In the opening moments of 20 Days in Mariupol, Mstyslav Chernov’s chilling account of the siege of the Ukrainian port city, a Russian tank marked with the ominous ‘Z’ swivels its turret toward a hospital. On an upper floor of the building, Chernov and his small team record as the cannon slowly rotates towards them, preparing to fire.
“The tank did shoot the hospital right above the floor we were at,” he says. “It hit between the fifth and sixth floors and a patient was killed with that shell.”
It was one of many times he put his life at risk to show the Russian army’s destruction of the city and its systematic targeting of civilians. He remembers feeling his life was about to end.
“Exactly in that moment in the film, this moment of uncertainty, the moment when tanks are shooting at the residential areas, when the hospital...
“The tank did shoot the hospital right above the floor we were at,” he says. “It hit between the fifth and sixth floors and a patient was killed with that shell.”
It was one of many times he put his life at risk to show the Russian army’s destruction of the city and its systematic targeting of civilians. He remembers feeling his life was about to end.
“Exactly in that moment in the film, this moment of uncertainty, the moment when tanks are shooting at the residential areas, when the hospital...
- 2/21/2024
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Pope Francis, Hillary Rodham Clinton and former Un chief Ban Ki-Moon will be honored at the upcoming Cinema for Peace gala in Berlin on February 19.
The long-running gala run by the Cinema for Peace Foundation will be accompanied by the inaugural World Forum on the Future Of Democracy, Tech and Humankind.
The latter event will run from February 18 to 19 at the Allianz Forum next to the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin with the aim of promoting the renewal of democracy and freedom at a time when both are under threat.
The Cinema for Peace Foundation was created in 2008 as an international non-profit organization with the goal to foster change through film. Over the years it has worked with a host of stars including Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio and George Clooney.
Clinton and Ban will attend the February 19 gala in person while Pope Francis will be shown receiving his award in a recorded video.
The long-running gala run by the Cinema for Peace Foundation will be accompanied by the inaugural World Forum on the Future Of Democracy, Tech and Humankind.
The latter event will run from February 18 to 19 at the Allianz Forum next to the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin with the aim of promoting the renewal of democracy and freedom at a time when both are under threat.
The Cinema for Peace Foundation was created in 2008 as an international non-profit organization with the goal to foster change through film. Over the years it has worked with a host of stars including Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio and George Clooney.
Clinton and Ban will attend the February 19 gala in person while Pope Francis will be shown receiving his award in a recorded video.
- 2/12/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
It took director Vanessa Hope seven years to make the eye-opening doc “Invisible Nation,” for which she gained unprecedented access to Taiwan’s first female president, Tsai Ing-wen.
A longstanding expert on U.S. and China relations – which Hope first depicted in her 2015 debut doc “All Eyes and Ears” – Vanessa and her husband, producer Ted Hope, struggled with financing issues and the Covid-19 pandemic as they captured Tsai’s two consecutive terms, during which the president performed a delicate balancing act. She bolstered Taiwan’s right to sovereignty, forging closer collaboration with the U.S., while avoiding direct provocation of China amid rising worries about the country’s aggression.
Below, Vanessa and Ted Hope speak with Variety about the complexities of making “Invisible Nation” prior to its international premiere on Nov. 14 at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA).
Vanessa, you’ve been observing China for a long time. What...
A longstanding expert on U.S. and China relations – which Hope first depicted in her 2015 debut doc “All Eyes and Ears” – Vanessa and her husband, producer Ted Hope, struggled with financing issues and the Covid-19 pandemic as they captured Tsai’s two consecutive terms, during which the president performed a delicate balancing act. She bolstered Taiwan’s right to sovereignty, forging closer collaboration with the U.S., while avoiding direct provocation of China amid rising worries about the country’s aggression.
Below, Vanessa and Ted Hope speak with Variety about the complexities of making “Invisible Nation” prior to its international premiere on Nov. 14 at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA).
Vanessa, you’ve been observing China for a long time. What...
- 11/13/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
German nonprofit organization Cinema for Peace honored Pope Francis and documentary filmmaker Evgeny Afineevsky in a private ceremony at the Vatican on Tuesday night for their work in support of Ukraine’s fight against the ongoing Russian invasion, with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also named as an honoree.
Founded in 2008, Cinema for Peace supports film-based projects that tackle global humanitarian and environmental issues, and is most famous for financing an emergency airlift for Russian anti-corruption activist and outspoken Vladimir Putin critic Alexei Navalny in 2020 after he was poisoned with a nerve agent.
“There has not been a single day, since the full-scale war started last year, in which Pope Francis has not helped victims of the invasion of Ukraine. From going to Russian Embassy by himself on the first day of the full-scale invasion to ask the Ambassador of Russia to help reach Putin and stop this bloodshed, to asking...
Founded in 2008, Cinema for Peace supports film-based projects that tackle global humanitarian and environmental issues, and is most famous for financing an emergency airlift for Russian anti-corruption activist and outspoken Vladimir Putin critic Alexei Navalny in 2020 after he was poisoned with a nerve agent.
“There has not been a single day, since the full-scale war started last year, in which Pope Francis has not helped victims of the invasion of Ukraine. From going to Russian Embassy by himself on the first day of the full-scale invasion to ask the Ambassador of Russia to help reach Putin and stop this bloodshed, to asking...
- 6/29/2023
- by Jeremy Fuster
- The Wrap
Zhang Series Debut
Zhang Yimou, China’s most enduring filmmaker, is joining the worldwide shift by feature film directors into the streaming arena.
Zhang, who directed “Full River Red,” the most successful film of 2023 in China, is to be involved with his first TV series. He will executive produce “The First Shot,” his representatives confirmed to Variety.
The show is to be directed by Xing Lu and is backed by Tencent Video. It is currently in development, with a tentative air date in 2025. That’s because Zhang has a film directing project with an anticipated Chinese New Year release date, due to begin shooting this summer.
Sakamoto Deal
Award-winning Japanese screenwriter Sakamoto Yuji will partner with Netflix over the next five years to develop a range of titles to premiere only on the streaming platform. “In Love and Deep Water,” set to be released later this year, promises to be...
Zhang Yimou, China’s most enduring filmmaker, is joining the worldwide shift by feature film directors into the streaming arena.
Zhang, who directed “Full River Red,” the most successful film of 2023 in China, is to be involved with his first TV series. He will executive produce “The First Shot,” his representatives confirmed to Variety.
The show is to be directed by Xing Lu and is backed by Tencent Video. It is currently in development, with a tentative air date in 2025. That’s because Zhang has a film directing project with an anticipated Chinese New Year release date, due to begin shooting this summer.
Sakamoto Deal
Award-winning Japanese screenwriter Sakamoto Yuji will partner with Netflix over the next five years to develop a range of titles to premiere only on the streaming platform. “In Love and Deep Water,” set to be released later this year, promises to be...
- 6/29/2023
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Pope Francis and Oscar-nominated filmmaker Evgeny Afineevsky are sharing the Cinema for Peace Award, an honor recognizing their “contributions to the freedom of Ukraine and humanitarian efforts to protect civilians and children.”
The award presented by the Cinema for Peace Foundation is dedicated to children who have lost their lives in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which began on February 24, 2022. Thousands of people, including children, have been killed in Russian bombing and artillery attacks on civilians.
Cinema for Peace has previously honored Muhammad Ali, Nelson Mandela, Mikhail Gorbachev, Jane Goodall, and Hollywood icons Sean Penn for his work in Haiti, Angelina Jolie for opposing genocide, and George Clooney “for creating critical consciousness” with his 2005 film Good Night, and Good Luck.
“But this is the first time that two global leaders and one filmmaker were honored with a joint award,” a release noted, “and that the awards...
The award presented by the Cinema for Peace Foundation is dedicated to children who have lost their lives in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which began on February 24, 2022. Thousands of people, including children, have been killed in Russian bombing and artillery attacks on civilians.
Cinema for Peace has previously honored Muhammad Ali, Nelson Mandela, Mikhail Gorbachev, Jane Goodall, and Hollywood icons Sean Penn for his work in Haiti, Angelina Jolie for opposing genocide, and George Clooney “for creating critical consciousness” with his 2005 film Good Night, and Good Luck.
“But this is the first time that two global leaders and one filmmaker were honored with a joint award,” a release noted, “and that the awards...
- 6/29/2023
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Pope Francis, only a few days after leaving the hospital, is presiding over religious observances during the holiest week in the Roman Catholic faith. As part of Good Friday services today, he took part in a celebration of the Passion of the Lord at St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican.
On Easter Sunday he will preside over mass at the basilica, after which he will deliver the traditional “urbi et orbi” blessing from the central balcony of St. Peter’s. One hundred thousand or more people are expected to crowd St. Peter’s Square for the blessing, a testament not only to the spiritual importance of the occasion but to the popularity of this pope.
Pope Francis leads the Passion of the Lord on Good Friday at St. Peter’s Basilica on April 7, 2023.
Among the admirers of Francis is the Oscar-nominated filmmaker Gianfranco Rosi, whose new documentary In Viaggio...
On Easter Sunday he will preside over mass at the basilica, after which he will deliver the traditional “urbi et orbi” blessing from the central balcony of St. Peter’s. One hundred thousand or more people are expected to crowd St. Peter’s Square for the blessing, a testament not only to the spiritual importance of the occasion but to the popularity of this pope.
Pope Francis leads the Passion of the Lord on Good Friday at St. Peter’s Basilica on April 7, 2023.
Among the admirers of Francis is the Oscar-nominated filmmaker Gianfranco Rosi, whose new documentary In Viaggio...
- 4/7/2023
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Netflix executive Lisa Nishimura backed some of the streamer’s biggest successes – Tiger King, The Tinder Swindler, The Power of the Dog, Making a Murderer, and American Factory – but in an era of corporate cost-cutting, it wasn’t enough to save her job.
Related Story Netflix Vets Lisa Nishimura & Ian Bricke Depart In Film Group Reorg Related Story Omar Epps Boards Netflix's Limited Series 'The Perfect Couple' Related Story IFC Center's John Vanco Joins Netflix To Oversee Programming For Streamer's Theaters
Her imminent departure as VP of independent film and documentary features, after a 16-year stint at Netflix, has come as a particular shock to the nonfiction film community, which saw her build Netflix into a dominant force in documentary and become, in the process, one of Netflix’s most visible execs.
(L-r) Lisa Nishimura, Taylor Swift and Ted Sarandos attend the Netflix 2019 Golden Globes After Party
“Lisa...
Related Story Netflix Vets Lisa Nishimura & Ian Bricke Depart In Film Group Reorg Related Story Omar Epps Boards Netflix's Limited Series 'The Perfect Couple' Related Story IFC Center's John Vanco Joins Netflix To Oversee Programming For Streamer's Theaters
Her imminent departure as VP of independent film and documentary features, after a 16-year stint at Netflix, has come as a particular shock to the nonfiction film community, which saw her build Netflix into a dominant force in documentary and become, in the process, one of Netflix’s most visible execs.
(L-r) Lisa Nishimura, Taylor Swift and Ted Sarandos attend the Netflix 2019 Golden Globes After Party
“Lisa...
- 3/31/2023
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Pope Francis is issuing a renewed plea for peace in Ukraine after attending an extraordinary screening at the Vatican of Evgeny Afineevsky’s documentary Freedom on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom.
The screening at the New Synod Hall within the walls of the Vatican took place on the one-year anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of its neighbor, a war that has killed or wounded an estimated 180,000 Russian troops and 100,000 Ukrainian forces. Upwards of 30,000 civilians are estimated to have been killed. The pope sat next to several Ukrainian women who appear in the film and when the lights came up he led the audience of about 250 people in prayer.
Pope Francis offers a prayer for Ukraine after a screening of ‘Freedom on Fire.’ To his left is director Evgeny Afineevsky.
Speaking primarily in Italian, the pontiff asked the Lord to heal humanity from the river of hatred that feeds war: “When God made man,...
The screening at the New Synod Hall within the walls of the Vatican took place on the one-year anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of its neighbor, a war that has killed or wounded an estimated 180,000 Russian troops and 100,000 Ukrainian forces. Upwards of 30,000 civilians are estimated to have been killed. The pope sat next to several Ukrainian women who appear in the film and when the lights came up he led the audience of about 250 people in prayer.
Pope Francis offers a prayer for Ukraine after a screening of ‘Freedom on Fire.’ To his left is director Evgeny Afineevsky.
Speaking primarily in Italian, the pontiff asked the Lord to heal humanity from the river of hatred that feeds war: “When God made man,...
- 2/25/2023
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Penn said “We’d have been better served talking to a wall” than talking to Russia.
Sean Penn launched a scathing critique of Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Berlin today (Saturday 18), calling him a “creepy little bully” and a “war criminal”.
Speaking at the press conference for his documentary Superpower, which debuted as a Berlinale Special Gala last night, Penn was asked what he likes and does not like about Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, who is a major subject of the film.
“I don’t like a creepy little bully threatening him [Zelensky] and his country,” said Penn. “I do like...
Sean Penn launched a scathing critique of Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Berlin today (Saturday 18), calling him a “creepy little bully” and a “war criminal”.
Speaking at the press conference for his documentary Superpower, which debuted as a Berlinale Special Gala last night, Penn was asked what he likes and does not like about Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, who is a major subject of the film.
“I don’t like a creepy little bully threatening him [Zelensky] and his country,” said Penn. “I do like...
- 2/18/2023
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Throughout “20 Days in Mariupol,” a documentary filmed during the first month of Russian’s invasion of Ukraine, people turn to conflict journalist Mstyslav Chernov’s cameras and make a demand: Film this. Show people what’s going on.
A policeman does it. Citizens whose homes have been destroyed by Russian artillery do it. A doctor does it most memorably, turning to Chernov in a makeshift emergency room and begging, “Film how these mothers—-ers are killing children.”
“20 Days in Mariupol,” which premiered on Friday night at the Sundance Film Festival, is the result of Chernov doing what they asked. It is not artful. It is urgent and ruthless and horrifying, and it shows the unspeakable.
Also Read:
‘Justice,’ Surprise Sundance Doc on Brett Kavanaugh, Reveals New Allegations Against Supreme Court Judge
A 4-year-old girl lies dead on a gurney. A grandmother cradles her cat in a makeshift bomb shelter after her home has been destroyed.
A policeman does it. Citizens whose homes have been destroyed by Russian artillery do it. A doctor does it most memorably, turning to Chernov in a makeshift emergency room and begging, “Film how these mothers—-ers are killing children.”
“20 Days in Mariupol,” which premiered on Friday night at the Sundance Film Festival, is the result of Chernov doing what they asked. It is not artful. It is urgent and ruthless and horrifying, and it shows the unspeakable.
Also Read:
‘Justice,’ Surprise Sundance Doc on Brett Kavanaugh, Reveals New Allegations Against Supreme Court Judge
A 4-year-old girl lies dead on a gurney. A grandmother cradles her cat in a makeshift bomb shelter after her home has been destroyed.
- 1/21/2023
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
‘Fragments Of The Last Will’ opened 35th edition.
The 35th Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) has launched with its first full-scale red carpet in three years.
At the Takarazuka Theatre in the festival’s new main area of Hibiya-Yurakucho-Ginza, relocated last year from Roppongi, international competition jury president and US director Julie Taymor spoke from the red carpet: “It’s an incredible time now that – since Covid – you’re able to have many more international guests, which is so critical at a time in the world which is so divisive.”
TIFF was only able to host eight foreign guests last year,...
The 35th Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) has launched with its first full-scale red carpet in three years.
At the Takarazuka Theatre in the festival’s new main area of Hibiya-Yurakucho-Ginza, relocated last year from Roppongi, international competition jury president and US director Julie Taymor spoke from the red carpet: “It’s an incredible time now that – since Covid – you’re able to have many more international guests, which is so critical at a time in the world which is so divisive.”
TIFF was only able to host eight foreign guests last year,...
- 10/24/2022
- by Jean Noh
- ScreenDaily
Roll the credits. The 30th Annual Hamptons Film Festival concluded Sunday night in East Hampton with an out-of-competition sneak of “Glass Onion,” the “Knives Out” sequel. Expanded to 10 days from the usual long weekend, the tony east end Long Island event that draws a large number of local academy members saw Lukas Dhont‘s “Close” named Best Narrative Feature by the competition jury. Best Documentary Feature went to “Pray For Our Sinners” about the Catholic Church.
“The challenge for the last three years has been Covid,” Artistic Director David Nugent says. This year was in-person, no drive-ins, and masks were suggested, not mandatory. Most wore them into theaters and then took them off.
“I think ‘Living’ could do well at the Oscars,” Nugent told me. “I think ‘The Son,’ ‘The Whale,’ ‘Banshees of Inisherin‘ and ‘Empire of Light.’ We’ll see where everything lands in two months.”
SEEIt’s Michael B. Jordan vs.
“The challenge for the last three years has been Covid,” Artistic Director David Nugent says. This year was in-person, no drive-ins, and masks were suggested, not mandatory. Most wore them into theaters and then took them off.
“I think ‘Living’ could do well at the Oscars,” Nugent told me. “I think ‘The Son,’ ‘The Whale,’ ‘Banshees of Inisherin‘ and ‘Empire of Light.’ We’ll see where everything lands in two months.”
SEEIt’s Michael B. Jordan vs.
- 10/17/2022
- by Bill McCuddy
- Gold Derby
Click here to read the full article.
The Scad Savannah Film Festival, which has grown into an Oscar season stop of considerable importance, is set to mark its 25th anniversary with a contender-packed lineup of films and list of honorees.
Opening with The Banshees of Inisherin (Searchlight) and closing with Living (Sony Classics), the nation’s largest university-run film festival, which this year will run Oct. 22-29, will showcase 143 films, including 53 narrative feature films, 20 documentary feature films, and 79 shorts, with eight world premieres and six U.S. premieres.
It will also celebrate Eddie Redmayne with the Virtuoso Award for The Good Nurse (Netflix); Janelle Monáe with the Spotlight Award for Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (Netflix); Sadie Sink with the Rising Star Award for The Whale (A24); Jeremy Pope with the Distinguished Performance Award for The Inspection (A24); Jonathan Majors with the Spotlight Award and Jd Dillard with the...
The Scad Savannah Film Festival, which has grown into an Oscar season stop of considerable importance, is set to mark its 25th anniversary with a contender-packed lineup of films and list of honorees.
Opening with The Banshees of Inisherin (Searchlight) and closing with Living (Sony Classics), the nation’s largest university-run film festival, which this year will run Oct. 22-29, will showcase 143 films, including 53 narrative feature films, 20 documentary feature films, and 79 shorts, with eight world premieres and six U.S. premieres.
It will also celebrate Eddie Redmayne with the Virtuoso Award for The Good Nurse (Netflix); Janelle Monáe with the Spotlight Award for Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (Netflix); Sadie Sink with the Rising Star Award for The Whale (A24); Jeremy Pope with the Distinguished Performance Award for The Inspection (A24); Jonathan Majors with the Spotlight Award and Jd Dillard with the...
- 10/3/2022
- by Scott Feinberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Click here to read the full article.
This is the third of three dispatches from the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival. You can read the first here and the second here.
As always, the final days of the fest were considerably lower-key than those before them, with much of the press having departed and most of the buzzy films having screened. The homestretch, however, is when lower-profile gems are often discovered, as I was reminded by a few screenings.
The world premiere of the documentary feature Freedom on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom (still seeking U.S. distribution), Evgeny Afineevsky’s follow-up to his 2015 Oscar-nominated Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom, proved to be the definitive portrait, thus far, of the ongoing Russian atrocities — and remarkable resistance to them — in Ukraine. Afineevsky, who was born in Russia, made the entire film in the last six months, spending a chunk of...
This is the third of three dispatches from the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival. You can read the first here and the second here.
As always, the final days of the fest were considerably lower-key than those before them, with much of the press having departed and most of the buzzy films having screened. The homestretch, however, is when lower-profile gems are often discovered, as I was reminded by a few screenings.
The world premiere of the documentary feature Freedom on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom (still seeking U.S. distribution), Evgeny Afineevsky’s follow-up to his 2015 Oscar-nominated Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom, proved to be the definitive portrait, thus far, of the ongoing Russian atrocities — and remarkable resistance to them — in Ukraine. Afineevsky, who was born in Russia, made the entire film in the last six months, spending a chunk of...
- 9/19/2022
- by Scott Feinberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Click here to read the full article.
The Scad Savannah Film Festival, which takes place at the Savannah College of Art and Design each year shortly before the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences votes to determine its Oscar shortlists, and which has become a premier showcase for documentary programming, in particular, has revealed the names of the 10 documentary features that it will highlight on this year’s edition of its celebrated Docs to Watch panel.
The one-of-a-kind Docs to Watch gathering, which features discussion about the challenges and rewards of documentary filmmaking, will take place at the Lucas Theatre on the evening of Wednesday, Oct. 26, midway through the 25th edition of the fest, which will run from Oct. 22 through Oct. 29. For the ninth year in a row, it will be presented by The Hollywood Reporter and moderated by yours truly.
The films represented on the panel will be:...
The Scad Savannah Film Festival, which takes place at the Savannah College of Art and Design each year shortly before the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences votes to determine its Oscar shortlists, and which has become a premier showcase for documentary programming, in particular, has revealed the names of the 10 documentary features that it will highlight on this year’s edition of its celebrated Docs to Watch panel.
The one-of-a-kind Docs to Watch gathering, which features discussion about the challenges and rewards of documentary filmmaking, will take place at the Lucas Theatre on the evening of Wednesday, Oct. 26, midway through the 25th edition of the fest, which will run from Oct. 22 through Oct. 29. For the ninth year in a row, it will be presented by The Hollywood Reporter and moderated by yours truly.
The films represented on the panel will be:...
- 9/16/2022
- by Scott Feinberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
A documentary titled “Freedom on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom” doesn’t seem like a place for understatement, but it’s filled with moments where victims of the war in Ukraine turn to the camera and plainly speak devastating truths. In one such moment Maria, a television journalist, turns to the camera and near-whispers, “War remains incomprehensible.”
Evgeny Afineevsky’s sequel to Maidan Uprising doc “Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom” takes place in the early stages of the invasion of Ukraine. We begin with an effective but frantically paced animated summary of Ukraine’s history, beginning 1,200 years ago and through wars, occupations, and catastrophes. No matter what borders took hold or occupying forces said, the film maps out how Ukraine became its own distinct country that refused to be swallowed whole by Russia.
From there, “Freedom on Fire” employs a more traditional documentary structure, cutting between interviews, phone audio,...
Evgeny Afineevsky’s sequel to Maidan Uprising doc “Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom” takes place in the early stages of the invasion of Ukraine. We begin with an effective but frantically paced animated summary of Ukraine’s history, beginning 1,200 years ago and through wars, occupations, and catastrophes. No matter what borders took hold or occupying forces said, the film maps out how Ukraine became its own distinct country that refused to be swallowed whole by Russia.
From there, “Freedom on Fire” employs a more traditional documentary structure, cutting between interviews, phone audio,...
- 9/7/2022
- by Leila Latif
- Indiewire
The Ukrainian cast and crew of Luxembourg, Luxembourg — premiering in the Horizons section of the Venice Film Festival — today used their Lido photo call as a powerful call for support of Ukraine’s families.
In connection with the theme of the movie, director Antonio Lukich and team held up a series of pictures from classic films featuring a strong father and son relationship, and in which the father’s image was obscured. This while posing with banners that read “Imagine movies without fathers” and “Since the beginning of the Russian invasion, thousands of Ukrainian children have been left without parents.”
Luxembourg, Luxembourg follows twin Ukrainian brothers who set out on a journey to the titular country upon learning their long-absent father is sick in the capital.
In a statement, the filmmakers said, “We want to attract the attention to the problem with which we, as Ukrainians, will be faced after...
In connection with the theme of the movie, director Antonio Lukich and team held up a series of pictures from classic films featuring a strong father and son relationship, and in which the father’s image was obscured. This while posing with banners that read “Imagine movies without fathers” and “Since the beginning of the Russian invasion, thousands of Ukrainian children have been left without parents.”
Luxembourg, Luxembourg follows twin Ukrainian brothers who set out on a journey to the titular country upon learning their long-absent father is sick in the capital.
In a statement, the filmmakers said, “We want to attract the attention to the problem with which we, as Ukrainians, will be faced after...
- 9/7/2022
- by Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
The Toronto Film Festival will rally in solidarity with Ukrainian film producers amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war by holding two industry panels at the Canadian festival’s 47th edition.
The first Sept. 12 panel will feature six Ukrainian filmmakers behind recent festival circuit hits, including Butterfly Vision producer Darya Bassel, whose film was the only Ukrainian feature in Cannes’ official selection this year; Luxembourg, Luxembourg producer Volodymyr Yatsenko, whose film will screen in Toronto after bowing in Venice; and Ihor Savychenko, who produced the 2019 film The Painted Bird, Vaclav Marhoul’s grim Holocaust drama adapted from Jerzy Kosinski’s novel.
Also in Toronto on the panel to discuss current and future film projects is Valeria Sochyvets, producer of the 2020 film Blindfold, and Egor Olesov, who produced the 2019 Ukrainian film Mr. Jones.
The second Sept. 13 panel will discuss possible co-production opportunities for Ukrainian productions and...
The Toronto Film Festival will rally in solidarity with Ukrainian film producers amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war by holding two industry panels at the Canadian festival’s 47th edition.
The first Sept. 12 panel will feature six Ukrainian filmmakers behind recent festival circuit hits, including Butterfly Vision producer Darya Bassel, whose film was the only Ukrainian feature in Cannes’ official selection this year; Luxembourg, Luxembourg producer Volodymyr Yatsenko, whose film will screen in Toronto after bowing in Venice; and Ihor Savychenko, who produced the 2019 film The Painted Bird, Vaclav Marhoul’s grim Holocaust drama adapted from Jerzy Kosinski’s novel.
Also in Toronto on the panel to discuss current and future film projects is Valeria Sochyvets, producer of the 2020 film Blindfold, and Egor Olesov, who produced the 2019 Ukrainian film Mr. Jones.
The second Sept. 13 panel will discuss possible co-production opportunities for Ukrainian productions and...
- 9/6/2022
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Evgeny Afineevsky released his Oscar-nominated Netflix documentary Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom in 2015, documenting the Euromaidan protests the previous year in the city of Kyiv that led to the collapse of the Russia-aligned Azarov government and the removal and exile of Putin ally Viktor Yanukovych as Ukraine’s president. Afineevsky returns to Venice this year with Freedom on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom, a follow-up that details the real stories of the people of Ukraine as they continue their fight against Russia’s invasion of their country.
Ahead of the film’s premiere Wednesday, Afineevsky sat with Deadline to explain his urgency to continue to document Ukraine’s struggle, noting that media coverage of the ongoing conflict has died down since the initial invasion in the early part of 2022. “If we continue to neglect what’s going on, we risk this becoming World War Three,” Afineevsky cautions.
Ahead of the film’s premiere Wednesday, Afineevsky sat with Deadline to explain his urgency to continue to document Ukraine’s struggle, noting that media coverage of the ongoing conflict has died down since the initial invasion in the early part of 2022. “If we continue to neglect what’s going on, we risk this becoming World War Three,” Afineevsky cautions.
- 9/6/2022
- by Joe Utichi
- Deadline Film + TV
On the eve of the 79th Venice Film Festival, where his powerful Ukraine war documentary “Freedom on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom” will premiere out of competition on Sept. 7, Oscar-nominated filmmaker Evgeny Afineevsky was in a frantic race against time.
Footage was still being shot in Ukraine into the second week of August, with Afineevsky only completing the film on Aug. 31 — the same day that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the A-list celebrities and foreign press at the festival’s opening ceremony, urging the world not to forget the war in Ukraine with the impassioned plea: “Don’t turn your back to us.”
While Hollywood stars like Julianne Moore, Adam Driver and Tessa Thompson have lit up the red carpet in Venice and Timothée Chalamet has sparked Chala-mania on the Lido, Afineevsky has been working ‘round-the-clock to make sure the world is still watching Ukraine.
“It’s important not...
Footage was still being shot in Ukraine into the second week of August, with Afineevsky only completing the film on Aug. 31 — the same day that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the A-list celebrities and foreign press at the festival’s opening ceremony, urging the world not to forget the war in Ukraine with the impassioned plea: “Don’t turn your back to us.”
While Hollywood stars like Julianne Moore, Adam Driver and Tessa Thompson have lit up the red carpet in Venice and Timothée Chalamet has sparked Chala-mania on the Lido, Afineevsky has been working ‘round-the-clock to make sure the world is still watching Ukraine.
“It’s important not...
- 9/4/2022
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
Laura Poitras’ “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed,” Steve James’ “A Compassionate Spy” and Evgeny Afineevsky’s “Freedom on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom” are among 11 documentaries making their world premieres at the Venice Film Festival this year, with Poitras’ competition title vying for a Golden Lion — a rare feat for a doc at a major international film festival.
The growing number of high-profile non-fiction films in and out of competition at Venice suggests that major European film festivals have finally accepted documentaries as viable, cinematic art.
While docs at the Toronto International Film Festival and major U.S. fests, including Sundance, Telluride and South by Southwest, have long been the belles of the ball, the most prominent international festivals, including Venice, Cannes and Berlin, have been slow to embrace non-fiction content, especially in competition.
“There had been what I would only characterize as an illogical resistance to thinking...
The growing number of high-profile non-fiction films in and out of competition at Venice suggests that major European film festivals have finally accepted documentaries as viable, cinematic art.
While docs at the Toronto International Film Festival and major U.S. fests, including Sundance, Telluride and South by Southwest, have long been the belles of the ball, the most prominent international festivals, including Venice, Cannes and Berlin, have been slow to embrace non-fiction content, especially in competition.
“There had been what I would only characterize as an illogical resistance to thinking...
- 8/30/2022
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
Festivals
On Aug. 24, Ukraine independence day, the Venice Film Festival has revealed that it will host a Ukrainian Day on Sept. 8, as part of the festival’s Venice Production Bridge initiative. The day will kick off with a panel discussion introduced by the president of the Biennale, Roberto Cicutto, and the artistic director of the 79th festival, Alberto Barbera.
Panelists include the Ambassador of Ukraine to Italy, Yaroslav Melnyk; the head of the National Cinema Institution of Ukraine, Marina Kuderchuk; the director of the film “Luxembourg, Luxembourg” (which will screen in competition in the festival’s Horizons strand), Antonio Lukich; the director of the film “Freedom on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom” (screening out of competition), Evgeny Afineevsky; the exhibiting artist in the Ukrainian Pavilion at the 59th Biennale Arte, Pavlo Makov; the curator of the Ukrainian Pavilion at the 59th Biennale Arte, Boris Filonenko; the representative of Ukraine’s...
On Aug. 24, Ukraine independence day, the Venice Film Festival has revealed that it will host a Ukrainian Day on Sept. 8, as part of the festival’s Venice Production Bridge initiative. The day will kick off with a panel discussion introduced by the president of the Biennale, Roberto Cicutto, and the artistic director of the 79th festival, Alberto Barbera.
Panelists include the Ambassador of Ukraine to Italy, Yaroslav Melnyk; the head of the National Cinema Institution of Ukraine, Marina Kuderchuk; the director of the film “Luxembourg, Luxembourg” (which will screen in competition in the festival’s Horizons strand), Antonio Lukich; the director of the film “Freedom on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom” (screening out of competition), Evgeny Afineevsky; the exhibiting artist in the Ukrainian Pavilion at the 59th Biennale Arte, Pavlo Makov; the curator of the Ukrainian Pavilion at the 59th Biennale Arte, Boris Filonenko; the representative of Ukraine’s...
- 8/24/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
It will take place on September 8.
The 79th edition of the Venice Film Festival (August 31-September 10) is to host a series of initiatives in support of Ukraine and its artists on September 8, under the banner of ‘Ukrainian Day’.
It will demonstrate the festival’s solidarity with Ukraine and its support of Ukrainian artists, with particular attention to be paid to the condition of the film industry.
The event will be held at the Venice Production Bridge’s Spazio Incontri at the Hotel Excelsior. It will include an introduction by the president of the Biennale, Roberto Cicutto and artistic director Alberto Barbera.
The 79th edition of the Venice Film Festival (August 31-September 10) is to host a series of initiatives in support of Ukraine and its artists on September 8, under the banner of ‘Ukrainian Day’.
It will demonstrate the festival’s solidarity with Ukraine and its support of Ukrainian artists, with particular attention to be paid to the condition of the film industry.
The event will be held at the Venice Production Bridge’s Spazio Incontri at the Hotel Excelsior. It will include an introduction by the president of the Biennale, Roberto Cicutto and artistic director Alberto Barbera.
- 8/24/2022
- by Mona Tabbara
- ScreenDaily
Click here to read the full article.
The Venice Film Festival is showing its solidarity with the people of Ukraine and the country’s film industry, by hosting a “Ukrainian Day” at the 79th Venice Festival.
Planned for Thursday, Sept. 8, Ukrainian Day will feature a number of initiatives that focus attention on the plight of Ukrainian artists and filmmakers within the context of Russia’s invasion of the country on February 24 and its ongoing war of aggression there. Events will be held between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. local time under the auspices of Venice Production Bridge industry section at the Hotel Excelsior on the Lido.
The Venice Film Festival’s artistic director Alberto Barbera will introduce the opening panel, which will include Ukraine’s ambassador of Ukraine to Italy Yaroslav Melnyk; the head of Ukraine’s National Cinema Institution Marina Kuderchuk; Antonio Lukich, Ukrainian director of Luxembourg Luxembourg, which...
The Venice Film Festival is showing its solidarity with the people of Ukraine and the country’s film industry, by hosting a “Ukrainian Day” at the 79th Venice Festival.
Planned for Thursday, Sept. 8, Ukrainian Day will feature a number of initiatives that focus attention on the plight of Ukrainian artists and filmmakers within the context of Russia’s invasion of the country on February 24 and its ongoing war of aggression there. Events will be held between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. local time under the auspices of Venice Production Bridge industry section at the Hotel Excelsior on the Lido.
The Venice Film Festival’s artistic director Alberto Barbera will introduce the opening panel, which will include Ukraine’s ambassador of Ukraine to Italy Yaroslav Melnyk; the head of Ukraine’s National Cinema Institution Marina Kuderchuk; Antonio Lukich, Ukrainian director of Luxembourg Luxembourg, which...
- 8/24/2022
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
White NoiseCOMPETITIONWhite Noise (Noah Baumbach)Il Signore Delle Formiche (Gianni Amelio)The Whale (Darren Aronofsky)L’Immensita (Emanuele Crialese)Saint Omer (Alice Diop)Blonde (Andrew Dominik)Tár (Todd Field)Love Life (Koji Fukada)Bardo, False Chronicle Of A Handful Of Truths (Alejandro G. Inarritu)Athena (Romain Gavras)Bones & All (Luca Guadagnino)The Eternal Daughter (Joanna Hogg)Beyond The Wall (Vahid Jalilvand)The Banshees Of Inisherin (Martin McDonagh)Argentina, 1985 (Santiago Mitre)Chiara (Susanna Nicchiarelli)Monica (Andrea Pallaoro)No Bears (Jafar Panahi)All The Beauty And The Bloodshed (Laura Poitras)A Couple (Frederick Wiseman)The Son (Florian Zeller)Our Ties (Roschdy Zem)Other People’s Children (Rebecca Zlotowski)Out Of COMPETITIONFictionThe Hanging Sun (Francesco Carrozzini)When The Waves Are Gone (Lav Diaz)Living (Oliver Hermanus)Dead For A Dollar (Walter Hill)Call Of God (Kim Ki-duk)Dreamin’ Wild (Bill Pohlad)Master Gardener (Paul Schrader)Siccità (Paolo Virzi)Pearl (Ti West)Don’t Worry Darling...
- 7/28/2022
- MUBI
With opening night locked in––Noah Baumbach’s highly-anticipated Don DeLillo adaptation White Noise––Venice Film Festival has unveiled the rest of their lineup. Amongst the slate is Todd Field’s TÁR, Andrew Dominik’s Blonde, Martin McDonagh’s The Banshees of Inisherin, Paul Schrader’s Master Gardener, Jafar Panahi’s No Bears, Darren Aronofsky’s The Whale, Luca Guadagnino’s Bones and All, Joanna Hogg’s The Eternal Daughter, Frederick Wiseman’s A Couple, Laura Poitras’ All The Beauty And The Bloodshed, Walter Hill’s Dead for a Dollar, and more.
Check out the lineup below, with a hat tip to Deadline.
Venezia 79 Competiton
Il Signore Delle Formiche, dir: Gianni Amelio
The Whale, dir: Darren Aronofsky
L’Imensita, dir: Emanuel Crialese
Saint Omer, dir: Alice Diop
Blonde, dir: Andrew Dominik
TÁR, dir: Todd Field
Love Life, dir: Koji Fukada
Bardo, False Chronicle Of A Handful Of Truths, dir: Alejandro G. Inarritu
Athena,...
Check out the lineup below, with a hat tip to Deadline.
Venezia 79 Competiton
Il Signore Delle Formiche, dir: Gianni Amelio
The Whale, dir: Darren Aronofsky
L’Imensita, dir: Emanuel Crialese
Saint Omer, dir: Alice Diop
Blonde, dir: Andrew Dominik
TÁR, dir: Todd Field
Love Life, dir: Koji Fukada
Bardo, False Chronicle Of A Handful Of Truths, dir: Alejandro G. Inarritu
Athena,...
- 7/26/2022
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Update: The Venice Film Festival has revealed a robust lineup for the 79th edition which runs from August 31-September 10 on the Lido. Scroll down for the full list of Competition titles which include new works from such directors as Darren Aronofsky, Alejandro G Iñárritu, Todd Field, Andrew Dominik, Luca Guadagnino, Alice Diop, Joanna Hogg, Martin McDonagh, Jafar Panahi and Florian Zeller.
In big-ticket Out of Competition berths are Olivia Wilde’s Don’t Worry Darling from Warner Bros and starring Florence Pugh and Harry Styles as well as a new documentary from Oliver Stone and TV series The Kingdom Exodus and Copenhagen Cowboy, respectively from Danish auteurs Lars von Trier and Nicolas Winding Refn.
Previous: The Venice Film Festival will unveil its lineup for the 79th edition this morning at 11 a.m. local time (2 a.m. Pt/5 a.m. Et). The press conference is being held at the Library of the...
In big-ticket Out of Competition berths are Olivia Wilde’s Don’t Worry Darling from Warner Bros and starring Florence Pugh and Harry Styles as well as a new documentary from Oliver Stone and TV series The Kingdom Exodus and Copenhagen Cowboy, respectively from Danish auteurs Lars von Trier and Nicolas Winding Refn.
Previous: The Venice Film Festival will unveil its lineup for the 79th edition this morning at 11 a.m. local time (2 a.m. Pt/5 a.m. Et). The press conference is being held at the Library of the...
- 7/26/2022
- by Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
Includes films by Alejandro G. Inarritu, Joanna Hogg, Olivia Wilde, Darren Aronofsky, Andrew Dominik, Luca Guadagnino and Florian Zeller.
The line-up of the 79th Venice Film Festival (August 31-September 10) has been announced by festival president Roberto Cicutto and artistic director Alberto Barbera.
Scroll down for full line-up
The heavyweight competition line-up includes films by Alejandro G. Inarritu, Joanna Hogg, Susanna Nicchiarelli, Darren Aronofsky, Andrew Dominik, Luca Guadagnino, Martin McDonagh and Florian Zeller. As with last year, five female directors were selected in the main competition. Olivia Wilde’s Don’t Worry Darling is playing out of competition.
As previously announced, Noah Baumbach...
The line-up of the 79th Venice Film Festival (August 31-September 10) has been announced by festival president Roberto Cicutto and artistic director Alberto Barbera.
Scroll down for full line-up
The heavyweight competition line-up includes films by Alejandro G. Inarritu, Joanna Hogg, Susanna Nicchiarelli, Darren Aronofsky, Andrew Dominik, Luca Guadagnino, Martin McDonagh and Florian Zeller. As with last year, five female directors were selected in the main competition. Olivia Wilde’s Don’t Worry Darling is playing out of competition.
As previously announced, Noah Baumbach...
- 7/26/2022
- by Orlando Parfitt
- ScreenDaily
The line-up will be unveiled this morning at around 11:00 Cest (10:00 BST).
The line-up for the 79th Venice International Film Festival (August 31-September 10) will be unveiled this morning at around 11:00 Cest (10:00 BST) by festival president Roberto Cicutto and artistic director Alberto Barbera.
Scroll down for line-up
The press conference will be live-streamed below, and this page will be updated with the films as they are announced.
As previously announced, Noah Baumbach’s White Noise will open the festival in competition.
Julianne Moore will preside over the competition jury that also includes Audrey Diwan, Leonardo Di Costanzo, Mariano Cohn,...
The line-up for the 79th Venice International Film Festival (August 31-September 10) will be unveiled this morning at around 11:00 Cest (10:00 BST) by festival president Roberto Cicutto and artistic director Alberto Barbera.
Scroll down for line-up
The press conference will be live-streamed below, and this page will be updated with the films as they are announced.
As previously announced, Noah Baumbach’s White Noise will open the festival in competition.
Julianne Moore will preside over the competition jury that also includes Audrey Diwan, Leonardo Di Costanzo, Mariano Cohn,...
- 7/26/2022
- by Orlando Parfitt
- ScreenDaily
The nominees list for the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences Board of Governors has been revealed before its June 6-10 balloting.
The candidates are hoping to fill the open seats on the 54-member board. Up to four candidates are set for the open seat at each each branch, which carries three governors with staggered terms per branch.
Board members who have termed out include Academy president David Rubin (from the casting directors branch), Jan Pascale (production designers), Mark Johnson (producers) and Nancy Utley (PR).
Candidates vying for a seat include actress Marlee Matlin, composer Hans Zimmer, and executive Toby Emmerich.
The slate faces some crucial tests once installed, including selecting a new Academy president and new CEO to replace outgoing Dawn Hudson. The Academy also must overcome perceptions created in a rocky year, with its Will Smith Oscars slap incident and the uproar over what categories would make it into the Oscars broadcast.
The candidates are hoping to fill the open seats on the 54-member board. Up to four candidates are set for the open seat at each each branch, which carries three governors with staggered terms per branch.
Board members who have termed out include Academy president David Rubin (from the casting directors branch), Jan Pascale (production designers), Mark Johnson (producers) and Nancy Utley (PR).
Candidates vying for a seat include actress Marlee Matlin, composer Hans Zimmer, and executive Toby Emmerich.
The slate faces some crucial tests once installed, including selecting a new Academy president and new CEO to replace outgoing Dawn Hudson. The Academy also must overcome perceptions created in a rocky year, with its Will Smith Oscars slap incident and the uproar over what categories would make it into the Oscars broadcast.
- 6/2/2022
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Amid the ongoing invasion of Ukraine, Netflix co-founder, chairman, and co-ceo Reed Hastings announced a $1 million donation to Razom for Ukraine, a non-profit emergency relief organization to aid civilians.
“$1m donation on the way for emergency relief to Razom, thanks to @evgeny_director,” Hastings tweeted March 2, crediting “Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom” director Evgeny Afineevsky for connecting him with the foundation. “Every dollar helps.”
Netflix also announced that it would pause all productions and acquisitions out of Russia in the wake of its military attacks on Ukraine. Netflix reportedly had four Russian original projects in the works, including its first original series filmed in Russia, neo-noir mystery series “Zato.”
Russian-born, Israeli-American filmmaker Afineevsky directed Netflix’s 2015 Oscar-nominated documentary “Winter on Fire,” capturing the unrest in Ukraine as student demonstrations supporting European integration led to calls for the resignation of President Viktor F. Yanukovich.
“I wish Netflix would relaunch a campaign for the film,...
“$1m donation on the way for emergency relief to Razom, thanks to @evgeny_director,” Hastings tweeted March 2, crediting “Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom” director Evgeny Afineevsky for connecting him with the foundation. “Every dollar helps.”
Netflix also announced that it would pause all productions and acquisitions out of Russia in the wake of its military attacks on Ukraine. Netflix reportedly had four Russian original projects in the works, including its first original series filmed in Russia, neo-noir mystery series “Zato.”
Russian-born, Israeli-American filmmaker Afineevsky directed Netflix’s 2015 Oscar-nominated documentary “Winter on Fire,” capturing the unrest in Ukraine as student demonstrations supporting European integration led to calls for the resignation of President Viktor F. Yanukovich.
“I wish Netflix would relaunch a campaign for the film,...
- 3/3/2022
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Streaming giant Netflix’s co-founder, chairman and co-ceo Reed Hastings has announced a $1 million donation to an organisation providing emergency relief to Ukraine. “$1m donation on the way for emergency relief to Razom,” wrote the Netflix executive, “thanks to @evgeny_director. Every dollar helps”. “@evgeny_directora is Russian-born Evgeny Afineevsky, who directed the Oscar-nominated documentary Winter on […]...
- 3/3/2022
- by Glamsham Bureau
- GlamSham
Just hours after Deadline reported that Netflix is pausing all of its production and acquisitions work in Russia, the company’s co-founder, chairman and co-ceo Reed Hastings announced a $1 million donation to an organization providing emergency relief to Ukraine.
“$1m donation on the way for emergency relief to Razom,” wrote the Netflix exec, “thanks to @evgeny_director. Every dollar helps.”
$1m donation on the way for emergency relief to Razom, thanks to @evgeny_director. Every dollar helps.
— Reed Hastings (@reedhastings) March 2, 2022
“@evgeny_director” is Russian-born Evgeny Afineevsky, who directed the Oscar-nominated documentary Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom for Netflix in 2015. The film documents the unrest in Ukraine in 2013 and 2014 as student demonstrations supporting European integration grew into a violent revolution calling for the resignation of President Viktor F. Yanukovich, an movement that is not unrelated to the Russian invasion and the stiff resistance it now faces.
“These people will not be slaves.
“$1m donation on the way for emergency relief to Razom,” wrote the Netflix exec, “thanks to @evgeny_director. Every dollar helps.”
$1m donation on the way for emergency relief to Razom, thanks to @evgeny_director. Every dollar helps.
— Reed Hastings (@reedhastings) March 2, 2022
“@evgeny_director” is Russian-born Evgeny Afineevsky, who directed the Oscar-nominated documentary Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom for Netflix in 2015. The film documents the unrest in Ukraine in 2013 and 2014 as student demonstrations supporting European integration grew into a violent revolution calling for the resignation of President Viktor F. Yanukovich, an movement that is not unrelated to the Russian invasion and the stiff resistance it now faces.
“These people will not be slaves.
- 3/3/2022
- by Tom Tapp
- Deadline Film + TV
At home in Studio City, California, filmmaker Evgeny Afineevsky carefully unfolds a blue and white Ukrainian flag. The once bright hues are darkened with soot, the fabric frayed at the edges.
The banner sustained those battle scars in 2014 as it flew over Maidan Square in Kyiv, in the midst of a revolution to oust a pro-Russian leader and to reestablish Ukraine as a true democratic republic. Afineevsky was on hand as the drama unfolded, documenting it for his Oscar-nominated film Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom. As Ukraine attempts to stave off a Russian attack on the country, he says the invaders will learn how attached Ukrainians have become to liberty in the past eight years.
“These people will not be slaves. They will not go back into the former Soviet Union,” Afineevsky insists. “They have a taste of freedom. They became a part of the European society, and...
The banner sustained those battle scars in 2014 as it flew over Maidan Square in Kyiv, in the midst of a revolution to oust a pro-Russian leader and to reestablish Ukraine as a true democratic republic. Afineevsky was on hand as the drama unfolded, documenting it for his Oscar-nominated film Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom. As Ukraine attempts to stave off a Russian attack on the country, he says the invaders will learn how attached Ukrainians have become to liberty in the past eight years.
“These people will not be slaves. They will not go back into the former Soviet Union,” Afineevsky insists. “They have a taste of freedom. They became a part of the European society, and...
- 2/28/2022
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
As Russia launched its military assault across Ukraine this week, reports circulated about citizens of the besieged nation gripped by sudden fear for their lives as many explored frantic escape options. In the midst of these dire circumstances, however, modern events suggest a lingering spirit of defiance. From November 2013 to February 2014, tens of thousands of activists occupied Maidan Square in Kiev to protest pro-Putin prime minister Viktor Yanukovych’s efforts to prevent Ukraine from entering the European Union.
Despite violent pushback from government forces, the so-called “Euromaidan” protests ultimately forced Yanukovych to flee the country. Ukraine has been planning to apply to join the EU in 2024.
These dramatic circumstances are captured in alarming closeup in the 2015 Oscar-nominated documentary “Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom.” Israeli-American director Evgeny Afineevsky dispatched a large team of cinematographers to the scene of the protests, illustrating the intensity of the circumstances with shocking, moment-to-moment detail.
Despite violent pushback from government forces, the so-called “Euromaidan” protests ultimately forced Yanukovych to flee the country. Ukraine has been planning to apply to join the EU in 2024.
These dramatic circumstances are captured in alarming closeup in the 2015 Oscar-nominated documentary “Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom.” Israeli-American director Evgeny Afineevsky dispatched a large team of cinematographers to the scene of the protests, illustrating the intensity of the circumstances with shocking, moment-to-moment detail.
- 2/24/2022
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
The Oscars have announced that 276 feature films are eligible for this year’s Academy Awards, with nomination voting set to begin Thursday, Jan. 27 until Tuesday, Feb. 1.
Last year, the Academy extended the eligibility year until Feb. 28, 2021 due to the pandemic, which produced 366 eligible films, the largest number of submissions since 1970. With only 10 months in this period, 2022’s eligibility list is on par with previous submission years.
All of the presumed Oscar contenders are on the list including “Being the Ricardos” (Amazon Studios), “Belfast” (Focus Features), “C’mon C’mon” (A24), “Candyman” (Universal Pictures), “Coda” (Apple Original Films), “Dune” (Warner Bros), “Encanto” (Walt Disney Pictures), “House of Gucci” (MGM/United Artists Releasing), “Nightmare Alley” (Searchlight Pictures), “Parallel Mothers” (Sony Pictures Classics), “The Power of the Dog” (Netflix), “A Quiet Place Part II” (Paramount Pictures), “Spencer” (Neon/Topic Studios), “Spider-Man: No Way Home” (Sony Pictures) and “West Side Story” (20th Century Studios).
Some of...
Last year, the Academy extended the eligibility year until Feb. 28, 2021 due to the pandemic, which produced 366 eligible films, the largest number of submissions since 1970. With only 10 months in this period, 2022’s eligibility list is on par with previous submission years.
All of the presumed Oscar contenders are on the list including “Being the Ricardos” (Amazon Studios), “Belfast” (Focus Features), “C’mon C’mon” (A24), “Candyman” (Universal Pictures), “Coda” (Apple Original Films), “Dune” (Warner Bros), “Encanto” (Walt Disney Pictures), “House of Gucci” (MGM/United Artists Releasing), “Nightmare Alley” (Searchlight Pictures), “Parallel Mothers” (Sony Pictures Classics), “The Power of the Dog” (Netflix), “A Quiet Place Part II” (Paramount Pictures), “Spencer” (Neon/Topic Studios), “Spider-Man: No Way Home” (Sony Pictures) and “West Side Story” (20th Century Studios).
Some of...
- 1/20/2022
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Evgeny Afineevsky called his Pope Francis documentary Francesco a “healing moment” during a Discovery+ panel for the feature film at Deadline’s Contenders Documentary. He also said Pope Francis’ leadership inspired him during the Covid pandemic.
“I think specifically coming out of the pandemic and coming out of a lack of leadership, because we saw a huge lack of leadership during the pandemic in different places of the world, that we’re still struggling,” Afineevsky said. “I’m looking for hope.”
He began the film in 2018 but completed it in 2020. Francesco premiered at last year’s Rome Film Festival and in March on nascent streaming service Discovery+.
In the film, Pope Francis comes out in support of civil unions for the LGBTQ community. Afineevsky said he was also inspired by the way the pontiff sent aid directly to the transgender community.
“Last year, I learned how, during the pandemic, Pope...
“I think specifically coming out of the pandemic and coming out of a lack of leadership, because we saw a huge lack of leadership during the pandemic in different places of the world, that we’re still struggling,” Afineevsky said. “I’m looking for hope.”
He began the film in 2018 but completed it in 2020. Francesco premiered at last year’s Rome Film Festival and in March on nascent streaming service Discovery+.
In the film, Pope Francis comes out in support of civil unions for the LGBTQ community. Afineevsky said he was also inspired by the way the pontiff sent aid directly to the transgender community.
“Last year, I learned how, during the pandemic, Pope...
- 11/21/2021
- by Fred Topel
- Deadline Film + TV
Los Angeles-based physician and producer Eric Esrailian, who recently received a medal from Pope Francis for his philanthropic activity around awareness of the Armenian Genocide, is developing a TV series entitled “Ceasefire” about the Northern Ireland peace process.
Oscar-winning Irish writer-director Terry George (“In the Name of the Father”) is attached to direct.
“Ceasefire” is to depict the dynamics and diplomacy that facilitated the historic Good Friday peace agreement of April 1998, which helped transform Northern Ireland after decades of bitter conflict, in hopes that it can help similar political situations.
“You look at the events around the world and you say: ‘Where has there been a successful brokering of peace between two hostile opposing forces?'” Esrailian said, citing other political flashpoints such as the Israel–Palestine conflict and the civil war in Ethiopia’s Tigray region.
“If you read more about the ceasefire between Loyalists and republicans in Northern...
Oscar-winning Irish writer-director Terry George (“In the Name of the Father”) is attached to direct.
“Ceasefire” is to depict the dynamics and diplomacy that facilitated the historic Good Friday peace agreement of April 1998, which helped transform Northern Ireland after decades of bitter conflict, in hopes that it can help similar political situations.
“You look at the events around the world and you say: ‘Where has there been a successful brokering of peace between two hostile opposing forces?'” Esrailian said, citing other political flashpoints such as the Israel–Palestine conflict and the civil war in Ethiopia’s Tigray region.
“If you read more about the ceasefire between Loyalists and republicans in Northern...
- 11/18/2021
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Less than a decade ago the campaign to win an Academy Award for feature documentary did not include billboards on Sunset Boulevard, six-figure one-page ads in the New York Times and incessant screenings at New York’s Crosby Hotel or Los Angeles’ Four Seasons followed by free food and cocktails for Academy documentary branch members. Nowadays it’s customary.
While the docu Oscar race has never been a completely level playing field, all the money and attention being thrown at documentaries these days has made garnering a little gold man for nonfiction a big business. And although there are policies in place within the Academy to counter and compensate for films without big backers, there is no denying that the influx of streaming services and their growing appetite for doc fare has made it that much more difficult to be the indie underdog come Oscar season.
Streaming services officially entered...
While the docu Oscar race has never been a completely level playing field, all the money and attention being thrown at documentaries these days has made garnering a little gold man for nonfiction a big business. And although there are policies in place within the Academy to counter and compensate for films without big backers, there is no denying that the influx of streaming services and their growing appetite for doc fare has made it that much more difficult to be the indie underdog come Oscar season.
Streaming services officially entered...
- 11/11/2021
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
Pope Francis Greets Afghans And Other Refugees After Vatican Screening Of Discovery+ Doc ‘Francesco’
Exclusive: A group of 200 refugees and immigrants, some newly arrived from Afghanistan, attended a special Vatican screening of the discovery+ documentary Francesco Monday night, and later met with Pope Francis himself.
“When the movie finished he was downstairs waiting for them,” Oscar-nominated director Evgeny Afineevsky told Deadline following the screening in the Vatican’s New Synod Hall. “He wanted to meet everybody and greet everybody… He is a human being who cherishes being close to the people, cherishes the moment he can spread love, joy in their lives–not easy lives. And he always remembers that he can be in their place [as a refugee]. He said it many, many times, ‘It can be you or me.’”
Afineevsky’s film, which already is available in the A.M.P.A.S. screening room for Oscar voters across all branches to see, examines the pope’s engagement with the world’s most pressing moral and ethical problems,...
“When the movie finished he was downstairs waiting for them,” Oscar-nominated director Evgeny Afineevsky told Deadline following the screening in the Vatican’s New Synod Hall. “He wanted to meet everybody and greet everybody… He is a human being who cherishes being close to the people, cherishes the moment he can spread love, joy in their lives–not easy lives. And he always remembers that he can be in their place [as a refugee]. He said it many, many times, ‘It can be you or me.’”
Afineevsky’s film, which already is available in the A.M.P.A.S. screening room for Oscar voters across all branches to see, examines the pope’s engagement with the world’s most pressing moral and ethical problems,...
- 9/7/2021
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Acclaimed documentary director Evgeny Afineevsky is no stranger to pursuing his art in the face of adversity and danger. He’s made films set in the conflicts of Syria and Ukraine, two of the world’s most deadly hotspots over the course of the last decade. And while the subject of his latest film, Francesco, isn’t as […]
The post Director Evgeny Afineevsky Didn’t Want The World To Wait For ‘Francesco’ appeared first on Hollywood Outbreak.
The post Director Evgeny Afineevsky Didn’t Want The World To Wait For ‘Francesco’ appeared first on Hollywood Outbreak.
- 3/26/2021
- by Hollywood Outbreak
- HollywoodOutbreak.com
Evgeny Afineevsky’s documentary on Pope Francis goes one further than the recent Wim Wenders film by discussing child abuse, but is still another baffling act of hagiography
Pope Francis was recently bathed in movie love, courtesy of Fernando Meirelles’s The Two Popes, with its excellent performances from Jonathan Pryce as Pope Francis, and Anthony Hopkins as the now emeritus Pope Benedict XVI; this film sentimentally imagined a pontiff bromance between the outgoing conservative and incoming liberal. The truth might be more complicated. Before that, there was Wim Wenders’s deeply respectful documentary Pope Francis: A Man of His Word, which paid tribute to Francis’s new engagement with issues such as the climate crisis, refugees and inequality.
Now there is another docu-celebration, from the Oscar-nominated director Evgeny Afineevsky (Winter on Fire), who perhaps has had direct interview access with his subject, though it isn’t clear; there is...
Pope Francis was recently bathed in movie love, courtesy of Fernando Meirelles’s The Two Popes, with its excellent performances from Jonathan Pryce as Pope Francis, and Anthony Hopkins as the now emeritus Pope Benedict XVI; this film sentimentally imagined a pontiff bromance between the outgoing conservative and incoming liberal. The truth might be more complicated. Before that, there was Wim Wenders’s deeply respectful documentary Pope Francis: A Man of His Word, which paid tribute to Francis’s new engagement with issues such as the climate crisis, refugees and inequality.
Now there is another docu-celebration, from the Oscar-nominated director Evgeny Afineevsky (Winter on Fire), who perhaps has had direct interview access with his subject, though it isn’t clear; there is...
- 3/26/2021
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Exclusive: Discovery+ continues to ramp up it documentary slate. The fast-growing streamer has acquired rights to Rebel Heart, the Pedro Kos-directed documentary that premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. It will now get a theatrical release as well as a global bow on the streamer later this year.
Rebel Hearts centers on a trailblazing group of nuns in 1960s Los Angeles who stood up to the patriarchy of the Catholic Church. The sisters that ran the progressive Immaculate Heart College in L.A. fought for equality (they marched in Selma), their livelihoods and their own freedom against an all-powerful Cardinal who opposed their actions. Their acts of faith, defiance and activism turned the church upside down. The pic uses archival footage, animation and two decades of never-before-seen interviews gathered by the film’s producer Shawnee Isaac-Smith to tell the tale at the center of the film, a co-production...
Rebel Hearts centers on a trailblazing group of nuns in 1960s Los Angeles who stood up to the patriarchy of the Catholic Church. The sisters that ran the progressive Immaculate Heart College in L.A. fought for equality (they marched in Selma), their livelihoods and their own freedom against an all-powerful Cardinal who opposed their actions. Their acts of faith, defiance and activism turned the church upside down. The pic uses archival footage, animation and two decades of never-before-seen interviews gathered by the film’s producer Shawnee Isaac-Smith to tell the tale at the center of the film, a co-production...
- 3/3/2021
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
The head of Discovery+ is bullish on high-end nonfiction content.
“We’re investing in premium documentaries, a genre that we know our subscribers want more of,” Lisa Holme, group SVP of content and commercial strategy for Discovery, said Thursday at the streamer’s Winter Press Tour presentation. She added, “That allows us to support some of the best storytellers in the business.”
Among those acclaimed storytellers is Oscar-nominated filmmaker Evgeny Afineevsky, whose latest documentary, Francesco, premieres on Discovery+ on March 28. The film examines Pope Francis’s moral leadership on many of the most important problems facing the world.
“From the beginning the idea was to have us, humanity, as the key element of the story…what disasters we created, what poverty we created, what injustice we created,” Afineevsky said during the TCA panel. “And to tell his story as...
“We’re investing in premium documentaries, a genre that we know our subscribers want more of,” Lisa Holme, group SVP of content and commercial strategy for Discovery, said Thursday at the streamer’s Winter Press Tour presentation. She added, “That allows us to support some of the best storytellers in the business.”
Among those acclaimed storytellers is Oscar-nominated filmmaker Evgeny Afineevsky, whose latest documentary, Francesco, premieres on Discovery+ on March 28. The film examines Pope Francis’s moral leadership on many of the most important problems facing the world.
“From the beginning the idea was to have us, humanity, as the key element of the story…what disasters we created, what poverty we created, what injustice we created,” Afineevsky said during the TCA panel. “And to tell his story as...
- 2/12/2021
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
“Francesco,” a comprehensive documentary about Pope Francis with unprecedented access to the The Vatican, will air on Discovery on March 28, to mark the start of Holy Week. The film was directed by Israeli-American filmmaker Evgeny Afineevsky, who received Oscar and Emmy nominations for 2015’s “Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom.” “Francesco” premiered at the Rome Film Festival, where Discovery+ acquired it as part of the channel’s ambitious new documentary film slate.
“”From the beginning, I got a green light from The Vatican, I never had any restrictions. I had full freedom,” Afineevsky said during Discovery’s session of the TCA’s ongoing winter press tour.
Though he had no restrictions, the film does not address any right-to-life issues, including abortion access or physician-assisted death.
“It was more important to not focus on the Catholic Church, but to focus on the global issues that are related to humanity, that...
“”From the beginning, I got a green light from The Vatican, I never had any restrictions. I had full freedom,” Afineevsky said during Discovery’s session of the TCA’s ongoing winter press tour.
Though he had no restrictions, the film does not address any right-to-life issues, including abortion access or physician-assisted death.
“It was more important to not focus on the Catholic Church, but to focus on the global issues that are related to humanity, that...
- 2/11/2021
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
Pope Francis is coming to Discovery+ in time for Easter.
The subscription streamer said Wednesday that it has acquired Evgeny Afineevsky’s documentary Francesco, an exploration of the pope’s ministry and moral leadership in a time of surging right-wing populist movements, a worldwide refugee crisis, and the Covid-19 pandemic. Discovery+ will begin streaming Francesco globally on Sunday, March 28, the start of Holy Week, which leads up to Easter on April 4.
“It is an honor to host the global premiere of Francesco on Discovery+, spotlighting an intimate look at one of the world’s most beloved and influential leaders, Pope Francis,” said Lisa Holme, group SVP of content and commercial strategy at Discovery, in a statement. “We are thrilled to work with a powerful storyteller like Evgeny on this important project, which is emblematic of our ability to expand our documentary programming aperture on Discovery+ to serve subscribers around the...
The subscription streamer said Wednesday that it has acquired Evgeny Afineevsky’s documentary Francesco, an exploration of the pope’s ministry and moral leadership in a time of surging right-wing populist movements, a worldwide refugee crisis, and the Covid-19 pandemic. Discovery+ will begin streaming Francesco globally on Sunday, March 28, the start of Holy Week, which leads up to Easter on April 4.
“It is an honor to host the global premiere of Francesco on Discovery+, spotlighting an intimate look at one of the world’s most beloved and influential leaders, Pope Francis,” said Lisa Holme, group SVP of content and commercial strategy at Discovery, in a statement. “We are thrilled to work with a powerful storyteller like Evgeny on this important project, which is emblematic of our ability to expand our documentary programming aperture on Discovery+ to serve subscribers around the...
- 1/27/2021
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Discovery+, the non-fiction subscription streaming service, has acquired and will globally launch the documentary film “Francesco” about Pope Francis.
“Francesco” will provide an intimate look at His Holiness and his approach to complex issues like climate change, migration and refugees, female empowerment, sexual abuse and Lbgtq issues, the pandemic and border walls. The film features interviews with his nephew Jose Ignacio Bergoglio and Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, as well as Juan Carlos Cruz, a victim and activist for survivors of sexual abuse, and Sister Norma Pimentel, an advocate for refugees.
The documentary film will begin streaming globally at the start of Holy Week on March 28, following an opening in virtual cinemas.
Oscar-nominated director and producer Evgeny Afineevksy directs “Francesco.” Producers are Afineevksy, Den Tolmor, Eric Esrailian and Teri Schwartz, while Ted Hope, Colleen Camp, Mark Monroe, Tomáš Srovnal, Michelle Bertrán Neve, Svetlana Chistyakova, Bonnie Abaunza, Bohdan Batruch, Regina K. Scully,...
“Francesco” will provide an intimate look at His Holiness and his approach to complex issues like climate change, migration and refugees, female empowerment, sexual abuse and Lbgtq issues, the pandemic and border walls. The film features interviews with his nephew Jose Ignacio Bergoglio and Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, as well as Juan Carlos Cruz, a victim and activist for survivors of sexual abuse, and Sister Norma Pimentel, an advocate for refugees.
The documentary film will begin streaming globally at the start of Holy Week on March 28, following an opening in virtual cinemas.
Oscar-nominated director and producer Evgeny Afineevksy directs “Francesco.” Producers are Afineevksy, Den Tolmor, Eric Esrailian and Teri Schwartz, while Ted Hope, Colleen Camp, Mark Monroe, Tomáš Srovnal, Michelle Bertrán Neve, Svetlana Chistyakova, Bonnie Abaunza, Bohdan Batruch, Regina K. Scully,...
- 1/27/2021
- by Beatrice Verhoeven
- The Wrap
Francesco, a documentary feature about Pope Francis that premiered at last October’s Rome Film Festival to strong notices and had the whole world talking about the pontiff’s comments regarding gay Catholics, has been acquired by discovery+, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
The film will be released in virtual cinemas ahead of its debut on discovery+ on Sunday, March 28, which marks the start of Holy Week.
The deal was negotiated by ICM Partners on behalf of the filmmakers.
Directed and produced by the Oscar-nominated filmmaker Evgeny Afineevsky (Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom), who received unprecedented access to the Pope and ...
The film will be released in virtual cinemas ahead of its debut on discovery+ on Sunday, March 28, which marks the start of Holy Week.
The deal was negotiated by ICM Partners on behalf of the filmmakers.
Directed and produced by the Oscar-nominated filmmaker Evgeny Afineevsky (Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom), who received unprecedented access to the Pope and ...
- 1/27/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Francesco, a documentary feature about Pope Francis that premiered at last October’s Rome Film Festival to strong notices and had the whole world talking about the pontiff’s comments regarding gay Catholics, has been acquired by discovery+, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
The film will be released in virtual cinemas ahead of its debut on discovery+ on Sunday, March 28, which marks the start of Holy Week.
The deal was negotiated by ICM Partners on behalf of the filmmakers.
Directed and produced by the Oscar-nominated filmmaker Evgeny Afineevsky (Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom), who received unprecedented access to the ...
The film will be released in virtual cinemas ahead of its debut on discovery+ on Sunday, March 28, which marks the start of Holy Week.
The deal was negotiated by ICM Partners on behalf of the filmmakers.
Directed and produced by the Oscar-nominated filmmaker Evgeny Afineevsky (Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom), who received unprecedented access to the ...
- 1/27/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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