‘Balomania,’ ‘KIX’ Filmmakers on Ethics of Filming Protagonists on Society’s Margins

Addie Morfoot Contributor Documentary filmmaking has never been a profession one enters into to get rich — though for a brief period it seemed possible. Cable expanded documentary’s reach to wider audiences in the 1980’s and 1990’s, and films like “Fahrenheit 9/11,” “March of the Penguins,” and “An Inconvenient Truth” became legitimate box-office breakthroughs, but nonfiction features on the whole remained something of a stepchild within the larger Hollywood ecosystem until 2017, when Netflix acquired Brian Fogel’s “Icarus” for $5 million.

This post contains details from the first four episodes of ID’s documentary series Quiet On Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV.

“A Bit of Light.”Moyer, 54, directs Paquin, 41, in the indie movie, written by Rachel Callard and based on her eponymous stage play.It’s the second time that Moyer has directed Paquin in a big-screen movie following “The Parting Glass” (2018).He also directed her in episodes of “True Blood” when they co-starred on the HBO series as vampire Bill Compton and telepathic waitress Sookie Stackhouse from 2008-2014.“A Bit of Light” follows the journey of Ella (Paquin), an alcoholic mother living with her father (Ray Winstone) and dealing with self-loathing after losing her two daughters over her drinking — and the 13-year-old boy, Neil (Luca Hogan), who helps her see the “light” toward a better future.“Ella is at this excruciatingly mundane place after what she thinks is rock-bottom and realizes that the everday-ness of living with her choices and decisions is actually a level of rock-bottom she didn’t know existed yet,” Paquin told The Post.“Throughout the film we see her slightly coming out of her shell little by little … but she does a lot of things within her power to sabotage her own happiness.”Ella strikes up an unlikely friendship with the wise-beyond-his-years Neil, who she meets in the park where she used to take her daughters — and where she frequently goes to brood over her plight.Neil is an odd duck who speaks on an adult level (he addresses Ella’s father, Alan, by his first name) and appears to be friendless. He talks about his parents and older brother (who we never meet) but he always has time to materialize in Ella’s life (and the lives of other characters) at crucial junctures.“This strange, fabulous Neil is on a mission to help her put herself back together and get her life back on track,” Paquin said.

Carolyn Giardina It’s been one of Hollywood’s most sought-after invitations. For the past few years, a who’s who of directors, cinematographers, studio execs and exhibitors have been quietly ushered into an unmarked room at the famed Glen Glenn Sound facility in Los Angeles. They’ve made the trek to get a peek at new projection technology that has been in the works for years at Barco, the Belgian tech firm known for its high-end cinema exhibition systems.

Slowly, but surely, the lineup for the 77th Cannes Film Festival is being revealed. Last month, Cannes announced that George Miller’s “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” will be an early world premiere on la Croisette on May 15.

Slowly, but surely, the lineup for the 77th Cannes Film Festival is being revealed. Last month, Cannes announced that George Miller’s “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” will be an early world premiere on la Croisette on May 15.

Directing team Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden (“Captain Marvel”) have been tapped to bring their quirky expertise to Amazon’s new streaming series “Criminal” by helming the first four episodes. This exciting collaboration, first reported by Deadline, promises to deliver a thrilling adaptation of the acclaimed comic book series.

EXCLUSIVE: BAVC Media has named the latest group of nonfiction filmmakers to take part in its prestigious documentary film fellowship program. The octet announced today will receive $10,000 each in “unrestricted funding, mentorship, industry access, feedback sessions, and workshops during an immersive 9-month experience.”

EXCLUSIVE: 3Point0 Labs has followed up recent strategic moves by signing In the Summers co-producer Luz Films.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Ang Lee is moving on from 3D filmmaking after a trio of hit or miss releases: “Life of Pi” (2012), “Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk” (2016) and “Gemini Man” (2019). The former title was an acclaimed blockbuster that won Lee the Oscar for best director, while the latter two releases, also distributing in high-frame rate at 120 frames per second, were mostly critical misfires and big financial disappointments. Lee hasn’t made a movie since “Gemini Man.” “I tried higher frame rate and I tried 3D,” Lee recently told IndieWire.

Addie Morfoot Contributor Five documentary filmmakers have been chosen to receive Catapult Film Fund‘s annual research grant. Each recipient will receive $10,000 in direct support and six months of mentorship from industry advisors to support new nonfiction projects.

Fifth Season has upped Christopher Slager to Head of Film as the studio expands its in-house production and development of feature films.

It’s a rare treat when two genre filmmaking giants like Steven Spielberg and Denis Villeneuve come together to share their insights. In a recent episode of The Director’s Cut—A DGA Podcast, these visionary filmmakers sat down for a conversation that was both entertaining and enlightening.

“Downton Abbey” film is coming to the silver screen.According to star Imelda Staunton — who played Lady Maud Bagshaw in the first two movies — a threequel is set to premiere sometime next year.“The Crown” alum, 68, spilled the royal tea in a recent interview with BBC Radio 2 host Zoe Ball.“There will be the final film – there you go,” Staunton dished.Ball then quipped that she hopes that the “Shakespeare in Love” star won’t be reprimanded for revealing the info.“I don’t care,” Staunton bluntly said.The Sun reported Wednesday that the cast will begin shooting this summer at Highclere Castle in Hampshire, England, for a 2025 debut.According to the outlet, Paul Giamatti is also set to reprise his role as Harold Levinson.He last made an appearance on the Julian Fellowes historical drama in a 2013 Christmas special alongside Shirley MacLaine.Two big-screen adaptions based on the 2010 series of the same name were previously released in 2019 and 2022.The OG show ran until 2015, across five seasons, taking the influential Crawley clan and their estate servants throughout the turmoil of the 1910s and 1920s.The ensemble cast included Hugh Bonneville and Elizabeth McGovern as the Earl and Countess of Grantham, as well as Maggie Smith as the Dowager Countess.Smith’s character met her demise in the second film, titled “Downton Abbey: A New Era,” in 2022.Rounding out the show’s ensemble are Laura Carmichael, Jim Carter, Raquel Cassidy, Brendan Coyle, Michelle Dockery, Kevin Doyle, Michael Fox, Joanne Froggatt, Harry Hadden-Paton, Robert James-Collier, Allen Leech, Phyllis Logan, Sophie McShera, Lesley Nichol and Penelope Wilton.Bonneville, 60, previously discussed how the franchise was beginning to weigh him down.“I suspect, on a

Ben Croll An explosive political drama retracing the 2018 murders of investigative journalist Ján Kuciak and his fiancée Martina Kušnírová, “Our People” claimed the best project award at this year’s Series Mania Forum. Winning €50,000 ($54,318) in prize money and earning an enhanced international stature, the unflinching miniseries should now see an easier path forward – particularly given the chilly reception it found with funding authorities in native Slovakia. “We thought it impossible,” said director Tereza Nvotova as she claimed the Series Mania prize.

Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour broke records on Disney+ with 4.6 million views, making it the No. 1 music film ever on the platform per the studio.

It’s been less than two months since the end of the 2024 edition, but this morning the Sundance Institute revealed the dates for the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. This year’s event will run from Thursday, January 23 through Sunday, February 2nd.

Addie Morfoot Contributor After making their first narrative feature “Nyad,” which debuted last year and earned Oscar nominations for the film’s stars Annette Bening and Jodie Foster, Academy Award winning directors Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi (“Free Solo”) are returning to their documentary roots with “Photographer.” The six-part National Geographic docuseries features seven photographers — Cristina Mittermeier and Paul Nicklen, Dan Winters, Campbell Addy, Krystle Wright, Muhammed Muheisen, and Anand Varma. Vérité footage of each subject’s current mission is interwoven with interviews and archival footage to demonstrate how each photographer approaches their work, the intention behind that work, their process, and how they each discover, see and experience the world.

Variety Lounge at the 2024 Hong Kong International Film & TV Market (FILMART) emerged as a dynamic hub of creativity and insight. The studio played host to a series of illuminating interviews featuring prominent figures in the global film industry including European filmmaker Cristiano Bortone, producer and co-founder of boutique studio S11 Partners Ltd.

The Independent Iranian Filmmakers Association (IIFMA) has written to AMPAS to protest the omission of murdered director Dariush Mehrjui from the In Memoriam segment of the Academy Award on Sunday night.