A compelling study of a controversial Ukrainian pastor whose forceful approach borders on vigilantism
This gripping documentary about Gennadiy Mokhnenko, aka Pastor Crocodile, a controversial child-welfare activist in Ukraine, has the propulsive power and arc of a drama. And in this burly man of God, with his thunderous laugh and larger than life personality, the director Steve Hoover has a confounding, complex central character who acts as the lens through which we see the track-marked underbelly of this troubled country. The pastor rolls up his sleeves and trawls through the grimmest drug-infested dives imaginable – sewers, shacks, alleys – and there he finds children. His methods are unorthodox – often he physically hauls the kids from the streets, bundling them into his van and browbeating them into recovery. He removes children from neglectful homes even though he has no legal right to do so. His campaign against drug dealers borders on vigilantism. But...
This gripping documentary about Gennadiy Mokhnenko, aka Pastor Crocodile, a controversial child-welfare activist in Ukraine, has the propulsive power and arc of a drama. And in this burly man of God, with his thunderous laugh and larger than life personality, the director Steve Hoover has a confounding, complex central character who acts as the lens through which we see the track-marked underbelly of this troubled country. The pastor rolls up his sleeves and trawls through the grimmest drug-infested dives imaginable – sewers, shacks, alleys – and there he finds children. His methods are unorthodox – often he physically hauls the kids from the streets, bundling them into his van and browbeating them into recovery. He removes children from neglectful homes even though he has no legal right to do so. His campaign against drug dealers borders on vigilantism. But...
- 8/21/2016
- by Wendy Ide
- The Guardian - Film News
With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options — not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves — we’ve taken it upon ourselves to highlight the titles that have recently hit the interwebs. Every week, one will be able to see the cream of the crop (or perhaps some simply interesting picks) of streaming titles (new and old) across platforms such as Netflix, iTunes, Amazon Instant Video, and more (note: U.S. only). Check out our rundown for this week’s selections below.
Almost Holy (Steve Hoover)
The most fascinating part of Steve Hoover‘s latest documentary Almost Holy is how its subject Gennadiy Mokhnenko parallels the life of well-known Russian cartoon Krokodil Gena. The latter deals with a lonely crocodile zoo worker named Gena and his friend Cheburashka: a young, abandoned creature rejected by the establishment employing him. The two therefore construct a home for the lonely as...
Almost Holy (Steve Hoover)
The most fascinating part of Steve Hoover‘s latest documentary Almost Holy is how its subject Gennadiy Mokhnenko parallels the life of well-known Russian cartoon Krokodil Gena. The latter deals with a lonely crocodile zoo worker named Gena and his friend Cheburashka: a young, abandoned creature rejected by the establishment employing him. The two therefore construct a home for the lonely as...
- 8/19/2016
- by The Film Stage
- The Film Stage
Steve Hoover’s portrait of Gennadiy Mokhnenko hints at a darker side to the pastor who runs a children’s orphanage in Ukraine
Charismatic and somewhat sinisterly convinced of his own inviolate righteousness, Pastor Gennadiy Mokhnenko runs the rehab centre-cum-orphanage Pilgrim in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol. Working outside what little law the town has in place, Mokhnenko scoops up drug-addicted and abused kids and gives them shelter, sometimes even legally adopting them as own.
This highly stylised documentary by Steve Hoover, years in the making, clearly wants viewers to accept him as a saint of sorts, hence the title, and there’s no doubt the shelter he offers victims is preferable to the atrocities they face beyond Pilgrim’s walls. But a telling scene where he gets worked up about the “criticism” of him on his Wikipedia page hints at a darker side to his character, and he doesn...
Charismatic and somewhat sinisterly convinced of his own inviolate righteousness, Pastor Gennadiy Mokhnenko runs the rehab centre-cum-orphanage Pilgrim in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol. Working outside what little law the town has in place, Mokhnenko scoops up drug-addicted and abused kids and gives them shelter, sometimes even legally adopting them as own.
This highly stylised documentary by Steve Hoover, years in the making, clearly wants viewers to accept him as a saint of sorts, hence the title, and there’s no doubt the shelter he offers victims is preferable to the atrocities they face beyond Pilgrim’s walls. But a telling scene where he gets worked up about the “criticism” of him on his Wikipedia page hints at a darker side to his character, and he doesn...
- 8/18/2016
- by Leslie Felperin
- The Guardian - Film News
In the early 2000s, amid political turmoil in the Ukraine, a pastor named Gennadiy Mokhnenko battled child homelessness and drug addiction using unorthodox methods. The controversial pastor abducted homeless children, many of whom suffered drug addiction, and forcibly brought them to Pilgrim Republic, a rehabilitation center he founded in the city of Mariupol. Relying on a mix of interviews and footage which tracks the self-appointed savior’s mission over fifteen years, Almost Holy is a complex portrait of a complex person. The film was directed by Steve Hoover, who directed the Sundance Grand Jury and Audience prize-winning Blood Brother, which also focused on a self-appointed savior […]...
- 5/20/2016
- by Paula Bernstein
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
The most fascinating part of Steve Hoover‘s latest documentary Almost Holy is how its subject Gennadiy Mokhnenko parallels the life of well-known Russian cartoon Krokodil Gena. The latter deals with a lonely crocodile zoo worker named Gena and his friend Cheburashka: a young, abandoned creature rejected by the establishment employing him. The two therefore construct a home for the lonely as a result so nobody will feel their pain again. This show is the only thing to come out of the former Soviet Union that Mokhnenko remembers fondly, his drive to clean Ukraine’s streets of drugs aligning with the promise of a European Union membership in direct opposition of everything the Ussr was. The kids he shelters call him Pastor Crocodile, the savior of Pilgrim House.
Hoover uses this parallel by interspersing his profile of Mokhnenko with relevant clips from the cartoon to soften the man’s edges.
Hoover uses this parallel by interspersing his profile of Mokhnenko with relevant clips from the cartoon to soften the man’s edges.
- 5/17/2016
- by Jared Mobarak
- The Film Stage
The summer has arrived — at least if you’re going by Hollywood’s calendar. Our comprehensive preview for all four months will give you a hint as to what we most anticipate — but, for a more in-depth look, today we have our first monthly feature of the season. It should be noted that theatrical re-releases of the Jean-Luc Godard classic Band of Outsiders and Eiichi Yamamoto‘s animation, Belladonna of Sadness, both arriving on May 6th, as well as Fritz Lang‘s Destiny (on May 20th), are essential.
Getting to the new features, perhaps our most-anticipated studio release of the entire summer arrives, along with some of our festival favorites from the last year. To those lamenting the lack of superhero films: we figured it was best not to waste the space, as they are certainly already on your radar if you’re planning to buy a ticket. Check out...
Getting to the new features, perhaps our most-anticipated studio release of the entire summer arrives, along with some of our festival favorites from the last year. To those lamenting the lack of superhero films: we figured it was best not to waste the space, as they are certainly already on your radar if you’re planning to buy a ticket. Check out...
- 5/2/2016
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Terrence Malick may not have made any new friends with this year’s "Knight Of Cups," but the fact remains that he is still a filmmaker whose name holds weight. If a deserving film reaches eyeballs solely on the strength of his name recognition, then we couldn’t be happier. Read More: The Curious Case Of Terrence Malick & The Worrying Cost Of Diminishing Returns Such is the case with "Almost Holy," for which Malick is on board as executive producer. Directed by Steve Hoover ("Blood Brother"), "Almost Holy" is the story about Gennadiy Mokhnenko, a Ukrainian pastor who has dedicated his life to rehabilitating drug-addicted children. Nicknamed “Pastor Crocodile,” he is also known on the streets of Mariupol as a vigilante who will do whatever it takes to carry out his mission. You can check out the trailer for the film below. Featuring original music co-performed by Atticus Ross ("The Social Network,...
- 4/27/2016
- by Ryan Oliver
- The Playlist
Unless there’s a surprise announcement, it looks like Cannes will once again be Terrence Malick-less, despite rumors that one of his upcoming features was going to premiere there. However, this summer, one of his executive-producing efforts, Almost Holy, a new documentary from Steve Hoover (Blood Brother), will see a release, and today the first trailer has landed.
Previously titled Crocodile Gennadiy, it follows a Ukrainian pastor, Gennadiy Mohknenko, who has stirred controversy in his attempt to fight child homelessness by abducting street kids to bring to his private rehabilitation center. As quoted on the poster, The Village Voice‘s Aaron Hillis called it “the best superhero vigilante movie of the year,” and Hoover’s picture — also produced by Nicolas Gonda and featuring a score from Atticus Ross — looks like a compelling watch.
Check out the trailer and poster below.
The fall of The Soviet Union left Ukraine in...
Previously titled Crocodile Gennadiy, it follows a Ukrainian pastor, Gennadiy Mohknenko, who has stirred controversy in his attempt to fight child homelessness by abducting street kids to bring to his private rehabilitation center. As quoted on the poster, The Village Voice‘s Aaron Hillis called it “the best superhero vigilante movie of the year,” and Hoover’s picture — also produced by Nicolas Gonda and featuring a score from Atticus Ross — looks like a compelling watch.
Check out the trailer and poster below.
The fall of The Soviet Union left Ukraine in...
- 4/19/2016
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
With a number of features in various states of production, 2016 may indeed be the year of Terrence Malick, but his directorial efforts aren’t the only projects that will soon see the light of day. This summer, one of his executive-producing efforts, Almost Holy, a new documentary from Steve Hoover (Blood Brother), will see a release, and we’re pleased to exclusively premiere the first poster.
Previously titled Crocodile Gennadiy, it follows a Ukrainian pastor, Gennadiy Mohknenko, who has stirred controversy in his attempt to fight child homelessness by abducting street kids to bring to his private rehabilitation center. As quoted on the poster, The Village Voice‘s Aaron Hillis called it “the best superhero vigilante movie of the year,” and Hoover’s picture — also produced by Nicolas Gonda and featuring a score from Atticus Ross — is certainly one we can’t wait to see.
Check out the poster and synopsis below,...
Previously titled Crocodile Gennadiy, it follows a Ukrainian pastor, Gennadiy Mohknenko, who has stirred controversy in his attempt to fight child homelessness by abducting street kids to bring to his private rehabilitation center. As quoted on the poster, The Village Voice‘s Aaron Hillis called it “the best superhero vigilante movie of the year,” and Hoover’s picture — also produced by Nicolas Gonda and featuring a score from Atticus Ross — is certainly one we can’t wait to see.
Check out the poster and synopsis below,...
- 3/16/2016
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
The 35th edition of Hawaii International Film Festival (Hiff) recently announced their Audience Award winners. Throughout the festival, ballots were distributed for the screenings of every eligible film. Audiences voted on their favorite narrative feature, documentary feature and short film.
The audience award for Best Narrative Feature went to "Kitarajanipon," a feature comprised of four short films directed by four leading Thai directors. Each film was inspired by the songs from His Majesty Bhumibol Adulyadej’s (also known as King Rama IX) royal songbook, which threads each film together into one feature presentation. "The Singers" directed by Nonzee Nimibutr, "Smiles" by Wallop Prasopphol, "Falling Rain" by Parkpoom Wongpoom, and "Star" by Yongyoot Thongkongtoon artfully reinterpret the profound meaning and philosophy behind the monarch’s songs.
The audience award for Best Documentary Feature went to"Tyrus," directed by Pamela Tom. The film tells the unlikely story of the 104-year old artist Tyrus Wong, reveals the significant impact Wong has made in the world of art and animation while telling the dramatic and little known story of Chinese Americans in the 20th century.
The audience award for Best Short Film went to "The Roots of ‘Ulu," directed by John Antonelli. The transports the viewer from the mythological origins of ‘ulu, to the Polynesian voyaging canoes that brought ‘ulu, or breadfruit, from Tahiti to Hawaii, illuminating its important role in cultural preservation and food sustainability for Hawaii's future.
Hiff Executive Director Robert Lambeth highlights, "The diversity of the HIFF35 Audience Award winners presented by Hawaii News Now show that our audiences truly have international tastes and that the power of cinema is universal."
Earlier in the festival, during the Awards Gala, Hiff honored actress Ryoko Hirosue with the Career Achievement Award. She is best known for her role in the Luc Besson produced "Wasabi" co-starring Jean Reno and "Departures," the winner of an Oscar® for Best Foreign Language Film. Hiff premiered her latest film, "Hana's Miso Soup." Actor Tadanobu Asano was honored with the Maverick Award for his bold performances in seminal films and cult classics, such as "Ichi the Killer," "Bright Future," "Last Life in the Universe" and more recently "Journey to the Shore," working with the top directors around the world for over twenty years. Actor Ha Jung Woo, from South Korea, was honored with the Renaissance Award for his profound career as an actor ("The Chaser," "Assassination"), also as a director ("Fasten Your Seatbelt") and as a painter. Known to attract both critical acclaim and commercial success, Ha quickly became the most in-demand leading actor of his generation in Korean cinema.
Also presented during the Gala were the Halekulani Golden Orchid awards for Best Narrative Feature to director Shin Su-won (South Korea) for the film, "Madonna;" Best Documentary Feature Award to "Crocodile Gennadiy," directed by Steve Hoover; and Best Short Film Award to "Ahi Ka," directed by Richard Curtis (New Zealand). "The Kids" (Taiwan 2015), by Sunny Yu was presented with the Netpac award for Best Asian Film from an Emerging Filmmaker this past weekend.
The audience award for Best Narrative Feature went to "Kitarajanipon," a feature comprised of four short films directed by four leading Thai directors. Each film was inspired by the songs from His Majesty Bhumibol Adulyadej’s (also known as King Rama IX) royal songbook, which threads each film together into one feature presentation. "The Singers" directed by Nonzee Nimibutr, "Smiles" by Wallop Prasopphol, "Falling Rain" by Parkpoom Wongpoom, and "Star" by Yongyoot Thongkongtoon artfully reinterpret the profound meaning and philosophy behind the monarch’s songs.
The audience award for Best Documentary Feature went to"Tyrus," directed by Pamela Tom. The film tells the unlikely story of the 104-year old artist Tyrus Wong, reveals the significant impact Wong has made in the world of art and animation while telling the dramatic and little known story of Chinese Americans in the 20th century.
The audience award for Best Short Film went to "The Roots of ‘Ulu," directed by John Antonelli. The transports the viewer from the mythological origins of ‘ulu, to the Polynesian voyaging canoes that brought ‘ulu, or breadfruit, from Tahiti to Hawaii, illuminating its important role in cultural preservation and food sustainability for Hawaii's future.
Hiff Executive Director Robert Lambeth highlights, "The diversity of the HIFF35 Audience Award winners presented by Hawaii News Now show that our audiences truly have international tastes and that the power of cinema is universal."
Earlier in the festival, during the Awards Gala, Hiff honored actress Ryoko Hirosue with the Career Achievement Award. She is best known for her role in the Luc Besson produced "Wasabi" co-starring Jean Reno and "Departures," the winner of an Oscar® for Best Foreign Language Film. Hiff premiered her latest film, "Hana's Miso Soup." Actor Tadanobu Asano was honored with the Maverick Award for his bold performances in seminal films and cult classics, such as "Ichi the Killer," "Bright Future," "Last Life in the Universe" and more recently "Journey to the Shore," working with the top directors around the world for over twenty years. Actor Ha Jung Woo, from South Korea, was honored with the Renaissance Award for his profound career as an actor ("The Chaser," "Assassination"), also as a director ("Fasten Your Seatbelt") and as a painter. Known to attract both critical acclaim and commercial success, Ha quickly became the most in-demand leading actor of his generation in Korean cinema.
Also presented during the Gala were the Halekulani Golden Orchid awards for Best Narrative Feature to director Shin Su-won (South Korea) for the film, "Madonna;" Best Documentary Feature Award to "Crocodile Gennadiy," directed by Steve Hoover; and Best Short Film Award to "Ahi Ka," directed by Richard Curtis (New Zealand). "The Kids" (Taiwan 2015), by Sunny Yu was presented with the Netpac award for Best Asian Film from an Emerging Filmmaker this past weekend.
- 12/1/2015
- by Peter Belsito
- Sydney's Buzz
Festival runs in St Petersburg and Moscow from Dec 9-16.
Nicola Bellucci’s Grozny Blues (Switzerland) [pictured], Elwira Niewiera and Piotr Rosolowski’s Domino Effect (Poland/Germany) and Rodion Brodsky’s 7 Days In St Petersburg (Israel) are among the first titles confirmed for the Competition line-up at this year’s ArtDocFest in St Petersburg and Moscow (Dec 9-16).
The selection which covers Russian films, films about Russia or those made in the Russian language, also includes Jaak Kilmi and Arbo Tammiksaar’s Christ Lives In Siberia (Estonia/Finland), Chad Gracia’s The Russian Woodpecker (Us), Ivette Löcker’s Wenn es blendet, öffne die Augen (Austria), and Steve Hoover’s Crocodile Gennadiy (Us).
A selection of ArtDocFest’s 2015 programme was presented during October’s Riga International Film Festival - with such films as Grozny Blues and Domino Effect - by ArtDocFest’s director Vitaly Mansky, who was at Dok Leipzig last week for the world premiere of his latest...
Nicola Bellucci’s Grozny Blues (Switzerland) [pictured], Elwira Niewiera and Piotr Rosolowski’s Domino Effect (Poland/Germany) and Rodion Brodsky’s 7 Days In St Petersburg (Israel) are among the first titles confirmed for the Competition line-up at this year’s ArtDocFest in St Petersburg and Moscow (Dec 9-16).
The selection which covers Russian films, films about Russia or those made in the Russian language, also includes Jaak Kilmi and Arbo Tammiksaar’s Christ Lives In Siberia (Estonia/Finland), Chad Gracia’s The Russian Woodpecker (Us), Ivette Löcker’s Wenn es blendet, öffne die Augen (Austria), and Steve Hoover’s Crocodile Gennadiy (Us).
A selection of ArtDocFest’s 2015 programme was presented during October’s Riga International Film Festival - with such films as Grozny Blues and Domino Effect - by ArtDocFest’s director Vitaly Mansky, who was at Dok Leipzig last week for the world premiere of his latest...
- 11/2/2015
- by screen.berlin@googlemail.com (Martin Blaney)
- ScreenDaily
The ‘Pilgrim Republic Children’s Rehab Center’ founded in the year 2000 by Pastor ‘Crocodile’ Gennadiy Mohnkenko in Mariupol, Ukraine, assists homeless adolescents, who many times are escaping abusive family lives, and are now living on the streets under manhole covers. The organization is at the center of Steve Hoover's documentary "Crocodile Gennadiy."
Engaging in risky behaviors such as drug and alcohol abuse and theft, Pastor Gennadiy helps the children transition to safe homes and orphanages, and schools where they can learn computer skills, and engage in sports activities. Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing, was a nurse manager (to the nurses she trained), that assisted injured soldiers during the Crimean War, therefore, I will refer to Pastor ‘Crocodile” Gennadiy Mohnkenko, as a modern day Florence Nightingale.
Pastor Gennadiy believes that
‘It is not the homeless children’s fault, but their misfortune.’
‘Child Protective Services did not help the children, therefore, someone had to.’
With all the progress the Pastor made, Mariupol, Ukraine is not devoid from the political unrest in the surrounding areas. The film discusses the current situation in Crimea, and captures in depth clips from the protests and uprisings.
‘The Pilgrim Republic’ travels the world to find inspiring ministries that care for orphans and vulnerable children. They give them what they need to keep their doors open and better the lives of the children they serve. Their goal is to find orphans, no matter where they are, and make sure they are provided the loving care they deserve.”
For more info on ‘The Pilgrim Republic’ visit Here...
Engaging in risky behaviors such as drug and alcohol abuse and theft, Pastor Gennadiy helps the children transition to safe homes and orphanages, and schools where they can learn computer skills, and engage in sports activities. Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing, was a nurse manager (to the nurses she trained), that assisted injured soldiers during the Crimean War, therefore, I will refer to Pastor ‘Crocodile” Gennadiy Mohnkenko, as a modern day Florence Nightingale.
Pastor Gennadiy believes that
‘It is not the homeless children’s fault, but their misfortune.’
‘Child Protective Services did not help the children, therefore, someone had to.’
With all the progress the Pastor made, Mariupol, Ukraine is not devoid from the political unrest in the surrounding areas. The film discusses the current situation in Crimea, and captures in depth clips from the protests and uprisings.
‘The Pilgrim Republic’ travels the world to find inspiring ministries that care for orphans and vulnerable children. They give them what they need to keep their doors open and better the lives of the children they serve. Their goal is to find orphans, no matter where they are, and make sure they are provided the loving care they deserve.”
For more info on ‘The Pilgrim Republic’ visit Here...
- 4/28/2015
- by Sharon Abella
- Sydney's Buzz
Read More: Exclusive: The Orchard Acquires North American Rights to Sebastian Silva's 'Nasty Baby,' Starring Kristen Wiig Following its recent premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival, The Orchard has acquired the North American rights to director Steve Hoover's critically acclaimed documentary "Crocodile Gennadiy." Terrence Malick and Nicholas Gonda serve as executive producers while Atticus Ross, Academy Award winner for his score for "The Social Network," composed the film. "I could not be more excited to be teaming up with The Orchard. Their passion and vision for this film felt like the perfect strategy to bring it to audiences," said Hoover. "It's been an amazing ride so far with such a great and supportive team on board; I'm thrilled to be moving forward." Hoover's first film, "Blood Brother," won Sundance's Audience and Grand Jury Awards for Best Documentary in 2013. "Crocodile Gennadiy" follows the...
- 4/21/2015
- by Travis Clark
- Indiewire
Despite the Tribeca Film Fest only being at the halfway mark it would appear that we have already have a critical darling and front-runner among the doc selections with Steve Hoover’s sophomore doc leading the charge. Much like how they looted Sundance, and walked away with the top doc of that fest in Cartel Land, The Orchard folks now have the much buzzed about Crocodile Gennadiy in their future line-up. Offering back to back heart-warming and heart-wrenching portraits, Hoover (who we met less than two years back) who saw his Blood Brother win both the Audience and Grand Jury Award for Best Documentary at the 2013 edition of the Sundance Film Festival looks poised to make a mark on the docu film world yet again.
Gist: Gennadiy Mokhnenko has made a name for himself by forcibly abducting homeless drug-addicted kids from the streets of Mariupol, Ukraine. As his country leans towards a European Union inclusion,...
Gist: Gennadiy Mokhnenko has made a name for himself by forcibly abducting homeless drug-addicted kids from the streets of Mariupol, Ukraine. As his country leans towards a European Union inclusion,...
- 4/21/2015
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
Exclusive: Following its premiere at Tribeca, the Animal Media Group documentary Crocodile Gennadiy has been acquired by The Orchard, which picked up North American rights to the Steve Hoover-directed film. Pic is about Gennadiy Mokhnenko, a controversial pastor who made a name for himself by forcibly removing homeless drug-addicted kids from the streets of Mariupol, Ukraine and housing them in his own self-styled rehab facility. Pic is produced by Danny Yourd, and…...
- 4/20/2015
- Deadline
Steve Hoover’s documentary received its world premiere at Tribeca on April 16.
Crocodile Gennadiy follows the work of Gennadiy Mokhnenko, a pastor who forcibly abducts homeless children from the streets of Mariupol in Ukraine and brings them to his Pilgrim Republic rehab centre.
Terrence Malick and Nicholas Gonda are among the executive producers. See Screendaily’s interview with Hoover here.
The Orchard brokered the deal with Preferred Content. Roco Films handles international sales.
Crocodile Gennadiy follows the work of Gennadiy Mokhnenko, a pastor who forcibly abducts homeless children from the streets of Mariupol in Ukraine and brings them to his Pilgrim Republic rehab centre.
Terrence Malick and Nicholas Gonda are among the executive producers. See Screendaily’s interview with Hoover here.
The Orchard brokered the deal with Preferred Content. Roco Films handles international sales.
- 4/20/2015
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Soviet Nostalgia: Hoover’s Complex Portrait of a Ukrainian Vigilante Pastor Opens Cultural Can of Worms
Steve Hoover’s sophomore feature opens on a Ukrainian industrial landscape overlayed with the following quote from My First Fee by Isaac Babel, a Russian author whose futile death came at the hands of the Soviet secret police: “A well thought out story doesn’t need to resemble real life. Life itself tries with all its might to resemble a well-crafted story.” Out of context, it merely foreshadows the high tension tale to follow, yet knowing Babel’s fate – which isn’t mentioned in the film – brings greater depth to the Ukrainian/Russian situation that snowballs throughout. In Crocodile Gennadiy, what begins as an astounding, morally murky portrait of a man subverting inert government organizations to rescue abused children morphs into a something more akin to a unraveling sketch of a man clutching his overflowing family,...
Steve Hoover’s sophomore feature opens on a Ukrainian industrial landscape overlayed with the following quote from My First Fee by Isaac Babel, a Russian author whose futile death came at the hands of the Soviet secret police: “A well thought out story doesn’t need to resemble real life. Life itself tries with all its might to resemble a well-crafted story.” Out of context, it merely foreshadows the high tension tale to follow, yet knowing Babel’s fate – which isn’t mentioned in the film – brings greater depth to the Ukrainian/Russian situation that snowballs throughout. In Crocodile Gennadiy, what begins as an astounding, morally murky portrait of a man subverting inert government organizations to rescue abused children morphs into a something more akin to a unraveling sketch of a man clutching his overflowing family,...
- 4/20/2015
- by Jordan M. Smith
- IONCINEMA.com
Meet the 2015 Tribeca Filmmakers #43: Man Takes Homeless Kids Under His Wing in 'Crocodile Gennadiy'
Read More: Meet the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival Filmmakers "Crocodile Gennadiy" is the second film from director Steve Hoover, who won the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award for his doc "Blood Brother" at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival. Hoover's second feature tells the story of a man called Crodocile Gennadiy, who works to help homeless, drug-addicted young people on the streets of Mariupol, Ukraine. Bravely, Gennadiy also challenges the city's dealers and abusers, and although he meets with resistance, Gennadiy is steadfast in continuing his work. Although the crew dealt with turbulence while filming in Ukraine, they managed to craft a powerful film about moral ambiguity and civic responsibilities. What's your film about in 140 characters or less? Gennadiy, a pastor from Mariupol Ukraine, who's known for abducting homeless kids from the streets of his city. Now what's it Really about? Moral ambiguity, vigilantism, drugs, alcohol, systemic...
- 4/17/2015
- by Anya Jaremko-Greenwold
- Indiewire
Read More: 5 Observations About the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival Lineup Documentaries that chronicle a foreign country's social issues occasionally come across as "poverty porn" to many Western viewers, but that label thankfully doesn't apply to Steve Hoover's "Crocodile Gennadiy," which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. Executive produced by Terrence Malick, the movie has little in common with his work, though it similarly offers an uplifting worldview. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, most of Ukraine's social institutions crumbled under corrupt governments and a decaying infrastructure. Many of the nation's youth succumbed to drug addiction and alcoholism while losing their homes. After watching these issues for more than a decade, a Mariupol pastor named Gennadiy Mokhenko took matters into his own hands, forcibly removing children from the streets or unsuitable homes and taking them to his rehab and housing facility, Pilgrim Republic. The film...
- 4/17/2015
- by Casey Cipriani
- Indiewire
Andrew Renzi‘s directorial debut about a third wheel starring Richard Gere, Dakota Fanning and Theo James, Reed Morano‘s relationship testing drama featuring Olivia Wilde and Luke Wilson, Onur Tukel‘s secret unleashed on the airwaves and Gregory Kohn‘s hallucinatory tale with Eléonore Hendricks topling are part of the American independent offerings at the 14th Tribeca Film Festival. Renzi’s Franny and Morano’s Meadowland will be competing in the dozen selected in the World Narrative Competition while Tukel’s Applesauce and Kohn’s Come Down Molly are among the in the Viewpoints sidebar. Here are the selected titles below sans synopsis.
World Narrative Feature Competition (12)
The Adderall Diaries, directed and written by Pamela Romanowsky. (USA) – World Premiere.
Bridgend, directed by Jeppe Rønde, co-written by Jeppe Rønde, Torben Bech, and Peter Asmussen. (Denmark) – North American Premiere.
Dixieland, directed and written by Hank Bedford. (USA) – World Premiere
Franny, directed and written by Andrew Renzi.
World Narrative Feature Competition (12)
The Adderall Diaries, directed and written by Pamela Romanowsky. (USA) – World Premiere.
Bridgend, directed by Jeppe Rønde, co-written by Jeppe Rønde, Torben Bech, and Peter Asmussen. (Denmark) – North American Premiere.
Dixieland, directed and written by Hank Bedford. (USA) – World Premiere
Franny, directed and written by Andrew Renzi.
- 3/3/2015
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
Top brass at the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival (Tff) presented by At&T have announced the World Narrative and Documentary Competition and Viewpoints selections.
Organisers also said that At&T’s Film For All Friday will return with free screenings on April 24. The festival is set to run in New York City from April 15-26 and the festival hub is Spring Studios.
Tuesday’s announcement covers 51 films out of a total 97 features at the upcoming 14th edition. As previously announced, Tribeca will open with the documentary Live From New York!
The line-up includes world premieres of Andrew Renzi’s Franny starring Richard Gere, Pamela Romanowsky’s The Adderall Diaries with James Franco, Amber Heard, Ed Harris and Cynthia Nixon and documentaries In My Father’s House by Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg and In Transit from Albert Maysles and four co-directors.
Thirty of the festival’s feature film directors are women –the highest percentage in Tribeca history. Nine of...
Organisers also said that At&T’s Film For All Friday will return with free screenings on April 24. The festival is set to run in New York City from April 15-26 and the festival hub is Spring Studios.
Tuesday’s announcement covers 51 films out of a total 97 features at the upcoming 14th edition. As previously announced, Tribeca will open with the documentary Live From New York!
The line-up includes world premieres of Andrew Renzi’s Franny starring Richard Gere, Pamela Romanowsky’s The Adderall Diaries with James Franco, Amber Heard, Ed Harris and Cynthia Nixon and documentaries In My Father’s House by Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg and In Transit from Albert Maysles and four co-directors.
Thirty of the festival’s feature film directors are women –the highest percentage in Tribeca history. Nine of...
- 3/3/2015
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Now that the busy winter fest schedule of Sundance, Rotterdam and the Berlinale has concluded, we’ve now got our eyes on the likes of True/False and SXSW. While, True/False does not specialize in attention grabbing world premieres, it does provide a late winter haven for cream of the crop non-fiction fare from all the previously mentioned fests and a selection of overlooked genre blending films presented in a down home setting. This year will mark my first trip to the Columbia, Missouri based fest, where I hope to catch a little of everything, from their hush-hush secret screenings, to selections from their Neither/Nor series, this year featuring chimeric Polish cinema of decades past, to a spotlight of Adam Curtis’s incisive oeuvre. But truth be told, it is SXSW, with its slew of high profile world premieres being announced, such as Alex Gibney’s Steve Jobs...
- 2/27/2015
- by Jordan M. Smith
- IONCINEMA.com
The holidays are winding down and that means we at Ioncinema.com are gearing up for our annual pilgrimage to Park City where an A-list of documentaries is now set to premiere. Earlier this month Tabitha Jackson and the Sundance doc programming team let the cats out of the bag, unsurprisingly announcing much anticipated Us Doc Competition titles such as the Ross Brothers’ Western, Louie Psihoyos’ Racing Extinction, Marc Silver’s 3 1/2 Minutes and Lyric Cabral and David Felix Sutcliffe’s (T)Error, along with some surprises like Bryan Carberry and Clay Tweel’s bizarro Kickstarted doc Finders Keepers (see trailer below). Having been produced by the fine folks behind The King of Kong and Undefeated, the film bears all the markings of its well regarded pedigree, yet appears to be of even odder ilk, following the story that unfolded when a severed human foot was discovered in a grill bought at a North Carolina auction.
- 12/30/2014
- by Jordan M. Smith
- IONCINEMA.com
Turkey or no turkey, these next couple of days lucky filmmakers who’ve been selected to screen as part of the Sundance Film Festival will get the invitation notice straight from John Cooper and the Park City programming team, and thus, those that we’re betting have made the cut have also inched up the list a bit. One of those that seem an obvious choice to premiere at the fest is director Steve Hoover and producer Danny Yourd’s Crocodile Gennadiy. Following up their Grand Jury Prize winning Blood Brother with incredible turnaround time, our new most anticipated film tracks the delicate operations of Gennadiy Mokhnenko, a Ukrainian activist, orphanage manager and savior of countless children whose addict parents favor injected cold medicine and alcohol over them. Part heartwrenching domestic drama, part sleuth thriller, the film looks to use the Ukrainian uprising as a backdrop to highlight its protagonist...
- 11/27/2014
- by Jordan M. Smith
- IONCINEMA.com
They often get quite a bit less attention than their fictional brethren, and it doesn’t help that many films fly under the radar while development and filming is underway. To chart this course with a little more precision, I’m launching Ioncinema.com’s latest feature, What’s Up Doc?, our monthly Top 50 Most Anticipated films, a sort of hitlist and/or snapshot of the most alluring, the most promising documentary film projects from the established documentarian guard, the new crop of future voices or the fiction filmmakers who on occasion dip their toes in the form. Curated by me, Jordan M. Smith, you’ll find docu items that are in their beginning stages to being moments away from their film festival berth. Like any such list, we can expect film items to fluctuate in ranking, with the cut-off being publicly items — such recent examples include Laura Poitras’s white hot Edward Snowden project,...
- 10/23/2014
- by Jordan M. Smith
- IONCINEMA.com
Ifp announced its 2014 slate of 133 new films in development and works in progress selected for its esteemed Project Forum at Independent Film Week. This one-of-a-kind event brings the international film and media community to New York City to advance new projects by nurturing the work of both emerging and established independent artists and filmmakers. Through the Project Forum, creatives connect with financiers, executives, influencers and decision-makers in film, television, new media and cross-platform storytelling that can help them complete their latest works and connect with audiences. Under the curatorial leadership of Deputy Director/Head of Programming Amy Dotson & Senior Director of Programming Milton Tabbot, this one-of-a-kind event takes place September 14-18, 2014 at Lincoln Center supporting bold new content from a wide variety of domestic and international artists.
“As we set to embark on our 36th Independent Film Week, we are impressed by the outstanding slate of both U.S. and international projects selected for this year’s Project Forum,” said Joana Vicente, Executive Director of Ifp. “We know that the industry will be as excited as we are with the accomplished storytellers and their diverse and boundary pushing films.”
Featured works at the 2014 Independent Film Week include filmmakers and content creators from a variety of backgrounds and experiences. From documentarians Tony Gerber ("Full Battle Rattle"), Pamela Yates ("Granito: How To Nail A Dictator"), and Penny Lane ("Our Nixon") to Michelangelo Frammartino ("Quattro Volte") and Alexis Dos Santos ("Unmade Beds"), as well as new work from critically acclaimed artists and directors Aurora Guerrero ("Mosquita y Mari"), Barry Jenkins ("Medicine for Melancholy"), Travis Matthews ("Interior. Leather. Bar") and Yen Tan ("Pit Stop").
Independent Film Week brings the international film and media community to New York City to advance new documentary and narrative works-in-progress and support the future of storytelling. The program nurtures the work of both emerging and established independent artists and filmmakers through the facilitation of over 3,500+ custom, one-to-one meetings with the financiers, executives, influencers and decision-makers in film, television, new media and cross-platform storytelling that can help them complete their latest works and connect with audiences. In recent years, it has also played a vital role in launching the first films of many of today’s rising stars on the independent scene including Rama Burshtein ("Fill The Void"), Derek Cianfrance ("Blue Valentine"), Marshall Curry ("If A Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth LIberation Front"), Laura Poitras ("The Oath"), Denis Villeneuve ("Incendies") and Benh Zeitlin ("Beasts of the Southern Wild").
For the full 2014 Project Forum slate visit Here
New For 2014
Evenly split between documentary and narrative features, selected projects hail from throughout the U.S., Europe and Canada, as well Africa, Asia, South America, and the Middle East. New this year, Ifp will be including web series in it programming, as well as spotlighting Latin & Central American artists and content with 15 projects featured across all programs in the Forum.
In a joint effort to recognize the importance of career and creative sustainability, Ifp and Durga Entertainment have partnered on a new $20,000 filmmaker grant for an alumnus of Ifp. The grant is intended for active, working filmmakers who are also balancing a filmmaking career with parenting. The grant provides a $20,000 unrestricted prize to encourage the recipient to continue on her or his career path of making quality independent films. American directors or screenwriters working in narrative film who have participated in the Ifp Filmmaker Labs or Ifp Independent Film Week's Emerging Storytellers or No-Borders International Co-Production market are encouraged to apply by the deadline of August 8, 2014.
Narrative Feature Highlights
Narrative features and webseries in Rbc’s Emerging Storytellers and No Borders International Co-Production Market sections highlight new work from top emerging and established creative visionaries on the U.S. and international independent scene.
This year’s slate includes new feature scripts featuring directors Dev Benegal ("Road, Movie"), Alexis Dos Santos ("Unmade Beds"), Jason Cortlund and Julia Halperin ("Now, Forager"), Michelangelo Frammartino ("Le Quattro Volte"),Terry George ("Hotel Rwanda"), Rashaad Ernesto Green ("Gun Hill Road"), Aurora Guerrero ("Mosquita Y Mari"), Barry Jenkins ("Medicine for Melancholy"),Alison Klayman ("Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry"), Travis Mathews ("Interior. Leather Bar"), Stacie Passon ("Concussion"), Yen Tan ("Pit Stop"), as well as up-an-coming actor/directors Karrie Crouse ("Land Ho!") and Peter Vack ("Fort Tilden""I Believe in Unicorns").
Producers and executive producers of note attached to participating projects include Jennifer Dubin and Cora Olson ("Good Dick"), Jonathan Duffy and Kelly Williams ("Hellion"),Laura Heberton ("Gayby"), Dan Janvey ("Beasts of the Southern Wild"), Kishori Rajan ("Gimme the Loot"), Adele Romanski ("The Myth of the American Sleepover"), Kim Sherman ("A Teacher"), Susan Stover ("High Art"), and Alicia Van Couvering ("Tiny Furniture").
Web Storytellers Highlights
For the first time this year, Ifp presents a dedicated spotlight within the Rbc’s Emerging Storytellers program for creators developing episodic content for digital platforms. The inaugural slate for the Web Storytellers spotlight includes new works from filmmakers Desiree Akhavan ("Appropriate Behavior", HBO’s Girls), Calvin Reeder ("The Rambler"), and Gregory Bayne ("Person of Interest"), as well as producers Elisabeth Holm ("Obvious Child"), Susan Leber ( "Down to the Bone"), and Amanda Warman ("The Outs,"Whatever This Is"). Two of the series participating are currently in post-production, and will be making their online debut in the coming months – Rachel Morgan’s Middle Americans, starring Scott Thompson, Carlen Altman, and Alex Rennie, and Daniel Zimbler and Elisabeth Gray’s Understudies, starring Richard Kind and David Rasche. [p Spotlight On Documentaries Highlights
The documentary selection includes new work from seasoned non-fiction directors such as Emmy winners Robert Bahar andAlmudena Carracedo ("Made in La"), Pamela Yates ("Granito: How to Nail a Dictator"),Ramona Diaz ("Imelda," "Don’t Stop Believin’") Gini Reticker ("Pray the Devil Back to Hell") Tony Gerber ("Full Battle Rattle"); from producers such as Court 13’s Benh Zeitlin and Dan Janvey ("Beasts of the Southern Wild"), Liran Atzmor ("The Law in These Parts"), Tim Williams ("Once In A Lifetime") and Hilla Medalia ("Web Junkie"), and follow-up second features from recent doc world “breakouts”Steve Hoover ("Blood Brother") Penny Lane ("Our Nixon"), Michael Collins ("Give Up Tomorrow"), and Michael Nichols and Christopher Walker ("Flex is Kings").
Exciting new work from debut documentary directors previously known for fiction films include Alex Sichel ("All over Me") with her personal doc The Movie about Anna, Lisa Cortés (producer, "Precious") with "Mothership: The Untold Story of Women and Hip Hop," and Daniel Patrick Carbone ("Hide Your Smiling Faces") with Phantom Cowboys.
Sponsors
Independent Film Week’s Premier sponsors are Royal Bank of Canada (Rbc) and HBO. Gold sponsors are A&E IndieFilms and SAGIndie. Silver sponsors are Durga Entertainment, Eastman Kodak Company, National Film & Video Foundation of South Africa and Telefilm Canada. Official Independent Film Week Partner is Film Society of Lincoln Center. Independent Film Week is supported, in part, by funds provided by the Ford Foundation, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, New York State Council for the Arts and Time Warner Foundation.
About Ifp
The Independent Filmmaker Project (Ifp) champions the future of storytelling by connecting artists with essential resources at all stages of development and distribution. The organization fosters a vibrant and sustainable independent storytelling community through its year-round programs, which include Independent Film Week, Filmmaker Magazine, the Gotham Independent Film Awards and the Made in NY Media Center by Ifp, a new incubator space developed with the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment. Ifp represents a growing network of 10,000 storytellers around the world, and plays a key role in developing 350 new feature and documentary works each year. During its 35-year history, Ifp has supported over 8,000 projects and offered resources to more than 20,000 filmmakers, including Debra Granik, Miranda July, Michael Moore, Dee Rees, and Benh Zeitlin. More info at www.ifp.org.
“As we set to embark on our 36th Independent Film Week, we are impressed by the outstanding slate of both U.S. and international projects selected for this year’s Project Forum,” said Joana Vicente, Executive Director of Ifp. “We know that the industry will be as excited as we are with the accomplished storytellers and their diverse and boundary pushing films.”
Featured works at the 2014 Independent Film Week include filmmakers and content creators from a variety of backgrounds and experiences. From documentarians Tony Gerber ("Full Battle Rattle"), Pamela Yates ("Granito: How To Nail A Dictator"), and Penny Lane ("Our Nixon") to Michelangelo Frammartino ("Quattro Volte") and Alexis Dos Santos ("Unmade Beds"), as well as new work from critically acclaimed artists and directors Aurora Guerrero ("Mosquita y Mari"), Barry Jenkins ("Medicine for Melancholy"), Travis Matthews ("Interior. Leather. Bar") and Yen Tan ("Pit Stop").
Independent Film Week brings the international film and media community to New York City to advance new documentary and narrative works-in-progress and support the future of storytelling. The program nurtures the work of both emerging and established independent artists and filmmakers through the facilitation of over 3,500+ custom, one-to-one meetings with the financiers, executives, influencers and decision-makers in film, television, new media and cross-platform storytelling that can help them complete their latest works and connect with audiences. In recent years, it has also played a vital role in launching the first films of many of today’s rising stars on the independent scene including Rama Burshtein ("Fill The Void"), Derek Cianfrance ("Blue Valentine"), Marshall Curry ("If A Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth LIberation Front"), Laura Poitras ("The Oath"), Denis Villeneuve ("Incendies") and Benh Zeitlin ("Beasts of the Southern Wild").
For the full 2014 Project Forum slate visit Here
New For 2014
Evenly split between documentary and narrative features, selected projects hail from throughout the U.S., Europe and Canada, as well Africa, Asia, South America, and the Middle East. New this year, Ifp will be including web series in it programming, as well as spotlighting Latin & Central American artists and content with 15 projects featured across all programs in the Forum.
In a joint effort to recognize the importance of career and creative sustainability, Ifp and Durga Entertainment have partnered on a new $20,000 filmmaker grant for an alumnus of Ifp. The grant is intended for active, working filmmakers who are also balancing a filmmaking career with parenting. The grant provides a $20,000 unrestricted prize to encourage the recipient to continue on her or his career path of making quality independent films. American directors or screenwriters working in narrative film who have participated in the Ifp Filmmaker Labs or Ifp Independent Film Week's Emerging Storytellers or No-Borders International Co-Production market are encouraged to apply by the deadline of August 8, 2014.
Narrative Feature Highlights
Narrative features and webseries in Rbc’s Emerging Storytellers and No Borders International Co-Production Market sections highlight new work from top emerging and established creative visionaries on the U.S. and international independent scene.
This year’s slate includes new feature scripts featuring directors Dev Benegal ("Road, Movie"), Alexis Dos Santos ("Unmade Beds"), Jason Cortlund and Julia Halperin ("Now, Forager"), Michelangelo Frammartino ("Le Quattro Volte"),Terry George ("Hotel Rwanda"), Rashaad Ernesto Green ("Gun Hill Road"), Aurora Guerrero ("Mosquita Y Mari"), Barry Jenkins ("Medicine for Melancholy"),Alison Klayman ("Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry"), Travis Mathews ("Interior. Leather Bar"), Stacie Passon ("Concussion"), Yen Tan ("Pit Stop"), as well as up-an-coming actor/directors Karrie Crouse ("Land Ho!") and Peter Vack ("Fort Tilden""I Believe in Unicorns").
Producers and executive producers of note attached to participating projects include Jennifer Dubin and Cora Olson ("Good Dick"), Jonathan Duffy and Kelly Williams ("Hellion"),Laura Heberton ("Gayby"), Dan Janvey ("Beasts of the Southern Wild"), Kishori Rajan ("Gimme the Loot"), Adele Romanski ("The Myth of the American Sleepover"), Kim Sherman ("A Teacher"), Susan Stover ("High Art"), and Alicia Van Couvering ("Tiny Furniture").
Web Storytellers Highlights
For the first time this year, Ifp presents a dedicated spotlight within the Rbc’s Emerging Storytellers program for creators developing episodic content for digital platforms. The inaugural slate for the Web Storytellers spotlight includes new works from filmmakers Desiree Akhavan ("Appropriate Behavior", HBO’s Girls), Calvin Reeder ("The Rambler"), and Gregory Bayne ("Person of Interest"), as well as producers Elisabeth Holm ("Obvious Child"), Susan Leber ( "Down to the Bone"), and Amanda Warman ("The Outs,"Whatever This Is"). Two of the series participating are currently in post-production, and will be making their online debut in the coming months – Rachel Morgan’s Middle Americans, starring Scott Thompson, Carlen Altman, and Alex Rennie, and Daniel Zimbler and Elisabeth Gray’s Understudies, starring Richard Kind and David Rasche. [p Spotlight On Documentaries Highlights
The documentary selection includes new work from seasoned non-fiction directors such as Emmy winners Robert Bahar andAlmudena Carracedo ("Made in La"), Pamela Yates ("Granito: How to Nail a Dictator"),Ramona Diaz ("Imelda," "Don’t Stop Believin’") Gini Reticker ("Pray the Devil Back to Hell") Tony Gerber ("Full Battle Rattle"); from producers such as Court 13’s Benh Zeitlin and Dan Janvey ("Beasts of the Southern Wild"), Liran Atzmor ("The Law in These Parts"), Tim Williams ("Once In A Lifetime") and Hilla Medalia ("Web Junkie"), and follow-up second features from recent doc world “breakouts”Steve Hoover ("Blood Brother") Penny Lane ("Our Nixon"), Michael Collins ("Give Up Tomorrow"), and Michael Nichols and Christopher Walker ("Flex is Kings").
Exciting new work from debut documentary directors previously known for fiction films include Alex Sichel ("All over Me") with her personal doc The Movie about Anna, Lisa Cortés (producer, "Precious") with "Mothership: The Untold Story of Women and Hip Hop," and Daniel Patrick Carbone ("Hide Your Smiling Faces") with Phantom Cowboys.
Sponsors
Independent Film Week’s Premier sponsors are Royal Bank of Canada (Rbc) and HBO. Gold sponsors are A&E IndieFilms and SAGIndie. Silver sponsors are Durga Entertainment, Eastman Kodak Company, National Film & Video Foundation of South Africa and Telefilm Canada. Official Independent Film Week Partner is Film Society of Lincoln Center. Independent Film Week is supported, in part, by funds provided by the Ford Foundation, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, New York State Council for the Arts and Time Warner Foundation.
About Ifp
The Independent Filmmaker Project (Ifp) champions the future of storytelling by connecting artists with essential resources at all stages of development and distribution. The organization fosters a vibrant and sustainable independent storytelling community through its year-round programs, which include Independent Film Week, Filmmaker Magazine, the Gotham Independent Film Awards and the Made in NY Media Center by Ifp, a new incubator space developed with the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment. Ifp represents a growing network of 10,000 storytellers around the world, and plays a key role in developing 350 new feature and documentary works each year. During its 35-year history, Ifp has supported over 8,000 projects and offered resources to more than 20,000 filmmakers, including Debra Granik, Miranda July, Michael Moore, Dee Rees, and Benh Zeitlin. More info at www.ifp.org.
- 7/25/2014
- by Peter Belsito
- Sydney's Buzz
On the heels of the 39th edition of the Toronto Int. Film Festival (Sept 4-14), Ifp’s Independent Film Week is where a plethora of fiction, non-fiction and new this year, web-based series from the likes of Desiree Akhavan and Calvin Reeder find future coin. Sectioned off as projects at the very beginning of financing to those that are nearing completion, there happens to be tons of Sundance alumni in the names below. Among those that caught our attention we have Medicine for Melancholy‘s Barry Jenkins’ sophomore feature, produced by Bad Milo!‘s Adele Romanski, Moonlight is about “two Miami boys navigate the temptations of the drug trade and their burgeoning sexuality in this triptych drama about black queer youth”. Concussion‘s Stacie Passon digs into the thriller genre with Strange Things Started Happening. Produced by vet Mary Jane Skalski (Mysterious Skin), this is about “a woman who has...
- 7/24/2014
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
Blood Brother, which Austin Film Society will screen Tuesday evening at the Marchesa as part of the Doc Nights series, is very obviously a labor of love. Filmmaker Steve Hoover travelled to India with his best friend Rocky Braat, who was returning after a short break to his work volunteering at a rural hostel for mothers and children with HIV/AIDS. For a few months, the director documented the daily life of his friend and the kids he serves.
The documentary may sound at first like a white-guy-goes-to-a-developing-country-to-do-good story (it kind of is one, literally), particularly when Rocky says things like he went to India "seeking authenticity." But Blood Brother is a layered film, and goes far deeper than this initial premise. The film kicks off in medias res, with an older man clutching a near-lifeless child to his chest; Rocky and others are shown racing to take the girl to the hospital.
The documentary may sound at first like a white-guy-goes-to-a-developing-country-to-do-good story (it kind of is one, literally), particularly when Rocky says things like he went to India "seeking authenticity." But Blood Brother is a layered film, and goes far deeper than this initial premise. The film kicks off in medias res, with an older man clutching a near-lifeless child to his chest; Rocky and others are shown racing to take the girl to the hospital.
- 4/8/2014
- by Elizabeth Stoddard
- Slackerwood
The Austin Film Society's series on New Romanian Cinema continues this weekend with Corneliu Porumnoiu's When Evening Falls On Bucharest Or Metabolism. It plays this evening and again on Sunday night at The Marchesa. Tuesday night's featured theme is Doc Nights, turning the spotlight on Blood Brother. Steve Hoover's documentary about a young man's trip to India working with HIV-infected children won the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award at last year's Sundance Film Festival. If you're up for a German WWII epic, Richard Linklater will be presenting a 35mm print of 1981's Das Boot on Wednesday night. Finally, Essential Cinema on Thursday night will be the 2012 Turkish film Watchtower.
Heading over to the Alamo Drafthouse Ritz, the theater is bringing us the Marx Bros. starring in Animal Crackers on Saturday and Tuesday afternoon, a few screenings of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom in 35mm happening from Saturday-Monday,...
Heading over to the Alamo Drafthouse Ritz, the theater is bringing us the Marx Bros. starring in Animal Crackers on Saturday and Tuesday afternoon, a few screenings of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom in 35mm happening from Saturday-Monday,...
- 4/4/2014
- by Matt Shiverdecker
- Slackerwood
The San Francisco Film Society has announced this year’s finalists for the Documentary Film Fund, which is set to divy up $75,000 next month. Open to nonfiction films in post-production, the Fund has previously supported such Sundance titles as Narco Cultura, American Promise and the Oscar-nominated Cutie and the Boxer. Making the list is Western, the Ross Brothers’ follow-up to Tchoupitoulas, and Blood Brother director Steve Hoover’s Gennadly. The Fund is made possible by Jennifer Battat and the Jenerosity Foundation, and you can view the full list of finalists below. Anatomy of an American Dream — John Ryan Johnson, director Antoine Hood is a charismatic 28-year-old former college basketball […]...
- 2/6/2014
- by Sarah Salovaara
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
The San Francisco Film Society has announced this year’s finalists for the Documentary Film Fund, which is set to divy up $75,000 next month. Open to nonfiction films in post-production, the Fund has previously supported such Sundance titles as Narco Cultura, American Promise and the Oscar-nominated Cutie and the Boxer. Making the list is Western, the Ross Brothers’ follow-up to Tchoupitoulas, and Blood Brother director Steve Hoover’s Gennadly. The Fund is made possible by Jennifer Battat and the Jenerosity Foundation, and you can view the full list of finalists below. Anatomy of an American Dream — John Ryan Johnson, director Antoine Hood is a charismatic 28-year-old former college basketball […]...
- 2/6/2014
- by Sarah Salovaara
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Continued from picks 10 to 6….
10. Blood Brother – Steve Hoover
9. Stories We Tell – Sarah Polley
8. Museum Hours – Jem Cohen
7. Her – Spike Jonze
6. Short Term 12 – Destin Cretton
5. The Act of Killing – Joshua Oppenheimer
I don’t know how Oppenheimer managed to find and befriend Anwar Congo and his merry band of genocidal murders, but his mind melting expose of Indonesia’s not-so-distant history of government backed mass murder is as outlandish as the giant fish shaped restaurant that graces the film’s poster. Asking death squad leaders to reenact their self-esteemed atrocities in the style of their favorite American movies seems at first highly inappropriate and possibly dangerous, yet they take up the challenge with glee. In doing, the buried remnants of an empathic human heart begin to surface in the faces of an old man, now a grandfather, whose calloused shell of empty headed pride has finally broken in a profound,...
10. Blood Brother – Steve Hoover
9. Stories We Tell – Sarah Polley
8. Museum Hours – Jem Cohen
7. Her – Spike Jonze
6. Short Term 12 – Destin Cretton
5. The Act of Killing – Joshua Oppenheimer
I don’t know how Oppenheimer managed to find and befriend Anwar Congo and his merry band of genocidal murders, but his mind melting expose of Indonesia’s not-so-distant history of government backed mass murder is as outlandish as the giant fish shaped restaurant that graces the film’s poster. Asking death squad leaders to reenact their self-esteemed atrocities in the style of their favorite American movies seems at first highly inappropriate and possibly dangerous, yet they take up the challenge with glee. In doing, the buried remnants of an empathic human heart begin to surface in the faces of an old man, now a grandfather, whose calloused shell of empty headed pride has finally broken in a profound,...
- 1/9/2014
- by Jordan M. Smith
- IONCINEMA.com
Continued from picks 15 to 11…. 15. American Hustle – David O. Russell 14. The Wolf of Wall Street – Martin Scorsese
13. Blue Is the Warmest Color – Abdellatif Kechiche
12. Gravity – Alfonso Cuarón 11. Spring Breakers – Harmony Korine
10. Blood Brother – Steve Hoover
I must admit that I was never completely won over by Steve Hoover’s music video work, but that was more the fault of his chosen musical collaborators than his keen eye for the alive and his feeling for rhythmically propulsive pacing. With his debut feature doc he expands on these talents, crafting a bracingly vivacious work of soul searching and self sacrifice that sees the American dream traded by his best friend Rocky Braat for the cyclic misery of caring for Indian women and children doomed to die at the cruel hands of HIV/AIDS. Despite their destiny, the children are given love and hope, and in return, Braat and Hoover find within themselves a...
13. Blue Is the Warmest Color – Abdellatif Kechiche
12. Gravity – Alfonso Cuarón 11. Spring Breakers – Harmony Korine
10. Blood Brother – Steve Hoover
I must admit that I was never completely won over by Steve Hoover’s music video work, but that was more the fault of his chosen musical collaborators than his keen eye for the alive and his feeling for rhythmically propulsive pacing. With his debut feature doc he expands on these talents, crafting a bracingly vivacious work of soul searching and self sacrifice that sees the American dream traded by his best friend Rocky Braat for the cyclic misery of caring for Indian women and children doomed to die at the cruel hands of HIV/AIDS. Despite their destiny, the children are given love and hope, and in return, Braat and Hoover find within themselves a...
- 1/8/2014
- by Jordan M. Smith
- IONCINEMA.com
Jehane Noujaim's "The Square" edged out Joshua Oppenheimer's "The Act of Killing" to emerge as the big winner of the 2013 Ida Documentary Awards! The documentary about the 2011 Egyptian Revolution also beat Jason Osder's "Let the Fire Burn," Gabriela Cowperthwaite's "Blackfish," and Sarah Polley's Stories We Tell" for the prize.
Here's a full list of winners of the 2013 Ida Documentary Awards:
Best Feature Award
The Square
Director: Jehane Noujaim
Producer: Karim Amer; Executive Producers: Geralyn Dreyfous, Mike Lerner, Sarah Johnson, Jodie Evans, Lekha Singh, Gavin Dougan, Dan Catullo III, Lisa Nishimura, Adam Del Deo, Khalil Noujaim, Alexandra Johnes, Jeff Skol; Noujaim Films, Netflix Originals
Best Short Award
Slomo
Director: Josh Izenberg; Producer: Amanda Micheli; Executive Producer: Neil Izenberg; Big Young Films, Runaway Films
Best Limited Series Award
Inside Man
Producers: Kristen Vaurio, Lisa Kalikow, Shannon Gibson, Suzanne Hillinger, Lara Benario; Writers: Jeremy Chilnick, Morgan Spurlock; Executive Producers: Jeremy Chilnick,...
Here's a full list of winners of the 2013 Ida Documentary Awards:
Best Feature Award
The Square
Director: Jehane Noujaim
Producer: Karim Amer; Executive Producers: Geralyn Dreyfous, Mike Lerner, Sarah Johnson, Jodie Evans, Lekha Singh, Gavin Dougan, Dan Catullo III, Lisa Nishimura, Adam Del Deo, Khalil Noujaim, Alexandra Johnes, Jeff Skol; Noujaim Films, Netflix Originals
Best Short Award
Slomo
Director: Josh Izenberg; Producer: Amanda Micheli; Executive Producer: Neil Izenberg; Big Young Films, Runaway Films
Best Limited Series Award
Inside Man
Producers: Kristen Vaurio, Lisa Kalikow, Shannon Gibson, Suzanne Hillinger, Lara Benario; Writers: Jeremy Chilnick, Morgan Spurlock; Executive Producers: Jeremy Chilnick,...
- 12/8/2013
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
This is a tough awards season! Lots of great movies to see, so little time! I'm catching up like crazy before we vote for the Critics' Choice Movie Awards for the Broadcast Film Critics Association. So I apologize if I haven't updated you with the latest on the awards season 2013-2014! And there were many award-giving bodies announcing nominations.
We already told you about the Rome Film Festival and the Film Independent Spirit Awards, now let's talk about the 2013 Gotham Awards, the Ida Documentary Awards, the Cinema Eye, and the Producers Guild announcing its best documentary choices.
First stop, we have the 2013 Gotham Awards where Steve McQueen's "12 Years a Slave" topped the nominations with three nods including best feature, best actor for Chiwetel Ejiofor and breakthrough actor for Lupita Nyong'o.
Winners will be announced on Dec. 2nd where Richard Linklater, Forest Whitaker, and Katherine Oliver (head of the NYC...
We already told you about the Rome Film Festival and the Film Independent Spirit Awards, now let's talk about the 2013 Gotham Awards, the Ida Documentary Awards, the Cinema Eye, and the Producers Guild announcing its best documentary choices.
First stop, we have the 2013 Gotham Awards where Steve McQueen's "12 Years a Slave" topped the nominations with three nods including best feature, best actor for Chiwetel Ejiofor and breakthrough actor for Lupita Nyong'o.
Winners will be announced on Dec. 2nd where Richard Linklater, Forest Whitaker, and Katherine Oliver (head of the NYC...
- 12/2/2013
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
Rating: 3.0/5.0
Winner of both the Grand Jury Prize in Documentary and Audience Award at Sundance 2013, Blood Brother is a film about a great Pittsburgh guy by the name of Rocky, who left America to create a new life in India. Over the course of three years, he became a rock star at a shelter for children with AIDS, caring for them in all manners, and creating strong relationships with them.
The film is made with a Rogen-on-Franco level bromance by Rocky’s self-proclaimed best friend, Steve Hoover. After sharing with us a brief overview of Rocky’s history as a soul from a broken family, Hoover then journeys to the shelter in India himself with Rocky, to make a travelogue into Rocky’s life and those who have changed it. During this time in the land, they undergo a whole spectrum of human experiences, understanding how a completely different part of the world exists.
Winner of both the Grand Jury Prize in Documentary and Audience Award at Sundance 2013, Blood Brother is a film about a great Pittsburgh guy by the name of Rocky, who left America to create a new life in India. Over the course of three years, he became a rock star at a shelter for children with AIDS, caring for them in all manners, and creating strong relationships with them.
The film is made with a Rogen-on-Franco level bromance by Rocky’s self-proclaimed best friend, Steve Hoover. After sharing with us a brief overview of Rocky’s history as a soul from a broken family, Hoover then journeys to the shelter in India himself with Rocky, to make a travelogue into Rocky’s life and those who have changed it. During this time in the land, they undergo a whole spectrum of human experiences, understanding how a completely different part of the world exists.
- 11/28/2013
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
The 2013 St. Louis International Film Festival concluded Sunday night with a party at the Contemporary Art Museum in St. Louis. Sliff announced the audience-choice and juried-competition awards.
Now in its 22nd year, the Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival is one of the largest international film festivals in the Midwest. This year’s festival was held Nov. 14-24, 2013.
2013 Sliff Film Awards
Best of Fest Audience Choice Awards
Best Documentary Feature: “Harlem Street Singer” directed by Simeon Hutner
Best International Narrative Feature: “Philomena” directed by Stephen Frears
Best Narrative Feature: “One Chance” directed by David Frankel
New Filmmakers Forum Award
“This Is Where We Live” directed by Marc Menchaca and Josh Barrett ($500 cash prize)
St. Louis Film Critics Association Joe Pollack Awards Best Documentary Feature: “Blood Brother” directed by Steve Hoover Special Jury Mention, Documentary Feature: “The Pleasures of Being Out of Step” directed by David Lewis
Best Narrative Feature: “Key...
Now in its 22nd year, the Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival is one of the largest international film festivals in the Midwest. This year’s festival was held Nov. 14-24, 2013.
2013 Sliff Film Awards
Best of Fest Audience Choice Awards
Best Documentary Feature: “Harlem Street Singer” directed by Simeon Hutner
Best International Narrative Feature: “Philomena” directed by Stephen Frears
Best Narrative Feature: “One Chance” directed by David Frankel
New Filmmakers Forum Award
“This Is Where We Live” directed by Marc Menchaca and Josh Barrett ($500 cash prize)
St. Louis Film Critics Association Joe Pollack Awards Best Documentary Feature: “Blood Brother” directed by Steve Hoover Special Jury Mention, Documentary Feature: “The Pleasures of Being Out of Step” directed by David Lewis
Best Narrative Feature: “Key...
- 11/25/2013
- by Movie Geeks
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
When "Blood Brother" premiered at this year's Sundance Film Festival, it was rapturously received by critics and audiences alike. Winner of the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award, "Blood Brother" is director Steve Hoover's document of his wayward best friend, Rocky Braat, in his journey through India, as he is transformed by his work with HIV-infected youth. Though the film was--somewhat puzzlingly--not picked up by a major distributor, the production's partnership with Tugg has brought "Blood Brother" to over 50 cities. Recently, however, it seems the good nature surrounding the documentary has been replaced with hostile accusations that Braat and Hoover were in the country on not so much a selfless mission, as a Christian one. In his takedown over at Doc Soup, Tom Roston cites Christopher Campbell's Nonfics review, which drew attention to the filmmakers' involvement with the Greater Pittsburgh Church of Christ: "Many will see 'Blood Brother...
- 11/12/2013
- by Sarah Salovaara
- Indiewire
Steve McQueen’s 12 Years A Slave to open festival; director Peter Greenaway to receive Visionary Award.Scroll down for full line-up
Steve McQueen’s historic drama 12 Years a Slave is to open the Stockholm International Film Festival (Nov 6-17) and is nominated in the Stockholm Xxiv Competition.
Starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, the drama about free black man kidnapped from his family and sold into slavery in the 1850s debuted at Telluride and has received positive reactions throughout its festival tour of Toronto, New York and London among others.
It will be released in Sweden on Dec 20 by Ab Svensk Filmindustri.
Screenwriter John Ridley, who will be present during the festival, is nominated for the Aluminum Horse in the category Best Script.
McQueen’s Hunger won Best Directorial Debut at Stockholm in 2008.
Line-up
The 24th Siff includes more than 180 films from more than 50 countries.
As previously announced, the spotlight of this year’s festival is freedom but Chinese artist...
Steve McQueen’s historic drama 12 Years a Slave is to open the Stockholm International Film Festival (Nov 6-17) and is nominated in the Stockholm Xxiv Competition.
Starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, the drama about free black man kidnapped from his family and sold into slavery in the 1850s debuted at Telluride and has received positive reactions throughout its festival tour of Toronto, New York and London among others.
It will be released in Sweden on Dec 20 by Ab Svensk Filmindustri.
Screenwriter John Ridley, who will be present during the festival, is nominated for the Aluminum Horse in the category Best Script.
McQueen’s Hunger won Best Directorial Debut at Stockholm in 2008.
Line-up
The 24th Siff includes more than 180 films from more than 50 countries.
As previously announced, the spotlight of this year’s festival is freedom but Chinese artist...
- 10/22/2013
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Rocky Braat is the ideal documentary “good guy,” a young American in India caring for orphaned children with HIV and AIDS. Not as a part of any Ngo or the Peace Corps or official cause, it seems. He just fell in love with the kids while passing through Chennai as a tourist. Of course there’s a film about him. He’s the kind of guy who wins audience awards for docs — and maybe some jury prizes, too — in spite of the fact that the honors are intended for filmmaking rather than the heroic and heartwarming subjects on screen. People bring their checkbooks to screenings specifically for this sort of thing. But the film he stars in, Blood Brother, does not have one of those common credits at the end of issue films indicating how we can help. Maybe that’s because the documentary is not about Braat so much as it’s about Steve Hoover, the...
- 10/20/2013
- by Nonfics.com
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
India, AIDS & Amity: Hoover Follows Friend’s Heart
It’s really no wonder that often when westerners find themselves drifting, looking for more from life, they drop everything and journey off into the unknown, and what alien country is more fitting than India, a spiritually rich nation who’s national motto is, satyameva jayate – truth alone triumphs. For Rocky Braat, this simple phrase seems perfectly appropriate. Feeling bored and unfulfilled by life in Pittsburgh, Braat decided to take off for India in search of authenticity, but he didn’t expect that he’d find it living in an impoverished compound for women and children infected with HIV or AIDS. Knowing his friend’s impulsive disposition, filmmaker Steve Hoover assumed his glowing adulation for the country to be a passing fascination, but after making the trek out himself, found that the kids and the communal culture gave life a new perspective...
It’s really no wonder that often when westerners find themselves drifting, looking for more from life, they drop everything and journey off into the unknown, and what alien country is more fitting than India, a spiritually rich nation who’s national motto is, satyameva jayate – truth alone triumphs. For Rocky Braat, this simple phrase seems perfectly appropriate. Feeling bored and unfulfilled by life in Pittsburgh, Braat decided to take off for India in search of authenticity, but he didn’t expect that he’d find it living in an impoverished compound for women and children infected with HIV or AIDS. Knowing his friend’s impulsive disposition, filmmaker Steve Hoover assumed his glowing adulation for the country to be a passing fascination, but after making the trek out himself, found that the kids and the communal culture gave life a new perspective...
- 10/19/2013
- by Jordan M. Smith
- IONCINEMA.com
This October we’ve got a handful of gems from Sundance in indie dramatic items such as Stacie Passon’s Concussion, Matthew Porterfield’s I Used to Be Darker (both open this Friday) and John Krokidas’ Kill Your Darlings (October 18th) and docs such as Joe Brewster & Michele Stephenson’s American Promise and Steve Hoover’s Blood Brother (both Oct.18th). We’ve got a formidable piece that played in Berlin with Bruno Dumont’s Camille Claudel, 1915 (October 16th) but what makes October an exceptional month, is that we have four bonafide, almost unheard of gold star items. We trimmed a future Oscar nominee just waiting to collect its loot in Steve McQueen’s 12 Years a Slave (October 18th) – which is being touted as the best of his early career and was graded with a rare, perfect score on our site. Here are this month’s Top 3 Critic’s Picks!
- 10/2/2013
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
Docu-lovers can consider themselves lucky as Steve Hoover’s Blood Brother, the life-affirming, altering account which is regarded as one of the top offerings so far this year, (siting at the number 3 spot in our Best Docs (so far) of 2013) will be receiving some TLC from a five team partnership comprised of Tugg, Itvs, Independent Lens, Mongrel Media (Canadian distributor) and a film company that we think is the best new outfitter of the year in the folks at Cinedigm (lead by acquisitions head Vincent Scordino). Deadline reports that the award-winning doc is pegged for an October theatrical release, with the television premiere on Independent Lens/PBS circled for January 2014.
Gist: Double award winner at this year’s Sundance Film Festival is an intimate portrait of Rocky Braat, a young man who longed to find a family. He didn’t know it, but this desire would lead him to an AIDS hostel in India,...
Gist: Double award winner at this year’s Sundance Film Festival is an intimate portrait of Rocky Braat, a young man who longed to find a family. He didn’t know it, but this desire would lead him to an AIDS hostel in India,...
- 8/6/2013
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
Mongrel Media has acquired Canadian rights to Steve Hoover’s Sundance 2013 Us Documentary Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award winner Blood Brother.
The film will go out on digital and DVD through Cinedigm and Itvs has acquired broadcast rights for Independent Lens.
Proceeds from the film have been designated to support the work of the orphanage in Tamil Nadu as seen in the film.
Blood Brother centres on an American graphic designer who stumbled upon an HIV orphanage in India and left all that he had to work with the children.
All distribution deals were negotiated on behalf of the filmmakers by
Kevin Iwashina and Abby Davis of Preferred Content and Liesl Copland and Deborah McIntosh of Wme Global negotiated all the distribution deals on behalf of the filmmakers.
The film will go out on digital and DVD through Cinedigm and Itvs has acquired broadcast rights for Independent Lens.
Proceeds from the film have been designated to support the work of the orphanage in Tamil Nadu as seen in the film.
Blood Brother centres on an American graphic designer who stumbled upon an HIV orphanage in India and left all that he had to work with the children.
All distribution deals were negotiated on behalf of the filmmakers by
Kevin Iwashina and Abby Davis of Preferred Content and Liesl Copland and Deborah McIntosh of Wme Global negotiated all the distribution deals on behalf of the filmmakers.
- 8/6/2013
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Here's your daily dose of an indie film in progress; at the end of the week, you'll have the chance to vote for your favorite. In the meantime: Is this a movie you'd want to see? Tell us in the comments. "Gennadiy" Tweetable Logline: Sundance winning team tells the story of Gennadiy: an ex-Soviet firefighter who conducts night raids for lost kids in the ruins of an empire. Elevator Pitch: Gennadiy works through the political system as an activist, and he runs an orphanage, but the system doesn’t work fast enough for him -- or for the thousands of street kids who live in his city of Mariupal, Ukraine, most of whom are addicted to a lethal cocktail of injected cold medicine and alcohol. So at night, he goes hunting and when he finds these kids, he takes them whether they want to go or not. Production Team: Director:...
- 7/31/2013
- by Indiewire
- Indiewire
As Moore’s Law has continued to raise the quality and lower the cost of Av equipment, and more fledgling filmmakers have dipped their feet in the fountain of non-fiction, there’s been much talk about us being in the midst of a new golden age of documentary filmmaking. Now, lofty statements like these generally wind up being little more than buzzword attractions meant to set the blogosphere aflame, but this year has undoubtedly been a stellar year for the non-fiction form. From politically shattering investigations to form flexing art films to immensely personal portraits, not only are documentaries making a major impact on the ol’ festival circuit – Sundance, Tribeca, Hot Docs, SXSW, AFI Docs – many fest favorites from last year have had considerable success this year in art house theatres, not just in NYC & La, but in some cases nationwide – not an easy feat.
Of the lengthy list of...
Of the lengthy list of...
- 7/29/2013
- by Jordan M. Smith
- IONCINEMA.com
Steve Hoover hasn’t been known for his non-fiction fare, working mainly on commercial projects and music videos through his co-owned production company Endeavor Media Group for bands like Owl City, Bayside and Anberlin, but that focus may have shifted immensely with the release of his stunning docu debut, Blood Brother. The film follows Hoover’s best friend Rocky on a spiritual journal to India where he unwittingly finds fulfillment in caring for women and children suffering from HIV/AIDS. Taking the dire and molding it into something supremely heartwarming, Hoover’s doc is a vibrant journey of soul searching and selfless charity.
For it’s emotional punch and glorious visual storytelling, the film took home the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance earlier this year. Just a few months later at the Hot Docs Film Festival in Toronto, I sat down with the pensive young filmmaker to talk about his first feature,...
For it’s emotional punch and glorious visual storytelling, the film took home the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance earlier this year. Just a few months later at the Hot Docs Film Festival in Toronto, I sat down with the pensive young filmmaker to talk about his first feature,...
- 7/29/2013
- by Jordan M. Smith
- IONCINEMA.com
Documentary team behind Sundance Grand Jury winner launches crowd-funding campaign for next film; Atticus Ross to score.
The team behind acclaimed documentary Blood Brother, this year’s Sundance Grand Jury Prize (documentary) and Audience Award (documentary) winner, have today launched a Kickstarter campaign for their second feature, which has Oscar-winning composer Atticus Ross on board to score.
New project Gennadiy follows a Ukrainian activist who runs an orphanage and goes on night raids to try and rescue children who have fallen into drug abuse. The film will chart the nature of addiction, the mercurial Gennadiy’s controversial methods and the Ukraine’s problems with child homelessness.
Blood Brother writer-director Steve Hoover, producer Danny Yourd and cinematographer John Pope all return for the feature.
Trent Reznor collaborator Atticus Ross, who co-scored The Social Network and The Girl with a Dragon Tattoo will score the film alongside his brother, Leopold Ross, and wife, Claudia Sarne.
Shoot...
The team behind acclaimed documentary Blood Brother, this year’s Sundance Grand Jury Prize (documentary) and Audience Award (documentary) winner, have today launched a Kickstarter campaign for their second feature, which has Oscar-winning composer Atticus Ross on board to score.
New project Gennadiy follows a Ukrainian activist who runs an orphanage and goes on night raids to try and rescue children who have fallen into drug abuse. The film will chart the nature of addiction, the mercurial Gennadiy’s controversial methods and the Ukraine’s problems with child homelessness.
Blood Brother writer-director Steve Hoover, producer Danny Yourd and cinematographer John Pope all return for the feature.
Trent Reznor collaborator Atticus Ross, who co-scored The Social Network and The Girl with a Dragon Tattoo will score the film alongside his brother, Leopold Ross, and wife, Claudia Sarne.
Shoot...
- 7/10/2013
- by andreas.wiseman@screendaily.com (Andreas Wiseman)
- ScreenDaily
10th Indian film festival Stuttgart has announced its selection. The festival will take place from July 17 to 21 in the German city of Stuttgart.
Here is the complete list of films to be screened at the festival:-
Ashok Rane’s doucmentay Being with Apu
Blood Brothers by Steve Hoover
Dancing Colours by Stuttgart Media University students
Liv & Ingmar by Dheeraj Akolkar
Much Ado about Knotting by Geetika Narang Abbasi and Anandana Kapur
No Problem! 6 Months with the Barefoot Grandmamas by Yasmin Kidwai
Powerless by Fahad Mustafa and Deepti Kakkar
Resonance of Mother’s Melody by Dip Bhuyan
Salma by Kim Longinotto
The Human Factor by Rudradeep Bhattacharjee
The World Before her by Nisha Pahuja
Bombay Talkies by Anurag Kashyap, Dibakar Banerjee, Karan Johar and Zoya Akhtar
Shahid by Hansal Mehta
Chokher Bali by Rituparno Ghosh
Bawdi – The Well by Viver Soni
Paroksh by Kuldip Patel
Thaambadhyam by Yugandhara Muthukrishnan
Umbartha by...
Here is the complete list of films to be screened at the festival:-
Ashok Rane’s doucmentay Being with Apu
Blood Brothers by Steve Hoover
Dancing Colours by Stuttgart Media University students
Liv & Ingmar by Dheeraj Akolkar
Much Ado about Knotting by Geetika Narang Abbasi and Anandana Kapur
No Problem! 6 Months with the Barefoot Grandmamas by Yasmin Kidwai
Powerless by Fahad Mustafa and Deepti Kakkar
Resonance of Mother’s Melody by Dip Bhuyan
Salma by Kim Longinotto
The Human Factor by Rudradeep Bhattacharjee
The World Before her by Nisha Pahuja
Bombay Talkies by Anurag Kashyap, Dibakar Banerjee, Karan Johar and Zoya Akhtar
Shahid by Hansal Mehta
Chokher Bali by Rituparno Ghosh
Bawdi – The Well by Viver Soni
Paroksh by Kuldip Patel
Thaambadhyam by Yugandhara Muthukrishnan
Umbartha by...
- 6/19/2013
- by NewsDesk
- DearCinema.com
Amir here. When Steve Hoover's debut Blood Brother, won both the audience and jury prizes at this year's Sundance Film Festival, it automatically became one of my most anticipated documentaries of the year. Lucky for me, I didn't have to wait long to see it. Hot Docs brought it to Toronto. Having now seen the film twice, crying through and laughing with it both times, I am confident this is one of the year's best films and deserves all the plaudits that will come its way.
a scene from Blood Brother
Blood Brother is a personal close-up of the director's best friend, Rocky - affectionately referred to by Indian children as "Rockyanna" - who has spent the past few years living in India in an orphanage where HIV-positive children and women are cared for. It is a character study of a man whose strength, humility and grace are unparalleled.
a scene from Blood Brother
Blood Brother is a personal close-up of the director's best friend, Rocky - affectionately referred to by Indian children as "Rockyanna" - who has spent the past few years living in India in an orphanage where HIV-positive children and women are cared for. It is a character study of a man whose strength, humility and grace are unparalleled.
- 5/3/2013
- by Amir S.
- FilmExperience
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