A tale of disability, abuse, expectations and family secrets, “She Looks Like Me” from director Torquil Jones has a headstart on most documentaries, given its subject matter’s winding twists and turns. Some key details end up obscured — there’s enough real-life material here to fill an entire miniseries — but the film has an alluring atmosphere, and is rife with enough intimate re-enactments, to be occasionally absorbing.
Dreamlike hymns echo off the walls of an ornate church in the movie’s opening scenes. These have little thematic bearing on the story, but they make for a vibrant aesthetic, appearing and reappearing during moments of quiet reflection. A now-adult Jen Bricker — a woman born without legs — narrates the broad strokes of her childhood, from her adoption in rural Illinois, to the way her parents and three older brothers raised her to believe she could do anything she wanted. Old photos and...
Dreamlike hymns echo off the walls of an ornate church in the movie’s opening scenes. These have little thematic bearing on the story, but they make for a vibrant aesthetic, appearing and reappearing during moments of quiet reflection. A now-adult Jen Bricker — a woman born without legs — narrates the broad strokes of her childhood, from her adoption in rural Illinois, to the way her parents and three older brothers raised her to believe she could do anything she wanted. Old photos and...
- 3/18/2024
- by Siddhant Adlakha
- Variety Film + TV
Joshua Zeman’s latest feature documentary “Checkpoint Zoo,” an inspiring story that unfolds in a war-torn part of the world, has wrapped principal photography. The film tells the story of the daring rescue of over 5,000 animals that were trapped in a wildlife park behind enemy lines during the early days of the Russian-Ukrainian War.
“Checkpoint Zoo” was produced by Zeman and Zach Mortensen for Ghost Robot, with Ian Davies and Torquil Jones for Noah Media Group, which is also financing the project. UTA Independent Film Group has signed on to lead worldwide sales of the picture.
In the early days of the war, a beloved animal refuge known as Feldman Ecopark, located in Ukraine’s second largest city, was in a precarious position. On one side of the park was the invading Russian army; on the other sat the Ukrainian front line. With thousands of animals trapped with little food and water,...
“Checkpoint Zoo” was produced by Zeman and Zach Mortensen for Ghost Robot, with Ian Davies and Torquil Jones for Noah Media Group, which is also financing the project. UTA Independent Film Group has signed on to lead worldwide sales of the picture.
In the early days of the war, a beloved animal refuge known as Feldman Ecopark, located in Ukraine’s second largest city, was in a precarious position. On one side of the park was the invading Russian army; on the other sat the Ukrainian front line. With thousands of animals trapped with little food and water,...
- 7/18/2023
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
For Villeneuve Pironi director Torquil Jones, capturing the stories of sports legends and those who live on the edge is standard practice.
In the last half-decade, the filmmaker has been behind stories about Nepali mountaineer Nirmal Purja who sought to conquer 14 of the world’s 8,000-meter peaks in seven months (14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible); Australian comedian Adam Hills’ creation of the globe’s first disabled rugby league team (Take His Legs); as well as the life and legacy of the late English football manager Sir Bobby Robson (Bobby Robson: More Than a Manager).
But despite the obvious similarities to his latest doc — their focus on sports, legacy and a man’s effort to achieve previously unreached heights — Jones’ inside look at Formula 1 racing legends Didier Pironi and Gilles Villeneuve, their fast lives and fast ends is something different.
That’s due in part...
For Villeneuve Pironi director Torquil Jones, capturing the stories of sports legends and those who live on the edge is standard practice.
In the last half-decade, the filmmaker has been behind stories about Nepali mountaineer Nirmal Purja who sought to conquer 14 of the world’s 8,000-meter peaks in seven months (14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible); Australian comedian Adam Hills’ creation of the globe’s first disabled rugby league team (Take His Legs); as well as the life and legacy of the late English football manager Sir Bobby Robson (Bobby Robson: More Than a Manager).
But despite the obvious similarities to his latest doc — their focus on sports, legacy and a man’s effort to achieve previously unreached heights — Jones’ inside look at Formula 1 racing legends Didier Pironi and Gilles Villeneuve, their fast lives and fast ends is something different.
That’s due in part...
- 11/13/2022
- by Abbey White
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Release
Kenneth Branagh‘s “Belfast” and the late Roger Michell‘s “The Duke” will release theatrically in the U.K. on Jan. 21 and Feb. 25, 2022 respectively.
Featuring an ensemble cast, “Belfast” is an autobiographical story set in late 1960s Northern Ireland. It follows Buddy, a young boy on the cusp of adolescence, whose life is filled with familial love, childhood hijinks, and a blossoming romance. Yet, with his beloved hometown caught up in increasing turmoil, his family faces a momentous choice: hope the conflict will pass or leave everything they know behind for a new life.
The film won the People’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival and is an odds on favorite at the upcoming awards season.
Universal is giving “Belfast” a wide release of more than 300 screens.
Meanwhile, Pathe is also planning a wide release with more than 300 screens for “The Duke.” The film bowed at...
Kenneth Branagh‘s “Belfast” and the late Roger Michell‘s “The Duke” will release theatrically in the U.K. on Jan. 21 and Feb. 25, 2022 respectively.
Featuring an ensemble cast, “Belfast” is an autobiographical story set in late 1960s Northern Ireland. It follows Buddy, a young boy on the cusp of adolescence, whose life is filled with familial love, childhood hijinks, and a blossoming romance. Yet, with his beloved hometown caught up in increasing turmoil, his family faces a momentous choice: hope the conflict will pass or leave everything they know behind for a new life.
The film won the People’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival and is an odds on favorite at the upcoming awards season.
Universal is giving “Belfast” a wide release of more than 300 screens.
Meanwhile, Pathe is also planning a wide release with more than 300 screens for “The Duke.” The film bowed at...
- 11/5/2021
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: A feature doc on one of Formula 1’s most dramatic moments, the row between Ferrari drivers Gilles Villeneuve and Didier Pironi, is the first project to emerge from Finding Jack Charlton producer Noah Media and Sky Studios’ multi-year partnership, with F1 driver Mark Webber set to exec produce.
Villeneuve & Pironi will focus on an intense two-week period in the early 1980s that became known as ‘The Betrayal.’ The film will feature interviews with those closest to the two men, with premiere date set for late next year.
The teammates were both aiming to win the 1982 F1 World Title but, during the final laps of that year’s San Marino Grand Prix, Pironi passed Villeneuve to win the race while Villeneuve believed the two had been instructed to slow down. This was an unexpected act that went completely against the team orders Villeneuve thought they were obeying and they never spoke again.
Villeneuve & Pironi will focus on an intense two-week period in the early 1980s that became known as ‘The Betrayal.’ The film will feature interviews with those closest to the two men, with premiere date set for late next year.
The teammates were both aiming to win the 1982 F1 World Title but, during the final laps of that year’s San Marino Grand Prix, Pironi passed Villeneuve to win the race while Villeneuve believed the two had been instructed to slow down. This was an unexpected act that went completely against the team orders Villeneuve thought they were obeying and they never spoke again.
- 11/5/2021
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
"If I can stay alive, I can do this in seven months..." "You are on the edge of life and death." Netflix has revealed a trailer for a mountain climbing documentary film called 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible, one of the first ever to profile a Nepalese climber. Fearless Nepali Mountaineer Nimsdai Purja embarks on a seemingly impossible quest to summit all 14 of the worlds 8000-meter peaks in seven months. This is a daunting, near impossible feat for any human, even for a Nepalese person born in the Himalayas. "14 Peaks is a thrilling, action-packed story about courage, perseverance, and pushing the limits of human endurance. Written, directed and produced by Torquil Jones, an executive produced by Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi. I am a big fan of mountain climbing films (also see this year's The Summit of the Gods) and I'm very excited to watch this documentary soon. Nimsdai...
- 11/2/2021
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
With the grand in-person return of the New York Film Festival in the rearview mirror, New York’s fall festival season barrels on with Doc NYC, the largest documentary festival in the country. This year’s festival will return to in-person theatrical screenings, with virtual options and passes available as well. The 2021 lineup includes more than 120 feature-length documentaries, including 32 world premieres and 34 U.S. premieres. World premieres include films on figures such as NBA legend Kevin Garnett, recently passed rapper Dmx, rat pack crooner Dean Martin, and the late literary icon Kurt Vonnegut. They join previously announced titles on Kenny G and Dionne Warwick, as well as Matthew Heineman’s “The First Wave,” a penetrating look at the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic in New York City.
Doc NYC is also launching three new competitive sections this year: A U.S. Competition for new American nonfiction films, an International...
Doc NYC is also launching three new competitive sections this year: A U.S. Competition for new American nonfiction films, an International...
- 10/19/2021
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
Investment
Ex-Skyscanner CEO Gareth Williams, former Xix Entertainment president James Clayton, Hollywood entertainment lawyer Kevin Yorn and multi F1 Grand Prix-winning motor racing driver Mark Webber are among an eclectic group of investors who have together invested £2 million ($2.7 million) in U.K. production and distribution company Noah Media Group.
Noah’s credits include Grierson award-nominated “Finding Jack Charlton” and Cannes selection “Steve McQueen: The Man & Le Mans” and the outfit has coming up “Arsène Wenger: Invincible,” a documentary on the soccer manager who changed the landscape of the English Premier League, which will debut on Canal Plus in France and a major streaming platform in the U.K. in 2022.
The funding raised will support the company’s growing ambitions in the filmed content space, under the founding team of chair Barry Smith, CEO and producer John McKenna and film and television directors Gabriel Clarke and Torquil Jones. It will also drive Noah’s self-distributing ambitions.
Ex-Skyscanner CEO Gareth Williams, former Xix Entertainment president James Clayton, Hollywood entertainment lawyer Kevin Yorn and multi F1 Grand Prix-winning motor racing driver Mark Webber are among an eclectic group of investors who have together invested £2 million ($2.7 million) in U.K. production and distribution company Noah Media Group.
Noah’s credits include Grierson award-nominated “Finding Jack Charlton” and Cannes selection “Steve McQueen: The Man & Le Mans” and the outfit has coming up “Arsène Wenger: Invincible,” a documentary on the soccer manager who changed the landscape of the English Premier League, which will debut on Canal Plus in France and a major streaming platform in the U.K. in 2022.
The funding raised will support the company’s growing ambitions in the filmed content space, under the founding team of chair Barry Smith, CEO and producer John McKenna and film and television directors Gabriel Clarke and Torquil Jones. It will also drive Noah’s self-distributing ambitions.
- 10/8/2021
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Finding Jack Charlton producer Noah Media Group has raised $2.7m from private investors including former Xix Entertainment president James Clayton, Hollywood entertainment lawyer Kevin Yorn and former Wired editor David Rowan.
The global documentary producer will use the money to self-finance and distribute more of its productions via distribution arm NoahX along with building an ‘evaluation engine’ to decide on future projects.
The company was launched six years ago by chairman Barry Smith, CEO John McKenna and film and TV directors Gabriel Clarke and Torquil Jones.
The move is the next phase in Noah’s investment plans and also includes backers such as former Skyscanner CEO Gareth Williams and F1 Grand Prix winning motor racing driver Mark Webber.
Smith said: “This injection of investment will go directly into advancing and improving our evaluation processes, leading to better production and distribution decisions.”
The company is shortly to see documentary series Arsène...
The global documentary producer will use the money to self-finance and distribute more of its productions via distribution arm NoahX along with building an ‘evaluation engine’ to decide on future projects.
The company was launched six years ago by chairman Barry Smith, CEO John McKenna and film and TV directors Gabriel Clarke and Torquil Jones.
The move is the next phase in Noah’s investment plans and also includes backers such as former Skyscanner CEO Gareth Williams and F1 Grand Prix winning motor racing driver Mark Webber.
Smith said: “This injection of investment will go directly into advancing and improving our evaluation processes, leading to better production and distribution decisions.”
The company is shortly to see documentary series Arsène...
- 10/8/2021
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Series
The U.K. premiere screening of Ninja Thyberg’s feature debut “Pleasure” and a masterclass with “Herself” director Phyllida Lloyd have been added to the Sundance Film Festival: London program.
“Host” director Rob Savage joins the previously announced horror panel, “Scare Tactics – Making Modern Horror,” which also includes “Censor” director Prano Bailey Bond.
“Pleasure,” a deep dive into the world of adult entertainment, was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize in the World Cinema – Dramatic category at the Sundance Film Festival in January and won the Fipresci Award at the Göteborg Film Festival.
The “Shaping The Truth – Discussing Documentary Ethics and Filmmaking” panel hosted by Doc Society’s Shanida Scotland will feature guests including directors Kristina Lindström and Kristian Petri (“The Most Beautiful Boy In The World”) and Sam Hobkinson (“Misha and the Wolves”).
The festival will open with Edgar Wright’s rockumentary “The Sparks Brothers” and the program also includes “Zola” and “Coda.
The U.K. premiere screening of Ninja Thyberg’s feature debut “Pleasure” and a masterclass with “Herself” director Phyllida Lloyd have been added to the Sundance Film Festival: London program.
“Host” director Rob Savage joins the previously announced horror panel, “Scare Tactics – Making Modern Horror,” which also includes “Censor” director Prano Bailey Bond.
“Pleasure,” a deep dive into the world of adult entertainment, was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize in the World Cinema – Dramatic category at the Sundance Film Festival in January and won the Fipresci Award at the Göteborg Film Festival.
The “Shaping The Truth – Discussing Documentary Ethics and Filmmaking” panel hosted by Doc Society’s Shanida Scotland will feature guests including directors Kristina Lindström and Kristian Petri (“The Most Beautiful Boy In The World”) and Sam Hobkinson (“Misha and the Wolves”).
The festival will open with Edgar Wright’s rockumentary “The Sparks Brothers” and the program also includes “Zola” and “Coda.
- 6/22/2021
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Football player and manager to get doc treatment from Noah Media Group.
A feature documentary about the World Cup-winning football player and manager Jack Charlton is in production from London-based outfit Noah Media Group, which has credits including Bobby Robson: More Than A Manager and Steve McQueen: The Man & Le Mans.
Gabriel Clarke and Pete Thomas are directing the project, which will tell the story of how Charlton guided the Republic of Ireland national football team to their first World Cup in 1990. It is being lined up for a UK theatrical release next summer, to mark 20 years since the tournament,...
A feature documentary about the World Cup-winning football player and manager Jack Charlton is in production from London-based outfit Noah Media Group, which has credits including Bobby Robson: More Than A Manager and Steve McQueen: The Man & Le Mans.
Gabriel Clarke and Pete Thomas are directing the project, which will tell the story of how Charlton guided the Republic of Ireland national football team to their first World Cup in 1990. It is being lined up for a UK theatrical release next summer, to mark 20 years since the tournament,...
- 7/8/2019
- by Tom Grater
- ScreenDaily
Noah Media Group, producers of docs Bobby Robson: More Than A Manager and Steve McQueen: The Man & Le Mans, are in production on a feature-length documentary about iconic Brit soccer player and manager Jack Charlton.
The London-based outfit have partnered with Charlton and his family on the project, with a theatrical release planned for the summer of 2020 – thirty years on from Italia 90, when Charlton led the Republic of Ireland in their first ever World Cup.
The film will explore the story and legacy of that team but it will also look at Charlton’s playing career. He won the World Cup as a player with England in 1966, alongside brother Bobby Charlton, always the more revered player. However, the more outspoken Jack was a household name as pundit and TV celebrity by the early 1970s before turning his hand to coaching.
Pic will be directed by Gabriel Clarke (Bobby...
The London-based outfit have partnered with Charlton and his family on the project, with a theatrical release planned for the summer of 2020 – thirty years on from Italia 90, when Charlton led the Republic of Ireland in their first ever World Cup.
The film will explore the story and legacy of that team but it will also look at Charlton’s playing career. He won the World Cup as a player with England in 1966, alongside brother Bobby Charlton, always the more revered player. However, the more outspoken Jack was a household name as pundit and TV celebrity by the early 1970s before turning his hand to coaching.
Pic will be directed by Gabriel Clarke (Bobby...
- 7/8/2019
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Jack Charlton is the subject of a new feature documentary from the producers of “Bobby Robson: More Than a Manager.” Charlton was part of England’s 1966 World Cup winning team and is also hugely popular in Ireland after a stint managing its national team.
Noah Media has teamed with Charlton and his family on the project, which has just entered production. It will be released theatrically in summer 2020, 30 years on from Italia 90, where Charlton led the Republic of Ireland in its first ever World Cup.
The producers said there will be rarely seen archive and the film will explore the story of the Englishman who became an Irish hero.
Jack Charlton won the 1966 World Cup alongside brother Bobby, who was always the more revered player. Jack was the more outspoken of the pair and a household name as pundit and TV celebrity by the early 1970s, before turning his hand to coaching.
Noah Media has teamed with Charlton and his family on the project, which has just entered production. It will be released theatrically in summer 2020, 30 years on from Italia 90, where Charlton led the Republic of Ireland in its first ever World Cup.
The producers said there will be rarely seen archive and the film will explore the story of the Englishman who became an Irish hero.
Jack Charlton won the 1966 World Cup alongside brother Bobby, who was always the more revered player. Jack was the more outspoken of the pair and a household name as pundit and TV celebrity by the early 1970s, before turning his hand to coaching.
- 7/8/2019
- by Stewart Clarke
- Variety Film + TV
The producer of “Bobby Robson: More Than a Manager” has signed a deal with Dogwoof, which will handle international sales on the feature documentary about the legendary English soccer manager.
The film was made by London-based Noah Media Group. It had a limited theatrical release in the U.K. and is available on digital platforms – it has been one of the most popular titles on iTunes and Amazon following Noah’s self-distribution strategy through its NoahX arm. Factual film specialist Dogwoof will now take it out to TV buyers and streaming platforms.
Robson was a much-loved figure in the soccer world, with a successful career as a player and then club manager. He went on to manage the England national team for a period spanning two World Cups, including Mexico 1986, which saw England concede two of the most famous goals of all time against Argentina: Diego Maradona’s “hand...
The film was made by London-based Noah Media Group. It had a limited theatrical release in the U.K. and is available on digital platforms – it has been one of the most popular titles on iTunes and Amazon following Noah’s self-distribution strategy through its NoahX arm. Factual film specialist Dogwoof will now take it out to TV buyers and streaming platforms.
Robson was a much-loved figure in the soccer world, with a successful career as a player and then club manager. He went on to manage the England national team for a period spanning two World Cups, including Mexico 1986, which saw England concede two of the most famous goals of all time against Argentina: Diego Maradona’s “hand...
- 7/23/2018
- by Stewart Clarke
- Variety Film + TV
While the cinema at present is filled with Infinity Wars, solo Solos and soon the resurrection of those pesky dinosaurs, there are some small gems to be found as well and for football fans, and indeed sports fans, this week sees the release of Bobby Robson: More Than A Manager, the story of the late great football manager who took England to the World Cup semi’s in 1990 and took charge of Barcelona, Psv and his home, Newcastle United.
The new documentary, co-directed by renowned sports reporter Gabriel Clarke, takes an in-depth look at Robson’s career through the years and his subsequent health battles with cancer. Clarke says that the story itself was enough to make the film, saying:
“It’s just a fantastic story. There’s a reasonable amount of distance since Bobby died and the cancer foundation is an incredible story in its own right but...
The new documentary, co-directed by renowned sports reporter Gabriel Clarke, takes an in-depth look at Robson’s career through the years and his subsequent health battles with cancer. Clarke says that the story itself was enough to make the film, saying:
“It’s just a fantastic story. There’s a reasonable amount of distance since Bobby died and the cancer foundation is an incredible story in its own right but...
- 5/30/2018
- by Scott Davis
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
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