A 17-title buying spree from Scandinavian and Baltic distributor NonStop Entertainment includes deals for Mati Diop’s Berlinale Golden Bear winner Dahomey, and Aaron Schimberg’s Sundance title A Different Man.
Diop’s documentary Dahomey tells the story of 26 royal treasures from the Kingdom of Dahomey (located within present-day Benin in Africa) that were returned to Benin after being held in a French museum. Films du Losange handles sales.
Sold by A24, Schimberg’s A Different Man stars Sebastian Stan, Renate Reinsve and Adam Pearson in the story of a man with neurofibromatosis, who undergoes surgery for a new start...
Diop’s documentary Dahomey tells the story of 26 royal treasures from the Kingdom of Dahomey (located within present-day Benin in Africa) that were returned to Benin after being held in a French museum. Films du Losange handles sales.
Sold by A24, Schimberg’s A Different Man stars Sebastian Stan, Renate Reinsve and Adam Pearson in the story of a man with neurofibromatosis, who undergoes surgery for a new start...
- 3/28/2024
- ScreenDaily
The hummingbirds of Every Little Thing are migrating from North America to Europe. Sally Aikten’s film about the extraordinary avian aerialists and a Los Angeles woman who tends to injured hummingbirds is making its European premiere at Cph:dox in Copenhagen, after initially hovering over Sundance.
Larry Bird, Raisin, Cactus, Alexa and Mikhail are among the tiny ornithological wonders that appear in the film. Their human caretaker, Terry Masear, wrote the Fastest Thing on Wings: Rescuing Hummingbirds in Hollywood about the many years she has spent looking after hummingbirds – ones that may have collided with a window, say, or babies that have tumbled from their nests.
“We follow Terry over the course of the spring-summer season, which — if anyone is in L.A. — they’ll know as peak hummingbird time,” Aitken told us at Sundance. “And literally, if you have an injured or wounded hummingbird that somehow comes across your path,...
Larry Bird, Raisin, Cactus, Alexa and Mikhail are among the tiny ornithological wonders that appear in the film. Their human caretaker, Terry Masear, wrote the Fastest Thing on Wings: Rescuing Hummingbirds in Hollywood about the many years she has spent looking after hummingbirds – ones that may have collided with a window, say, or babies that have tumbled from their nests.
“We follow Terry over the course of the spring-summer season, which — if anyone is in L.A. — they’ll know as peak hummingbird time,” Aitken told us at Sundance. “And literally, if you have an injured or wounded hummingbird that somehow comes across your path,...
- 3/18/2024
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
A still from ‘Every Little Thing’ (Photo Courtesy of Sundance Institute)
Grab your tissues and prepare to have your heart stolen by delicate yet fierce creatures in Every Little Thing. Directed by Sally Aitken and inspired by Fastest Things on Wings (written by hummingbird rehabilitator Terry Masear), this inspirational and moving documentary focuses on one cycle of hummingbird rescues. The sorrow and joy of watching these tiny birds go from sick and injured to, in the best-case scenario, being set free to thrive in the wild is told with a loving touch and truly astounding cinematography.
Masear has been rescuing hummingbirds in Southern California since 2004. During that period, she’s come to understand these gorgeous little birds in a way not many people can. With the most delicate of touches and a soothing voice, Masear assures the tiny creatures that they are safe and that she’ll do everything in...
Grab your tissues and prepare to have your heart stolen by delicate yet fierce creatures in Every Little Thing. Directed by Sally Aitken and inspired by Fastest Things on Wings (written by hummingbird rehabilitator Terry Masear), this inspirational and moving documentary focuses on one cycle of hummingbird rescues. The sorrow and joy of watching these tiny birds go from sick and injured to, in the best-case scenario, being set free to thrive in the wild is told with a loving touch and truly astounding cinematography.
Masear has been rescuing hummingbirds in Southern California since 2004. During that period, she’s come to understand these gorgeous little birds in a way not many people can. With the most delicate of touches and a soothing voice, Masear assures the tiny creatures that they are safe and that she’ll do everything in...
- 1/28/2024
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
When she first appears onscreen, Terry Masear, the plainspoken hero of Every Little Thing, is driving through Los Angeles and carrying on a jokey banter with her passenger. If there’s no return banter, that’s understandable: Riding shotgun, in a minuscule nest inside a lovingly built coop, is a hummingbird named Wasabi.
If this sounds dangerously cute or precious, I promise you it’s not. Nestled within the documentary’s upbeat, sunshiny opening sequence, and the way Masear assures her charge, “You’re safe, you’re totally safe,” is the suggestion of a dark backstory, and it’s revealed in ways that deepen but don’t overshadow the matter at hand: Masear and her tireless devotion to orphaned, injured and battered hummingbirds.
Masear’s book Fastest Things on Wings is the inspiration for the film by Sally Aitken, who captured another woman’s dedication to misunderstood animals in Playing...
If this sounds dangerously cute or precious, I promise you it’s not. Nestled within the documentary’s upbeat, sunshiny opening sequence, and the way Masear assures her charge, “You’re safe, you’re totally safe,” is the suggestion of a dark backstory, and it’s revealed in ways that deepen but don’t overshadow the matter at hand: Masear and her tireless devotion to orphaned, injured and battered hummingbirds.
Masear’s book Fastest Things on Wings is the inspiration for the film by Sally Aitken, who captured another woman’s dedication to misunderstood animals in Playing...
- 1/26/2024
- by Sheri Linden
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
There is an especially delightful, humble, rejuvenating documentary film that recently premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival that is all about hummingbirds. Yes, it's focused on these remarkably small birds (the smallest!) that buzz around mainly during summer season. It's a supremely nourishing film about hummingbirds and a woman in Los Angeles who takes care of and helps save many of them. Every Little Thing is the latest fantastic doc creation from Australian filmmaker Sally Aitken. Some might remember her other acclaimed doc titled Playing with Sharks: The Valerie Taylor Story, which premiered during the online-only Sundance 2021 a few years ago. She's back again at Sundance with the film Every Little Thing, and it's another special, one-of-a-kind documentary experience about animals living with us on this planet that we really need to take a closer look at. We need to pause and appreciate them. It moved me to tears it's so good.
- 1/24/2024
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Terry calls them “the finders.” They call her at all hours. They text. They come by, and sometimes they come by again. They arrive bearing tiny boxes filled with precious, delicate cargo. They ask advice. They don’t always take it. And they so, so badly want their discoveries to live.
In Sally Aitken’s delicate, immensely touching documentary “Every Little Thing,” those finders are regular, everyday people who a) somehow find injured hummingbirds in the Los Angeles area, and b) have the luck of discovering Terry Masear’s nearby hummingbird rescue, where she attends to hundreds of birds each year, hopefully nursing them back to health and releasing them into the world. “Finders” is Terry’s word. Terry is, though she’d likely never say such a thing, something a bit different, a bit harder to admit: a hero.
Aitken doesn’t skimp on incredible, immersive hummingbird footage, all bright colors and fast-flapping wings,...
In Sally Aitken’s delicate, immensely touching documentary “Every Little Thing,” those finders are regular, everyday people who a) somehow find injured hummingbirds in the Los Angeles area, and b) have the luck of discovering Terry Masear’s nearby hummingbird rescue, where she attends to hundreds of birds each year, hopefully nursing them back to health and releasing them into the world. “Finders” is Terry’s word. Terry is, though she’d likely never say such a thing, something a bit different, a bit harder to admit: a hero.
Aitken doesn’t skimp on incredible, immersive hummingbird footage, all bright colors and fast-flapping wings,...
- 1/22/2024
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Films are made of and from places: the locations they are filmed in, the settings they are meant to evoke, the geographies where they are imagined and worked on. What place tells its own story about your film, whether a particularly challenging location that required production ingenuity or a map reference that inspired you personally, politically, or creatively? Every Little Thing is set in Los Angeles, California, and tells the story of a woman who rescues injured hummingbirds amid the glamour of Hollywood. As she tends her fragile charges the film transforms into a visually magical tale of love, and […]
The post “An Opportunity To Show Another Story of Los Angeles” | Sally Aitken, Every Little Thing first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post “An Opportunity To Show Another Story of Los Angeles” | Sally Aitken, Every Little Thing first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 1/21/2024
- by Filmmaker Staff
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
Films are made of and from places: the locations they are filmed in, the settings they are meant to evoke, the geographies where they are imagined and worked on. What place tells its own story about your film, whether a particularly challenging location that required production ingenuity or a map reference that inspired you personally, politically, or creatively? Every Little Thing is set in Los Angeles, California, and tells the story of a woman who rescues injured hummingbirds amid the glamour of Hollywood. As she tends her fragile charges the film transforms into a visually magical tale of love, and […]
The post “An Opportunity To Show Another Story of Los Angeles” | Sally Aitken, Every Little Thing first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post “An Opportunity To Show Another Story of Los Angeles” | Sally Aitken, Every Little Thing first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 1/21/2024
- by Filmmaker Staff
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Exhibiting Forgiveness.The Sundance Institute has announced the films selected for their 2024 Festival, which will take place January 18-28, 2024, in person in Utah. A selection of the films are available online across the U.S. from January 25-28.U.S. Dramatic COMPETITIONBetween the Temples (Nathan Silver): A cantor in a crisis of faith finds his world turned upside down when his grade school music teacher reenters his life as his new adult bat mitzvah student. World Premiere. DìDi (弟弟) (Sean Wang): In 2008, during the last month of summer before high school begins, an impressionable 13-year-old Taiwanese American boy learns what his family can’t teach him: how to skate, how to flirt, and how to love your mom. World Premiere. Exhibiting Forgiveness (Titus Kaphar): Utilizing his paintings to find freedom from his past, a Black artist on the path to success is derailed by an unexpected visit from his estranged father,...
- 12/13/2023
- MUBI
Featuring: Anthony Field, Murray Cook, Greg Page, Jeff Fatt, Jackie Cannizzaro, Evie Ferris, Lachlan Gillespie, Tsehay Hawkins, Caterina Mete | Directed by Sally Aitken
Described as The Beatles for toddlers, The Wiggles are an Australian musical group who were once the country’s top entertainment earners – making more than stars like Russell Crowe and Nicole Kidman. With Hot Potato: The Story of The Wiggles director Sally Aitken crafts a behind-the-scenes look focusing on the most widely known iteration of the group – made up of Anthony Field, Murray Cook, Greg Page, and Jeff Fatt – while not being limited to that version.
The original line-up was a group of friends that met at university while taking an Early Childhood course, with some already members of the band ‘The Cockroaches.’ Bringing together a range of musical styles, they combined their teachings with a love of music to become a band that successfully sold albums.
Described as The Beatles for toddlers, The Wiggles are an Australian musical group who were once the country’s top entertainment earners – making more than stars like Russell Crowe and Nicole Kidman. With Hot Potato: The Story of The Wiggles director Sally Aitken crafts a behind-the-scenes look focusing on the most widely known iteration of the group – made up of Anthony Field, Murray Cook, Greg Page, and Jeff Fatt – while not being limited to that version.
The original line-up was a group of friends that met at university while taking an Early Childhood course, with some already members of the band ‘The Cockroaches.’ Bringing together a range of musical styles, they combined their teachings with a love of music to become a band that successfully sold albums.
- 11/22/2023
- by James Rodrigues
- Nerdly
Film about the Australian musical phenomenon, who are akin to the Beatles for toddlers, is bubbly and insightful, if a tad long
As a longtime admirer of the hit song Hot Potato, a profoundly poetic if slightly repetitive celebration of simple cuisine and the temperature at which it can be served, I was excited to have its origins unpacked in a new film exploring its creators.
Early in, Sally Aitken’s bubbly and quite well-made documentary about the Wiggles – the phenomenally successful troupe up there with Bluey and Bananas in Pyjamas as Australia’s biggest family friendly exports – we hear a soundbite of the veteran interviewer Andrew Denton suggesting that these barmy, toot-tooting, Shimmie Shaking entertainers ought to be taken seriously.
As a longtime admirer of the hit song Hot Potato, a profoundly poetic if slightly repetitive celebration of simple cuisine and the temperature at which it can be served, I was excited to have its origins unpacked in a new film exploring its creators.
Early in, Sally Aitken’s bubbly and quite well-made documentary about the Wiggles – the phenomenally successful troupe up there with Bluey and Bananas in Pyjamas as Australia’s biggest family friendly exports – we hear a soundbite of the veteran interviewer Andrew Denton suggesting that these barmy, toot-tooting, Shimmie Shaking entertainers ought to be taken seriously.
- 10/21/2023
- by Luke Buckmaster
- The Guardian - Film News
'Sally Aitken's Hot Potato: The Story of The Wiggles' is a documentary that tracks the journey of Anthony, Murray, Greg, and Jeff, and a dinosaur called Dorothy from when they decided to call themselves The Wiggles after the way children move to achieve worldwide recognition, before reemerging into the cultural zeitgeist in 2022.
The post ‘Hot Potato: The Story of The Wiggles’ (Trailer) appeared first on If Magazine.
The post ‘Hot Potato: The Story of The Wiggles’ (Trailer) appeared first on If Magazine.
- 9/25/2023
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
Sally Aitken's 'Hot Potato: The Story of The Wiggles', a documentary that explores the meteoric rise of the children's music group, will have its world premiere at October's SXSW Sydney, which is also set to include a First Nations Screen Festival and an Xr Showcase.
The post ‘Hot Potato: The Story of The Wiggles’ to premiere at SXSW Sydney appeared first on If Magazine.
The post ‘Hot Potato: The Story of The Wiggles’ to premiere at SXSW Sydney appeared first on If Magazine.
- 8/20/2023
- by Sean Slatter
- IF.com.au
Cinema Eye Honors, the organization that recognizes outstanding artistic achievement in nonfiction and documentary films & series, announced the first round of their 2023 awards and nominations at its annual Cinema Eye Fall Lunch held in Los Angeles.
In the five Broadcast categories, HBO film “Four Hours at the Capitol,” an inside look at the January 6th riot, led with three nominations: Broadcast Film, Broadcast Editing and Broadcast Cinematography. Other projects like the Disney+ docuseries “The Beatles: Get Back” and Showtime’s “We Need to Talk About Cosby” also received more than one nomination.
Other announcements at the event include the annual Shorts List, which spotlights 10 of the year’s top documentary short films, and the recipient of the Legacy Award this year, Terry Zwigoff’s 1995 film “Crumb.”
“I’m glad to find out you don’t have to be dead to receive this award,” Zwigoff said in a written statement. “I...
In the five Broadcast categories, HBO film “Four Hours at the Capitol,” an inside look at the January 6th riot, led with three nominations: Broadcast Film, Broadcast Editing and Broadcast Cinematography. Other projects like the Disney+ docuseries “The Beatles: Get Back” and Showtime’s “We Need to Talk About Cosby” also received more than one nomination.
Other announcements at the event include the annual Shorts List, which spotlights 10 of the year’s top documentary short films, and the recipient of the Legacy Award this year, Terry Zwigoff’s 1995 film “Crumb.”
“I’m glad to find out you don’t have to be dead to receive this award,” Zwigoff said in a written statement. “I...
- 10/20/2022
- by Marcus Jones
- Indiewire
Exclusive: The Cinema Eye Honors announced its first round of nominations today for artistic achievement in documentary film and series, with HBO’s Four Hours at the Capitol earning the most of any contender [full list below].
The documentary by Jamie Roberts about the January 6 insurrection scored nominations for Broadcast Film, Broadcast Editing and Broadcast Cinematography. Peter Jackson’s Disney+ series The Beatles: Get Back, landed two nominations — for Broadcast Series and Broadcast Editing. Get Back swept five Primetime Emmy categories last month.
‘Downfall: The Case Against Boeing’
Rory Kennedy’s Downfall: The Case Against Boeing, snubbed by the Emmys, earned a Cinema Eye Honors nomination for Broadcast Film. It will go up against Four Hours at the Capitol, and Emmy winner George Carlin’s American Dream, the two-part HBO film directed by Judd Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio, among other contenders.
Nanfu Wang’s HBO docuseries Mind Over Murder, which premiered after the...
The documentary by Jamie Roberts about the January 6 insurrection scored nominations for Broadcast Film, Broadcast Editing and Broadcast Cinematography. Peter Jackson’s Disney+ series The Beatles: Get Back, landed two nominations — for Broadcast Series and Broadcast Editing. Get Back swept five Primetime Emmy categories last month.
‘Downfall: The Case Against Boeing’
Rory Kennedy’s Downfall: The Case Against Boeing, snubbed by the Emmys, earned a Cinema Eye Honors nomination for Broadcast Film. It will go up against Four Hours at the Capitol, and Emmy winner George Carlin’s American Dream, the two-part HBO film directed by Judd Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio, among other contenders.
Nanfu Wang’s HBO docuseries Mind Over Murder, which premiered after the...
- 10/20/2022
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
“Four Hours at the Capitol,” “The Beatles: Get Back,” “Playing With Sharks,” “We Need to Talk About Cosby,” “Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy” and “How To With John Wilson” are among the nonfiction television programs that have been nominated in the Cinema Eye Honors broadcast categories, Cinema Eye Honors announced at the organization’s annual fall lunch in Los Angeles on Thursday.
“Four Hours at the Capitol,” Jamie Roberts’ HBO film about the Jan. 6 insurrection, received three nominations to lead all programs. “Get Back,” “Cosby,” “Stanley Tucci,” “John Wilson” and “Playing With Sharks” each received two nominations.
Along with “Four Hours at the Capitol” and “Playing With Sharks,” broadcast film nominees were “Chernobyl: The Lost Tapes,” “Downfall: The Case Against Boeing” and “George Carlin’s American Dream.” Nonfiction series nominees were “Get Back,” “Cosby,” “Black and Missing,” “Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey,” “LuLaRich” and “Mind Over Murder.” Nominated anthology series...
“Four Hours at the Capitol,” Jamie Roberts’ HBO film about the Jan. 6 insurrection, received three nominations to lead all programs. “Get Back,” “Cosby,” “Stanley Tucci,” “John Wilson” and “Playing With Sharks” each received two nominations.
Along with “Four Hours at the Capitol” and “Playing With Sharks,” broadcast film nominees were “Chernobyl: The Lost Tapes,” “Downfall: The Case Against Boeing” and “George Carlin’s American Dream.” Nonfiction series nominees were “Get Back,” “Cosby,” “Black and Missing,” “Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey,” “LuLaRich” and “Mind Over Murder.” Nominated anthology series...
- 10/20/2022
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Click here to read the full article.
Australian TV veterans Sally Aitken (Playing With Sharks) and Aline Jacques (Lindy Chamberlain: The True Story) have partnered up to launch Sam Content, a new production banner that will operate out of Sydney.
The partners, who plan to serve as joint founders and co-CEOs, say the new outfit will develop and produce all genres of unscripted and scripted projects for both domestic Australian platforms and the international marketplace.
Sam Content will launch with four projects in various stages of production with Australian broadcasters and screen agencies. They include an untitled project about the beloved Australian band The Wiggles in partnership with Augusto Entertainment’s Cass Avery and Daniel Story, and Inconceivable: The Secret Business of Breeding Humans, a documentary for Sbs about investigative journalist Sarah Dingle’s discovery at age 27 that her mother was impregnated with an anonymous donor sperm. Both projects received production funding from Screen Australia.
Australian TV veterans Sally Aitken (Playing With Sharks) and Aline Jacques (Lindy Chamberlain: The True Story) have partnered up to launch Sam Content, a new production banner that will operate out of Sydney.
The partners, who plan to serve as joint founders and co-CEOs, say the new outfit will develop and produce all genres of unscripted and scripted projects for both domestic Australian platforms and the international marketplace.
Sam Content will launch with four projects in various stages of production with Australian broadcasters and screen agencies. They include an untitled project about the beloved Australian band The Wiggles in partnership with Augusto Entertainment’s Cass Avery and Daniel Story, and Inconceivable: The Secret Business of Breeding Humans, a documentary for Sbs about investigative journalist Sarah Dingle’s discovery at age 27 that her mother was impregnated with an anonymous donor sperm. Both projects received production funding from Screen Australia.
- 9/26/2022
- by Patrick Brzeski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Sally Aitken a two-time Emmy nominated writer and director (“Playing with Sharks”) and producer and media executive Aline Jacques (“Lindy Chamberlain: The True Story”) have launched Sam Content.
The Sydney-based independent production company will develop and produce all genres of unscripted and scripted projects for local platforms and the international marketplace.
They open their doors with four film and TV shows in production with Australian broadcasters and screen agencies.
They include an untitled Wiggles project in partnership with Augusto Entertainment’s Cass Avery and Daniel Story, and with funding from federal screen agency Screen Australia. The Wiggles is a successful children’s musical group that has been on the scene for 30 years and has been involved with both TV and film.
Sam is also readying “Inconceivable: The Secret Business of Breeding Humans,” a documentary for Sbs about investigative journalist Sarah Dingle’s discovery at the age of 27 that her mother...
The Sydney-based independent production company will develop and produce all genres of unscripted and scripted projects for local platforms and the international marketplace.
They open their doors with four film and TV shows in production with Australian broadcasters and screen agencies.
They include an untitled Wiggles project in partnership with Augusto Entertainment’s Cass Avery and Daniel Story, and with funding from federal screen agency Screen Australia. The Wiggles is a successful children’s musical group that has been on the scene for 30 years and has been involved with both TV and film.
Sam is also readying “Inconceivable: The Secret Business of Breeding Humans,” a documentary for Sbs about investigative journalist Sarah Dingle’s discovery at the age of 27 that her mother...
- 9/26/2022
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: London-based documentary specialist Dogwoof is continuing its push into the production space as it announces a partnership with Australia-based outfit WildBear Entertainment.
The deal will see the two companies, who most recently collaborated on 2021 Sundance title Playing With Sharks, develop, finance and co-produce an initial slate of five documentaries. The companies are currently in-production on their first project, Fastest Thing On Wings (working title) which will reunite Playing With Sharks director Sally Aitken with WildBear producer Bettina Dalton. WildBear CEO Michael Tear will exec produce the project.
Fastest Thing On Wings is inspired by Terry Masear’s book of the same name, which follows the journey of a hummingbird rehabilitator in L.A.
“It’s about hummingbirds and all of this bejewelled magic that comes with them” Dalton tells Deadline of the project. “It’s sort of like magical realism where we tell the story of this hummingbird rehabilitator in a season in L.
The deal will see the two companies, who most recently collaborated on 2021 Sundance title Playing With Sharks, develop, finance and co-produce an initial slate of five documentaries. The companies are currently in-production on their first project, Fastest Thing On Wings (working title) which will reunite Playing With Sharks director Sally Aitken with WildBear producer Bettina Dalton. WildBear CEO Michael Tear will exec produce the project.
Fastest Thing On Wings is inspired by Terry Masear’s book of the same name, which follows the journey of a hummingbird rehabilitator in L.A.
“It’s about hummingbirds and all of this bejewelled magic that comes with them” Dalton tells Deadline of the project. “It’s sort of like magical realism where we tell the story of this hummingbird rehabilitator in a season in L.
- 6/28/2022
- by Diana Lodderhose
- Deadline Film + TV
Production company WildBear Entertainment has been deemed among the country’s top exporters, taking home this year’s Australian Export Award for the creative industries.
The Act-based company was one of 13 national category winners announced on Thursday at the annual awards, presented by the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade) and the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Acci), in collaboration with states and territories.
It’s the first time WildBear has won the prize, having previously been included as a finalist in 2015 and 2016.
In an interview with Austrade, CEO Michael Tear said the honour was “incredibly rewarding and satisfying”.
“I wanted to apply because I felt like the company had done really well and I wanted to share our story,” he said.
“I thought it was a positive story about how important the creative industries are to the Australian economy.”
Formed in 2014, WildBear Entertainment commissions include the BBC, National Geographic,...
The Act-based company was one of 13 national category winners announced on Thursday at the annual awards, presented by the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade) and the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Acci), in collaboration with states and territories.
It’s the first time WildBear has won the prize, having previously been included as a finalist in 2015 and 2016.
In an interview with Austrade, CEO Michael Tear said the honour was “incredibly rewarding and satisfying”.
“I wanted to apply because I felt like the company had done really well and I wanted to share our story,” he said.
“I thought it was a positive story about how important the creative industries are to the Australian economy.”
Formed in 2014, WildBear Entertainment commissions include the BBC, National Geographic,...
- 11/26/2021
- by Sean Slatter
- IF.com.au
Shaun Grant and Harry Cripps are among the writers aiming to win consecutive prizes at this year’s Awgie Awards.
Grant, who won the adaptation prize with Cripps for Penguin Bloom in 2020 and for the True History of the Kelly Gang in 2019, is nominated this year for his work on Nitram, against the Here Out West writing team of Nisrine Amine, Bina Bhattacharya, Matias Bolla, Claire Cao, Arka Das, Dee Duygu Dogan, Vonne Patiag and Tien Tran; Falling for Figaro‘s Ben Lewin and Allen Palmer; and The Furnace‘s Roderick MacKay in the original feature film category.
Cripps and Robert Connolly have been recognised for The Dry, which is one of two nominees for the feature film adaptation award alongside Babyteeth, written for the screen by the original playwright Rita Kalnejais.
In the television categories, Tony McNamara’s The Great is pitted against Wakefield, Five Bedrooms and Wentworth for...
Grant, who won the adaptation prize with Cripps for Penguin Bloom in 2020 and for the True History of the Kelly Gang in 2019, is nominated this year for his work on Nitram, against the Here Out West writing team of Nisrine Amine, Bina Bhattacharya, Matias Bolla, Claire Cao, Arka Das, Dee Duygu Dogan, Vonne Patiag and Tien Tran; Falling for Figaro‘s Ben Lewin and Allen Palmer; and The Furnace‘s Roderick MacKay in the original feature film category.
Cripps and Robert Connolly have been recognised for The Dry, which is one of two nominees for the feature film adaptation award alongside Babyteeth, written for the screen by the original playwright Rita Kalnejais.
In the television categories, Tony McNamara’s The Great is pitted against Wakefield, Five Bedrooms and Wentworth for...
- 10/26/2021
- by Sean Slatter
- IF.com.au
Members of the Australian Directors’ Guild have had the chance to hear from some of the country’s most established filmmakers over the past five months as part of the Adg-40 ‘First-Hand’ sessions.
Consisting of 40 weekly one-hour webinars fronted by industry mentors, the initiative is due to start again this week following a short break, with Claire McCarthy (The Turning) to share insights from her career on Thursday.
It comes after contributions from Gillian Armstrong, Rachel Perkins, Rolf de Heer, Samantha Lang, Corrie Chen, Ben Lawrence, Ana Kokkinos, Megan Riakos, Josephine Mackerras, Robert Connolly, Garth Davis, Sally Aitken, Jub Clerc, Kriv Stenders, Tom Zubrycki, Anna Broinowski, Peter Andrikidis, Jasmin Tarasin, and Glendyn Ivin.
The sessions are moderated by Adg strategy and development executive Ana Tiwary who is responsible for collating questions from those tuning in.
She has tried to focus on topics covering the practical aspects of directing that cannot be learned from a book,...
Consisting of 40 weekly one-hour webinars fronted by industry mentors, the initiative is due to start again this week following a short break, with Claire McCarthy (The Turning) to share insights from her career on Thursday.
It comes after contributions from Gillian Armstrong, Rachel Perkins, Rolf de Heer, Samantha Lang, Corrie Chen, Ben Lawrence, Ana Kokkinos, Megan Riakos, Josephine Mackerras, Robert Connolly, Garth Davis, Sally Aitken, Jub Clerc, Kriv Stenders, Tom Zubrycki, Anna Broinowski, Peter Andrikidis, Jasmin Tarasin, and Glendyn Ivin.
The sessions are moderated by Adg strategy and development executive Ana Tiwary who is responsible for collating questions from those tuning in.
She has tried to focus on topics covering the practical aspects of directing that cannot be learned from a book,...
- 9/6/2021
- by Sean Slatter
- IF.com.au
Six films are set to vie for this year’s Aacta Award for Best Documentary, with voting for the winner open from today until August 2.
For consideration are Christopher Nelius’ Girls Can’t Surf, the highest grossing feature doc of the year so far; Sally Aitken’s Sundance-selected Playing With Sharks, and Molly Reynold’s My Name Is Gulpilil, a portrait of one of Australia’s leading actors, David Gulpilil.
They will compete against Matthew Walker’s I’m Wanita, about to premiere at the Melbourne International Film Festival following a HotDocs bow; Tosca Looby’s examination of the attacks that faced Julia Gillard in office, Strong Female Lead; and Jane Castle’s portrait of her mother, filmmaker Lilias Fraser, When The Camera Stopped Rolling.
‘Strong Female Lead’.
As If has reported, Aacta has adjusted its voting framework this year, with rounds per category staggered throughout the year.
The Best Documentary...
For consideration are Christopher Nelius’ Girls Can’t Surf, the highest grossing feature doc of the year so far; Sally Aitken’s Sundance-selected Playing With Sharks, and Molly Reynold’s My Name Is Gulpilil, a portrait of one of Australia’s leading actors, David Gulpilil.
They will compete against Matthew Walker’s I’m Wanita, about to premiere at the Melbourne International Film Festival following a HotDocs bow; Tosca Looby’s examination of the attacks that faced Julia Gillard in office, Strong Female Lead; and Jane Castle’s portrait of her mother, filmmaker Lilias Fraser, When The Camera Stopped Rolling.
‘Strong Female Lead’.
As If has reported, Aacta has adjusted its voting framework this year, with rounds per category staggered throughout the year.
The Best Documentary...
- 7/26/2021
- by Jackie Keast
- IF.com.au
This review of "Playing With Sharks" was published following the film's premiere at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival.
"Playing With Sharks: The Valerie Taylor Story" tells a tale right out of mythology, with the hunter becoming the protector, helping to save the animals whom she had previously helped to portray as monsters. In capturing the work of legendary filmmaker and conservationist Valerie Taylor, this Sundance premiere from director Sally Aitken also offers a front-row look at an extraordinary life.
It helps, of course, that Valerie makes the ideal documentary subject -- candid and outgoing in interviews, discussing a life that's not only exciting and full of purpose, but also one that took place, to a large extent, in front of cameras. Aitken and editor Adrian Rostirolla make wonderful use of a plethora of archival materials, from 1950s newsreels demonstrating teenage Valerie's prowess at spearfishing to footage shot by Valerie and her late husband Ron Taylor,...
"Playing With Sharks: The Valerie Taylor Story" tells a tale right out of mythology, with the hunter becoming the protector, helping to save the animals whom she had previously helped to portray as monsters. In capturing the work of legendary filmmaker and conservationist Valerie Taylor, this Sundance premiere from director Sally Aitken also offers a front-row look at an extraordinary life.
It helps, of course, that Valerie makes the ideal documentary subject -- candid and outgoing in interviews, discussing a life that's not only exciting and full of purpose, but also one that took place, to a large extent, in front of cameras. Aitken and editor Adrian Rostirolla make wonderful use of a plethora of archival materials, from 1950s newsreels demonstrating teenage Valerie's prowess at spearfishing to footage shot by Valerie and her late husband Ron Taylor,...
- 7/23/2021
- by Alonso Duralde
- The Wrap
Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.
Arab Blues (Manele Labidi)
The original French-language title of Arab Bles is Un divan à Tunis, and true to the echo of Chantal Akerman’s psychotherapeutic meet-cute A Couch in New York, Manele Labidi’s debut feature is the frothy tale of an analyst coming to terms with her own sense of dislocation, while tending to the many seriocomic needs of her flock. In this case, the psychoanalyst is Selma (Golshifteh Farahani), who leaves Paris and returns to her family’s apartment building in Tunisia, where a neighbor looks at her poster of Sigmund Freud and asks her: Who is he, your father? – Mark A. (full review)
Where to Stream: Mubi (free for 30 days)
Cousins (Ainsley Gardiner and Briar Grace Smith)
They...
Arab Blues (Manele Labidi)
The original French-language title of Arab Bles is Un divan à Tunis, and true to the echo of Chantal Akerman’s psychotherapeutic meet-cute A Couch in New York, Manele Labidi’s debut feature is the frothy tale of an analyst coming to terms with her own sense of dislocation, while tending to the many seriocomic needs of her flock. In this case, the psychoanalyst is Selma (Golshifteh Farahani), who leaves Paris and returns to her family’s apartment building in Tunisia, where a neighbor looks at her poster of Sigmund Freud and asks her: Who is he, your father? – Mark A. (full review)
Where to Stream: Mubi (free for 30 days)
Cousins (Ainsley Gardiner and Briar Grace Smith)
They...
- 7/23/2021
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
By Glenn Dunks
Sally Aitken’s Playing with Sharks and Eli Roth’s Fin are two very different documentaries but share common ground. Not just in that they are both about sharks, but because they each want to use their platforms to advocate for the preservation of the ocean’s perfect predators. Neither film reaches the heights of other better, similarly themed films, but it’s something of a sad indictment that their very existence is important as the environmental crises happening in our oceans appear so far from being solved.
Aitken’s film chooses to focus its lens on Valerie Taylor, a famed Australian diver whose role in some prominent Hollywood productions led to being a conservationist. Fin on the other hand is a most unexpected non-fiction diversion for Roth; a film more akin to The Cove than the gory horror features that he is better known for.
Sally Aitken’s Playing with Sharks and Eli Roth’s Fin are two very different documentaries but share common ground. Not just in that they are both about sharks, but because they each want to use their platforms to advocate for the preservation of the ocean’s perfect predators. Neither film reaches the heights of other better, similarly themed films, but it’s something of a sad indictment that their very existence is important as the environmental crises happening in our oceans appear so far from being solved.
Aitken’s film chooses to focus its lens on Valerie Taylor, a famed Australian diver whose role in some prominent Hollywood productions led to being a conservationist. Fin on the other hand is a most unexpected non-fiction diversion for Roth; a film more akin to The Cove than the gory horror features that he is better known for.
- 7/22/2021
- by Glenn Dunks
- FilmExperience
"Nature made the perfect animal." Disney+ has released the official US trailer for the acclaimed shark doc titled Playing with Sharks, which first premiered at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. It's debuting streaming on Disney+ just a week after Discovey's Shark Week event this summer. The full title is officially Playing with Sharks: The Valerie Taylor Story, as this profiles a remarkable Australian woman named Valerie Taylor, who started out hunting sharks, but then grew to love them, and is now an outspoken shark activist and conservationist, fighting to save them. From twice Emmy-nominated director Sally Aitken, the Playing with Sharks film captures the life of a woman ahead of her time—a fearless diver, cinematographer, and a pioneering conservationist whose work would forever change our understanding of the ocean's most magnificent apex predators. It was one of my favorite docs of Sundance 2021 in my Best of the...
- 7/1/2021
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
“There is a creature alive today which has survived millions of years of evolution…without change, without passion, without logic. It lives to kill. A mindless eating machine, it will attack and devour anything. Try to imagine meeting the Devil…with Jaws.” – Jaws trailer
Ron and Valerie Taylor are the only names that come to mind when you think of the real shark footage in Steven Spielberg’s Summer Blockbuster Jaws. The film was released on an unsuspecting public June 1975 and the horrifying images of the film instilled fear into beachgoers that summer along with the phrase “See it before you go swimming.” The Taylors were synonymous with real shark footage and worked on other ocean themed movies such as Orca, Jaws 2, and The Blue Lagoon.
Valerie’s late husband Ron’s cinematography and exquisite compositions have certainly stood the test of time. From the birth of scuba with...
Ron and Valerie Taylor are the only names that come to mind when you think of the real shark footage in Steven Spielberg’s Summer Blockbuster Jaws. The film was released on an unsuspecting public June 1975 and the horrifying images of the film instilled fear into beachgoers that summer along with the phrase “See it before you go swimming.” The Taylors were synonymous with real shark footage and worked on other ocean themed movies such as Orca, Jaws 2, and The Blue Lagoon.
Valerie’s late husband Ron’s cinematography and exquisite compositions have certainly stood the test of time. From the birth of scuba with...
- 6/29/2021
- by Melissa Thompson
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
"Playing with Sharks", directed by Sally Aitken for National Geographic Documentary Films, is part of Nat Geo's "SharkFest 2021", streaming July 23, 2021 on Disney+:
"...Valerie Taylor's life's work since the 1950's has become the basis for much of what we know about sharks today. Through remarkable underwater archival footage, along with interviews with Valerie herself, 'Playing with Sharks' follows this daring ocean explorer's trajectory from champion spearfisher to passionate shark protector.
"From the birth of 'cage diving' to 'Jaws' hysteria to the dawn of cageless shark diving, Valerie became a trailblazing advocate for the ocean's most maligned and misunderstood creatures..."
Click the images to enlarge...
"...Valerie Taylor's life's work since the 1950's has become the basis for much of what we know about sharks today. Through remarkable underwater archival footage, along with interviews with Valerie herself, 'Playing with Sharks' follows this daring ocean explorer's trajectory from champion spearfisher to passionate shark protector.
"From the birth of 'cage diving' to 'Jaws' hysteria to the dawn of cageless shark diving, Valerie became a trailblazing advocate for the ocean's most maligned and misunderstood creatures..."
Click the images to enlarge...
- 6/29/2021
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
Universal Pictures’ ninth installment in the Fast & Furious franchise more than set the pace at the Australian box office on the weekend, raking in nearly $9 million, including an opening day total of $1.48 million.
The film’s opening overtakes Warner Bros.’ Godzilla vs. Kong as the highest of any film post-Covid, and is only slightly below that of The Fate of the Furious, which took $10 million over the Easter long weekend in 2017.
Director Justin Lin’s latest contribution to the saga has Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) leading a quiet life off the grid with Letty and his son, Little Brian, when a threat forces him to confront the sins of his past in order to save the ones he loves most.
F9 shared its opening day with Madman Films’ local documentary Valerie Taylor: Playing With Sharks, which took in $39,403 from 64 screens, or $73,474 with previews.
Sydney’s Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace...
The film’s opening overtakes Warner Bros.’ Godzilla vs. Kong as the highest of any film post-Covid, and is only slightly below that of The Fate of the Furious, which took $10 million over the Easter long weekend in 2017.
Director Justin Lin’s latest contribution to the saga has Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) leading a quiet life off the grid with Letty and his son, Little Brian, when a threat forces him to confront the sins of his past in order to save the ones he loves most.
F9 shared its opening day with Madman Films’ local documentary Valerie Taylor: Playing With Sharks, which took in $39,403 from 64 screens, or $73,474 with previews.
Sydney’s Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace...
- 6/21/2021
- by Sean Slatter
- IF.com.au
Sally Aitken’s Playing With Sharks, the Sundance title about pioneering marine conservationist Valerie Taylor, is set to open newportFILM’s lineup of documentaries for its 12th annual summer series, newportFILM Outdoors.
The outdoor film showcase will close with Corey McLean’s Havana Libre, which portrays a drive to legitimize surfing in Cuba.
The June 17 to Sept. 9 documentary lineup also includes Questlove’s Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) from Searchlight, Jeremy Workman’s Lily Topples the World from discovery+ and Greenwich Entertainment, and Mariem Pérez Riera’s festival favorite Rita Moreno: The Girl Who Just Decided to Go ...
The outdoor film showcase will close with Corey McLean’s Havana Libre, which portrays a drive to legitimize surfing in Cuba.
The June 17 to Sept. 9 documentary lineup also includes Questlove’s Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) from Searchlight, Jeremy Workman’s Lily Topples the World from discovery+ and Greenwich Entertainment, and Mariem Pérez Riera’s festival favorite Rita Moreno: The Girl Who Just Decided to Go ...
- 6/16/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Sally Aitken’s Playing With Sharks, the Sundance title about pioneering marine conservationist Valerie Taylor, is set to open newportFILM’s lineup of documentaries for its 12th annual summer series, newportFILM Outdoors.
The outdoor film showcase will close with Corey McLean’s Havana Libre, which portrays a drive to legitimize surfing in Cuba.
The June 17 to Sept. 9 documentary lineup also includes Questlove’s Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) from Searchlight, Jeremy Workman’s Lily Topples the World from discovery+ and Greenwich Entertainment, and Mariem Pérez Riera’s festival favorite Rita Moreno: The Girl Who Just Decided to Go ...
The outdoor film showcase will close with Corey McLean’s Havana Libre, which portrays a drive to legitimize surfing in Cuba.
The June 17 to Sept. 9 documentary lineup also includes Questlove’s Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) from Searchlight, Jeremy Workman’s Lily Topples the World from discovery+ and Greenwich Entertainment, and Mariem Pérez Riera’s festival favorite Rita Moreno: The Girl Who Just Decided to Go ...
- 6/16/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
When Sally Aitken’s Playing with Sharks opens in Australian cinemas next week, it will cap a period of significant milestones for WildBear Entertainment.
The life story of pioneering scuba diver Valerie Taylor has already made a splash internationally, having been chosen as one of only 10 films for the World Cinema Documentary Competition section at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.
After the festival, National Geographic Documentary Films swept on the worldwide rights. Other screenings have included the Earth Focus Environmental Film Festival in the US, as well as this year’s Gold Coast Film Festival.
The selections are a strong endorsement for the work of WildBear, which restored, cleaned, scanned, and remastered archived 16 and 35 mm film footage captured across a 50-year period to create the film.
Producer Bettina Dalton was central to the process, having spent more than 20 years archiving Taylor’s material.
WildBear Entertainment CEO Michael Tear said...
The life story of pioneering scuba diver Valerie Taylor has already made a splash internationally, having been chosen as one of only 10 films for the World Cinema Documentary Competition section at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.
After the festival, National Geographic Documentary Films swept on the worldwide rights. Other screenings have included the Earth Focus Environmental Film Festival in the US, as well as this year’s Gold Coast Film Festival.
The selections are a strong endorsement for the work of WildBear, which restored, cleaned, scanned, and remastered archived 16 and 35 mm film footage captured across a 50-year period to create the film.
Producer Bettina Dalton was central to the process, having spent more than 20 years archiving Taylor’s material.
WildBear Entertainment CEO Michael Tear said...
- 6/11/2021
- by Sean Slatter
- IF.com.au
Rooftop Films Returns for 25th Anniversary Summer Series in NYC
Rooftop Films, the non-profit organization and film community celebrated as New York’s home for independent films, announced the return of their annual Rooftop Films Summer Series.
Among the films set to screen are Janicza Bravo’s “Zola,” presented by A24 on the lawn in Fort Greene Park, and “Once Upon a Time in Queens,” ESPN’s new series detailing the uniquely wild championship run of the 1986 Mets.
Joshua Rofé’s “Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal and Greed,” and Sally Aitken’s “Playing with Sharks,” are the documentaries will also screen when the series begins June 17 at Green-Wood Cemetery.
The screenings will follow all CDC and state guidelines which allow for more New Yorkers to gather safely for cultural events. The Rooftop Films Summer Series is presented by SundanceTV.
The Summer Series will run from June 17th through mid-September and...
Rooftop Films, the non-profit organization and film community celebrated as New York’s home for independent films, announced the return of their annual Rooftop Films Summer Series.
Among the films set to screen are Janicza Bravo’s “Zola,” presented by A24 on the lawn in Fort Greene Park, and “Once Upon a Time in Queens,” ESPN’s new series detailing the uniquely wild championship run of the 1986 Mets.
Joshua Rofé’s “Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal and Greed,” and Sally Aitken’s “Playing with Sharks,” are the documentaries will also screen when the series begins June 17 at Green-Wood Cemetery.
The screenings will follow all CDC and state guidelines which allow for more New Yorkers to gather safely for cultural events. The Rooftop Films Summer Series is presented by SundanceTV.
The Summer Series will run from June 17th through mid-September and...
- 6/7/2021
- by Antonio Ferme
- Variety Film + TV
National Geographic is biting off more “SharkFest” content than fans can chew– er, view all at once this year, with six weeks of programming spread across four networks and streaming service Disney+, TheWrap has learned exclusively.
2021’s “SharkFest,” which is the ninth annual edition of Nat Geo’s “fin-tastic” summer event, will start swimming Monday, July 5. The biggest titles in this year’s megalodon-sized lineup include “Shark Beach With Chris Hemsworth,” which debuts that first night at 9/8c on Nat Geo, and the feature doc “Playing With Sharks,” which premieres July 23 on Disney+.
“Shark Beach With Chris Hemsworth” follows the global movie star as he embarks on a personal mission to investigate how we can live more harmoniously with sharks, per Nat Geo. The one-hour documentary special from Nutopia (“One Strange Rock”) features shark icon and conservationist Valerie Taylor, who takes Hemsworth for a shark dive to experience firsthand the...
2021’s “SharkFest,” which is the ninth annual edition of Nat Geo’s “fin-tastic” summer event, will start swimming Monday, July 5. The biggest titles in this year’s megalodon-sized lineup include “Shark Beach With Chris Hemsworth,” which debuts that first night at 9/8c on Nat Geo, and the feature doc “Playing With Sharks,” which premieres July 23 on Disney+.
“Shark Beach With Chris Hemsworth” follows the global movie star as he embarks on a personal mission to investigate how we can live more harmoniously with sharks, per Nat Geo. The one-hour documentary special from Nutopia (“One Strange Rock”) features shark icon and conservationist Valerie Taylor, who takes Hemsworth for a shark dive to experience firsthand the...
- 6/3/2021
- by Tony Maglio and Jennifer Maas
- The Wrap
The 31st Inside Out Toronto 2Slgbtq+ Film Festival this week unveiled its full lineup for its virtual edition, which will run May 27-June 6. A total of 143 films including 33 features and five episodic series will unspool, according to new executive director Lauren Howes and director of programming Andrew Murphy. A total of 70% of this year’s selected films are by women/trans/non-binary directors
Natalie Morales’ directorial debut Language Lessons, which won the audience award at this year’s SXSW, will open the festival, with the Charli Xcx documentary Alone Together set to close. Highlights of the slate include Sundance winner Ma Belle, My Beauty, Wes Hurley’s Potato Dreams of America and Mari Walker’s See You Then, along with the world premiere of Shelley Thompsons’ trans family drama Dawn, Her Dad & the Tractor. Docs include the Zachary Quinto-narrated Yes I Am: The Ric Weiland Story and Drag Invasion,...
Natalie Morales’ directorial debut Language Lessons, which won the audience award at this year’s SXSW, will open the festival, with the Charli Xcx documentary Alone Together set to close. Highlights of the slate include Sundance winner Ma Belle, My Beauty, Wes Hurley’s Potato Dreams of America and Mari Walker’s See You Then, along with the world premiere of Shelley Thompsons’ trans family drama Dawn, Her Dad & the Tractor. Docs include the Zachary Quinto-narrated Yes I Am: The Ric Weiland Story and Drag Invasion,...
- 5/7/2021
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
The third annual Earth Focus Environmental Film Festival, and the first to take place virtually in light of the Covid-19 pandemic, kicks off tonight and runs through April 23 via Southern California’s flagship PBS stations PBS SoCal and Kcet along with national independent satellite network Link TV. The opening-night film is the West Coast premiere of Playing with Sharks, the extraordinary life story of pioneering scuba diver Valerie Taylor, who has dedicated her life to exposing the myth surrounding the fear of sharks.
The film documents her quest as well as history including her work on several films, among them 1975’s iconic Jaws. National Geographic Documentary Films acquired the film out of the 2021 Sundance Film Festival with plans to release it later this year. Following the 7 p.m. Pt screening I will moderate a conversation with Taylor, writer-director Sally Aitken and producer Bettina Dalton all joining me together from Australia.
The film documents her quest as well as history including her work on several films, among them 1975’s iconic Jaws. National Geographic Documentary Films acquired the film out of the 2021 Sundance Film Festival with plans to release it later this year. Following the 7 p.m. Pt screening I will moderate a conversation with Taylor, writer-director Sally Aitken and producer Bettina Dalton all joining me together from Australia.
- 4/12/2021
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
Coda, Jockey, Superior among initial wave of deal-making.
While there hasn’t been the usual post-opening weekend torrent of Sundance deals this year, business is getting done and Apple delivered a record $25m buy on feel-good multi-award winnerCODA.
Sundance always has a long tail and deals will trickle in for weeks and months after the event, which officially ends on February 3.
At time of writing buyers were circling Questlove’s documentary Summer Of Soul, Sean Ellis’s werewolf film Eight For Silver, Franz Kanz’s post-shooting massacre drama Mass, and Lyle Mitchell Corbine Jr.’s thriller Wild Indian, among others.
While there hasn’t been the usual post-opening weekend torrent of Sundance deals this year, business is getting done and Apple delivered a record $25m buy on feel-good multi-award winnerCODA.
Sundance always has a long tail and deals will trickle in for weeks and months after the event, which officially ends on February 3.
At time of writing buyers were circling Questlove’s documentary Summer Of Soul, Sean Ellis’s werewolf film Eight For Silver, Franz Kanz’s post-shooting massacre drama Mass, and Lyle Mitchell Corbine Jr.’s thriller Wild Indian, among others.
- 3/29/2021
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Matthew Walker’s I’m Wanita will make its world premiere at Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival next month.
The film, which follows Australia’s self-crowned “Queen of Honky Tonk” Wanita Bahtiyar, will screen as part of the Artscapes strand – a program that features work exploring creativity in the performing and visual arts.
Other Australian films set for the festival this year include Sally Aitken’s Playing with Sharks, to screen as a special presentation; Nays Baghai’s Documentary Australia Foundation Award-winning Descent, to make its North American premiere as part of the World Showcase; and Nel Minchin and Wayne Blair’s Firestarter: The Story of Bangarra, also in the Artscapes strand.
Aitken and producer Bettina Dalton will also appear in a Q&a together with the subject of their film, marine conservationist and photographer Valerie Taylor.
Two Aussie shorts have also been accepted into the festival: Sophie Raymond’s Recorder Queen,...
The film, which follows Australia’s self-crowned “Queen of Honky Tonk” Wanita Bahtiyar, will screen as part of the Artscapes strand – a program that features work exploring creativity in the performing and visual arts.
Other Australian films set for the festival this year include Sally Aitken’s Playing with Sharks, to screen as a special presentation; Nays Baghai’s Documentary Australia Foundation Award-winning Descent, to make its North American premiere as part of the World Showcase; and Nel Minchin and Wayne Blair’s Firestarter: The Story of Bangarra, also in the Artscapes strand.
Aitken and producer Bettina Dalton will also appear in a Q&a together with the subject of their film, marine conservationist and photographer Valerie Taylor.
Two Aussie shorts have also been accepted into the festival: Sophie Raymond’s Recorder Queen,...
- 3/24/2021
- by Jackie Keast
- IF.com.au
Around the same time that Emmy-nominated writer-director Sally Aitken’s latest film was debuting in the World Documentary section at Sundance, the New York Times ran a piece on the alarming decline in the worldwide shark population, citing a 70% reduction since the 1970s. It’s a statistic — possibly conservative given the underreporting from some parts of the globe — that will be only too well known to the documentary’s subject, Valerie Taylor, the iconic Australian marine conservationist who has dedicated her life to the species’ preservation. This life is accessibly and straightforwardly celebrated in “Playing With Sharks”: As Dian Fossey was to gorillas and Jane Goodall is to chimps, so is Valerie Taylor to this 450-million-year-old class of carnivorous, cartilaginous fish.
In amongst surprisingly comprehensive archive footage of her youth as a world-class diver and spear-fisher, Taylor recounts her story in interview segments shot in her oceanside home. Though...
In amongst surprisingly comprehensive archive footage of her youth as a world-class diver and spear-fisher, Taylor recounts her story in interview segments shot in her oceanside home. Though...
- 3/18/2021
- by Jessica Kiang
- Variety Film + TV
A renewed focus on natural history programming has led WildBear Entertainment to appoint wildlife biologist and writer, producer and director Dr Chadden Hunter as an executive producer.
Hunter has previously worked for the BBC as a producer, director and writer on Seven Worlds, One Planet, and Planet Earth 2, as a series producer on Wild Arabia, and as a principal director on Frozen Planet.
His credits also include National Geographic programs Hunter & Hunted and Cliffhangers, both of which he presented.
Overall, his projects have won 12 Emmy Awards and eight BAFTAs.
In his new role, Hunter will be working with the Wildbear team to deepen its slate of natural history content and films, secure new commissions, and run productions.
He said he was excited to start the next chapter of his career with the company.
“I’ve been a fan of [WildBear’s] work for years and it’s great to be back on home turf in Australia,...
Hunter has previously worked for the BBC as a producer, director and writer on Seven Worlds, One Planet, and Planet Earth 2, as a series producer on Wild Arabia, and as a principal director on Frozen Planet.
His credits also include National Geographic programs Hunter & Hunted and Cliffhangers, both of which he presented.
Overall, his projects have won 12 Emmy Awards and eight BAFTAs.
In his new role, Hunter will be working with the Wildbear team to deepen its slate of natural history content and films, secure new commissions, and run productions.
He said he was excited to start the next chapter of his career with the company.
“I’ve been a fan of [WildBear’s] work for years and it’s great to be back on home turf in Australia,...
- 3/15/2021
- by Sean Slatter
- IF.com.au
Gold Coast Film Festival returns with ‘Playing with Sharks’, ‘Dive Club’, ‘This Little Love of Mine’
The line-up for the Gold Coast Film Festival has been unveiled ahead of its return next month following a Covid-related hiatus.
The 12-day event will feature four world premieres, six Australian premieres, nine Queensland premieres, and two exclusive preview screenings across the Gold Coast, alongside Q&As with filmmakers and some of Australia’s leading cast and crew.
It will also be the first festival held under new director Aimée Lindorff, who took the reins from Lucy Fisher towards the end of last year.
Lindorff says this year’s program is about inspiring movie fans to return to the cinema and cinema-hopefuls to pursue their passion for the silver screen.
“We have an incredible mix of national and international films and documentaries starring some big names and tackling even bigger story lines,” she says.
“The prestigious Screen Industry Gala Awards will return at Movie World, where we will celebrate the...
The 12-day event will feature four world premieres, six Australian premieres, nine Queensland premieres, and two exclusive preview screenings across the Gold Coast, alongside Q&As with filmmakers and some of Australia’s leading cast and crew.
It will also be the first festival held under new director Aimée Lindorff, who took the reins from Lucy Fisher towards the end of last year.
Lindorff says this year’s program is about inspiring movie fans to return to the cinema and cinema-hopefuls to pursue their passion for the silver screen.
“We have an incredible mix of national and international films and documentaries starring some big names and tackling even bigger story lines,” she says.
“The prestigious Screen Industry Gala Awards will return at Movie World, where we will celebrate the...
- 3/10/2021
- by Sean Slatter
- IF.com.au
The shortlisted teams for the Australian International Documentary Conference’s (Aidc) three key pitching programs have been revealed ahead of the online event later this month.
State of Play, Australia Uncovered, and Reel Smart Academic Roundtables will give participants the opportunity to pitch their projects to decision-makers at the four-day conference, with a view to securing funding or production partnerships.
Alice Burgin, Aidc CEO and conference director, said the annual event’s many pitching opportunities are part of what makes the annual event so important.
“We are so grateful for the continued support of Film Victoria, and our partnerships with Sbs and La Trobe University, as they help us realise these important opportunities,” she said.
“We’re extremely grateful that these organisations share our vision for an Australian nonfiction sector that is relevant, curiously imaginative and perpetually excited by what the future has to offer.”
State Of Play
Developed in partnership with Film Victoria,...
State of Play, Australia Uncovered, and Reel Smart Academic Roundtables will give participants the opportunity to pitch their projects to decision-makers at the four-day conference, with a view to securing funding or production partnerships.
Alice Burgin, Aidc CEO and conference director, said the annual event’s many pitching opportunities are part of what makes the annual event so important.
“We are so grateful for the continued support of Film Victoria, and our partnerships with Sbs and La Trobe University, as they help us realise these important opportunities,” she said.
“We’re extremely grateful that these organisations share our vision for an Australian nonfiction sector that is relevant, curiously imaginative and perpetually excited by what the future has to offer.”
State Of Play
Developed in partnership with Film Victoria,...
- 2/17/2021
- by Sean Slatter
- IF.com.au
For many years, sharks—the creatures of water—were misunderstood by society. There is no doubt that cinema and television contributed to said fear of the water and “blood-wanting monsters.” Sharks, however, are not all that. There are many adventurers; people brave enough to explore these animals' natural environment and help us understand that the overwhelming fear we have is unnecessary. One of them is Valerie Taylor. In Playing with Sharks, which premiered at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival, Sally Aitken showcases Taylor's remarkable life and ends this documentary with a touching finale.
Valerie Taylor, a remarkable scuba diver, started spearfishing in the ’60s. She was one of the few women who took part in this activity. One could always notice her. Taylor always wore a pink or a red suit; a color that was not accidental. It was to commemorate the legendary Jacques Cousteau and his ever-present red cap. She...
Valerie Taylor, a remarkable scuba diver, started spearfishing in the ’60s. She was one of the few women who took part in this activity. One could always notice her. Taylor always wore a pink or a red suit; a color that was not accidental. It was to commemorate the legendary Jacques Cousteau and his ever-present red cap. She...
- 2/10/2021
- by Zofia Wijaszka
- DailyDead
National Geographic Documentary Films has acquired the worldwide rights to Sally Aitken’s documentary about Australian diver and filmmaker Valerie Taylor following its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival.
Chosen as one of only 10 films from around the world for the World Cinema Documentary Competition section, Playing with Sharks charts Taylor’s transformation from a champion slayer to a passionate marine conservationist through remastered film footage taken across 50 years.
The film was created and produced by Bettina Dalton, WildBear Entertainment, and written and directed by Aitken. The executive producers include Alan Erson for WildBear; Anna Godas and Oli Harbottle for TDog; and Paul Wiegard for Madman Entertainment.
Dalton tells If National Geographic Documentary Films is the “perfect home” for Playing with Sharks.
“National Geographic not only has a lot of gravitas, but also a lot of provenance and reach,” she says.
“They have the right ethos for this film, in...
Chosen as one of only 10 films from around the world for the World Cinema Documentary Competition section, Playing with Sharks charts Taylor’s transformation from a champion slayer to a passionate marine conservationist through remastered film footage taken across 50 years.
The film was created and produced by Bettina Dalton, WildBear Entertainment, and written and directed by Aitken. The executive producers include Alan Erson for WildBear; Anna Godas and Oli Harbottle for TDog; and Paul Wiegard for Madman Entertainment.
Dalton tells If National Geographic Documentary Films is the “perfect home” for Playing with Sharks.
“National Geographic not only has a lot of gravitas, but also a lot of provenance and reach,” she says.
“They have the right ethos for this film, in...
- 2/3/2021
- by Sean Slatter
- IF.com.au
National Geographic Documentary Films said Tuesday that it has acquired Playing with Sharks, the feature documentary about Australian icon, conservationist and filmmaker Valerie Taylor that had its world premiere last week at the Sundance Film Festival. The pic is written and directed by Sally Aitken and is produced by WildBear Entertainment and Dogwoof. No release date plans or deal details were announced.
Playing with Sharks is created and produced by Bettina Dalton and WildBear Alan Erson for WildBear, Anna Godas and Oli Harbottle for TDog and Paul Wiegard for Madman Entertainment are executive producers.
Nat Geo Doc Films previously acquired the Science Fair at Sundance 2018, and is behind the Oscar-winning doc Free Solo and this year’s Rebuilding Paradise from Ron Howard.
Playing with Sharks is created and produced by Bettina Dalton and WildBear Alan Erson for WildBear, Anna Godas and Oli Harbottle for TDog and Paul Wiegard for Madman Entertainment are executive producers.
Nat Geo Doc Films previously acquired the Science Fair at Sundance 2018, and is behind the Oscar-winning doc Free Solo and this year’s Rebuilding Paradise from Ron Howard.
- 2/2/2021
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
National Geographic Documentary Films negotiated deal with Dogwoof.
National Geographic Documentary Films has acquired worldwide rights to Sundance documentary Playing With Sharks.
Sally Aitken directed the WildBear Entertainment film, which chronicles the life of Australian conservationist and filmmaker Valerie Taylor.
Playing With Sharks follows Taylor from her days as a champion spear fisher in the 1950s to her work as passionate shark protector who also shot all the underwater scenes in Jaws.
Producer Bettina Dalton pitched the project during Sundance 2019 to Dogwoof, which became one of the film’s backers through its production fund TDog Productions.
Playing With Sharks is a WildBear Entertainment production,...
National Geographic Documentary Films has acquired worldwide rights to Sundance documentary Playing With Sharks.
Sally Aitken directed the WildBear Entertainment film, which chronicles the life of Australian conservationist and filmmaker Valerie Taylor.
Playing With Sharks follows Taylor from her days as a champion spear fisher in the 1950s to her work as passionate shark protector who also shot all the underwater scenes in Jaws.
Producer Bettina Dalton pitched the project during Sundance 2019 to Dogwoof, which became one of the film’s backers through its production fund TDog Productions.
Playing With Sharks is a WildBear Entertainment production,...
- 2/2/2021
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
National Geographic Documentary Films has acquired the worldwide rights to Sally Aitken’s documentary “Playing with Sharks,” an individual with knowledge of the deal told TheWrap.
The documentary follows the life of Australian icon, conservationist and filmmaker Valerie Taylor, who is the reason why we know so much about sharks — she was the one who obtained first-ever footage of a great white under water.
Aitken wrote and directed the documentary, while Bettina Dalton of WildBear Entertainment produced. Executive producers are Alan Erson for WildBear, Anna Godas and Oli Harbottle for TDog and Paul Wiegard for Madman Entertainment.
“We couldn’t be happier to partner with Nat Geo Doc Films. It is the perfect home for ‘Playing with Sharks’ and we know Nat Geo will embrace and promote its important themes of shark conservation and trailblazing women,” Dalton of WildBear Entertainment said.
Nat Geo’s Carolyn Bernstein added: “I can’t...
The documentary follows the life of Australian icon, conservationist and filmmaker Valerie Taylor, who is the reason why we know so much about sharks — she was the one who obtained first-ever footage of a great white under water.
Aitken wrote and directed the documentary, while Bettina Dalton of WildBear Entertainment produced. Executive producers are Alan Erson for WildBear, Anna Godas and Oli Harbottle for TDog and Paul Wiegard for Madman Entertainment.
“We couldn’t be happier to partner with Nat Geo Doc Films. It is the perfect home for ‘Playing with Sharks’ and we know Nat Geo will embrace and promote its important themes of shark conservation and trailblazing women,” Dalton of WildBear Entertainment said.
Nat Geo’s Carolyn Bernstein added: “I can’t...
- 2/2/2021
- by Beatrice Verhoeven
- The Wrap
National Geographic Documentary Films has acquired the worldwide rights to Sundance doc Playing With Sharks.
The feature, which premiered in the world doc competition, follows the life of iconic Australian conservationist and filmmaker Valerie Taylor, whose life’s work has become the basis for much of what we know about sharks today. Using underwater archival footage, along with interviews with Taylor, the film follows her trajectory from champion spearfisher to passionate shark protector who captured the first-ever footage of a great white shark underwater.
Sally Aitken wrote and directed the movie, which was produced by Bettina Dalton of WildBear Entertainment. Executive producers include Alan Erson ...
The feature, which premiered in the world doc competition, follows the life of iconic Australian conservationist and filmmaker Valerie Taylor, whose life’s work has become the basis for much of what we know about sharks today. Using underwater archival footage, along with interviews with Taylor, the film follows her trajectory from champion spearfisher to passionate shark protector who captured the first-ever footage of a great white shark underwater.
Sally Aitken wrote and directed the movie, which was produced by Bettina Dalton of WildBear Entertainment. Executive producers include Alan Erson ...
National Geographic Documentary Films has acquired the worldwide rights to Sundance doc Playing With Sharks.
The feature, which premiered in the world doc competition, follows the life of iconic Australian conservationist and filmmaker Valerie Taylor, whose life’s work has become the basis for much of what we know about sharks today. Using underwater archival footage, along with interviews with Taylor, the film follows her trajectory from champion spearfisher to passionate shark protector who captured the first-ever footage of a great white shark underwater.
Sally Aitken wrote and directed the movie, which was produced by Bettina Dalton of WildBear Entertainment. Executive producers include Alan Erson ...
The feature, which premiered in the world doc competition, follows the life of iconic Australian conservationist and filmmaker Valerie Taylor, whose life’s work has become the basis for much of what we know about sharks today. Using underwater archival footage, along with interviews with Taylor, the film follows her trajectory from champion spearfisher to passionate shark protector who captured the first-ever footage of a great white shark underwater.
Sally Aitken wrote and directed the movie, which was produced by Bettina Dalton of WildBear Entertainment. Executive producers include Alan Erson ...
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