Dee Rees is a tall woman of fierce charisma. She’s the kind of director who talks fast, ideas coming so quickly that those less inclined can barely keep up. And yet her output has been slow: After Focus Features snapped up her breakout 2011 feature debut “Pariah” at Sundance, it was four years before HBO Film’s Emmy and DGA-award-winning 2015 biopic “Bessie.”
“There’s an assumption that men who do small personal movies can leap to deliver larger things,” said “Bessie” producer Shelby Stone. “It’s much harder for women.”
Finally, we get to see Rees fulfill her promise with “Mudbound,” a Sundance triumph that set the 2017 festival sales record with its $12.5 million sale to Netflix, and opened AFI Fest November 9 after wowing crowds at seven film festivals.
When Rees received the Sundance Next Fest Vanguard Award in August, her presenter, “Pariah” star Kim Wayans, said it best: “The introverted,...
“There’s an assumption that men who do small personal movies can leap to deliver larger things,” said “Bessie” producer Shelby Stone. “It’s much harder for women.”
Finally, we get to see Rees fulfill her promise with “Mudbound,” a Sundance triumph that set the 2017 festival sales record with its $12.5 million sale to Netflix, and opened AFI Fest November 9 after wowing crowds at seven film festivals.
When Rees received the Sundance Next Fest Vanguard Award in August, her presenter, “Pariah” star Kim Wayans, said it best: “The introverted,...
- 11/13/2017
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
Dee Rees is a tall woman of fierce charisma. She’s the kind of director who talks fast, ideas coming so quickly that those less inclined can barely keep up. And yet her output has been slow: After Focus Features snapped up her breakout 2011 feature debut “Pariah” at Sundance, it was four years before HBO Film’s Emmy and DGA-award-winning 2015 biopic “Bessie.”
“There’s an assumption that men who do small personal movies can leap to deliver larger things,” said “Bessie” producer Shelby Stone. “It’s much harder for women.”
Finally, we get to see Rees fulfill her promise with “Mudbound,” a Sundance triumph that set the 2017 festival sales record with its $12.5 million sale to Netflix, and opened AFI Fest November 9 after wowing crowds at seven film festivals.
When Rees received the Sundance Next Fest Vanguard Award in August, her presenter, “Pariah” star Kim Wayans, said it best: “The introverted,...
“There’s an assumption that men who do small personal movies can leap to deliver larger things,” said “Bessie” producer Shelby Stone. “It’s much harder for women.”
Finally, we get to see Rees fulfill her promise with “Mudbound,” a Sundance triumph that set the 2017 festival sales record with its $12.5 million sale to Netflix, and opened AFI Fest November 9 after wowing crowds at seven film festivals.
When Rees received the Sundance Next Fest Vanguard Award in August, her presenter, “Pariah” star Kim Wayans, said it best: “The introverted,...
- 11/13/2017
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Fall is upon us, and with it a fresh new crop of Netflix movies to curl up with when the weather starts to turn. Next month’s most exciting addition to the streaming service is “Mudbound,” the Southern World Ward II epic from up-and-comer-turned-force-to-be-reckoned-with Dee Rees. Netflix sealed the biggest deal of this year’s Sundance Film Festival when it paid a whopping $12.5 million for “Mudbound,” setting a high bar for the drama. Balancing out the heavier fare are classic comedies like “Men In Black” and “Scary Movie,” as well as “Field of Dreams” and “42” for the baseball lovers.
The fresh crop also includes a bevy of critically acclaimed documentaries, such as “Eventual Salvation,” “Chasing Trane: The John Coltrane Documentary,” and “Cuba and the Cameraman.” Jim Carrey’s creative process gets a deep dive in “Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond,” which includes never-before-seen behind the scenes footage from Milos Forman...
The fresh crop also includes a bevy of critically acclaimed documentaries, such as “Eventual Salvation,” “Chasing Trane: The John Coltrane Documentary,” and “Cuba and the Cameraman.” Jim Carrey’s creative process gets a deep dive in “Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond,” which includes never-before-seen behind the scenes footage from Milos Forman...
- 10/23/2017
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
Like it or not, filmmaking is undeniably a director's medium. It wasn't always like that, of course: it was only the coming of the auteur theory in the 1950s and 1960s that popularized the idea of the director as the person responsible for all that was great and terrible about a picture. And while anyone who's worked in film knows that it's a collaborative medium, there's still no better way of seeing where the form might be going in the next few years than by looking at the directors who've been making splashes of late.
So, hot on the heels of our On The Rise pieces focusing on actors, actresses and screenwriters, we've picked out ten directors who've arrived in a big way in the last year or so, and look set for even greater things in the near future. Any tips of your own? Let us know in the comments section below.
So, hot on the heels of our On The Rise pieces focusing on actors, actresses and screenwriters, we've picked out ten directors who've arrived in a big way in the last year or so, and look set for even greater things in the near future. Any tips of your own? Let us know in the comments section below.
- 5/15/2012
- by Oliver Lyttelton
- The Playlist
The Sundance Film Festival is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, the festival is a showcase for new work from American and international independent filmmakers. The Festival has changed over the decades from a low-profile venue for small-budget, independent creators from outside the Hollywood system to a media extravaganza for Hollywood celebrity actors, paparazzi, and luxury lounges set up by companies that are not affiliated with Sundance.
Now the festival is getting ready for the 2012 edition and today they announced the jury members for this year’s Festival. They include Shari Berman, Scott Burns, Charles Ferguson, Nick Fraser, Mike Judge, Justin Lin, Anthony Mackie, Cliff Martinez, Julia Ormond, Dee Rees and Lynn Shelton.
Here is the official press release:
Park City, Ut — Sundance Institute announced today the 22 members of the six juries awarding prizes at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival,...
Now the festival is getting ready for the 2012 edition and today they announced the jury members for this year’s Festival. They include Shari Berman, Scott Burns, Charles Ferguson, Nick Fraser, Mike Judge, Justin Lin, Anthony Mackie, Cliff Martinez, Julia Ormond, Dee Rees and Lynn Shelton.
Here is the official press release:
Park City, Ut — Sundance Institute announced today the 22 members of the six juries awarding prizes at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival,...
- 1/10/2012
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
Film Independent is excited to screen Dee Rees’ debut feature Pariah on December 8 as one if its Project Involve community screenings. Dee and her producer Nekisa Cooper are both Film Independent Fellows – Nekisa was in Project Involve in 2008-2009, Dee and Nekisa were finalists for the Netflix Find Your Voice Award, and Film Independent awarded a Kodak Film Stock grant to Pariah when it shot in 2009. And Dees’ short film Pariah played the Los Angeles Film Festival in 2007, where it won the Audience Award. Dee was recently named a 2011 Fellow by United States Artists, and Pariah received two nominations for the 2012 Film Independent Spirit Awards – the film was nominated for the John Cassevetes Award, and Adepero Oduye was nominated for Best Female Lead.
Recently, Nekisa and Dee came in to talk with the new class of filmmakers in Project Involve. Before the workshop, Film Independent’s Director of Artist Development,...
Recently, Nekisa and Dee came in to talk with the new class of filmmakers in Project Involve. Before the workshop, Film Independent’s Director of Artist Development,...
- 12/6/2011
- by Film Independent
- Film Independent
We're proud to see some of our stand-out Tfi supported films and Tff alumni recognized in this year's Film Independent Spirit Awards Nominations! Best Supporting Female: Harmony Santana in Gun Hill Road (2009 Tribeca All Access) Best Documentary: The Redemption of General Butt Naked (Directed and Produced by Eric Strauss and Daniele Anastasion, 2010 Gucci Tribeca Documentary Fund) John Cassavetes Award (given to the best feature made for under $500,000; award given to the writer, director, and producer): Circumstance (Written/Directed by Maryam Keshavarz and Produced by Karen Chein, Maryam Kesahavarz, and Melissa Lee, 2006 Tribeca All Access grantees) Pariah (Written/Directed by Dee Rees and Produced by Nekisa Cooper, 2007 Tribeca All Access grantees for their documentary project, Eventual Salvation) Truer Than Fiction Award: Bombay Beach (Directed by Alma Har'el and Produced by Alma Har'el and Boaz Yakin, Winner of the Tff 2011 Best Documentary Feature Award) Best of luck to all the nominees!
- 11/29/2011
- TribecaFilm.com
During the month of February, AfterEllen.com highlights the queer black women who continue to overcome obstacles in the entertainment industry and society, ultimately finding success. These women not only face discrimination for being queer in such an image-oriented profession, but for being black as well. Regardless of how you sexually or ethnically identify, let's celebrate these bad-ass individuals!
This week’s spotlight: queer black women behind the camera.
Pariah filmmakers Nekisa Cooper and Dee Rees
The official Sundance selection and award-winner for 2011 has garnered incessant buzz not only from AfterEllen.com, but across the nation as well — and rightly so. The semi-autobiographical film from writer Dee Rees has screened at more than 40 festivals all over the world and won 25 Best Short awards. The film features a glimpse into the life of a struggling Brooklyn teenager, Alike (Adepero Oduye), who desperately tries come to terms with her sexuality and identity,...
This week’s spotlight: queer black women behind the camera.
Pariah filmmakers Nekisa Cooper and Dee Rees
The official Sundance selection and award-winner for 2011 has garnered incessant buzz not only from AfterEllen.com, but across the nation as well — and rightly so. The semi-autobiographical film from writer Dee Rees has screened at more than 40 festivals all over the world and won 25 Best Short awards. The film features a glimpse into the life of a struggling Brooklyn teenager, Alike (Adepero Oduye), who desperately tries come to terms with her sexuality and identity,...
- 2/7/2011
- by drummerdeeds
- AfterEllen.com
I’ve been wanting to do this for some time – a periodically (maybe annually) updated list of up-and-coming black filmmakers, especially those working mostly outside the mainstream; something we could call “black filmmakers to watch,” preceded by a year, not-so unlike Filmmaker magazine’s annual “25 New Faces of Independent Film” list.
As I’ve already made known on this blog, I’m not necessarily a fan of lists, especially ranked lists where the arts are concerned.
However, I do see Some value in providing black cinema enthusiasts like yourselves (or cinema enthusiasts regardless of race) with the names of noteworthy black filmmakers who may otherwise go unnoticed by the the mainstream press, and even indie film publications like Filmmaker magazine. We’re celebrating those black filmmakers… propping them up, you could say. If a site like ours doesn’t do that, we certainly can’t complain when more prominent media outlets don’t.
As I’ve already made known on this blog, I’m not necessarily a fan of lists, especially ranked lists where the arts are concerned.
However, I do see Some value in providing black cinema enthusiasts like yourselves (or cinema enthusiasts regardless of race) with the names of noteworthy black filmmakers who may otherwise go unnoticed by the the mainstream press, and even indie film publications like Filmmaker magazine. We’re celebrating those black filmmakers… propping them up, you could say. If a site like ours doesn’t do that, we certainly can’t complain when more prominent media outlets don’t.
- 7/9/2010
- by Tambay
- ShadowAndAct
Once again channeling the spirit of revolution this holiday weekend BAMCinematek, hot off its inaugural BAMCinemaFEST, hosts the fifth annual Afro-Punk Festival, which will feature some filmmakers familiar to Filmmaker Magazine readers. Bookending the repertory film portion of the event, which also encompasses concerts, a skate park and a closing weekend block party, are films by a pair of last year's 25 New Faces in Independent Film. Tonight Dee Rees, who's acclaimed short Pariah was one of our favorites of last year, will be on hand with her documentary Eventual Salvation. A penetrating glimpse at her grandmother's roots and return to war torn Liberia, the film received funding from the Sundance Documentary Fund and won the 2007...
- 7/3/2009
- by Brandon Harris
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Want to know the status of a particular movie, TV show, or band? Wondering what a certain actress is up to these days? Send your entertainment-related questions to askafterellen@gmail.com — with your first name, city and country — and we'll try to answer as many as we can.
Question: What's going on with Missy Peregrym? The girl is smokin' hot!
— Cassandra, Bay Area, CA
Missy Peregrym
Answer: I think you are probably speaking for a large portion of the lesbian masses when you profess your admiration for Ms. Peregrym.
In fact, I'm pretty sure that an entire generation of women got a glimpse of Peregrym's abs in the undeniably awesome film Stick It (2006) and immediately joined gyms in order to 1) sculpt their very own Peregrym-style six-pack or 2) pick up a girl with a Peregrym-style six-pack.
In 2007, Peregrym had a brief stint on Heroes as a shape-shifter, then took the role...
Question: What's going on with Missy Peregrym? The girl is smokin' hot!
— Cassandra, Bay Area, CA
Missy Peregrym
Answer: I think you are probably speaking for a large portion of the lesbian masses when you profess your admiration for Ms. Peregrym.
In fact, I'm pretty sure that an entire generation of women got a glimpse of Peregrym's abs in the undeniably awesome film Stick It (2006) and immediately joined gyms in order to 1) sculpt their very own Peregrym-style six-pack or 2) pick up a girl with a Peregrym-style six-pack.
In 2007, Peregrym had a brief stint on Heroes as a shape-shifter, then took the role...
- 2/10/2009
- by karman
- AfterEllen.com
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