Exclusive: Emmy-winning documentary filmmaker Rudy Valdez (The Sentence) has signed with Inspire Entertainment for management.
Most recently, Valdez served as director, EP and cinematographer of the six-part docuseries Choir for Disney+, as well as Carlos, the Carlos Santana doc from Sony Pictures Classics and Imagine Documentaries. Both films were official selections of the 2023 Tribeca Festival, with Carlos earning a 2023 Critics’ Choice Documentary Award nomination for Best Music Documentary.
Valdez’s documentary short Translators, produced in partnership with U.S. Bank, also recently debuted as an official selection of Laliff and the Tribeca Festival, winning the Tribeca X Award for Best Short Documentary.
The filmmaker’s breakthrough project was The Sentence, the HBO doc marking his directorial debut. Shot over the course of a decade, the film watches as Valdez unpacks the aftermath of his sister Cindy’s 15-year sentence for conspiracy charges related to crimes committed by her deceased ex-boyfriend. Following...
Most recently, Valdez served as director, EP and cinematographer of the six-part docuseries Choir for Disney+, as well as Carlos, the Carlos Santana doc from Sony Pictures Classics and Imagine Documentaries. Both films were official selections of the 2023 Tribeca Festival, with Carlos earning a 2023 Critics’ Choice Documentary Award nomination for Best Music Documentary.
Valdez’s documentary short Translators, produced in partnership with U.S. Bank, also recently debuted as an official selection of Laliff and the Tribeca Festival, winning the Tribeca X Award for Best Short Documentary.
The filmmaker’s breakthrough project was The Sentence, the HBO doc marking his directorial debut. Shot over the course of a decade, the film watches as Valdez unpacks the aftermath of his sister Cindy’s 15-year sentence for conspiracy charges related to crimes committed by her deceased ex-boyfriend. Following...
- 5/6/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
The Sundance Film Festival 2024, beloved by independent film enthusiasts, opens the film festival circuit with a bustling calendar of parties, thought-provoking panels, and red-carpet premieres.
Celebrating its 40th milestone, the lineup boasts diversity across various categories, featuring 53 short films, 35 documentary features, and 83 feature films. The award-winning films for the 2024 Sundance Film Festival were announced today at The Ray Theatre in Park City during a ceremony.
The jury and audience-awarded prizes include Grand Jury Prizes awarded to In The Summers (U.S. Dramatic Competition), Porcelain War (U.S. Documentary Competition), Sujo (World Cinema Dramatic Competition), and A New Kind of Wilderness (World Cinema Documentary Competition). The Next Innovator Award presented by Adobe was awarded to Little Death.
Related: Sundance Film Festival Awards: ‘In The Summers’, ‘Didi’, ‘Daughters’ Top Winners List
Audiences came together in person over the weekend in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Sundance Resort with talent that included June Squibb,...
Celebrating its 40th milestone, the lineup boasts diversity across various categories, featuring 53 short films, 35 documentary features, and 83 feature films. The award-winning films for the 2024 Sundance Film Festival were announced today at The Ray Theatre in Park City during a ceremony.
The jury and audience-awarded prizes include Grand Jury Prizes awarded to In The Summers (U.S. Dramatic Competition), Porcelain War (U.S. Documentary Competition), Sujo (World Cinema Dramatic Competition), and A New Kind of Wilderness (World Cinema Documentary Competition). The Next Innovator Award presented by Adobe was awarded to Little Death.
Related: Sundance Film Festival Awards: ‘In The Summers’, ‘Didi’, ‘Daughters’ Top Winners List
Audiences came together in person over the weekend in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Sundance Resort with talent that included June Squibb,...
- 1/26/2024
- by Robert Lang
- Deadline Film + TV
The 2024 Sundance Film Festival has announced its winners, with In the Summers taking the Grand Jury prize for U.S. Dramatic Competition and Porcelain War landing the award for U.S. Documentary Competition.
Sujo won the jury prize for the World Cinema Dramatic Competition section, and A New Kind of Wilderness won for World Cinema Documentary Competition.
Audience awards went to Sean Wang’s Dìdi (弟弟) in the U.S. Dramatic Competition and Daughters in the U.S. Documentary Competition, with the latter also earning the Festival Favorite Award selected by audiences across all new feature films presented at the fest. Girls Will Be Girls landed the audience award for World Cinema Dramatic Competition, and Ibelin won it in the World Cinema Documentary Competition.
Elsewhere, the Next innovator award went to Little Death, with Irish rap biopic Kneecap winning the audience award for the Next section.
Sundance CEO Joana Vicente said,...
Sujo won the jury prize for the World Cinema Dramatic Competition section, and A New Kind of Wilderness won for World Cinema Documentary Competition.
Audience awards went to Sean Wang’s Dìdi (弟弟) in the U.S. Dramatic Competition and Daughters in the U.S. Documentary Competition, with the latter also earning the Festival Favorite Award selected by audiences across all new feature films presented at the fest. Girls Will Be Girls landed the audience award for World Cinema Dramatic Competition, and Ibelin won it in the World Cinema Documentary Competition.
Elsewhere, the Next innovator award went to Little Death, with Irish rap biopic Kneecap winning the audience award for the Next section.
Sundance CEO Joana Vicente said,...
- 1/26/2024
- by Mia Galuppo
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The 2024 Sundance Film Festival awards ceremony revealed winners Friday honoring the best of this year’s lineup in Park City.
The U.S. Dramatic Grand Jury prize went to Alessandra Lacorazza’s In the Summers, about two sisters who navigate their loving but volatile father during their yearly summer visits to his home in Las Cruces, Nm. Lacorazza also won a special jury prize for directing.
See the full list of winners below.
Other Grand Jury winners unveiled today in the ceremony at the Ray Theatre included Porcelain War in the U.S. Documentary competition, A New Kind of Wilderness in the World Cinema Documentary competition, and Sujo in the World Cinema Dramatic competition.
Angela Patton and Natalie Rae’s documentary Daughters received the Festival Favorite Award, which Park City audiences select across all new feature films presented at the festival, as well as the Audience Award for the U.
The U.S. Dramatic Grand Jury prize went to Alessandra Lacorazza’s In the Summers, about two sisters who navigate their loving but volatile father during their yearly summer visits to his home in Las Cruces, Nm. Lacorazza also won a special jury prize for directing.
See the full list of winners below.
Other Grand Jury winners unveiled today in the ceremony at the Ray Theatre included Porcelain War in the U.S. Documentary competition, A New Kind of Wilderness in the World Cinema Documentary competition, and Sujo in the World Cinema Dramatic competition.
Angela Patton and Natalie Rae’s documentary Daughters received the Festival Favorite Award, which Park City audiences select across all new feature films presented at the festival, as well as the Audience Award for the U.
- 1/26/2024
- by Anthony D'Alessandro and Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
A striking film that evokes a wave of emotions, Natalie Rae and Angela Patton’s Daughters is another picture––à la Rudy Valdez’s The Sentence, Garrett Bradley’s Time, and Zara Katz and Lisa Riordan Seville’s A Women on the Outside––focusing directly on the impact prison sentences have on families. All three films discuss the direct and indirect costs of keeping in touch with loved ones “inside,” from visiting far-flung facilities across the state or country to the exorbitant rates charged by companies (e.g. Secures Technologies) for video visits and emails. Daughters is an oft-poetic look at the impact this separation has on four girls, ages five to 15: Aubrey, Santana, Ja’Anna, and Raziah.
Early on we learn from Clinique Chapman, a prison social worker overseeing this project, that a group of girls have petitioned the local sheriff overseeing the prison in Washington, DC, for...
Early on we learn from Clinique Chapman, a prison social worker overseeing this project, that a group of girls have petitioned the local sheriff overseeing the prison in Washington, DC, for...
- 1/26/2024
- by John Fink
- The Film Stage
The 2024 Sundance Film Festival winners are in, with films like “In the Summers,” “Didi,” and “Daughters” dominating across the categories. “In the Summers” filmmaker Alessandra Lacorazza, whose film centers on a fractured family in New Mexico, also won the Directing prize in U.S. Dramatic.
On Friday, January 26, the winners of juried prizes were shared out of the competition sections, including the U.S. Dramatic Competition, U.S. Documentary Competition, World Cinema Dramatic Competition, World Cinema Documentary Competition, and the Next lineup.
The 2024 Sundance jury consisted of 16 filmmakers and artists across all sections, with the U.S. Dramatic Competition jury made up of “Winter’s Bone” director/co-writer Debra Granik, “Shortcomings” screenwriter Adrian Tomine, and “Master of None” producer Lena Waithe.
“Navalny” producer Shane Boris, “The Disappearance of Shere Hite” director Nicole Newnham, and “The Sentence” director Rudy Valdez serve on the U.S. Documentary Competition jury, with “The Babadook” director Jennifer Kent,...
On Friday, January 26, the winners of juried prizes were shared out of the competition sections, including the U.S. Dramatic Competition, U.S. Documentary Competition, World Cinema Dramatic Competition, World Cinema Documentary Competition, and the Next lineup.
The 2024 Sundance jury consisted of 16 filmmakers and artists across all sections, with the U.S. Dramatic Competition jury made up of “Winter’s Bone” director/co-writer Debra Granik, “Shortcomings” screenwriter Adrian Tomine, and “Master of None” producer Lena Waithe.
“Navalny” producer Shane Boris, “The Disappearance of Shere Hite” director Nicole Newnham, and “The Sentence” director Rudy Valdez serve on the U.S. Documentary Competition jury, with “The Babadook” director Jennifer Kent,...
- 1/26/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson and Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Exclusive: Independent Artist Group has signed filmmaker Shuchi Talati, ahead of the world premiere of her first feature, Girls Will Be Girls, at the Sundance Film Festival.
Premiering in World Cinema Dramatic Competition, the romantic drama written and directed by Talati is set at an elite boarding school in a small Himalayan hill town in northern India and follows the story of Mira, a 16-year-old girl whose rebellious sexual awakening is hijacked by her mother who never got to come of age.
Shuchi’s previous scripted work includes the short film Period Piece, about an afternoon of period sex, which premiered at SXSW 2020, and the short Mae and Ash, which won numerous awards before becoming a Vimeo Staff Pick.
Also active in the documentary space, Shuchi has served as story producer for the Emmy-nominated Being Mary Tyler Moore, as well as Netflix’s vérité series We Are: The Brooklyn Saints directed by Rudy Valdez,...
Premiering in World Cinema Dramatic Competition, the romantic drama written and directed by Talati is set at an elite boarding school in a small Himalayan hill town in northern India and follows the story of Mira, a 16-year-old girl whose rebellious sexual awakening is hijacked by her mother who never got to come of age.
Shuchi’s previous scripted work includes the short film Period Piece, about an afternoon of period sex, which premiered at SXSW 2020, and the short Mae and Ash, which won numerous awards before becoming a Vimeo Staff Pick.
Also active in the documentary space, Shuchi has served as story producer for the Emmy-nominated Being Mary Tyler Moore, as well as Netflix’s vérité series We Are: The Brooklyn Saints directed by Rudy Valdez,...
- 1/17/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
The 2024 Sundance Film Festival Jury (Photo Credit: Sundance)
The 2024 Sundance Film Festival is welcoming back festival alumni to serve as members of the jury. All 16 members selected to serve on the competition jury have personal experience bringing films to the festival.
“For our 40th Festival, the jury members this year are all artists who have had films at prior Festivals. They know what it is to introduce new work to the Sundance community and we are so pleased to be able to welcome them back to Sundance to take in the films our programming team has curated. We can’t wait to see what resonates with them,” stated Kim Yutani, Director of Programming.
This year’s jury includes Debra Granik, Adrian Tomine, and Lena Waithe for U.S. Dramatic Competition; Shane Boris, Nicole Newnham, and Rudy Valdez for U.S. Documentary Competition; Jennifer Kent, Mira Nair, and Rui Poças for...
The 2024 Sundance Film Festival is welcoming back festival alumni to serve as members of the jury. All 16 members selected to serve on the competition jury have personal experience bringing films to the festival.
“For our 40th Festival, the jury members this year are all artists who have had films at prior Festivals. They know what it is to introduce new work to the Sundance community and we are so pleased to be able to welcome them back to Sundance to take in the films our programming team has curated. We can’t wait to see what resonates with them,” stated Kim Yutani, Director of Programming.
This year’s jury includes Debra Granik, Adrian Tomine, and Lena Waithe for U.S. Dramatic Competition; Shane Boris, Nicole Newnham, and Rudy Valdez for U.S. Documentary Competition; Jennifer Kent, Mira Nair, and Rui Poças for...
- 1/3/2024
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
To mark the festival’s fortieth anniversary all 16 of this year’s jurors are festival alumni.
Lena Waithe, Mira Nair and Shaunak Sen are among the 16 jurors who will choose award winners in six competitive sections at this month’s Sundance Film Festival.
To mark the fortieth edition of the US festival, which runs January 18-28 in Park City and Salt Lake City, all 16 jurors are festival alumni. In addition to serving on juries they will participate in talks, panels and other events to mark the festival milestone.
Awards for feature films in five competition sections of the festival will...
Lena Waithe, Mira Nair and Shaunak Sen are among the 16 jurors who will choose award winners in six competitive sections at this month’s Sundance Film Festival.
To mark the fortieth edition of the US festival, which runs January 18-28 in Park City and Salt Lake City, all 16 jurors are festival alumni. In addition to serving on juries they will participate in talks, panels and other events to mark the festival milestone.
Awards for feature films in five competition sections of the festival will...
- 1/3/2024
- by John Hazelton
- ScreenDaily
“Master of None” star Lena Waithe, directors Mira Nair and Debra Granik, and astrophysicist Dr. Nia Imara are among the jurors who will be bestowing awards at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.
They will be making the trek to Park City for the 40th annual festival, which takes place from Jan. 18-28.
The 2024 jurors include Granik, Adrian Tomine and Waithe for U.S. Dramatic Competition; Shane Boris, Nicole Newnham and Rudy Valdez for U.S. Documentary Competition; Jennifer Kent, Nair and Rui Poças for World Cinema Dramatic Competition; Mandy Chang, Monica Hellström and Shaunak Sen for World Cinema Documentary Competition; Christina Oh, Danny Pudi and Charlotte Regan for Short Film Program Competition; and Zal Batmanglij for the Next competition section.
“For our 40th festival, the jury members this year are all artists who have had films at prior festivals,” said Kim Yutani, Sundance’s director of programming. “They know...
They will be making the trek to Park City for the 40th annual festival, which takes place from Jan. 18-28.
The 2024 jurors include Granik, Adrian Tomine and Waithe for U.S. Dramatic Competition; Shane Boris, Nicole Newnham and Rudy Valdez for U.S. Documentary Competition; Jennifer Kent, Nair and Rui Poças for World Cinema Dramatic Competition; Mandy Chang, Monica Hellström and Shaunak Sen for World Cinema Documentary Competition; Christina Oh, Danny Pudi and Charlotte Regan for Short Film Program Competition; and Zal Batmanglij for the Next competition section.
“For our 40th festival, the jury members this year are all artists who have had films at prior festivals,” said Kim Yutani, Sundance’s director of programming. “They know...
- 1/3/2024
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
The 2024 Sundance Film Festival jury has officially been unveiled, with 16 filmmakers and artists on the juries across sections.
Multi-hyphenate producer Lena Waithe, actor Danny Pudi, and directors Debra Granik, Nicole Newnham, Jennifer Kent, Christina Oh, and Charlotte Regan are just a sampling of filmmakers who have had projects at prior Sundance festivals. All of this year’s jury members are Sundance alums to mark the festival’s 40th anniversary.
The 2024 Festival will take place January 18 through 28 in-person in Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah along with a selection of films available online across the country from January 25 through 28. Many of the jurors will participate in 2024 festival programming, including announcing the awards on January 26. Awards across five categories will be honored at an intimate award ceremony held at The Ray Theatre in Park City; the short film jury winners will be announced at the Shorts Awards & Party presented by Argo...
Multi-hyphenate producer Lena Waithe, actor Danny Pudi, and directors Debra Granik, Nicole Newnham, Jennifer Kent, Christina Oh, and Charlotte Regan are just a sampling of filmmakers who have had projects at prior Sundance festivals. All of this year’s jury members are Sundance alums to mark the festival’s 40th anniversary.
The 2024 Festival will take place January 18 through 28 in-person in Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah along with a selection of films available online across the country from January 25 through 28. Many of the jurors will participate in 2024 festival programming, including announcing the awards on January 26. Awards across five categories will be honored at an intimate award ceremony held at The Ray Theatre in Park City; the short film jury winners will be announced at the Shorts Awards & Party presented by Argo...
- 1/3/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
The 2024 Sundance Film Festival has set 16 alums from past editions to serve on its Competition Jury, also announcing the set of five set as jurors for the Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize.
The list includes Debra Granik, Adrian Tomine, and Lena Waithe in U.S. Dramatic Competition; Shane Boris, Nicole Newnham, and Rudy Valdez in U.S. Documentary Competition; Jennifer Kent, Mira Nair, and Rui Poças in World Cinema Dramatic Competition; Mandy Chang, Monica Hellström, and Shaunak Sen in World Cinema Documentary Competition; Christina Oh, Danny Pudi, and Charlotte Regan in Short Film Program Competition; and Zal Batmanglij in the Next competition section.
Members of the Alfred P. Sloan Jury, who deliberated ahead of the festival and settled on Sam and Andy Zuchero’s Love Me as the winner of their science and tech-focused award, included Dr. Mandë Holford, Dr. Nia Imara, Matt Johnson, Theresa Park, and Courtney Stephens.
The list includes Debra Granik, Adrian Tomine, and Lena Waithe in U.S. Dramatic Competition; Shane Boris, Nicole Newnham, and Rudy Valdez in U.S. Documentary Competition; Jennifer Kent, Mira Nair, and Rui Poças in World Cinema Dramatic Competition; Mandy Chang, Monica Hellström, and Shaunak Sen in World Cinema Documentary Competition; Christina Oh, Danny Pudi, and Charlotte Regan in Short Film Program Competition; and Zal Batmanglij in the Next competition section.
Members of the Alfred P. Sloan Jury, who deliberated ahead of the festival and settled on Sam and Andy Zuchero’s Love Me as the winner of their science and tech-focused award, included Dr. Mandë Holford, Dr. Nia Imara, Matt Johnson, Theresa Park, and Courtney Stephens.
- 1/3/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
December is on its way out the door, but there is plenty more to come at Disney+! This January, the House of Mouse streamer will conclude the first season of its highly anticipated, long-awaited “Percy Jackson and the Olympians,” which premieres on the streamer on Wednesday, Dec. 20, but it will also premiere all episodes of the new Marvel Studios limited series “Echo,” its “Hawkeye” spinoff with Alaqua Cox leading the path to justice.
Also joining Disney+ this month will be music documentaries with subjects big and small (from Detroit Youth Choir to mega-sensation BTS), animated kids’ series like Season 3 of “Bluey,” and much more.
Check out The Streamable’s top five picks for the best series, films, and documentary projects that are coming to the streamer this month!
Sign Up Now $7.99+ / month disneyplus.com
Get Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ for just $14.99 a month ($12 savings).
What are the 5 Best Shows and...
Also joining Disney+ this month will be music documentaries with subjects big and small (from Detroit Youth Choir to mega-sensation BTS), animated kids’ series like Season 3 of “Bluey,” and much more.
Check out The Streamable’s top five picks for the best series, films, and documentary projects that are coming to the streamer this month!
Sign Up Now $7.99+ / month disneyplus.com
Get Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ for just $14.99 a month ($12 savings).
What are the 5 Best Shows and...
- 12/20/2023
- by Ashley Steves
- The Streamable
A really wet Friday in New York – National Weather Service flash flood warning wet – is likely to take a bite out of specialty film in one of its biggest markets this weekend. Alamo Drafthouse shut its NYC locations in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Staten Island until further notice due to “severe flooding in and around the area,” saying “Please everyone stay dry & stay safe, and we hope to have you back at the movies very soon.” Subways are jammed up and the water makes it hard to get around.
So wider is better. New openings include Carlos, Sony Pictures Classics’ Carlos Santana doc, at 188 locations. Stop Making Sense expands to 800 screens. The Kill Room from Shout! Studios and Blue Fox Entertainment opens at 355 theaters. On Fire from Cineverse is in 400. And Netflix debuts Fair Play in 70+ locations. It hits the streamer next week.
Carlos, by Rudy Valdez, the life and...
So wider is better. New openings include Carlos, Sony Pictures Classics’ Carlos Santana doc, at 188 locations. Stop Making Sense expands to 800 screens. The Kill Room from Shout! Studios and Blue Fox Entertainment opens at 355 theaters. On Fire from Cineverse is in 400. And Netflix debuts Fair Play in 70+ locations. It hits the streamer next week.
Carlos, by Rudy Valdez, the life and...
- 9/29/2023
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
Santana comes across pretty well, if clearly in charge of his image, but Rudy Valdez’s film feels a bit like a Wikipedia entry with added pictures
For those only passingly interested in the subject, this resolutely adequate portrait of guitarist Carlos Santana is the cinematic equivalent of a well-written and factchecked Wikipedia page but with loads more pictures and film clips. Hardcore fans may feel better served by the deep dive into Santana’s childhood and youth in Mexico, followed by his breakthrough into the San Francisco psychedelic music scene, and then on to that career-making performance at Woodstock in 1969. Forgive me if you have heard this one before, but Santana supposedly dropped acid given to him by Jerry Garcia from the Grateful Dead, expecting he would have hours to come down before his band, named after him, had to go on and play. Instead, they were called on stage soon after.
For those only passingly interested in the subject, this resolutely adequate portrait of guitarist Carlos Santana is the cinematic equivalent of a well-written and factchecked Wikipedia page but with loads more pictures and film clips. Hardcore fans may feel better served by the deep dive into Santana’s childhood and youth in Mexico, followed by his breakthrough into the San Francisco psychedelic music scene, and then on to that career-making performance at Woodstock in 1969. Forgive me if you have heard this one before, but Santana supposedly dropped acid given to him by Jerry Garcia from the Grateful Dead, expecting he would have hours to come down before his band, named after him, had to go on and play. Instead, they were called on stage soon after.
- 9/21/2023
- by Leslie Felperin
- The Guardian - Film News
Fresh off its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival, Rudy Valdez‘s doc “Carlos: The Santana Journey” hits theaters next month. First, it plays at select cinemas around the world for a three-day engagement before opening wide on September 29.
Read More: The 100 Most Anticipated Films Of 2023
“Carlos” takes an extended look at the life and career of legendary rock guitarist Carlos Santana.
Continue reading ‘Carlos: The Santana Journey’ Teaser: Rudy Valdez’s Doc About The Rock Legend Hits Theaters In September at The Playlist.
Read More: The 100 Most Anticipated Films Of 2023
“Carlos” takes an extended look at the life and career of legendary rock guitarist Carlos Santana.
Continue reading ‘Carlos: The Santana Journey’ Teaser: Rudy Valdez’s Doc About The Rock Legend Hits Theaters In September at The Playlist.
- 8/24/2023
- by Ned Booth
- The Playlist
"When you celebrate, fear has to go away, and all you have is delight." Sony Pictures Classics has revealed the first official trailer for a music biopic documentary called Carlos, about the famous Mexican musician / guitarist Carlos Santana. Made by the filmmaker Rudy Valdez, this initially premiered at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival earlier in the summer, with a release coming up this September. Follow Santana's journey from 14-year-old street musician to a 10-time Grammy winning global sensation. Featuring unseen footage and tracks from the beloved, triumphant musician. The electric documentary Carlos utilizes new interviews with Santana and his family alongside extraordinary, never-before-seen archival footage — including home video recordings Santana himself made, concert footage, and behind- the-scenes moments. Emmy-winning director Rudy Valdez creates an intimate, rich documentary about a man whose sound casts a magical spell on his fans around the world. Not everyone may know: Santana had his first...
- 8/24/2023
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Carlos Santana’s definition of magic is simple: “Magic is when you command the elements to capture people’s hearts,” he says in the trailer for the forthcoming documentary Carlos. The film, which is set for a general theatrical release on Sept. 29, shows that the legendary musician doesn’t just believe in magic — he creates it.
In the brief preview, Santana remembers the pivotal moment when he was invited to perform at the Fillmore in San Fransisco. “Bill Graham came to me, and he said, ‘You’re gonna open up for the Who,...
In the brief preview, Santana remembers the pivotal moment when he was invited to perform at the Fillmore in San Fransisco. “Bill Graham came to me, and he said, ‘You’re gonna open up for the Who,...
- 8/24/2023
- by Larisha Paul
- Rollingstone.com
Sony Picture Classics and Trafalgar Releasing have firmed up worldwide release plans for Carlos, their feature documentary on 10-time Grammy-winning musical icon, Carlos Santana.
The film on the father of Latin American jazz fusion will launch in theaters in September with the three-day premiere event, Carlos: The Santana Journey Global Premiere. In addition to the doc itself, the event taking place on September 23rd, 24th and 27th will spotlight exclusive introductory content featuring Santana and pic’s director, two-time Emmy winner Rudy Valdez (The Sentence). The film will then launch into its general theatrical release on September 29th.
A guitarist who has cemented his status as a legend over the last 50 years, Santana continues to be one of the music world’s premiere artists, blending jazz, blues, and the Mariachi sound with a rock n’ roll spirituality and a sense of music’s primal connection to our deepest emotions. SPC...
The film on the father of Latin American jazz fusion will launch in theaters in September with the three-day premiere event, Carlos: The Santana Journey Global Premiere. In addition to the doc itself, the event taking place on September 23rd, 24th and 27th will spotlight exclusive introductory content featuring Santana and pic’s director, two-time Emmy winner Rudy Valdez (The Sentence). The film will then launch into its general theatrical release on September 29th.
A guitarist who has cemented his status as a legend over the last 50 years, Santana continues to be one of the music world’s premiere artists, blending jazz, blues, and the Mariachi sound with a rock n’ roll spirituality and a sense of music’s primal connection to our deepest emotions. SPC...
- 8/17/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
How’s this for some “Smooth” news?
Sony Pictures Classics and Trafalgar Releasing have announced that “Carlos,” the feature-length documentary film about legendary guitarist and global icon Carlos Santana, will launch with a three-day “premiere event” on September 23, Sunday, September 24, and Wednesday, September 27. The documentary will go wide on Friday, September 29.
The earlier screenings, dubbed “Carlos: The Santana Journey Global Premiere,” will include the documentary plus exclusive introductory content featuring Santana and the film’s director, Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Rudy Valdez.
“Carlos” premiered earlier this year at the Tribeca Film Festival, where our reviewer said: “There are profound and powerful anecdotes, such as Santana describing taking a shower and visualizing the shame associated with being a sexual abuse survivor going down the drain, that elevate ‘Carlos’ from the garden-variety music biographical puff pieces produced by record labels and/or available on various streaming platforms.”
Santana formed the Santana Blues Band...
Sony Pictures Classics and Trafalgar Releasing have announced that “Carlos,” the feature-length documentary film about legendary guitarist and global icon Carlos Santana, will launch with a three-day “premiere event” on September 23, Sunday, September 24, and Wednesday, September 27. The documentary will go wide on Friday, September 29.
The earlier screenings, dubbed “Carlos: The Santana Journey Global Premiere,” will include the documentary plus exclusive introductory content featuring Santana and the film’s director, Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Rudy Valdez.
“Carlos” premiered earlier this year at the Tribeca Film Festival, where our reviewer said: “There are profound and powerful anecdotes, such as Santana describing taking a shower and visualizing the shame associated with being a sexual abuse survivor going down the drain, that elevate ‘Carlos’ from the garden-variety music biographical puff pieces produced by record labels and/or available on various streaming platforms.”
Santana formed the Santana Blues Band...
- 8/17/2023
- by Drew Taylor
- The Wrap
The Bee Gees, The Go-Go’s, David Bowie, the Grateful Dead, Louis Armstrong, the Velvet Underground, and Tina Turner have something more in common than just musical greatness. They’ll all been the subject of recent documentaries, part of an explosion in popularity of the nonfiction genre.
Record companies used to be relatively passive partners in documentary making – licensing songs here and there. But with streaming platforms, theatrical distributors, and cable networks avid for music-driven docs and series, labels are stepping up to deliver nonfiction content themselves. Sony Music’s Premium Content Division has become a leader in the space.
“We have an incredible opportunity to pair up some of the best music artists in the world with some of the best filmmakers in the world and create new art between them,” notes Krista Wegener, EVP Premium Content Development, Sales and Distribution. “That’s a really exciting proposition and something...
Record companies used to be relatively passive partners in documentary making – licensing songs here and there. But with streaming platforms, theatrical distributors, and cable networks avid for music-driven docs and series, labels are stepping up to deliver nonfiction content themselves. Sony Music’s Premium Content Division has become a leader in the space.
“We have an incredible opportunity to pair up some of the best music artists in the world with some of the best filmmakers in the world and create new art between them,” notes Krista Wegener, EVP Premium Content Development, Sales and Distribution. “That’s a really exciting proposition and something...
- 8/8/2023
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Translators, a documentary short by two-time Emmy-winning director Rudy Valdez, showcases the lives of three Latino children – Harye, 13; Densel, 11; and Virginia, 16 – as they translate everyday transactions for their parents who don’t speak English. Following a screening at Hollywood’s Ricardo Montalban Theatre (the film also premiered at Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival and Tribeca Film Festival), Valdez explains that his approach to the movie was inspired by the many customers who shopped at his family’s convenience store in Michigan.
“I wasn’t a translator myself, but my parents had a small Mexican grocery store where I grew up and people knew they could speak English, Spanish, Spanglish, anything,” he recalls. “Many times I witnessed, when I was 7 or 8 years old, people came in, went to my parents and said, ‘Look, I need to go to my child’s school, or the hospital, or the courthouse and I...
“I wasn’t a translator myself, but my parents had a small Mexican grocery store where I grew up and people knew they could speak English, Spanish, Spanglish, anything,” he recalls. “Many times I witnessed, when I was 7 or 8 years old, people came in, went to my parents and said, ‘Look, I need to go to my child’s school, or the hospital, or the courthouse and I...
- 7/11/2023
- by Xennia Hamilton
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
“Carlos” has one of the best openings I’ve ever seen — or heard — in a music documentary. We hear Carlos Santana, waxing philosophical and wise (as he’s prone to do). Intercut with his words, at throbbing intervals of about 20 seconds (and at top volume), are the iconic organ-and-bass notes — Bom Bom!…Bom Bom! — that open “Oye Como Va,” the 1971 hit by Santana. I’ll confess that “Oye Como Va” is one of those classic-rock radio staples I feel like I’ve heard more times in my life than I ever need to. (Sort of like “Moondance” and “Tempted” and “Won’t Get Fooled Again.”) Yet “Carlos,” instead of assaulting you with the song, severs those four notes from it (Bom Bom!…Bom Bom!) and blows them up into a piece of pop art, like a Warhol sound painting. It asks us to hear the magic of what Carlos Santana...
- 6/25/2023
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
There is a reason for the Carlos Santana documentary, “Carlos,” to take its title not from the guitar legend’s last name and that of his eponymous band. The film, which received a gala world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival, focuses more on Santana’s biographical details recounted previously in his 2014 memoir, “The Universal Tone,” than his illustrious career. Of course, music is inseparable from the life of a Rock & Roll Hall of Famer born into a musical family, but the documentary is more about wrestling with success, spirituality, addiction and childhood trauma from sexual abuse.
Filmmaker Rudy Valdez unfurls a chronological narrative, from Santana’s formative years in Tijuana, Mexico, to his triumphant 1999 “Supernatural” album, employing archives of photos, concert footage, talk-show appearances, home videos and a few newly conducted interviews, including a roundtable of Santana’s immediate family members. But amid the narrative progression Valdez has occasionally...
Filmmaker Rudy Valdez unfurls a chronological narrative, from Santana’s formative years in Tijuana, Mexico, to his triumphant 1999 “Supernatural” album, employing archives of photos, concert footage, talk-show appearances, home videos and a few newly conducted interviews, including a roundtable of Santana’s immediate family members. But amid the narrative progression Valdez has occasionally...
- 6/18/2023
- by Martin Tsai
- The Wrap
Leslie Grace has a very personal reason for deciding to become what she calls an “ambassador” for “Translators,” a new documentary short about bilingual Latino children in the U.S. who become translators for their Spanish-speaking parents.
“I’m first generation Dominican American,” the “In the Heights” star tells me. “My grandmother relied on her kids — my mom and her siblings — and then her grandkids. It’s a very common thing when I see my grandmother that my sister or I or my cousins, we take turns sharing the mail and translating for her.”
The doc, directed by Emmy winner Rudy Valdez, highlights several families in which the children help navigate their parents’ lives, from explaining bills that need to be paid to the tremendous worry of having to translate proper medical care for their siblings. “I’m really excited for people that haven’t had this experience to be...
“I’m first generation Dominican American,” the “In the Heights” star tells me. “My grandmother relied on her kids — my mom and her siblings — and then her grandkids. It’s a very common thing when I see my grandmother that my sister or I or my cousins, we take turns sharing the mail and translating for her.”
The doc, directed by Emmy winner Rudy Valdez, highlights several families in which the children help navigate their parents’ lives, from explaining bills that need to be paid to the tremendous worry of having to translate proper medical care for their siblings. “I’m really excited for people that haven’t had this experience to be...
- 6/9/2023
- by Marc Malkin
- Variety Film + TV
Imagine Documentaries and Sony Music Entertainment jointly financed.
Sony Pictures Classics has acquired worldwide rights to Carlos Santana documentary Carlos.
Rudy Valdez, an Emmy-winner for The Sentence, directed the film about the Latin American jazz fusion maestro. It features marchival footage and music previously unseen and unheard by the public and tells the story of Santana’s journey from 14-year-old street musician to multiple Grammy-winning and Latin Grammy-winning icon.
Imagine Documentaries and Sony Music Entertainment jointly financed Carlos, which is produced by Sara Bernstein, Justin Wilkes, Lizz Morhaim, Leopoldo Gout, Ashley Kahn and Sam Pollard.
Brian Grazer and Ron Howard...
Sony Pictures Classics has acquired worldwide rights to Carlos Santana documentary Carlos.
Rudy Valdez, an Emmy-winner for The Sentence, directed the film about the Latin American jazz fusion maestro. It features marchival footage and music previously unseen and unheard by the public and tells the story of Santana’s journey from 14-year-old street musician to multiple Grammy-winning and Latin Grammy-winning icon.
Imagine Documentaries and Sony Music Entertainment jointly financed Carlos, which is produced by Sara Bernstein, Justin Wilkes, Lizz Morhaim, Leopoldo Gout, Ashley Kahn and Sam Pollard.
Brian Grazer and Ron Howard...
- 4/27/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Sony Pictures Classics has acquired worldwide rights to “Carlos,” an expansive documentary about Latin American jazz fusion icon Carlos Santana, directed by Emmy winner Rudy Valdez.
“Rudy Valdez’s ‘Carlos’ showcases the genius behind the musical sensation that has led Carlos Santana’s music to resonate with global audiences across multiple generations,” stated Sony Pictures Classics. “We are so pleased to partner with our friends at Imagine Documentaries and Sony Music Entertainment to help share Carlos’ remarkable story that is as complex, lively and inspiring as his music.”
Last May, Variety exclusively announced that the feature-length documentary was in the works. The film follows Santana’s journey from a 14-year-old street musician to a 10-time Grammy-winning global sensation, and features unseen archival footage and music, offering “an intimate and exhilarating look inside the mind of an elemental force of contemporary music.”
“I am honored and humbled to tell Carlos Santana’s story as a director,...
“Rudy Valdez’s ‘Carlos’ showcases the genius behind the musical sensation that has led Carlos Santana’s music to resonate with global audiences across multiple generations,” stated Sony Pictures Classics. “We are so pleased to partner with our friends at Imagine Documentaries and Sony Music Entertainment to help share Carlos’ remarkable story that is as complex, lively and inspiring as his music.”
Last May, Variety exclusively announced that the feature-length documentary was in the works. The film follows Santana’s journey from a 14-year-old street musician to a 10-time Grammy-winning global sensation, and features unseen archival footage and music, offering “an intimate and exhilarating look inside the mind of an elemental force of contemporary music.”
“I am honored and humbled to tell Carlos Santana’s story as a director,...
- 4/27/2023
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
Sony Pictures Classics has landed the worldwide rights to Carlos Santana documentary Carlos.
Rudy Valdez directed the doc that was financed by Imagine Documentaries and Sony Music Entertainment.
Sara Bernstein, Justin Wilkes and Lizz Morhaim produced the feature, along with Leopoldo Gout, Ashley Kahn and Sam Pollard. Brian Grazer and Ron Howard executive produced for Imagine Documentaries, with Meredith Kaulfers and Michael Vrionis. Tom Mackay and Richard Story executive produce for Sony Music Entertainment.
Carlos will feature never-before-seen or heard archival footage and music in telling the story of Santana’s life and career, from a teenage street musician to a multi-Grammy winner and one of the top guitarists of all time.
Valdez said, “I am honored and humbled to tell Carlos Santana’s story as a director. Carlos is a true trailblazer who has meant so much to so many people. My hope is that this film is a...
Rudy Valdez directed the doc that was financed by Imagine Documentaries and Sony Music Entertainment.
Sara Bernstein, Justin Wilkes and Lizz Morhaim produced the feature, along with Leopoldo Gout, Ashley Kahn and Sam Pollard. Brian Grazer and Ron Howard executive produced for Imagine Documentaries, with Meredith Kaulfers and Michael Vrionis. Tom Mackay and Richard Story executive produce for Sony Music Entertainment.
Carlos will feature never-before-seen or heard archival footage and music in telling the story of Santana’s life and career, from a teenage street musician to a multi-Grammy winner and one of the top guitarists of all time.
Valdez said, “I am honored and humbled to tell Carlos Santana’s story as a director. Carlos is a true trailblazer who has meant so much to so many people. My hope is that this film is a...
- 4/27/2023
- by Mia Galuppo
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Sony Pictures Classics has acquired worldwide rights to “Carlos,” a feature-length documentary film about the father of Latin American jazz fusion and global icon, Carlos Santana, the company announced on Wednesday.
The documentary is directed by Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Rudy Valdez
Featuring never-before-seen or heard archival footage and music, the film offers an intimate and exhilarating look inside the mind of an elemental force of contemporary music and tell the incredible story of Santana’s life – from a fourteen-year-old street musician to a ten-time Grammy-winning and three-time Latin Grammy-winning global sensation.
Also Read:
Sony Teases More Blockbusters — and Will Smith — as Tom Rothman Mocks the Naysayers
Jointly financed by Imagine Documentaries and Sony Music Entertainment, “Carlos” is produced by Sara Bernstein and Justin Wilkes along with Lizz Morhaim and executive produced by Academy Award-winning producers Brian Grazer and Ron Howard for Imagine Documentaries. Leopoldo Gout, Ashley Kahn and Sam Pollard also serve as Producers.
The documentary is directed by Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Rudy Valdez
Featuring never-before-seen or heard archival footage and music, the film offers an intimate and exhilarating look inside the mind of an elemental force of contemporary music and tell the incredible story of Santana’s life – from a fourteen-year-old street musician to a ten-time Grammy-winning and three-time Latin Grammy-winning global sensation.
Also Read:
Sony Teases More Blockbusters — and Will Smith — as Tom Rothman Mocks the Naysayers
Jointly financed by Imagine Documentaries and Sony Music Entertainment, “Carlos” is produced by Sara Bernstein and Justin Wilkes along with Lizz Morhaim and executive produced by Academy Award-winning producers Brian Grazer and Ron Howard for Imagine Documentaries. Leopoldo Gout, Ashley Kahn and Sam Pollard also serve as Producers.
- 4/26/2023
- by Umberto Gonzalez
- The Wrap
Sony Pictures Classics has snapped up worldwide rights to Carlos, a new documentary about the father of Latin American jazz fusion, Carlos Santana. A release date for the film directed by Emmy winner Rudy Valdez (The Sentence) has not been disclosed.
Featuring never-before-seen or heard archival footage and music, Carlos offers an intimate and exhilarating look inside the mind of an elemental force of contemporary music and tells the story of Santana’s life – from a 14-year-old street musician to a 10-time Grammy-winning and three-time Latin Grammy-winning global sensation.
Imagine Documentaries and Sony Music Entertainment jointly financed the pic, with Sara Bernstein and Justin Wilkes producing along with Lizz Morhaim, Leopoldo Gout, Ashley Kahn and Sam Pollard. Brian Grazer and Ron Howard exec produced for Imagine Documentaries alongside Michael Vrionis and Tom Mackay & Richard Story for Sony Music Entertainment, with Meredith Kaulfers co-exec producing for Imagine Documentaries.
“Imagine is thrilled...
Featuring never-before-seen or heard archival footage and music, Carlos offers an intimate and exhilarating look inside the mind of an elemental force of contemporary music and tells the story of Santana’s life – from a 14-year-old street musician to a 10-time Grammy-winning and three-time Latin Grammy-winning global sensation.
Imagine Documentaries and Sony Music Entertainment jointly financed the pic, with Sara Bernstein and Justin Wilkes producing along with Lizz Morhaim, Leopoldo Gout, Ashley Kahn and Sam Pollard. Brian Grazer and Ron Howard exec produced for Imagine Documentaries alongside Michael Vrionis and Tom Mackay & Richard Story for Sony Music Entertainment, with Meredith Kaulfers co-exec producing for Imagine Documentaries.
“Imagine is thrilled...
- 4/26/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Tribeca Festival 2023 TV Lineup: Steven Soderbergh’s Max Series ‘Full Circle’ Set for World Premiere
The 2023 Tribeca Festival, which announced its film lineup on Tuesday, has now also revealed this year’s TV offerings — including eight series premieres and two first looks at fan favorites. Leading the world premieres is “Full Circle,” from Max (the soon-to-be renamed streamer formerly known as HBO Max) and director Steven Soderbergh. The show, about a botched kidnapping in New York, stars starring Dennis Quaid, Claire Danes, Timothy Olyphant, Zazie Beetz and Jharrel Jerome.
Networks and streamers represented at this year’s Tribeca Festival include Disney+, Max, Apple TV+, Starz, AMC, A&e and BET+. Other premieres include Amazon Prime Video’s “The Horror Of Dolores Roach,” starring Justina Machado; and BET+’s “Diarra From Detroit,” a dark comedy about a divorcing school teacher, from writer and star Diarra Kilpatrick, as well as executive producer Kenya Barris.
Also on tap is the HBO Sports doc “The Golden Boy,” about Oscar De La Hoya,...
Networks and streamers represented at this year’s Tribeca Festival include Disney+, Max, Apple TV+, Starz, AMC, A&e and BET+. Other premieres include Amazon Prime Video’s “The Horror Of Dolores Roach,” starring Justina Machado; and BET+’s “Diarra From Detroit,” a dark comedy about a divorcing school teacher, from writer and star Diarra Kilpatrick, as well as executive producer Kenya Barris.
Also on tap is the HBO Sports doc “The Golden Boy,” about Oscar De La Hoya,...
- 4/20/2023
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
The 2023 Tribeca Festival has announced its lineup of world premieres of new and returning television, including the world premieres of Steven Soderbergh’s Max series Full Circle about a botched kidnapping that reveals long-held secrets in present-day New York City, Prime Video’s Sweeney Todd-inspired The Horror of Dolores Roach and BET+’s Diarra From Detroit, a dark comedy executive produced by Kenya Barris that centers on a divorcing school teacher.
The fest, which runs June 7-18, announced its film slate earlier this week.
The eight series premieres and two first looks also include The Golden Boy, a documentary about Oscar De La Hoya, Disney+’s Choir, the story behind America’s Got Talent finalists the Detroit Youth Choir, A&e’s Exposing Parchman, an investigative documentary about the efforts to reform the Mississippi correctional system and Paramount+’s De La Calle, a docu-series that delves into the Latino diaspora.
Also...
The fest, which runs June 7-18, announced its film slate earlier this week.
The eight series premieres and two first looks also include The Golden Boy, a documentary about Oscar De La Hoya, Disney+’s Choir, the story behind America’s Got Talent finalists the Detroit Youth Choir, A&e’s Exposing Parchman, an investigative documentary about the efforts to reform the Mississippi correctional system and Paramount+’s De La Calle, a docu-series that delves into the Latino diaspora.
Also...
- 4/20/2023
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: The Gotham Film and Media Institute and HBO Documentary Films have set the inaugural cohort and mentors for their Documentary Development Initiative, first announced in June.
Those selected as participants are Zeshawn Ali, Brit Fryer, Juan Pablo González, Melanie Ho, Crystal Kayiza, Jasmín Mara López, Amber Love, Khaula Malik, Habiba Nosheen and Mobolaji Olambiwonnu. Creatives serving as mentors include Cecilia Aldarondo, Geeta Gandbhir, Tj Martin, Smriti Mundhra, Matt O’Neill, Sam Pollard, Alex Stapleton, Jennifer Tiexiera, Rudy Valdez and Matt Wolf.
Related Story Disney Directing Program Unveils 2022-2023 Participants Related Story Sidney Poitier Set For Posthumous Icon Tribute At 2022 Gotham Awards Related Story Oscar Contender 'All That Breathes': When Birds Fall From The Skies Of Delhi, Two Brothers Come To Their Aid
The Documentary Development Initiative was designed to bolster storytellers who identify as Bipoc, LGBTQ+ and/or storytellers with disabilities, by providing them with the resources necessary to develop thought-provoking,...
Those selected as participants are Zeshawn Ali, Brit Fryer, Juan Pablo González, Melanie Ho, Crystal Kayiza, Jasmín Mara López, Amber Love, Khaula Malik, Habiba Nosheen and Mobolaji Olambiwonnu. Creatives serving as mentors include Cecilia Aldarondo, Geeta Gandbhir, Tj Martin, Smriti Mundhra, Matt O’Neill, Sam Pollard, Alex Stapleton, Jennifer Tiexiera, Rudy Valdez and Matt Wolf.
Related Story Disney Directing Program Unveils 2022-2023 Participants Related Story Sidney Poitier Set For Posthumous Icon Tribute At 2022 Gotham Awards Related Story Oscar Contender 'All That Breathes': When Birds Fall From The Skies Of Delhi, Two Brothers Come To Their Aid
The Documentary Development Initiative was designed to bolster storytellers who identify as Bipoc, LGBTQ+ and/or storytellers with disabilities, by providing them with the resources necessary to develop thought-provoking,...
- 11/16/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Latin American jazz fusion icon Carlos Santana will be the subject of an expansive documentary directed by Emmy winner Rudy Valdez.
Imagine Documentaries is collaborating on the project with Sony Music Entertainment, which is co-financing and handling distribution. It will follow Santana’s journey from a 14-year-old street musician to a 10-time Grammy-winning global sensation, and feature unseen archival footage and tracks.
Valdez is the director of Sundance’s U.S. documentary audience award winner “The Sentence,” about the corrosive effect of mandatory minimum sentencing on convicts and their families. That project went on to win an Emmy and was released by HBO.
Currently filming, the untitled Santana doc is produced by Sara Bernstein and Justin Wilkes for Imagine, with Lizz Morhaim (“Rebuilding Paradise”). Imagine co-founders and Oscar winners Brian Grazer and Ron Howard are executive producers.
“I am honored and grateful to have partnered with Imagine Documentaries and Sony Music...
Imagine Documentaries is collaborating on the project with Sony Music Entertainment, which is co-financing and handling distribution. It will follow Santana’s journey from a 14-year-old street musician to a 10-time Grammy-winning global sensation, and feature unseen archival footage and tracks.
Valdez is the director of Sundance’s U.S. documentary audience award winner “The Sentence,” about the corrosive effect of mandatory minimum sentencing on convicts and their families. That project went on to win an Emmy and was released by HBO.
Currently filming, the untitled Santana doc is produced by Sara Bernstein and Justin Wilkes for Imagine, with Lizz Morhaim (“Rebuilding Paradise”). Imagine co-founders and Oscar winners Brian Grazer and Ron Howard are executive producers.
“I am honored and grateful to have partnered with Imagine Documentaries and Sony Music...
- 5/20/2022
- by Matt Donnelly
- Variety Film + TV
Marvel stars Brie Larson and Jeremy Renner are moving in to the unscripted space.
Disney+ has ordered two non-scripted series exec produced by the Avengers: Endgame stars.
Larson is exec producing Growing Up, a series about adolescence, while Renner is behind Rennervations.
Growing Up is a hybrid docu-series that explores the challenges, triumphs, and complexities of adolescence through ten compelling coming of age stories.
The series uses narrative, experimental, and documentary filmmaking to follow one casted individual, ages 18-22, as they tell their story. They represent a wide range of lived experiences with narratives that offer a look at teenage-hood and the diverse social, familial, and internal obstacles young people face on their path to self-discovery and acceptance.
Each 30-minute episode features one young person and their experience growing up.
It comes from Culture House, the production company OWN on Onyx’s The Hair Tales.
Larson will exec produce and direct and episode.
Disney+ has ordered two non-scripted series exec produced by the Avengers: Endgame stars.
Larson is exec producing Growing Up, a series about adolescence, while Renner is behind Rennervations.
Growing Up is a hybrid docu-series that explores the challenges, triumphs, and complexities of adolescence through ten compelling coming of age stories.
The series uses narrative, experimental, and documentary filmmaking to follow one casted individual, ages 18-22, as they tell their story. They represent a wide range of lived experiences with narratives that offer a look at teenage-hood and the diverse social, familial, and internal obstacles young people face on their path to self-discovery and acceptance.
Each 30-minute episode features one young person and their experience growing up.
It comes from Culture House, the production company OWN on Onyx’s The Hair Tales.
Larson will exec produce and direct and episode.
- 2/7/2022
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Disney Plus has ordered two unscripted series from actors in the Marvel universe: Brie Larson is behind “Growing Up,” a docuseries that looks at ten different coming-of-age tales. “Rennervations,” from Jeremy Renner, is a four-part series that follows Renner as he travels to world to help communities by “reimagining unique purpose-built vehicles.”
The news was announced on Monday by Disney Branded Television president Ayo Davis, along with new development for Disney Plus, Disney Channel and Disney Junior. Davis revealed the news during the Television Critics Association’s winter press tour. It was the first TCA presentation by Davis, who took over the job in September.
“Growing Up” will feature episodes directed by Larson, Yara Shahidi, Sydney Freeland, Elegance Bratton, Ashley Eakin, Ekwa Msangi, Smriti Mundhra, Rudy Valdez, Bernardo Ruiz, Kishori Rajan and Nicole Galovski “The series uses narrative, experimental, and documentary filmmaking to follow one casted individual, ages 18-22, as they tell their story,...
The news was announced on Monday by Disney Branded Television president Ayo Davis, along with new development for Disney Plus, Disney Channel and Disney Junior. Davis revealed the news during the Television Critics Association’s winter press tour. It was the first TCA presentation by Davis, who took over the job in September.
“Growing Up” will feature episodes directed by Larson, Yara Shahidi, Sydney Freeland, Elegance Bratton, Ashley Eakin, Ekwa Msangi, Smriti Mundhra, Rudy Valdez, Bernardo Ruiz, Kishori Rajan and Nicole Galovski “The series uses narrative, experimental, and documentary filmmaking to follow one casted individual, ages 18-22, as they tell their story,...
- 2/7/2022
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
Like mariners shipwrecked in “The Tempest,” tormented by a conspiring God, or Macbeth at Dunsinane, the cast and crew of Shakespeare in the Park’s “Merry Wives” faced promethean odds. As told in the new HBO Max documentary “Reopening Night,” the Public Theater’s endeavor to open “Merry Wives” as the first large-scale theater event in New York City last summer was as Shakespearean as its subject.
“And here I was thinking this was going to be a boring documentary,” playwright Jocelyn Bioh, who reset the comedy among a diasporic African community in Harlem, told Variety last week at an intimate premiere for the new doc.
“Theater was the last thing on my mind,” she said, recounting when director Saheem Ali first asked her to retool the little known comedy into a needed telling of Black joy. “There were big questions for me: Why should we be doing this right now?...
“And here I was thinking this was going to be a boring documentary,” playwright Jocelyn Bioh, who reset the comedy among a diasporic African community in Harlem, told Variety last week at an intimate premiere for the new doc.
“Theater was the last thing on my mind,” she said, recounting when director Saheem Ali first asked her to retool the little known comedy into a needed telling of Black joy. “There were big questions for me: Why should we be doing this right now?...
- 12/22/2021
- by Michael Appler
- Variety Film + TV
Shakespeare in the Park, a free summer production produced by New York’s Public Theater, had never skipped a season in its sixty plus year history until Covid-19 shut down the world in 2020. So when the annual signpost of summer, held at Central Park’s Delacorte Theater, returned after a yearlong hiatus earlier this year, New Yorkers rejoiced. The reopening was a milestone not just for the city and the theater community, but for civilization at large, which is in part why filmmaker Rudy Valdez (“The Sentence”) documented the triumphant return.
The result is Valdez’s “Reopening Night” premiering on HBO on Dec. 20. The documentary chronicles The Public’s 12-week journey to navigate an obstacle-filled path to the opening night of Shakespeare in the Park’s “Merry Wives” in August 2021. Set in a South Harlem community of West African immigrants, the play is an adaptation of the Shakespeare comedy “The Merry Wives of Windsor.
The result is Valdez’s “Reopening Night” premiering on HBO on Dec. 20. The documentary chronicles The Public’s 12-week journey to navigate an obstacle-filled path to the opening night of Shakespeare in the Park’s “Merry Wives” in August 2021. Set in a South Harlem community of West African immigrants, the play is an adaptation of the Shakespeare comedy “The Merry Wives of Windsor.
- 12/20/2021
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
HBO documentary Reopening Night is raising the curtain on one historic New York theater company’s return to live performance following a year-long shutdown and national racial reckoning, both of which upended the industry.
Released on Tuesday, the over two-minute first trailer traces the globally renowned Public Theater’s 12-week journey to the opening night for Merry Wives, the company’s summer 2021 Shakespeare in the Park offering and among the first comebacks of live theater in the city. Using a combination of behind-the-scenes and performance footage, director Rudy Valdez (The Sentence) chronicles the questions, challenges and emotions that surrounded the production’s ...
Released on Tuesday, the over two-minute first trailer traces the globally renowned Public Theater’s 12-week journey to the opening night for Merry Wives, the company’s summer 2021 Shakespeare in the Park offering and among the first comebacks of live theater in the city. Using a combination of behind-the-scenes and performance footage, director Rudy Valdez (The Sentence) chronicles the questions, challenges and emotions that surrounded the production’s ...
- 11/30/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
HBO documentary Reopening Night is raising the curtain on one historic New York theater company’s return to live performance following a year-long shutdown and national racial reckoning, both of which upended the industry.
Released on Tuesday, the over two-minute first trailer traces the globally renowned Public Theater’s 12-week journey to the opening night for Merry Wives, the company’s summer 2021 Shakespeare in the Park offering and among the first comebacks of live theater in the city. Using a combination of behind-the-scenes and performance footage, director Rudy Valdez (The Sentence) chronicles the questions, challenges and emotions that surrounded the production’s ...
Released on Tuesday, the over two-minute first trailer traces the globally renowned Public Theater’s 12-week journey to the opening night for Merry Wives, the company’s summer 2021 Shakespeare in the Park offering and among the first comebacks of live theater in the city. Using a combination of behind-the-scenes and performance footage, director Rudy Valdez (The Sentence) chronicles the questions, challenges and emotions that surrounded the production’s ...
- 11/30/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
It would be almost impossible to make a documentary series about the youngest generation in America without acknowledging the one that came before it. One of the most recognizable strengths of the new series “Through Our Eyes” is that it foregrounds the experiences of young people in America, while showing how linked they are to the things that are out of their control. From climate change to mass incarceration to homelessness, HBO Max’s original docuseries is less a policy primer than a reminder that action and inaction affect those beyond the ones who are most often given a venue to share their experience.
So this season, spanning four episodes from different directors, presents a handful of children with the opportunity to share their experiences as they understand them. They have a varying level of comfort on camera, but each brings a sense of poise to their story. Collectively, they...
So this season, spanning four episodes from different directors, presents a handful of children with the opportunity to share their experiences as they understand them. They have a varying level of comfort on camera, but each brings a sense of poise to their story. Collectively, they...
- 7/22/2021
- by Steve Greene
- Indiewire
“Through Our Eyes,” a new docuseries out July 22 on HBO Max, proves kids don’t just say the darndest things, they sometimes say the most profound.
The four-parter from Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit behind “Sesame Street,” is the organization’s first docuseries. Each episode captures the lives of kids who experience some of the most challenging issues facing families today: homelessness, climate displacement, incarceration and having a veteran parent whose caregiver is their other parent.
“He’s like, ‘Just because my mom did a bad thing doesn’t make her a bad person,’” Sesame Workshop executive VP creative and production Kay Wilson Stallings tells Variety, recalling a remark by Nnadji, a boy in the “Apart” episode.
“To focus on what it was exactly that these parents did to find themselves incarcerated is not what’s important,” she adds. “What’s important is to show how these children and families are...
The four-parter from Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit behind “Sesame Street,” is the organization’s first docuseries. Each episode captures the lives of kids who experience some of the most challenging issues facing families today: homelessness, climate displacement, incarceration and having a veteran parent whose caregiver is their other parent.
“He’s like, ‘Just because my mom did a bad thing doesn’t make her a bad person,’” Sesame Workshop executive VP creative and production Kay Wilson Stallings tells Variety, recalling a remark by Nnadji, a boy in the “Apart” episode.
“To focus on what it was exactly that these parents did to find themselves incarcerated is not what’s important,” she adds. “What’s important is to show how these children and families are...
- 7/22/2021
- by Haley Bosselman
- Variety Film + TV
ESPN will debut the next installment in the Peabody and Emmy award-winning 30 for 30 series, “Breakaway,” about WNBA superstar and activist Maya Moore, on July 13. Directed by Rudy Valdez, the documentary explores the story of Moore, who was one of the best basketball players in the world when she stepped away from the […]
The post ESPN’s ‘30 for 30’ New Documentary ‘Breakaway’ Premiering July 13 appeared first on Hollywood Outbreak.
The post ESPN’s ‘30 for 30’ New Documentary ‘Breakaway’ Premiering July 13 appeared first on Hollywood Outbreak.
- 6/23/2021
- by Hollywood Outbreak
- HollywoodOutbreak.com
Exclusive: ICM Partners has signed Multitude Films, the LGBTQ-led nonfiction production company founded by Jessica Devaney and dedicated to telling nonfiction stories by and about underrepresented communities. The move comes as it has upcoming Netflix’s Pray Away in partnership with Ryan Murphy and Blumhouse, and “Apart,” an installment of the HBO Max and Sesame Workshop series Through Our Eyes.
The company, launched in 2016 by Brooklyn-based producer Devaney, has produced films including this past season’s Oscar-shortlisted documentary short Call Center Blues from Geeta Gandbhir, Sundance award winner Always in Season from Jacqueline Olive, and Peabody-nominated Roll Red Roll directed by Nancy Schwartzman which bowed at Tribeca in 2018.
Multitude has won the Cinereach Producers Award, the Sima Vital Voices Award, and Doc NYC’s 40 under 40 Award. The team is led by Deveany, VP Production Anya Rous; and Head of Finance Ameena Din.
“We’re thrilled to partner with ICM and...
The company, launched in 2016 by Brooklyn-based producer Devaney, has produced films including this past season’s Oscar-shortlisted documentary short Call Center Blues from Geeta Gandbhir, Sundance award winner Always in Season from Jacqueline Olive, and Peabody-nominated Roll Red Roll directed by Nancy Schwartzman which bowed at Tribeca in 2018.
Multitude has won the Cinereach Producers Award, the Sima Vital Voices Award, and Doc NYC’s 40 under 40 Award. The team is led by Deveany, VP Production Anya Rous; and Head of Finance Ameena Din.
“We’re thrilled to partner with ICM and...
- 6/21/2021
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit behind Sesame Street and other award-winning educational programming, will unveil its first documentary series next month, when Through Our Eyes premieres on HBO Max.
Through Our Eyes, described by the Workshop as spotlighting “the perspectives of children as they experience some of the most challenging issues facing families today – homelessness, parental incarceration, military caregiving, and climate displacement,” debuts Thursday, July 22.
In four 30-minute films designed for adults and as a co-viewing experience for kids ages 9 and older, Through Our Eyes will be directed by award-winning and award-nominated filmmakers, several of whom have explored their episode’s topic through previous work. The series is produced by Sesame Workshop.
“Sesame Workshop has always worked to understand the most crucial needs of children and families,” said Kay Wilson Stallings, Sesame Workshop’s Executive Vice President of Creative & Production, “creating content that helps equip, inspire and build resilience to better prepare them for life.
Through Our Eyes, described by the Workshop as spotlighting “the perspectives of children as they experience some of the most challenging issues facing families today – homelessness, parental incarceration, military caregiving, and climate displacement,” debuts Thursday, July 22.
In four 30-minute films designed for adults and as a co-viewing experience for kids ages 9 and older, Through Our Eyes will be directed by award-winning and award-nominated filmmakers, several of whom have explored their episode’s topic through previous work. The series is produced by Sesame Workshop.
“Sesame Workshop has always worked to understand the most crucial needs of children and families,” said Kay Wilson Stallings, Sesame Workshop’s Executive Vice President of Creative & Production, “creating content that helps equip, inspire and build resilience to better prepare them for life.
- 6/8/2021
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Marginal MediaWorks is expanding into scripted series with Hummingbird, an hour-long, LatinX genre series, which was sold to Amazon Studios, following a competitive bidding situation.
The episodic series is described as “a Stephen King-style American Gothic,” loosely inspired by the life of Emmy-winning documentarian Rudy Valdez, who directs. It centers on members of a Mexican American family living in the Midwest that are haunted by sinister forces, while searching for the American dream.
Valdez developed Hummingbird in concert with Marginal MediaWorks’ Founder & CEO, Sanjay Sharma, and writer Marcella Ochoa. Ochoa will write the pilot. She will also exec produce, alongside Sharma and Valdez.
The announcement of Marginal’s first foray into scripted TV was made by Sharma.
“We are thrilled to delve into the world of what we call Mexican Americana – a story about a family lured in by the American dream, only to become haunted by it,...
The episodic series is described as “a Stephen King-style American Gothic,” loosely inspired by the life of Emmy-winning documentarian Rudy Valdez, who directs. It centers on members of a Mexican American family living in the Midwest that are haunted by sinister forces, while searching for the American dream.
Valdez developed Hummingbird in concert with Marginal MediaWorks’ Founder & CEO, Sanjay Sharma, and writer Marcella Ochoa. Ochoa will write the pilot. She will also exec produce, alongside Sharma and Valdez.
The announcement of Marginal’s first foray into scripted TV was made by Sharma.
“We are thrilled to delve into the world of what we call Mexican Americana – a story about a family lured in by the American dream, only to become haunted by it,...
- 4/29/2021
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
In a competitive situation, Disney+ has landed a two-project package based on the inspirational story behind America’s Got Talent finalists the Detroit Youth Choir, from Blumhouse Television, Maniac Productions and Campfire. The streamer has picked up Choir, a six-episode unscripted docuseries about Dyc, marking the first original series order for Blumhouse at Disney+.
A companion scripted series also is in development by the same production team at Disney Branded Television for the streaming service. Writer/producer and showrunner Anthony Sparks is attached to create the scripted drama series and will serve as showrunner and executive producer. Both projects had been in the works at Blumhouse for several months.
The unscripted series, which has been filming in Detroit since last fall, chronicling the 2020/2021 season of the Dyc, is inspired by Artistic Director Anthony White’s story. As a teacher, mentor and father figure in the heart of Detroit,...
A companion scripted series also is in development by the same production team at Disney Branded Television for the streaming service. Writer/producer and showrunner Anthony Sparks is attached to create the scripted drama series and will serve as showrunner and executive producer. Both projects had been in the works at Blumhouse for several months.
The unscripted series, which has been filming in Detroit since last fall, chronicling the 2020/2021 season of the Dyc, is inspired by Artistic Director Anthony White’s story. As a teacher, mentor and father figure in the heart of Detroit,...
- 2/18/2021
- by Denise Petski and Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
Disney Plus has greenlit a six-episode unscripted docuseries from Blumhouse Television, Maniac Production and Campfire centered on “America’s Got Talent” finalists, the Detroit Youth Choir.
The docuseries, titled “Choir,” is Blumhouse’s first series for the Disney streaming service, inspired by Dyc artistic director Anthony White’s story. The teacher and mentor has impacted the lives of more than 1,000 kids through music for over 20 years, and the choir captured America’s attention by rocketing to the finals of Season 14 of “America’s Got Talent” in 2019.
“Disney Branded Television continues to seek out creative talent that is diverse, inclusive and representative of our multi-cultural landscape, and we are proud to team with Anthony White and the young voices of the Detroit Youth Choir to present this true-to-life story that is sure to inspire audiences of all ages,” said Disney Branded Content exec vice president of creative development and strategy Ayo Davis. “We...
The docuseries, titled “Choir,” is Blumhouse’s first series for the Disney streaming service, inspired by Dyc artistic director Anthony White’s story. The teacher and mentor has impacted the lives of more than 1,000 kids through music for over 20 years, and the choir captured America’s attention by rocketing to the finals of Season 14 of “America’s Got Talent” in 2019.
“Disney Branded Television continues to seek out creative talent that is diverse, inclusive and representative of our multi-cultural landscape, and we are proud to team with Anthony White and the young voices of the Detroit Youth Choir to present this true-to-life story that is sure to inspire audiences of all ages,” said Disney Branded Content exec vice president of creative development and strategy Ayo Davis. “We...
- 2/18/2021
- by Elaine Low
- Variety Film + TV
‘We Are: The Brooklyn Saints’: A Rare Football Story Not Afraid of Portraying the Lessons of Failure
It’s not something that sticks out right away, but the longer that “We Are the Brooklyn Saints” goes into its four episodes, the emphasis slowly drifts from where the Saints are in their own season. The result is that the new Netflix documentary series becomes a story about a youth football team that’s freer from a schedule than most other shows of its kind.
“I knew early on that I didn’t want it to be, ‘Episode 1: Game 1. Let’s see, if they win or lose.’ I think that this is more a look at a football organization and the people involved in it, and how they interact with each other, the essence of who they are as people,” series director Rudy Valdez said. “I don’t want to always find that kid or that character or that person who is the super-duper unique story that’s a one in a million.
“I knew early on that I didn’t want it to be, ‘Episode 1: Game 1. Let’s see, if they win or lose.’ I think that this is more a look at a football organization and the people involved in it, and how they interact with each other, the essence of who they are as people,” series director Rudy Valdez said. “I don’t want to always find that kid or that character or that person who is the super-duper unique story that’s a one in a million.
- 2/4/2021
- by Steve Greene
- Indiewire
The new Netflix docuseries We Are: The Brooklyn Saints, follows the players, coaches, and parents of a youth football program for kids between the ages of eight and 13. On the older end of that spectrum is Kenan, who has to choose which New York high school he wants to attend, in the hopes of getting enough scouting attention to eventually land a college scholarship. The coach of one of his prospective schools runs down the absolutely brutal math: At any given time, a million kids in America are playing high school football,...
- 1/28/2021
- by Alan Sepinwall
- Rollingstone.com
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