The Sundance Institute has two new fellowship winners.
On Saturday, during the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, the institute revealed the recipients of the Merata Mita Fellowship and the inaugural Graton Fellowship for Artists from California-based tribes.
The Merata Mita Fellowship — an annual initiative named in honor of the late Māori filmmaker Merata Mita as a way to support Indigenous women-identified artists on the path towards making their first film — has been awarded to Libby Hakaraia. The Graton Fellowship, launched to support Indigenous artists from California-based tribes, will go to Tazbah Rose Chavez. Both were singled out during the Sundance Film Festival Native Forum Celebration presented by NBCUniversal Launch and Nia Tero at The Park venue on Saturday.
The event featured an opening blessing by Bart Powakee and the Red Spirit Singers from the Ute Tribal Nation and remarks from Sundance Institute CEO Joana Vicente, Sundance Institute board member Amy Redford,...
On Saturday, during the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, the institute revealed the recipients of the Merata Mita Fellowship and the inaugural Graton Fellowship for Artists from California-based tribes.
The Merata Mita Fellowship — an annual initiative named in honor of the late Māori filmmaker Merata Mita as a way to support Indigenous women-identified artists on the path towards making their first film — has been awarded to Libby Hakaraia. The Graton Fellowship, launched to support Indigenous artists from California-based tribes, will go to Tazbah Rose Chavez. Both were singled out during the Sundance Film Festival Native Forum Celebration presented by NBCUniversal Launch and Nia Tero at The Park venue on Saturday.
The event featured an opening blessing by Bart Powakee and the Red Spirit Singers from the Ute Tribal Nation and remarks from Sundance Institute CEO Joana Vicente, Sundance Institute board member Amy Redford,...
- 1/21/2024
- by Chris Gardner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
As Indigenous woman filmmakers, we knew that our path through the industry would be narrow and that our film, Fancy Dance, would have a small window for success based on the abysmal record of representation for Indigenous folx in Hollywood. As such, we channeled our collective wills as granddaughters of Dust Bowl survivors, descendants of genocide and avowed followers of the indomitable Merata Mita to give this film the best shot possible.
If there existed a “how to make a successful movie in Hollywood” checklist, we followed it to a tee.
Step one: Create a compelling script (after her sister’s disappearance, a hustler kidnaps her niece from the child’s white grandparents and takes her to the state powwow in hopes of keeping what’s left of her family intact) – check.
Step two: Find top-tier producing partners (Nina Yang Bongiovi, Tommy Oliver) – check.
Step three: Cast amazing actors at...
If there existed a “how to make a successful movie in Hollywood” checklist, we followed it to a tee.
Step one: Create a compelling script (after her sister’s disappearance, a hustler kidnaps her niece from the child’s white grandparents and takes her to the state powwow in hopes of keeping what’s left of her family intact) – check.
Step two: Find top-tier producing partners (Nina Yang Bongiovi, Tommy Oliver) – check.
Step three: Cast amazing actors at...
- 11/30/2023
- by Erica Tremblay and Miciana Alise
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: The nonprofit Sundance Institute announced the eight women selected for the 2023 Sundance Women to Watch x Adobe Fellowship. They were all chosen for their exceptional talent and commitment to furthering their creative practice.
“We’re excited to partner with Adobe to champion and uplift this talented group of women artists who are working across creative disciplines,” said Michelle Satter, Founding Senior Director, Artist Programs at Sundance Institute. “Our 2023 cohort, selected from underrepresented communities, will receive granting and a continuum of support from Sundance and Adobe as they take their next steps to develop and sustain their careers.”
All fellows receive support through a $6,250 cash grant; skill-building workshops; referrals to career development opportunities; a 12-month membership to Adobe Creative Cloud to create, share their stories, and further refine their craft; and a connection to the Sundance Elevate professional development initiative.
Created in 2020 under the name Women at Sundance Adobe Fellowship,...
“We’re excited to partner with Adobe to champion and uplift this talented group of women artists who are working across creative disciplines,” said Michelle Satter, Founding Senior Director, Artist Programs at Sundance Institute. “Our 2023 cohort, selected from underrepresented communities, will receive granting and a continuum of support from Sundance and Adobe as they take their next steps to develop and sustain their careers.”
All fellows receive support through a $6,250 cash grant; skill-building workshops; referrals to career development opportunities; a 12-month membership to Adobe Creative Cloud to create, share their stories, and further refine their craft; and a connection to the Sundance Elevate professional development initiative.
Created in 2020 under the name Women at Sundance Adobe Fellowship,...
- 6/22/2023
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
The Hollywood Reporter hosted the inaugural “Raising Our Voices” luncheon, sponsored by The Golden Globes, Wallis Annenberg GenSpace, and East West Bank at the Audrey Irmas Pavilion on Wednesday, May 31.
Eva Longoria speaks onstage during The Hollywood Reporter Raising Our Voices Deia Luncheon
Credit/Copyright: Michael Kovac/The Hollywood Reporter via Getty Images
“Raising Our Voices” brought together the industry’s most influential and inspiring executives, storytellers and thought leaders for a groundbreaking series of discussions on the state and future of diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility in Hollywood.
During the program, keynote speaker Taika Waititi (Academy Award-winning screenwriter (JoJo Rabbit)), Emmy Award-nominated television producer, actor and filmmaker) was introduced by Bird Runningwater (Executive Producer and Activist). During his speech, Waititi spoke about the journey of moving forward to foster more diversity in the entertainment world and his beliefs on the best practices for incorporating representation within movies and film.
Eva Longoria speaks onstage during The Hollywood Reporter Raising Our Voices Deia Luncheon
Credit/Copyright: Michael Kovac/The Hollywood Reporter via Getty Images
“Raising Our Voices” brought together the industry’s most influential and inspiring executives, storytellers and thought leaders for a groundbreaking series of discussions on the state and future of diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility in Hollywood.
During the program, keynote speaker Taika Waititi (Academy Award-winning screenwriter (JoJo Rabbit)), Emmy Award-nominated television producer, actor and filmmaker) was introduced by Bird Runningwater (Executive Producer and Activist). During his speech, Waititi spoke about the journey of moving forward to foster more diversity in the entertainment world and his beliefs on the best practices for incorporating representation within movies and film.
- 6/8/2023
- Look to the Stars
The Sundance Institute has officially announced the recipient of the 2023 Merata Mita fellowship.
Filmmaker Caroline Monnet (Anishinaabe/French) was selected by the non-profit to receive the annual fellowship in honor of the late Māori filmmaker Mita, who died in 2010. Created for Indigenous women-identified artists, the year-round grant supports filmmakers’ first feature films.
Monnet was recognized at the Native Forum Celebration at The Park in Park City, Utah, during the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. The event featured an opening blessing by Bart Powakee and the Red Spirit Singers from the Ute Tribal Nation and remarks from Sundance Institute CEO Joana Vicente, Sundance Institute Board member Amy Redford, Nia Tero (represented by Tracy Rector), and Indigenous Program Director Adam Piron (Kiowa and Mohawk). Piron also announced the five 2022 Native Lab Fellows, three 2022 Full Circle Fellowship Fellows, and acknowledged the 11 Indigenous-made projects from around the world premiering at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival January 19-...
Filmmaker Caroline Monnet (Anishinaabe/French) was selected by the non-profit to receive the annual fellowship in honor of the late Māori filmmaker Mita, who died in 2010. Created for Indigenous women-identified artists, the year-round grant supports filmmakers’ first feature films.
Monnet was recognized at the Native Forum Celebration at The Park in Park City, Utah, during the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. The event featured an opening blessing by Bart Powakee and the Red Spirit Singers from the Ute Tribal Nation and remarks from Sundance Institute CEO Joana Vicente, Sundance Institute Board member Amy Redford, Nia Tero (represented by Tracy Rector), and Indigenous Program Director Adam Piron (Kiowa and Mohawk). Piron also announced the five 2022 Native Lab Fellows, three 2022 Full Circle Fellowship Fellows, and acknowledged the 11 Indigenous-made projects from around the world premiering at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival January 19-...
- 1/23/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
The Sundance Institute has named Caroline Monnet as the recipient of the 2023 Merata Mita Fellowship.
The annual fellowship is in honor of the late Māori filmmaker Merata Mita (1942-2010) created for Indigenous women-identified artists poised to direct their first feature film.
Monnet (Anishinaabe/French) was recognized at the Native Forum Celebration at The Park in Park City, Utah during this year’s Sundance Film Festival.
Sundance Institute Indigenous Program Director Adam Piron (Kiowa and Mohawk) also announced the five 2022 Native Lab Fellows, three 2022 Full Circle Fellowship Fellows, and acknowledged the eleven Indigenous-made projects from around the world that are premiering at this year’s Sundance.
Monnet is a multidisciplinary artist from Outaouais, Quebec. She studied Sociology and Communication at the University of Ottawa (CA) and the University of Granada (Es) before pursuing a career in visual arts and film. Her work has been programmed extensively in exhibitions and festivals internationally,...
The annual fellowship is in honor of the late Māori filmmaker Merata Mita (1942-2010) created for Indigenous women-identified artists poised to direct their first feature film.
Monnet (Anishinaabe/French) was recognized at the Native Forum Celebration at The Park in Park City, Utah during this year’s Sundance Film Festival.
Sundance Institute Indigenous Program Director Adam Piron (Kiowa and Mohawk) also announced the five 2022 Native Lab Fellows, three 2022 Full Circle Fellowship Fellows, and acknowledged the eleven Indigenous-made projects from around the world that are premiering at this year’s Sundance.
Monnet is a multidisciplinary artist from Outaouais, Quebec. She studied Sociology and Communication at the University of Ottawa (CA) and the University of Granada (Es) before pursuing a career in visual arts and film. Her work has been programmed extensively in exhibitions and festivals internationally,...
- 1/23/2023
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Ava DuVernay’s Array Releasing has partnered with JetBlue on an exclusive in-flight pop-up channel, offering a curated selection of 12 independent features from artists of color and women directors.
The films will be accompanied by a special video introduction from DuVernay, debuting across select JetBlue aircraft on December 1. The in-flight partnership is the first for Array, which has acquired and distributed more than 40 independent features since 2011.
“Over the years, I’ve experienced transformative moments by watching films while flying. Something about the intimacy of being in the air as stories unfold has always appealed to me,” shared DuVernay. “We launched Array Releasing in 2011 as a way to connect audiences with indie cinema made by underrepresented filmmakers. Our hope is that JetBlue travelers will sit back and enjoy the magic of these films, exploring new visions and new voices while in the majesty of mid-air.”
“We are thrilled to take Array...
The films will be accompanied by a special video introduction from DuVernay, debuting across select JetBlue aircraft on December 1. The in-flight partnership is the first for Array, which has acquired and distributed more than 40 independent features since 2011.
“Over the years, I’ve experienced transformative moments by watching films while flying. Something about the intimacy of being in the air as stories unfold has always appealed to me,” shared DuVernay. “We launched Array Releasing in 2011 as a way to connect audiences with indie cinema made by underrepresented filmmakers. Our hope is that JetBlue travelers will sit back and enjoy the magic of these films, exploring new visions and new voices while in the majesty of mid-air.”
“We are thrilled to take Array...
- 12/1/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
Indie filmmakers who are women and directors from the global majority will now have access to a new level of audience — literally.
Ava DuVernay’s distribution vehicle Array Releasing has partnered with JetBlue to launch a pop-up in-flight channel that will screen a dozen Array features.
“Over the years, I’ve experienced transformative moments by watching films while flying. Something about the intimacy of being in the air as stories unfold has always appealed to me,” DuVernay said in a statement. “We launched Array Releasing in 2011 as a way to connect audiences with indie cinema made by underrepresented filmmakers. Our hope is that JetBlue travelers will sit back and enjoy the magic of these films, exploring new visions and new voices while in the majesty of mid-air.”
Available starting today Thursday, each film will be preceded by a short video featuring DuVernay giving...
Indie filmmakers who are women and directors from the global majority will now have access to a new level of audience — literally.
Ava DuVernay’s distribution vehicle Array Releasing has partnered with JetBlue to launch a pop-up in-flight channel that will screen a dozen Array features.
“Over the years, I’ve experienced transformative moments by watching films while flying. Something about the intimacy of being in the air as stories unfold has always appealed to me,” DuVernay said in a statement. “We launched Array Releasing in 2011 as a way to connect audiences with indie cinema made by underrepresented filmmakers. Our hope is that JetBlue travelers will sit back and enjoy the magic of these films, exploring new visions and new voices while in the majesty of mid-air.”
Available starting today Thursday, each film will be preceded by a short video featuring DuVernay giving...
- 12/1/2022
- by Rebecca Sun
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Sundance Institute on Monday said that Fox Maxy is the recipient of the 2022 Merata Mita Fellowship, bolstering Indigenous women-identified artists in their efforts to mount a feature film.
Maxy is a filmmaker and artist based in San Diego. Her work has screened at Bam CinemaFest, International Film Festival Rotterdam, imagineNATIVE Festival, MoMAs Doc Fortnight, Lacma, AFI Docs and the Camden Film Festival, among other places. Her first feature film, Watertight, is described as “a collection of interviews about mental health and suicide, interrupted by fake commercials, reality TV parodies, animations and archival footage.”
The fellowship is named in honor of the late Merata Mita, one of the first Māori women to write and direct a dramatic feature film, who also served as an advisor and artistic director of the Sundance Institute’s Native Lab from 2000-2009. Through it, Maxy will receive a cash grant and yearlong support, with access to the Sundance Film Festival,...
Maxy is a filmmaker and artist based in San Diego. Her work has screened at Bam CinemaFest, International Film Festival Rotterdam, imagineNATIVE Festival, MoMAs Doc Fortnight, Lacma, AFI Docs and the Camden Film Festival, among other places. Her first feature film, Watertight, is described as “a collection of interviews about mental health and suicide, interrupted by fake commercials, reality TV parodies, animations and archival footage.”
The fellowship is named in honor of the late Merata Mita, one of the first Māori women to write and direct a dramatic feature film, who also served as an advisor and artistic director of the Sundance Institute’s Native Lab from 2000-2009. Through it, Maxy will receive a cash grant and yearlong support, with access to the Sundance Film Festival,...
- 1/24/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
The Whānau Mārama New Zealand International Film Festival (Nziff) has revealed 12 local titles that will play at the festival this year.
The films include eight documentaries, two dramas and two retrospective films and seven of them are world premieres. Following its U.S. premiere on HBO Max, Jan Oliver Lucks’ “There Is No I in Threesome” will have its theatrical world premiere at the festival.
Films also include Michelle Savill’s “Millie Lies Low”; Luit Bieringa’s “Signed, Theo Schoon”; Peter Bell Brook’s “Mark Hunt: The Fight of His Life”; and Lula Cucchiara “Fiona Clark: Unafraid.”
Briar March’s “Mothers of the Revolution”; a restored and remastered version of pioneering filmmaker Merata Mita’s landmark film “Patu!”; Tu Neill’s “Ayukawa: The Weight of a Life”; John Mills and Aileen O’Sullivan’s “Whetu Marama – Bright Star”; Kathleen Gallagher’s “Rohe Kōreporepo – The Swamp, the Sacred Place” And Dr. Annie Goldson...
The films include eight documentaries, two dramas and two retrospective films and seven of them are world premieres. Following its U.S. premiere on HBO Max, Jan Oliver Lucks’ “There Is No I in Threesome” will have its theatrical world premiere at the festival.
Films also include Michelle Savill’s “Millie Lies Low”; Luit Bieringa’s “Signed, Theo Schoon”; Peter Bell Brook’s “Mark Hunt: The Fight of His Life”; and Lula Cucchiara “Fiona Clark: Unafraid.”
Briar March’s “Mothers of the Revolution”; a restored and remastered version of pioneering filmmaker Merata Mita’s landmark film “Patu!”; Tu Neill’s “Ayukawa: The Weight of a Life”; John Mills and Aileen O’Sullivan’s “Whetu Marama – Bright Star”; Kathleen Gallagher’s “Rohe Kōreporepo – The Swamp, the Sacred Place” And Dr. Annie Goldson...
- 9/9/2021
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
The Sundance Institute and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation on Friday unveiled recipients of their 2021 grants and bestowed the annual Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize to Son of Monarchs, Alexis Gambis’ feature that is making its international debut in the Next section at the Sundance Film Festival.
This year’s honorees also include Pharmacopeia‘s Tania Taiwo (Sundance Institute | Sloan Commissioning Grant), Chariot‘s Alyssa Loh (Sundance Institute | Sloan Development Fellowship), and Jennifer Lee and Graham Sack for The Harvard Computers (Sundance Institute | Sloan Episodic Fellowship).
Son of Monarchs will receive a $20,000 check for the honor, part of the annual Sloan program to encourage filmmakers to create more realistic and compelling stories about science and technology and to challenge existing stereotypes about scientists and engineers in the popular imagination.
The grant awards this year total $70,000 as part of the Sundance Institute Science-in-Film Initiative, which is made possible by a grant from the foundation.
This year’s honorees also include Pharmacopeia‘s Tania Taiwo (Sundance Institute | Sloan Commissioning Grant), Chariot‘s Alyssa Loh (Sundance Institute | Sloan Development Fellowship), and Jennifer Lee and Graham Sack for The Harvard Computers (Sundance Institute | Sloan Episodic Fellowship).
Son of Monarchs will receive a $20,000 check for the honor, part of the annual Sloan program to encourage filmmakers to create more realistic and compelling stories about science and technology and to challenge existing stereotypes about scientists and engineers in the popular imagination.
The grant awards this year total $70,000 as part of the Sundance Institute Science-in-Film Initiative, which is made possible by a grant from the foundation.
- 1/29/2021
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: The Black List is partnering with the New Zealand Film Commission (Nzfc) for the Black List New Zealand Project (Blnzp). The new initiative is a one-off fund script development workshop designed to foster the creative relationship between writers and producers and stimulate international opportunities for New Zealand feature films. In addition, the Nzfc hopes to cast a wide net for New Zealand screenwriting talent and connect with projects at various stages of development. The further strengthens the Black List’s push for more inclusive storytelling in film.
“The New Zealand Film Commission aims to build great screen relationships between New Zealand writers and producers, amplify the voices of people who have been underrepresented, and find audiences for those voices,” said Annabelle Sheehan, CEO of the Nzfc. “We are proud to be able to draw from the Black List’s global screen expertise and the widely acknowledged excellence that drives their platform.
“The New Zealand Film Commission aims to build great screen relationships between New Zealand writers and producers, amplify the voices of people who have been underrepresented, and find audiences for those voices,” said Annabelle Sheehan, CEO of the Nzfc. “We are proud to be able to draw from the Black List’s global screen expertise and the widely acknowledged excellence that drives their platform.
- 1/18/2021
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Chelsea Winstanley, producer of Oscar-nominated Jojo Rabbit and festival favourite What We Do In The Shadows, is launching production company This Too Shall Pass.
Based in Los Angeles and New Zealand, the new company will focus on telling “authentic stories with unique cultural perspectives” and will act as a vehicle for Winstanley’s own writing and directing projects.
Prominent on the slate is Winstanley’s writing and directing feature debut The Appeal, about a landmark legal case in New Zealand. The feature tells the story of Samoan lawyer Tiana Epati who defended a former gang member in a leading case that challenged prejudices within the criminal justice system and highlighted racial bias against the country’s Māori population.
Winstanley sees parallels in the story to Michael B Jordan and Jamie Foxx starrer Just Mercy, and calls it the “‘Poly-Brockervich’ of today with a woman at the center of the...
Based in Los Angeles and New Zealand, the new company will focus on telling “authentic stories with unique cultural perspectives” and will act as a vehicle for Winstanley’s own writing and directing projects.
Prominent on the slate is Winstanley’s writing and directing feature debut The Appeal, about a landmark legal case in New Zealand. The feature tells the story of Samoan lawyer Tiana Epati who defended a former gang member in a leading case that challenged prejudices within the criminal justice system and highlighted racial bias against the country’s Māori population.
Winstanley sees parallels in the story to Michael B Jordan and Jamie Foxx starrer Just Mercy, and calls it the “‘Poly-Brockervich’ of today with a woman at the center of the...
- 1/20/2020
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Sitting out on a cool evening on a headland high above Auckland’s Waitemata Harbour, it is difficult to understand how recent the country’s unpalatable history really is. And the past injustices, combined with the emergence of the New Zealand movie industry onto the world stage at the tail end of the 1990s, means that indigenous and women’s voices in the film industry feel new and urgent.
The uprising against the 1970s handover of Takaparawha, or Bastion Point, from the army to the Auckland City Council — and not to the local iwi (tribe) who lost their land in the 1850s — culminated in an occupation of the site that lasted for nearly a year and a half. The siege came to an end, barely 40 years ago, in 1978 with forced evictions and mass arrests, noted in documentary film “Bastion Point Day 507.”
Barely a decade later, however, Takaparawha had been returned...
The uprising against the 1970s handover of Takaparawha, or Bastion Point, from the army to the Auckland City Council — and not to the local iwi (tribe) who lost their land in the 1850s — culminated in an occupation of the site that lasted for nearly a year and a half. The siege came to an end, barely 40 years ago, in 1978 with forced evictions and mass arrests, noted in documentary film “Bastion Point Day 507.”
Barely a decade later, however, Takaparawha had been returned...
- 11/7/2019
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Producer Chelsea Winstanley heads to Toronto with “Jojo Rabbit,” a black comedy set in WWII from her husband Taika Waititi in which a lonely German boy must confront his blind nationalism when he discovers that his mom is hiding a Jewish girl. Oh, and he does that with the help of his imaginary friend, Hitler. Winstanley’s resume is chock full of projects championing people bucking the system. Her doc “Merata: How Mum Decolonized the Screen” brought the late Maori filmmaker Merata Mita, and her tireless campaign to give women and indigenous filmmakers opportunities, to the world’s attention this year. Her next film is “Thief of Sleep.”
Do you feel comedy is the best way to approach uncomfortable subjects?
I think it’s one way to do that. We have to allow people to feel comfortable with something that is often a tough subject and allowing someone to see...
Do you feel comedy is the best way to approach uncomfortable subjects?
I think it’s one way to do that. We have to allow people to feel comfortable with something that is often a tough subject and allowing someone to see...
- 9/7/2019
- by Carole Horst
- Variety Film + TV
The lineup has been unveiled for year’s edition of the Venice International Film Festival, taking place August 28 through September 7. Aside from films previously announced as coming to Tiff, some major new announcements include Olivier Assayas’ Wasp Network, James Gray’s Ad Astra, Roy Andersson’s About Endlessness, Ciro Guerra’s Waiting for the Barbarians, David Michôd’s The King, Benedict Andrews’ Kristen Stewart-led biopic Seberg, and Roman Polanski’s J’accuse. Only two films by female directors made into the competition lineup: Haifaa Al-Mansour’s The Perfect Candidate and Shannon Murphy’s Babyteeth.
Check out the lineup below (hat tip to Mubi), which also includes other sections at the festival.
Competition
The Truth (Hirokazu Kore-eda)
The Perfect Candidate (Haifaa Al-Mansour)
About Endlessness (Roy Andersson)
Wasp Network (Olivier Assayas)
Marriage Story (Noah Baumbach)
Guest of Honour (Atom Egoyan)
Ad Astra (James Gray)
A Herdade (Tiago Guedes)
Gloria Mundi (Robert Guédiguian...
Check out the lineup below (hat tip to Mubi), which also includes other sections at the festival.
Competition
The Truth (Hirokazu Kore-eda)
The Perfect Candidate (Haifaa Al-Mansour)
About Endlessness (Roy Andersson)
Wasp Network (Olivier Assayas)
Marriage Story (Noah Baumbach)
Guest of Honour (Atom Egoyan)
Ad Astra (James Gray)
A Herdade (Tiago Guedes)
Gloria Mundi (Robert Guédiguian...
- 7/25/2019
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Movies by Martin Scorsese, Dennis Hopper, David Cronenberg, Bernardo Bertolucci, Luis Bunuel and Federico Fellini are among the lineup of the Venice Classics section at the 76th Venice Film Festival.
A new 35mm print of Scorsese’s 1977 film “New York, New York” will be screened in honor of United Artists’ centennial. The new copy, playing courtesy of MGM, will be presented by one of the film’s producers, Irwin Winkler, who will hold a masterclass following the screening.
Among the newly restored classics will be Hopper’s 1980 film “Out of the Blue”; Cronenberg’s 1996 movie “Crash”; a double bill of Bernardo Bertolucci pics – “The Grim Reaper,” the director’s feature debut, which bowed in Venice in 1962, and “The Spider’s Stratagem,” presented at Venice in 1970; Federico Fellini’s “The White Sheik,” which premiered at Venice in 1952; and Bunuel’s 1955 film “The Criminal Life of Archibaldo De La Cruz.”
The complete...
A new 35mm print of Scorsese’s 1977 film “New York, New York” will be screened in honor of United Artists’ centennial. The new copy, playing courtesy of MGM, will be presented by one of the film’s producers, Irwin Winkler, who will hold a masterclass following the screening.
Among the newly restored classics will be Hopper’s 1980 film “Out of the Blue”; Cronenberg’s 1996 movie “Crash”; a double bill of Bernardo Bertolucci pics – “The Grim Reaper,” the director’s feature debut, which bowed in Venice in 1962, and “The Spider’s Stratagem,” presented at Venice in 1970; Federico Fellini’s “The White Sheik,” which premiered at Venice in 1952; and Bunuel’s 1955 film “The Criminal Life of Archibaldo De La Cruz.”
The complete...
- 7/24/2019
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Following its screening at the Marché du Film at Cannes, Shudder has acquired Us, UK/Ireland, and Australia/New Zealand rights to Jeff Barnaby's new zombie thriller Blood Quantum, which pits Indigenous residents of a reservation against the living dead.
Press Release: Los Angeles, CA – Shudder, AMC Networks’ premium streaming service for horror, thriller and the supernatural, today announced that they have acquired Us, UK/Ireland, and Australia/Nz rights to the zombie thriller Blood Quantum, which debuted for buyers at the Marché du Film at Cannes.
In Blood Quantum, the dead are coming back to life outside the isolated Mi’gmaq reserve of Red Crow, except for its Indigenous inhabitants who are immune to the zombie plague. Traylor (Michael Greyeyes), the tribal sheriff, must protect his son’s pregnant girlfriend, apocalyptic refugees, and reserve riff raff from the hordes of walking white corpses.
Directed and written by Mi'gmaq...
Press Release: Los Angeles, CA – Shudder, AMC Networks’ premium streaming service for horror, thriller and the supernatural, today announced that they have acquired Us, UK/Ireland, and Australia/Nz rights to the zombie thriller Blood Quantum, which debuted for buyers at the Marché du Film at Cannes.
In Blood Quantum, the dead are coming back to life outside the isolated Mi’gmaq reserve of Red Crow, except for its Indigenous inhabitants who are immune to the zombie plague. Traylor (Michael Greyeyes), the tribal sheriff, must protect his son’s pregnant girlfriend, apocalyptic refugees, and reserve riff raff from the hordes of walking white corpses.
Directed and written by Mi'gmaq...
- 6/26/2019
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
At the 2010 Sundance Film Festival, Ava DuVernay launched a tiny distribution company. Nine years later, it’s part of a multimedia empire contained in a sprawling Los Angeles compound. The gated property in Echo Park, which includes two buildings separated by a courtyard, is a physical manifestation of DuVernay’s own rising stardom. It contains distribution, arts, and advocacy collective Array, post-production facilities (where DuVernay’s longtime editor Spencer Averick cuts DuVernay’s film and TV projects), and the “Queen Sugar” writers’ room.
It’s an impressive achievement, but the next step in the compound’s buildout is a state-of-the-art, 50-seat theater that will screen the half-dozen Array titles it plans to release in 2019 and work by local artists, and will be made available for rental. Located west of downtown Los Angeles — a part of the city that doesn’t house many media moguls — it’s also the area’s only independent theater.
It’s an impressive achievement, but the next step in the compound’s buildout is a state-of-the-art, 50-seat theater that will screen the half-dozen Array titles it plans to release in 2019 and work by local artists, and will be made available for rental. Located west of downtown Los Angeles — a part of the city that doesn’t house many media moguls — it’s also the area’s only independent theater.
- 4/15/2019
- by Tambay Obenson
- Indiewire
Cliff Curtis.
After appearing in more than 50 films and TV series Cliff Curtis will make his directing debut on a family film based on the true story of a boy whose dog is lost overboard, feared dead.
Produced by William McKegg and Belle Avery, Herbert is one of three films funded by the New Zealand Film Commission.
The others are Mothers of the Revolution, which will chronicle the lasting impact of the Women’s Peace Camp at the UK’s Greenham Common, and Cousins, a drama about three disconnected cousins who spend a lifetime in search of each other.
Amanda Beatson and McKegg wrote the screenplay for Herbert, adapted from the book Herbert the Brave Sea Dog by Robyn Belton.
The book recounts the day 10-year-old Tim Snadden’s dog Herbert fell off a boat into the treacherous waters of French Pass in the Marlborough Sounds. Those on the boat...
After appearing in more than 50 films and TV series Cliff Curtis will make his directing debut on a family film based on the true story of a boy whose dog is lost overboard, feared dead.
Produced by William McKegg and Belle Avery, Herbert is one of three films funded by the New Zealand Film Commission.
The others are Mothers of the Revolution, which will chronicle the lasting impact of the Women’s Peace Camp at the UK’s Greenham Common, and Cousins, a drama about three disconnected cousins who spend a lifetime in search of each other.
Amanda Beatson and McKegg wrote the screenplay for Herbert, adapted from the book Herbert the Brave Sea Dog by Robyn Belton.
The book recounts the day 10-year-old Tim Snadden’s dog Herbert fell off a boat into the treacherous waters of French Pass in the Marlborough Sounds. Those on the boat...
- 3/14/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
Cliff Curtis and Taika Waititi at the Nz premiere of ‘Merata: How Mum Decolonised the Screen’.
Cliff Curtis has more 50 screen credits as an actor but he is just as passionate about his role as a producer and executive producer – and he may soon direct his first feature.
“My interest in trying to understand my trade and craft took me behind the camera,” Curtis tells If on the line from his home in Rotorua. “When I got into producing I discovered there is a totally different aspect of my brain and how I think about things.
“With acting you are expected to play to the crowd and to be gregarious. I have that part to my nature but there is another part where I’m very private and I like to spend time on my own, isolated and within my head.
”As a producer you are there at the genesis of the project,...
Cliff Curtis has more 50 screen credits as an actor but he is just as passionate about his role as a producer and executive producer – and he may soon direct his first feature.
“My interest in trying to understand my trade and craft took me behind the camera,” Curtis tells If on the line from his home in Rotorua. “When I got into producing I discovered there is a totally different aspect of my brain and how I think about things.
“With acting you are expected to play to the crowd and to be gregarious. I have that part to my nature but there is another part where I’m very private and I like to spend time on my own, isolated and within my head.
”As a producer you are there at the genesis of the project,...
- 2/28/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
Exclusive: Ava DuVernay’s Array Releasing continues to give shine to underrepresented voices and stories by people of color and women with their latest acquisition, The Burial of Kojo from musical artist and filmmaker Samuel “Blitz” Bazawule. This marks the 22nd acquisition for Array which has become an epicenter of independent film driven by inclusive storytelling. Array has acquired distribution rights for the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. The Burial of Kojo will debut on Netflix March 31 in tandem with a national screening tour. DuVernay made the announcement online Friday.
The Burial of Kojo is an official selection of the 2019 Pan African Film Festival and the 2018 Urbanworld Film Festival Best Narrative Feature Winner. Marking his feature debut, Bazawule tells the story of two brothers through the eyes of a gifted girl who travels beautiful lands that exist between life and death. The trailer above shows Bazwule...
The Burial of Kojo is an official selection of the 2019 Pan African Film Festival and the 2018 Urbanworld Film Festival Best Narrative Feature Winner. Marking his feature debut, Bazawule tells the story of two brothers through the eyes of a gifted girl who travels beautiful lands that exist between life and death. The trailer above shows Bazwule...
- 2/15/2019
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
The emotionally powerful documentary “Merata: How Mum Decolonized the Screen,” which is screening at Berlinale, tells the intimate story of legendary Maori filmmaker Merata Mita, who helped to kick-start indigenous cinema from that corner of the world. Directed by her son, Hepi Mita, it’s also a personal journey through their family life, as Hepi explores how important and trailblazing his mother was in her field of work, and how her passion for the arts informed many aspects of her life, before she died in 2010. “It was daunting to be so intimate. On one hand I wanted to craft an honest and emotional portrayal, and on the other I wanted to protect myself and my family,” says Mita, who adds that “it’s a very delicate balance, especially when your perspective is so ingrained in the subject matter.”
The film showcases never-before-seen footage and offers up extremely open accounts of...
The film showcases never-before-seen footage and offers up extremely open accounts of...
- 2/13/2019
- by Nick Clement
- Variety Film + TV
The legacy and personal life of the late New Zealand filmmaker Merata Mita are brought to life in the documentary Merata: How Mum Decolonised the Screen. Directed by her youngest son, Heperi Mita, who is a film archivist, this fascinating and insightful if also (perhaps necessarily) somewhat checkered work paints a picture of a fearless woman interested in advancing women and Indigenous rights both in New Zealand and abroad through filmmaking, which came at a certain cost for her extensive family at home (with many of them present as talking heads here).
This classically assembled documentary had its international premiere at ...
This classically assembled documentary had its international premiere at ...
- 2/10/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The legacy and personal life of the late New Zealand filmmaker Merata Mita are brought to life in the documentary Merata: How Mum Decolonised the Screen. Directed by her youngest son, Heperi Mita, who is a film archivist, this fascinating and insightful if also (perhaps necessarily) somewhat checkered work paints a picture of a fearless woman interested in advancing women and Indigenous rights both in New Zealand and abroad through filmmaking, which came at a certain cost for her extensive family at home (with many of them present as talking heads here).
This classically assembled documentary had its international premiere at ...
This classically assembled documentary had its international premiere at ...
- 2/10/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
They came. They saw. They bought a lot.
That’s more or less the story of the 2019 edition of the Sundance Film Festival. It was a return to the free-spending days of a couple of years ago, as buyers decided to ignore the cautionary tales and write checks as if “Patti Cake$” and “The Birth of a Nation” never happened. “Late Night,” Mindy Kaling’s look at diversity in writer’s rooms, picked up a massive $13 million domestic distribution deal, a record price for stateside rights. The political thriller “The Report” and heart-warming comedy “Brittany Runs A Marathon” nabbed $14 million global pacts. And “Blinded by the Light,” an ode to all things Bruce Springsteen, scored a $15 million worldwide sale to New Line, the biggest of the festival.
Distributors and agents insist that all the money sloshing around Park City isn’t attributable to festival fever, the dreaded virus that encourages...
That’s more or less the story of the 2019 edition of the Sundance Film Festival. It was a return to the free-spending days of a couple of years ago, as buyers decided to ignore the cautionary tales and write checks as if “Patti Cake$” and “The Birth of a Nation” never happened. “Late Night,” Mindy Kaling’s look at diversity in writer’s rooms, picked up a massive $13 million domestic distribution deal, a record price for stateside rights. The political thriller “The Report” and heart-warming comedy “Brittany Runs A Marathon” nabbed $14 million global pacts. And “Blinded by the Light,” an ode to all things Bruce Springsteen, scored a $15 million worldwide sale to New Line, the biggest of the festival.
Distributors and agents insist that all the money sloshing around Park City isn’t attributable to festival fever, the dreaded virus that encourages...
- 2/1/2019
- by Brent Lang and Matt Donnelly
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: You have to give Ava DuVernay credit for great timing today as the A Wrinkle in Time director’s Array acquired the Sundance Film Festival documentary Merata.
The pick-up by the film collective comes on the very same day that the Robert Redford founded fest announced the latest recipients of the annual Merata Mita Fellowship named in honor of the late Māori filmmaker.
The 20th feature film acquisition by the nine-year old Array, Merata: How Mum Decolonised the Screen spotlights the barrier smashing life and work of Mita as long time Sundance Institute advisor and activist became the first Indigenous woman in the world to direct a film on her own. An official Sff selection in the Documentary Premieres category, the never-seen-before-footage rich Merata debuted today in Park City and will have three more screenings this Sundance.
Gordon Bobb of the Del, Shaw, Moonves, Tanaka, Finkelstein & Lezcano law firm...
The pick-up by the film collective comes on the very same day that the Robert Redford founded fest announced the latest recipients of the annual Merata Mita Fellowship named in honor of the late Māori filmmaker.
The 20th feature film acquisition by the nine-year old Array, Merata: How Mum Decolonised the Screen spotlights the barrier smashing life and work of Mita as long time Sundance Institute advisor and activist became the first Indigenous woman in the world to direct a film on her own. An official Sff selection in the Documentary Premieres category, the never-seen-before-footage rich Merata debuted today in Park City and will have three more screenings this Sundance.
Gordon Bobb of the Del, Shaw, Moonves, Tanaka, Finkelstein & Lezcano law firm...
- 1/29/2019
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
Ainsley Gardiner and Briar Grace-Smith.
Māori filmmakers Ainsley Gardiner and Briar Grace-Smith have won the 2019 Sundance Institute Merata Mita Fellowship, selected after a global call for applicants.
Each will receive cash grants and a year-long program of support from the Sundance Institute including mentorships and attending the Sundance Film Festival.
Shortly after the fellowships were announced, A Wrinkle in Time director Ava DuVernay’s distribution company Array acquired Us rights to Merata: How Mum Decolonised the Screen, a documentary feature directed by Mita’s youngest son Heperi Mita, which had its international premiere at Sundance and will next screen in the NATIVe special presentation section of the Berlinale.
Now in its fourth year, the Merata Mita Fellowship is named in honour of pioneering Māori filmmaker Merata Mita, who died suddenly in 2010. The first and only Māori woman to write and direct a feature film, 1988’s Mauri, she was adviser and...
Māori filmmakers Ainsley Gardiner and Briar Grace-Smith have won the 2019 Sundance Institute Merata Mita Fellowship, selected after a global call for applicants.
Each will receive cash grants and a year-long program of support from the Sundance Institute including mentorships and attending the Sundance Film Festival.
Shortly after the fellowships were announced, A Wrinkle in Time director Ava DuVernay’s distribution company Array acquired Us rights to Merata: How Mum Decolonised the Screen, a documentary feature directed by Mita’s youngest son Heperi Mita, which had its international premiere at Sundance and will next screen in the NATIVe special presentation section of the Berlinale.
Now in its fourth year, the Merata Mita Fellowship is named in honour of pioneering Māori filmmaker Merata Mita, who died suddenly in 2010. The first and only Māori woman to write and direct a feature film, 1988’s Mauri, she was adviser and...
- 1/28/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
Geoff Murphy.
Producer, director and screenwriter Geoff Murphy, a leading figure in New Zealand cinema’s renaissance of the late 1970s and early 1980s, died in Wellington on Monday. He was 80.
Murphy was best known as the director of Goodbye Pork Pie, Utu and The Quiet Earth. Action-comedy Goodbye Pork Pie, a road movie starring Kelly Johnson, Tony Barry and Claire Oberman, became the first local film to gain blockbuster status at the box office in 1981, according to the New Zealand Film Commission.
“He deserves every ounce of credit for the brilliant things he did with The Quiet Earth,” writer-director Sam Pillsbury told Stuff Nz. “He was a genius and one of the most brilliant people I’ve ever worked with and I learned a lot from him.”
He was was a founding member of Blerta, the musical and theatrical co-operative that toured New Zealand in the early 1970s. His first feature,...
Producer, director and screenwriter Geoff Murphy, a leading figure in New Zealand cinema’s renaissance of the late 1970s and early 1980s, died in Wellington on Monday. He was 80.
Murphy was best known as the director of Goodbye Pork Pie, Utu and The Quiet Earth. Action-comedy Goodbye Pork Pie, a road movie starring Kelly Johnson, Tony Barry and Claire Oberman, became the first local film to gain blockbuster status at the box office in 1981, according to the New Zealand Film Commission.
“He deserves every ounce of credit for the brilliant things he did with The Quiet Earth,” writer-director Sam Pillsbury told Stuff Nz. “He was a genius and one of the most brilliant people I’ve ever worked with and I learned a lot from him.”
He was was a founding member of Blerta, the musical and theatrical co-operative that toured New Zealand in the early 1970s. His first feature,...
- 12/3/2018
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
‘Merata: How Mum Decolonised the Screen’
Kiwi director Heperi Mita’s debut feature Merata: How Mum Decolonised the Screen will have its international premiere at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival, which runs from February 24 – January 3.
An intimate portrayal of pioneering filmmaker Merata Mita told through the eyes of her children, the documentary had its world premiere at the New Zealand International Film Festival in August.
Merata was the first Māori woman to write and direct a narrative feature with her 1988 film Mauri while her political films highlighted the injustices for Māori people during the 1980s.
She played a supporting character in her husband Geoff Murphy’s 1983 seminal feature Utu, the saga of a warrior who sets out for vengeance after British forces kill his people. She died in 2010, aged 68.
A film archivist, Heperi drew on the extensive film and television footage of his mother as well as on her own films...
Kiwi director Heperi Mita’s debut feature Merata: How Mum Decolonised the Screen will have its international premiere at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival, which runs from February 24 – January 3.
An intimate portrayal of pioneering filmmaker Merata Mita told through the eyes of her children, the documentary had its world premiere at the New Zealand International Film Festival in August.
Merata was the first Māori woman to write and direct a narrative feature with her 1988 film Mauri while her political films highlighted the injustices for Māori people during the 1980s.
She played a supporting character in her husband Geoff Murphy’s 1983 seminal feature Utu, the saga of a warrior who sets out for vengeance after British forces kill his people. She died in 2010, aged 68.
A film archivist, Heperi drew on the extensive film and television footage of his mother as well as on her own films...
- 11/29/2018
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
Cannes 1988 (L-r) John Maynard, whose feature The Navigator was in competition, Nzfc chief executive Jim Booth, Lindsay Shelton and distributor/producer Barrie Everard.
Many of our earliest highlights were at the Cannes Film Festival.
In 1980 we took New Zealand films to the market at Cannes for the first time. We persuaded Geoff Murphy to rush completion of Goodbye Pork Pie and it became New Zealand’s first commercial hit in terms of sales: Six contracts for distribution in 20 countries.
John Laing’s Beyond Reasonable Doubt and Roger Donaldson’s Smash Palace earned success in the market in our second year – with Roger’s film getting one of our first deals for theatrical release in the USA.
In 1982 New Zealand earned official selection at Cannes for the first time with Sam Pillsbury’s The Scarecrow in Directors’ Fortnight.
That was followed in 1983 by Geoff Murphy’s Utu in official selection out...
Many of our earliest highlights were at the Cannes Film Festival.
In 1980 we took New Zealand films to the market at Cannes for the first time. We persuaded Geoff Murphy to rush completion of Goodbye Pork Pie and it became New Zealand’s first commercial hit in terms of sales: Six contracts for distribution in 20 countries.
John Laing’s Beyond Reasonable Doubt and Roger Donaldson’s Smash Palace earned success in the market in our second year – with Roger’s film getting one of our first deals for theatrical release in the USA.
In 1982 New Zealand earned official selection at Cannes for the first time with Sam Pillsbury’s The Scarecrow in Directors’ Fortnight.
That was followed in 1983 by Geoff Murphy’s Utu in official selection out...
- 11/21/2018
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
"What you see when you look at an archival film, are resurrections taking place..." See the first trailer for a documentary premiering at the 2018 New Zealand Film Festival titled Merata: How Mum Decolonised the Screen. The film is a profile of the iconic Māori filmmaker and international champion of women in indigenous film, Merata Mita, who passed away suddenly in 2010 at the age of 68. This documentary is made by her son, Heperi Mita, utilizing tons of archival footage and home videos and all kinds of personal stories to tell her story in the best way possible. Mita was the first indigenous woman and the first woman in Aotearoa New Zealand to solely write & direct a dramatic feature film, Mauri in 1988. Thanks to a tip from Taika Waititi, you can watch the first teaser trailer before the film's premiere at the New Zealand Film Fest next month. I love the way...
- 7/16/2018
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Melbourne filmmaker Amie Batalibasi has been named the recipient of the 2017 Sundance Institute Merata Mita Fellowship.
The annual fellowship, named in honour of the late Māori filmmaker Merata Mita, provides one Native or Indigenous filmmaker from around the world a cash grant and year-long support, including a trip to the Sundance Film Festival, access to strategic and creative services offered by Sundance Institute artist programs, and mentorship opportunities.
Batalibasi, an Australian Soloman Islander, is a writer, director and producer. A Vca grad, Batalibasi is currently adapting her award-winning short film.Blackbird.into a feature. The film explores the little-known history of Australia.s sugar slaves and .blackbirding,. where from 1863-1904 approximately 60,000 Pacific Islanders were taken, often by kidnapping and coercion, to work on the country.s sugar cane and cotton farms.
The story follows Siosi, a spirited young Solomon Islander who is brutally snatched from his island home and forced...
The annual fellowship, named in honour of the late Māori filmmaker Merata Mita, provides one Native or Indigenous filmmaker from around the world a cash grant and year-long support, including a trip to the Sundance Film Festival, access to strategic and creative services offered by Sundance Institute artist programs, and mentorship opportunities.
Batalibasi, an Australian Soloman Islander, is a writer, director and producer. A Vca grad, Batalibasi is currently adapting her award-winning short film.Blackbird.into a feature. The film explores the little-known history of Australia.s sugar slaves and .blackbirding,. where from 1863-1904 approximately 60,000 Pacific Islanders were taken, often by kidnapping and coercion, to work on the country.s sugar cane and cotton farms.
The story follows Siosi, a spirited young Solomon Islander who is brutally snatched from his island home and forced...
- 1/24/2017
- by Staff Writer
- IF.com.au
In a two-year commitment with the Sundance Institute unveiled in Park City on Monday, The Will & Jada Smith Family Foundation will support the Institute’s Screenwriters Intensive and year-round work with diverse independent filmmakers and artists.
The Screenwriters Intensive is part of the Institute’s Feature Film Program and provides ten emerging screenwriters from underrepresented communities the opportunity to participate in a two-day workshop focused on the creative process.
The Initiative encompasses efforts to reach new communities of storytellers and artists across regions, genres, ethnicities, genders and orientations.
“Sundance is proud to work with storytellers from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences, both at the festival and in our artist development programmes,” said Keri Putnam, executive director of Sundance Institute. “We are so grateful for the generous support of The Will & Jada Smith Family Foundation. Together, we will build momentum and awareness about the need to create a film and media landscape that reflects the full...
The Screenwriters Intensive is part of the Institute’s Feature Film Program and provides ten emerging screenwriters from underrepresented communities the opportunity to participate in a two-day workshop focused on the creative process.
The Initiative encompasses efforts to reach new communities of storytellers and artists across regions, genres, ethnicities, genders and orientations.
“Sundance is proud to work with storytellers from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences, both at the festival and in our artist development programmes,” said Keri Putnam, executive director of Sundance Institute. “We are so grateful for the generous support of The Will & Jada Smith Family Foundation. Together, we will build momentum and awareness about the need to create a film and media landscape that reflects the full...
- 1/23/2017
- ScreenDaily
Rooted in the recognition of the rich storytelling cultures and inherent sovereignty of Native American nations, Sundance Institute has held a commitment to Native artists since its founding. Mandated by our Founder Robert Redford, the Institute has nurtured and supported Native filmmakers going back to a time when almost none existed. Since then, the Institute has supported three generations of Native filmmakers, creating a global community and providing a space for that community with the Native Program and a gathering place at the Sundance Film Festival. Today, there are more Native filmmakers working than ever before, and the Institute is bringing forward a fourth generation of Native filmmakers and solidifying a pipeline of artists whose voices will have an important impact on American and global cinema and culture.
In the spirit of this support, we’re highlighting the titles of the Indigenous-made films that will be premiering at the 2017 Sundance...
In the spirit of this support, we’re highlighting the titles of the Indigenous-made films that will be premiering at the 2017 Sundance...
- 1/15/2017
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
As the 2016 Sundance Film Festival underway in Park City, Sundance Institute has unveiled their latest initiative to support underrepresented creative voices. The Merata Mita Fellowship, a new annual fellowship named in honor of the late Māori filmmaker Merata Mita (1942-2010), was announced today. The first recipient is Ciara Leina’ala Lacy (Kanaka Maoli) from O’ahu, Hawai’i. In addition to networking opportunities at the Sundance Film Festival, Lacy will receive a monetary grant, yearlong continuum of support, access to strategic and creative services offered by Sundance Institute’s artists programs and mentorship opportunities.
Merata Mita (Ngai te Rangi/Ngati Pikiao) was New Zealand's first Indigenous female filmmaker. She served as an advisor and artistic director of the Sundance Institute NativeLab from 2000 to 2009, where she championed emerging Indigenous talent. The 2016 Merata Mita Fellowship is supported by several international partners, including: the Embassy of Australia; New Zealand filmmaker Taika Waititi (Te Whanau a Apanui), who has a new film at the festival this year; Indigenous Media Initiatives; and Pacific Islanders in Communications.
“As a noted activist, documentarian, and the first—and only—Māori woman to write and direct a dramatic feature film, Merata committed her life’s work to telling Māori stories from a Māori perspective,” Sundance Institute Native American and Indigenous Film Program Director Bird Runningwater (Cheyenne/Mescalero Apache) said. “Throughout her career she identified the lack of training for Māori people in the New Zealand film and television industry and, therefore, an underrepresentation of her community’s stories. Merata dedicated her life to addressing these areas. She was a global advocate for Indigenous voices and we are proud to continue her efforts through this new fellowship.”
Lacy is a documentary filmmaker whose interest lies in crafting films that use strong characters and investigative journalism to challenge the creative and political status quo. She has received fellowships from the Sundance Institute's NativeLab as well as the Sundance Institute in partnership with Time Warner, the Firelight Documentary Lab, the Princess Grace Foundation, and the Independent Filmmaker Project (Ifp). Her latest project is "Out of State" which is the story of outcasts, native Hawaiian prisoners shipped 3,000 miles across the ocean to a private prison in the desert of Arizona. Desperate to repair relationships with faraway family and friends, these men practice their indigenous chants and dances behind bars in the hopes of winning everything they love most.
Lacy has worked as a producer, writer, production supervisor, and production manager of both nonfiction and scripted programming. Her work has shown in theaters as well as aired on PBS, ABC, TLC, Discovery, Bravo and A&E. She holds a bachelor of arts degree in psychology from Yale University and is a graduate of the Kamehameha Schools in Hawai’i. Lacy grew up dancing hula and speaks her Native language.
The Merata Mita Fellowship will be open to Native or Indigenous filmmakers around the world who are in any stage of career or production, with an emphasis on those who have a feature-length project—documentary or dramatic—in development. Fellows will receive a monetary grant and a yearlong continuum of support with activities including a trip to the Sundance Film Festival, access to strategic and creative services offered by Sundance Institute artist programs, and mentorship opportunities.
Merata Mita (Ngai te Rangi/Ngati Pikiao) was New Zealand's first Indigenous female filmmaker. She served as an advisor and artistic director of the Sundance Institute NativeLab from 2000 to 2009, where she championed emerging Indigenous talent. The 2016 Merata Mita Fellowship is supported by several international partners, including: the Embassy of Australia; New Zealand filmmaker Taika Waititi (Te Whanau a Apanui), who has a new film at the festival this year; Indigenous Media Initiatives; and Pacific Islanders in Communications.
“As a noted activist, documentarian, and the first—and only—Māori woman to write and direct a dramatic feature film, Merata committed her life’s work to telling Māori stories from a Māori perspective,” Sundance Institute Native American and Indigenous Film Program Director Bird Runningwater (Cheyenne/Mescalero Apache) said. “Throughout her career she identified the lack of training for Māori people in the New Zealand film and television industry and, therefore, an underrepresentation of her community’s stories. Merata dedicated her life to addressing these areas. She was a global advocate for Indigenous voices and we are proud to continue her efforts through this new fellowship.”
Lacy is a documentary filmmaker whose interest lies in crafting films that use strong characters and investigative journalism to challenge the creative and political status quo. She has received fellowships from the Sundance Institute's NativeLab as well as the Sundance Institute in partnership with Time Warner, the Firelight Documentary Lab, the Princess Grace Foundation, and the Independent Filmmaker Project (Ifp). Her latest project is "Out of State" which is the story of outcasts, native Hawaiian prisoners shipped 3,000 miles across the ocean to a private prison in the desert of Arizona. Desperate to repair relationships with faraway family and friends, these men practice their indigenous chants and dances behind bars in the hopes of winning everything they love most.
Lacy has worked as a producer, writer, production supervisor, and production manager of both nonfiction and scripted programming. Her work has shown in theaters as well as aired on PBS, ABC, TLC, Discovery, Bravo and A&E. She holds a bachelor of arts degree in psychology from Yale University and is a graduate of the Kamehameha Schools in Hawai’i. Lacy grew up dancing hula and speaks her Native language.
The Merata Mita Fellowship will be open to Native or Indigenous filmmakers around the world who are in any stage of career or production, with an emphasis on those who have a feature-length project—documentary or dramatic—in development. Fellows will receive a monetary grant and a yearlong continuum of support with activities including a trip to the Sundance Film Festival, access to strategic and creative services offered by Sundance Institute artist programs, and mentorship opportunities.
- 1/25/2016
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Sydney's Buzz
Toronto is a hub of film festivals here in Canada. Apart from Tiff, After Dark, Hot Docs and Tjff, we also cover the imagineNATIVE Festival each year. The fest recently announced their line up which includes World Premieres, International Award-Winners & Buffy Sainte-Marie. Here is the press release.
Visit www.imagineNATIVE.org for the full Festival line-up.
The Festival officially kicks off at 12:00pm on Wednesday, October 19 with its Welcome Gathering presented by the Thunderbird Centre at the Native Canadian Centre of Toronto (16 Spadina Road). Free and open to the public, the reception features traditional Indigenous performances, including Tribal Vision, a family dance troupe from Six Nations, a welcoming song from Rosary Spence, craft vendors, food, and a welcome address from imagineNATIVE in a casual, fun atmosphere.
imagineNATIVE’s Opening Night screening presented by Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (Aptn) features the Canadian Premiere of Andrew Okpeaha MacLean’s internationally-celebrated dramatic...
Visit www.imagineNATIVE.org for the full Festival line-up.
The Festival officially kicks off at 12:00pm on Wednesday, October 19 with its Welcome Gathering presented by the Thunderbird Centre at the Native Canadian Centre of Toronto (16 Spadina Road). Free and open to the public, the reception features traditional Indigenous performances, including Tribal Vision, a family dance troupe from Six Nations, a welcoming song from Rosary Spence, craft vendors, food, and a welcome address from imagineNATIVE in a casual, fun atmosphere.
imagineNATIVE’s Opening Night screening presented by Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (Aptn) features the Canadian Premiere of Andrew Okpeaha MacLean’s internationally-celebrated dramatic...
- 10/4/2011
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
Bran Nue Dae and Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole have been nominated for the Asia Pacific Screen Awards in the Best Children’s Film and Best Animated Film categories respectively.
New Zealand’s Boy was also nominated for Best Children’s Film, and Australian actor Tony Barry has been recognised for his performance in that country’s feature Home by Christmas.
The Jury is headed by producer Lord David Puttnam, and winners will be announced on the Gold Coast on December 2.
The nominees are:
Best Feature Film
Tangshan dadizheng (Aftershock)
People’s Republic of China (Mainland China / Hong Kong)
Produced by Guo Yanhong, Han Sanping, Wang Zhonjun, Peter Lam Kin Ngok, Wang Tonguan and Albert Yeung.
Bal (Honey)
Turkey / Germany
Produced by Semih Kaplanoðlu.
Co-Produced by Johannes Rexin, Bettina Brokemper.
Mengjia (Monga)
Taiwan
Produced by Lee Lieh and Doze Niu Chen-zer.
Paju
Republic of Korea
Produced...
New Zealand’s Boy was also nominated for Best Children’s Film, and Australian actor Tony Barry has been recognised for his performance in that country’s feature Home by Christmas.
The Jury is headed by producer Lord David Puttnam, and winners will be announced on the Gold Coast on December 2.
The nominees are:
Best Feature Film
Tangshan dadizheng (Aftershock)
People’s Republic of China (Mainland China / Hong Kong)
Produced by Guo Yanhong, Han Sanping, Wang Zhonjun, Peter Lam Kin Ngok, Wang Tonguan and Albert Yeung.
Bal (Honey)
Turkey / Germany
Produced by Semih Kaplanoðlu.
Co-Produced by Johannes Rexin, Bettina Brokemper.
Mengjia (Monga)
Taiwan
Produced by Lee Lieh and Doze Niu Chen-zer.
Paju
Republic of Korea
Produced...
- 10/18/2010
- by Miguel Gonzalez
- Encore Magazine
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