, including the NYC premiere of Leslye Headland's "Cinephilia" (2008), which funded in-school arts initiatives in the NYC Public School system. She then went on to work in TV on NBC's "Mercy" (2009), CBS’ "Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior" (2010), ABC’s "Pan Am," 86th Oscars (Ellen DeGeneres; 2014) and in Drama Development at Universal Television. Recently, she collaborated with AFI Dww Fellows Roja Gashtili and Julia Lerman, producing their web-series K(ID) starring Caterina Scorsone ("Grey's Anatomy") and their short "Rita Mahtoubian Is Not A Terrorist" starring Patrick Fugit ("Almost Famous") which made its World Premiere at the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival. She also produces for the La based Ovation Award-winning Iama Theatre Company.
"The Space Between"
Producing Fellow: Angela C. Lee
A female body builder devotes her life to turning ‘pro’ when she unexpectedly falls in love, forcing her to confront her fractured past with her dying father. (Writer/director Philiane Phang)
Angela C. Lee is a Los Angeles based independent producer. She produced "Songs My Brothers Taught Me," which premiered in competition at the Sundance Film Festival and recently screened in the Directors’ Fortnight program at the Cannes Film Festival. Angela is also the Artist Development Manager at Film Independent, where she oversees the selection process and curriculum for the Filmmaker Labs program, including Screenwriting, Directing, Producing, and Documentary Labs, the Fast Track Finance Market and the Fox Writers Intensive, managed in conjunction with Fox Audience Strategy. Previously, Angela served as Director of Creative Affairs at New York based Vox3 Films. Prior to her career in film, Angela was an Associate at Goldman Sachs. A native Chicagoan, Angela graduated from the University of Chicago with a degree in Economics and is on the Board of Directors for the University of Chicago National Arts Alumni Network.
The Fellows and projects selected for the 2015 Documentary Film Creative Producing Lab are:
"Brick"
Co-Directors/Producers: Jessica Dimmock & Christopher Lamarca
"Brick" reveals the raw emotional and physical experience of being a middle aged to senior transgender woman coming out for the first time in the Pacific Northwest. The film follows three intersecting stories of individuals who have lived their whole lives as men and decided this burdensome secret is one they can no longer keep.
Jessica Dimmock is the recipient of the 2013 World Press Photo Multimedia Contest as the director and cinematographer of the online feature, "Too Young to Wed." In 2010, Dimmock won Kodak's Best Cinematography Award at the Hamptons International Film Festival for "Without." The film premiered at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, received an Independent Spirit Award, and was nominated for a Gotham Independent Film Award. Dimmock contributed two short films to Doctors Without Borders' Emmy-nominated campaign, “Starved for Attention.” Her first photojournalism project, “The Ninth Floor” was published as a monograph. Most recently, she worked as photographer and videographer for Emmy-nominated HBO series, "The Weight of the Nation." She is represented by VII agency.
Christopher Lamarca is an award-winning photographer and filmmaker and based in Portland, Oregon. Lamarca has recently entered post-production on his first feature length film, "Boone." In 2012, it was chosen as one of eight films for Film Independent's Documentary Film lab. Lamarca's monograph, “Forest Defenders: The Confrontational American Landscape ” was published by PowerHouse Books in 2008. He was chosen to participate in the International Center of Photography’s triennial exhibition (2007), New York Photo festival (2009) and Lishui photo festival in China (2010). He reported on environmental and energy issues for magazines such as Rolling Stone, GQ, Fortune, and Newsweek.
"The Island and the Whales" (working title)
Directore/Producer: Mike Day
The pilot whale hunters of the Faroe Islands believe that hunting is vital to their way of life, but when a local professor makes a grim discovery about the effects of marine pollution, and the seabirds populations collapse, environmental changes threaten to change the community and their way of life forever.
Mike Day is a Scottish director and producer. Formerly a lawyer in London and the Middle East he founded Intrepid Cinema in 2009 before heading out into the North Atlantic to make his previous film. His debut documentary "The Guga Hunters of Ness" broadcast on the BBC in 2011 and screened at festivals internationally to critical acclaim. It was while at sea in the Atlantic that he met a group of Faroese sailors, leading to his next film. Mike was listed as one of '10 Filmmakers to Watch' by Filmmaker Magazine, he was one of Edn's ’12 for the Future 2012’, and is supported by the Scottish Documentary Institute's Docscene programme. Intrepid Cinema also has two other feature documentaries in development.
"The Road From Hainan"
Director/Producer: Nanfu Wang
State surveillance. Harassment. Imprisonment. Human rights activist Ye Haiyan, Aka Sparrow, knew she faced these risks when she went to Hainan Province to seek justice for six elementary school girls who were sexually abused by their principal. But the scale and intensity of the government's reaction surprised even the most seasoned activists across China.
"The Road From Hainan" follows Sparrow as she was chased from town to town by local governments, national secret police, and even her own neighbors. Nanfu Wang is a documentary filmmaker based in New York. Originally from a remote village in China, Wang overcame poverty and lack of access to formal secondary education and went on to earn graduate degrees in communications and documentary film from universities in China and the United States. Her work often features the stories of marginalized or mistreated people, from Chinese blood donors stricken with HIV after being issued used needles by the government to the left-behind children of migrant laborers. During the production of her first full-length documentary, Wang lived on the streets of Miami with a homeless former drug dealer who relied on the kindness of strangers for his survival. Wang’s short films have been distributed on many platforms and translated into several languages, and she continues to seek out and tell the stories of people who have been ignored by their societies.
"Southwest of Salem: The Story of the San Antonio Four"
Director/Producer: Deborah Esquenazi
"Southwest of Salem: The Story of the San Antonio Four" excavates the nightmarish persecution of Elizabeth Ramirez, Cassandra Rivera, Kristie Mayhugh, and Anna Vasquez — four Latina lesbians wrongfully convicted of allegedly gang-raping two little girls in San Antonio, Texas. The film also unravels the sinister interplay of mythology, homophobia and prosecutorial fervor which led to this modern day witch hunt during the 'Satanic Sexual Abuse Panic' of the late-80's and early-90's in the United States.
Deborah S. Esquenazi is an Austin, Texas-based documentary film and radio producer, instructor, and journalist. Her in-progress documentary feature, "Southwest of Salem: The Story of the San Antonio Four," has received international attention for its investigation into this controversial criminal case, and has been mentioned in Forbes Magazine, New York Times, Texas Observer, Vice Magazine, among others. Her film and radio documentaries have been funded by Chicken & Egg Pictures, Paul Robeson Fund for Independent Media, Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program | John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Initiative, Humanities Texas, Astraea Global Arts Fund, and many others.
- 7/20/2015
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Sundance Institute today announced the 29 feature-length documentary films that will receive more than $550,000 (£362,000) in grants from its Documentary Film Program and Fund.
Among the director's receiving a grant is Scottish-based The Guga Hunters of Ness director Mike Day, whose as yet untitled film about the pilot whale hunters of the Nordic Faroe islands will receive production/post-production funding.
Grant recipients were selected from 772 submissions from 88 countries and include filmmakers working in Chile, Libya, Cuba, Cambodia and Pakistan as well as a broad range of experience, from first-time feature documentary filmmakers to Academy Award nominee Arthur Dong and veteran filmmaker Ed Pincus working with Lucia Small.
Director of the Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program and Fund Cara Mertes said, “By providing financial support to nonfiction independent filmmakers, we seek to encourage the diverse exchange of ideas that is crucial to fostering an open society. These 29 stories we’ve identified...
Among the director's receiving a grant is Scottish-based The Guga Hunters of Ness director Mike Day, whose as yet untitled film about the pilot whale hunters of the Nordic Faroe islands will receive production/post-production funding.
Grant recipients were selected from 772 submissions from 88 countries and include filmmakers working in Chile, Libya, Cuba, Cambodia and Pakistan as well as a broad range of experience, from first-time feature documentary filmmakers to Academy Award nominee Arthur Dong and veteran filmmaker Ed Pincus working with Lucia Small.
Director of the Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program and Fund Cara Mertes said, “By providing financial support to nonfiction independent filmmakers, we seek to encourage the diverse exchange of ideas that is crucial to fostering an open society. These 29 stories we’ve identified...
- 7/10/2013
- by Amber Wilkinson
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
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