Sundance Doc ‘Pianoforte’ About Competing Music Prodigies Scores U.S. Deal

Adam Benzine Guest Contributor Controversial hacker and Wikileaks associate Jacob Appelbaum is the subject of a secretive new documentary screening Sept. 10 for buyers in Toronto. Appelbaum headlines “Nobody Wants to Talk About Jacob Appelbaum,” from Canadian filmmaker Jamie Kastner (“The Skyjacker’s Tale”).

What to do with a broken violin peg, or a leaky euphonium? For students in the Los Angeles Unified School District, such a predicament doesn’t mean catastrophe. They have at their disposal a repair shop where a quartet of dedicated individuals attend to damaged instruments, restoring them to exemplary condition.

When Andy Kaufman passed away in May 1984, it was the final full stop in a life that seemed to be endlessly self-regenerating. Or was it? Rumors that this was another of his bizarre stunts were rife at the time, so much so that one of the mourners at the comedian’s funeral poked the body that lay in the casket to see if it would move.

Legendary musician and composer Ryuichi Sakamoto died in March 2023 of cancer at the age of 71 and much of the world mourned. While perhaps not the most famous musician/composer on earth, the Japanese musician was a musical icon nonetheless.

Nancy Buirski, a PGA Award winner who produced the 2016 film Loving that was inspired by her documentary, directed several films including last year’s Desperate Souls, Dark City and the Legend of Midnight Cowboy and founded the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, died August 29. Her company Augusta Films announced the news but did not provide details.

Watching Michael Mann’s “Ferrari,” one may wonder whether it’s even possible to make a film about an Italian figure and have it not be at least 80% about style. An admittedly rather inane thought, but one made a little more legitimate by the central presence of Adam Driver as the titular Enzo Ferrari.

HBO Documentary Films has acquired U.S. and Canada television and streaming rights to Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project, winner of the Grand Jury Prize for U.S. Documentary at Sundance.

Due to its strict laws and ridiculous secrecy, not many people have seen what life is like in North Korea. Not many people are able to travel freely to and from the country.

After going viral with comedy skits years ago, Andrew Bowser has taken his character, Onyx the Fortuitious, to the big screen in the upcoming film, ‘Talisman of Souls.’ As seen in the trailer for the horror-comedy, “Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls” brings the title character (known most for viral comedy videos on social media) to life in a feature-length story about the silly goth getting involved in a ritual hoping to bring a demon from Hell to Earth.

Addie Morfoot Contributor Fathom Events and Roadside Attractions are teaming up to release Madeleine Gavin’s Sundance award-winning documentary “Beyond Utopia.” The film takes viewers on a harrowing journey as one family risks everything to escape from North Korea. The pact comes after the film made its world premiere in the U.S. documentary competition section at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, where it won the doc audience award.

Stereogum, Cooper expressed his beliefs about transgender individuals, stating, “There are cases of transgender” but that he fears many people who claim to be trans might be merely following a passing trend. He elaborated by saying, “I’m afraid there [are] a lot of people claiming to be this just because they want to be that.” Cooper’s remarks didn’t stop there. He continued, sharing his views on children’s gender identity, stating, “I find it wrong when you’ve got a six-year-old kid who has no idea.

Fresh off its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival, Rudy Valdez‘s doc “Carlos: The Santana Journey” hits theaters next month. First, it plays at select cinemas around the world for a three-day engagement before opening wide on September 29.

Holly Jones Chilean filmmaker Cons Gallardo Vásquez, whose 2017 debut “In Transit” was awarded at BioBío Cine and Sanfic, is readying their next project, “La Búsqueda Del Otro” (“Searching For the Other”), featured at this week’s Sanfic Industria’s Works In Progress strand, one of the highest profile pix-in-post showcases in South America. Produced by Esteban Sandoval Carrasco, executive director at Pejeperro Films (“Bajo Sospecha: Zokunentu”), the project gives a tender nod to personas who are half-realized and a human being with intricate layers seen only for those who look below the surface.

DEALSRound Hill Music has acquired Canadian music company Linus Entertainment, bringing with it a catalogue of over 3000 songs and 20,000 master recordings. “This investment includes some of the most celebrated music and performers to come out of Canada and supports our strategy of investing in and supporting the growth of iconic music”, says Round Hill CEO Josh Gruss.

Swifties are getting a taste of Taylor Swift’s first re-released track off her 2017 album, Reputation.

Ellise Shafer Disney+ U.K. has shared a flurry of unscripted announcements out of Edinburgh TV Festival, including a Dua Lipa-produced docuseries about the London neighborhood of Camden and a first look at Keanu Reeves’ Formula One show. Lipa will produce and appear in the upcoming documentary series “Camden,” directed by “Amy” helmer Asif Kapadia, which explores how some of music’s biggest stars were forever changed by the London borough.

The Sundance Institute has named the 2023 grantees of its Documentary Fund, supporting the work of nonfiction filmmakers from around the globe, with 23 projects being selected for unrestricted grant funding totaling just over $1M.

Sophia Scorziello editor Sundance Institute’s Documentary Fund will be supporting 23 selected independent documentary film projects this year through grants totaling over $1 million. This initiative has previously funded notable films including Oscar-nominated features “Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution,” “Minding the Gap” and “The Edge of Democracy.” This year, the documentaries awarded grants explore a large breadth subject matters from around the world, telling stories about Indigenous People and Native Americans, transgender youth, secrets of a family’s lineage, people with disabilities and an untitled feature about Uvalde, Texas.

Lucy Letby claimed she was being victimised and received an apology after two doctors tried to warn that she could be responsible for a series of baby deaths, documents show.The 33-year-old, now deemed to be the most prolific child killer in modern history, was on Friday convicted of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder six more following a ten-month trial. She is today (Monday) due to be sentenced Manchester Crown Court by judge Mr Justice Goss.

Rupert Murdoch is living proof that there is no age limit to find love. The 92-year-old media tycoon has embarked on a romantic journey with a retired scientist.