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National Geographic’s The First Wave took home the top award at the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences’ Annual News & Documentary Emmy Awards in New York City on Thursday.
Matthew Heineman’s documentary details the first four months of the Covid-19 pandemic in NYC, as healthcare workers at Long Island Jewish Medical Center risked their lives in the epic battle to keep the virus at bay.
Presenters at the Documentary ceremony included Frontline’s Tamara Shogaolu, In the Shadow of 9/11 and Four Hours at the Capitol’s Dan Reed, The Rescue‘s Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, Pray Away‘s Kristine Stolakis and Vice News’ Alzo Slade.
Biologist and filmmaker Sir David Attenborough received the Lifetime Achievement honors at the ceremony, which was presented to him by Louie Schwartzberg, the award-winning cinematographer, time-lapse photographer and documentarian. Dame Judi Dench also appeared via video to celebrate Attenborough.
National Geographic’s The First Wave took home the top award at the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences’ Annual News & Documentary Emmy Awards in New York City on Thursday.
Matthew Heineman’s documentary details the first four months of the Covid-19 pandemic in NYC, as healthcare workers at Long Island Jewish Medical Center risked their lives in the epic battle to keep the virus at bay.
Presenters at the Documentary ceremony included Frontline’s Tamara Shogaolu, In the Shadow of 9/11 and Four Hours at the Capitol’s Dan Reed, The Rescue‘s Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, Pray Away‘s Kristine Stolakis and Vice News’ Alzo Slade.
Biologist and filmmaker Sir David Attenborough received the Lifetime Achievement honors at the ceremony, which was presented to him by Louie Schwartzberg, the award-winning cinematographer, time-lapse photographer and documentarian. Dame Judi Dench also appeared via video to celebrate Attenborough.
- 9/30/2022
- by Christy Piña
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
“The Rescue” filmmakers and Oscar winners Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin are among the presenters set to appear at the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences’ 43rd Annual News & Documentary Emmy Awards. The news ceremony will take place on Wednesday, September 28 at 7:30 p.m. Et and the documentary ceremony takes place Thursday, September 29 at 7:30 p.m. Et, both at the Palladium Times Square in New York City.
Presenters set to appear at the news ceremony include Linsey Davis (ABC News), Margaret Brennan (CBS News), Omar Jimenez (CNN), Morgan Radford (NBC News), Julio Vaqueiro (Noticias Telemundo), Teresa Rodrigues (Univision) and Paola Ramos (Vice News).
Presenters at the documentary ceremony include Tamara Shogaolu, “Frontline” (PBS); Dan Reed, “In the Shadow of 9/11” (PBS) and “ Four Hours at the Capitol” (HBO); Vasarhelyi and Chin, “The Rescue” (National Geographic); Kristine Stolakis, “Pray Away” (Netflix); and Alzo Slade (Vice News).
PBS NewsHour anchor and...
Presenters set to appear at the news ceremony include Linsey Davis (ABC News), Margaret Brennan (CBS News), Omar Jimenez (CNN), Morgan Radford (NBC News), Julio Vaqueiro (Noticias Telemundo), Teresa Rodrigues (Univision) and Paola Ramos (Vice News).
Presenters at the documentary ceremony include Tamara Shogaolu, “Frontline” (PBS); Dan Reed, “In the Shadow of 9/11” (PBS) and “ Four Hours at the Capitol” (HBO); Vasarhelyi and Chin, “The Rescue” (National Geographic); Kristine Stolakis, “Pray Away” (Netflix); and Alzo Slade (Vice News).
PBS NewsHour anchor and...
- 9/27/2022
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
Chicago – Are we there yet? Another pandemic year, 2021, somewhat affected the cinema world, but many films that had been delayed finally saw the light of screen, and one true blockbuster was had for the industry (kudos to Spidey). Around mid-year, the critics and public went back to the theaters, and this 10 Best list is a hybrid of in-person and online viewings.
So begins my* list of the 10 Best Films Of 2021, on a hopeful note. Hoping that this current viral surge will be our last, and we will come back fully and in person moving forward, as a wish for the world. *The Über Critic, Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com, Wbgr-FM & Wssr-fm
I’m formatting this 10 Best differently this year, to reflect the on-air reviews I do weekly on Wbgr-fm and Wssr-fm. Each of the 10 Best will be in the on-air or audio format for your listening pleasure.
I begin...
So begins my* list of the 10 Best Films Of 2021, on a hopeful note. Hoping that this current viral surge will be our last, and we will come back fully and in person moving forward, as a wish for the world. *The Über Critic, Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com, Wbgr-FM & Wssr-fm
I’m formatting this 10 Best differently this year, to reflect the on-air reviews I do weekly on Wbgr-fm and Wssr-fm. Each of the 10 Best will be in the on-air or audio format for your listening pleasure.
I begin...
- 12/29/2021
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
The Critics Choice Association awarded “Summer of Soul” the top prize at the sixth annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards, which honors the best achievements in nonfiction released in theaters, on TV, or on major digital platforms. Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson’s look at the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival took home the most awards of any film, with five in total.
This year’s nominees were led by “Ascension” and “Summer of Soul,” two films by first-time documentarians. Each had six nominations. But “Ascension,” Jessica Kingdon’s look at the pursuit of the Chinese dream, failed to score any prizes November 14.
“Summer of Soul,” which won the top documentary prize and an Audience Award following its Sundance premiere earlier this year, won five of the six awards it was nominated for at the critics awards: Best Documentary Feature, Best First Documentary Feature, Best Editing, Best Archival Documentary, and Best Director, a prize Thompson...
This year’s nominees were led by “Ascension” and “Summer of Soul,” two films by first-time documentarians. Each had six nominations. But “Ascension,” Jessica Kingdon’s look at the pursuit of the Chinese dream, failed to score any prizes November 14.
“Summer of Soul,” which won the top documentary prize and an Audience Award following its Sundance premiere earlier this year, won five of the six awards it was nominated for at the critics awards: Best Documentary Feature, Best First Documentary Feature, Best Editing, Best Archival Documentary, and Best Director, a prize Thompson...
- 11/15/2021
- by Chris Lindahl
- Indiewire
The Critics Choice Association has announced nominees for the sixth annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards.
The awards cover documentaries released in theaters, on TV and on major digital platforms. The awards gala takes place Nov. 14 in Brooklyn, N.Y.
“Ascension” and “Summer of Soul, both from first-time documentarians, led the nominations with six each. “Becoming Cousteau” and “The Rescue” both received five nods each.
“This has been and continues to be a fantastic year for documentary storytelling. And the number of first-time feature documentarians in the mix of nominees, alongside proven veterans, shows that nonfiction cinema continues to have a very bright future,” said Christopher Campbell, President of the Critics Choice Association Documentary Branch. “Our world, from its most amazing wonders to its greatest challenges, is being reflected back on the screen so immediately and creatively by today’s filmmakers, and it’s a tremendous honor for us to recognize all of their achievements.
The awards cover documentaries released in theaters, on TV and on major digital platforms. The awards gala takes place Nov. 14 in Brooklyn, N.Y.
“Ascension” and “Summer of Soul, both from first-time documentarians, led the nominations with six each. “Becoming Cousteau” and “The Rescue” both received five nods each.
“This has been and continues to be a fantastic year for documentary storytelling. And the number of first-time feature documentarians in the mix of nominees, alongside proven veterans, shows that nonfiction cinema continues to have a very bright future,” said Christopher Campbell, President of the Critics Choice Association Documentary Branch. “Our world, from its most amazing wonders to its greatest challenges, is being reflected back on the screen so immediately and creatively by today’s filmmakers, and it’s a tremendous honor for us to recognize all of their achievements.
- 10/18/2021
- by Pat Saperstein
- Variety Film + TV
Notably leading the pack of nominees revealed Monday for the sixth annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards are a pair of films from directors making their debut as documentarians. Ascension’s Jessica Kingdon and Summer of Soul’s Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson pulled off the impressive feat, with both films receiving six nods apiece. On their tails however are a pair of docus from Nat Geo with five nods each: The Rescue. whose directors Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi took the Oscar for their previous effort Free Solo; and Becoming Cousteau, whose director Liz Garbus is also a docu veteran with two Oscar nominations and two Emmys to her credit.
All will compete in the Best Documentary Feature and Best Director categories, with Thompson and Kingdon also facing off for Best First Documentary Feature along with such indie film giants as Todd Haynes and Edgar Wright.
All will compete in the Best Documentary Feature and Best Director categories, with Thompson and Kingdon also facing off for Best First Documentary Feature along with such indie film giants as Todd Haynes and Edgar Wright.
- 10/18/2021
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
The Critics Choice Association (Cca) has announced the nominees for the sixth annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards (Ccda). This year’s winners will be revealed at a gala on Sunday, November 14, 2021, in Brooklyn, NY. The awards honor the best achievements in nonfiction released in theaters, on TV, or on major digital platforms.
Both films by first-time documentarians, “Ascension” and “Summer of Soul” lead this year’s nominations with six each. “Ascension,” a look at the Chinese dream across social classes, is also up for Documentary Feature, Director (Jessica Kingdon), First Feature, Cinematography, Editing, and Score. Meanwhile, “Summer of Soul” is up for Documentary Feature, Best Director (Ahmir “Questlove’ Thompson), First Documentary, Editing, Archival Documentary, and Music Documentary.
“Becoming Cousteau” and “The Rescue” also picked up five nominations each.
Last year, “Dick Johnson Is Dead” took home the Cca’s top award for Best Documentary as well as the Best Director award for Kirsten Johnson.
Both films by first-time documentarians, “Ascension” and “Summer of Soul” lead this year’s nominations with six each. “Ascension,” a look at the Chinese dream across social classes, is also up for Documentary Feature, Director (Jessica Kingdon), First Feature, Cinematography, Editing, and Score. Meanwhile, “Summer of Soul” is up for Documentary Feature, Best Director (Ahmir “Questlove’ Thompson), First Documentary, Editing, Archival Documentary, and Music Documentary.
“Becoming Cousteau” and “The Rescue” also picked up five nominations each.
Last year, “Dick Johnson Is Dead” took home the Cca’s top award for Best Documentary as well as the Best Director award for Kirsten Johnson.
- 10/18/2021
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Netflix’s awards hopefuls Robert Greene’s “Procession” and Alonso Ruizpalacios’ “A Cop Movie” are heading to Manhattan’s Paris Theater as part of its “New Directions in Documentary” series.
Both hybrid features, which are vying for a spot on this year’s Academy Award doc shortlist, will screen alongside previously celebrated form-bending docus in the upcoming series beginning Oct. 15.
Since 2019 Netflix has operated the 571-seat venue, which the streaming company uses year-round for exclusive theatrical engagements, premieres, special events, retrospectives, and filmmaker appearances.
Curated by Paris Theater programmer David Schwartz, the five-day public event will highlight and celebrate docus that combine elements of fiction and non-fiction into the fabric of their storytelling.
“ ‘Procession’ and ‘A Cop Movie’ are exciting and inventive movies that heighten the documentary form,” says Schwartz. “They find innovative ways to explore truth through deeply personal and dramatic subjects. Their work transcends the formulaic with rigorous fidelity to vision,...
Both hybrid features, which are vying for a spot on this year’s Academy Award doc shortlist, will screen alongside previously celebrated form-bending docus in the upcoming series beginning Oct. 15.
Since 2019 Netflix has operated the 571-seat venue, which the streaming company uses year-round for exclusive theatrical engagements, premieres, special events, retrospectives, and filmmaker appearances.
Curated by Paris Theater programmer David Schwartz, the five-day public event will highlight and celebrate docus that combine elements of fiction and non-fiction into the fabric of their storytelling.
“ ‘Procession’ and ‘A Cop Movie’ are exciting and inventive movies that heighten the documentary form,” says Schwartz. “They find innovative ways to explore truth through deeply personal and dramatic subjects. Their work transcends the formulaic with rigorous fidelity to vision,...
- 10/5/2021
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
Chicago – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Scott Thompson on Wbgr-fm on August 5th, 2021, reviewing the new Kristine Stolakis documentary “Pray Away,” now streaming on Netflix..
Rating: 5.0/5.0
It’s surprising how many people are unfamiliar with “conversion” therapy (also known as the more Orwellian “restorative” therapy), in which gay men and woman (as well as transgender and fluid people) are subjected to either religious or pseudo-psychology to become “straight.” Kristine Stolakis sensitively allows the survivors of this abusive practice to tell their stories – including former “Living Hope” spokesperson Julie Rodgers – and although there is hopeful redemption, the pain of the process to get there is devastating. And religion, unfortunately, leads the way by using a belief in deities as a smokescreen for what nature has intended. Not so much an exposé as a primer for pain and suffering that is totally unnecessary, if only relatives...
Rating: 5.0/5.0
It’s surprising how many people are unfamiliar with “conversion” therapy (also known as the more Orwellian “restorative” therapy), in which gay men and woman (as well as transgender and fluid people) are subjected to either religious or pseudo-psychology to become “straight.” Kristine Stolakis sensitively allows the survivors of this abusive practice to tell their stories – including former “Living Hope” spokesperson Julie Rodgers – and although there is hopeful redemption, the pain of the process to get there is devastating. And religion, unfortunately, leads the way by using a belief in deities as a smokescreen for what nature has intended. Not so much an exposé as a primer for pain and suffering that is totally unnecessary, if only relatives...
- 8/9/2021
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
This review of “Pray Away” was first published on June 16, 2021 after its premiere at the Tribeca Festival.
John Paulk and his wife Anne appeared on the cover of Newsweek magazine in 1998 as the face of Christian ex-gay therapy. In “Pray Away,” a wide-ranging documentary from director Kristine Stolakis, Paulk is interviewed today, and he is unrecognizable as the man on that cover. Even though he was much younger when he posed with his wife, the contemporary Paulk looks so relaxed and comfortable with himself that it really is like looking at a totally different and much more appealing person.
Such visual reenforcement is constant in “Pray Away,” as we see footage of Paulk and many other so-called “ex-ex-gays” when they were being tortured by their ministries alongside footage of them looking far happier after they escaped. Stolakis carefully and patiently charts the rise and fall of Exodus, an ex-gay ministry...
John Paulk and his wife Anne appeared on the cover of Newsweek magazine in 1998 as the face of Christian ex-gay therapy. In “Pray Away,” a wide-ranging documentary from director Kristine Stolakis, Paulk is interviewed today, and he is unrecognizable as the man on that cover. Even though he was much younger when he posed with his wife, the contemporary Paulk looks so relaxed and comfortable with himself that it really is like looking at a totally different and much more appealing person.
Such visual reenforcement is constant in “Pray Away,” as we see footage of Paulk and many other so-called “ex-ex-gays” when they were being tortured by their ministries alongside footage of them looking far happier after they escaped. Stolakis carefully and patiently charts the rise and fall of Exodus, an ex-gay ministry...
- 8/2/2021
- by Dan Callahan
- The Wrap
Chicago – One of the crueler uses of psychology or religion is as a “cure” for gay or transgender or even fluid orientations to “become” heterosexual. Although this conversion therapy should never exist, the new doc “Pray Away” has filmmaker Kristine Stolakis providing the background and continued use of the therapies. The film premieres August 3rd, 2021, on Netflix.
It’s surprising how many people are unfamiliar with “conversion” therapy (also known as the more Orwellian “restorative” therapy), in which gay men and woman (as well as transgender and fluid people) are subjected to either religious or pseudo-psychology to become “straight.” Kristine Stolakis sensitively allows the survivors of this abusive practice to tell their stories – including former “Living Hope” spokesperson Julie Rodgers – and although there is hopeful redemption, the pain of the process to get there is devastating. And religion, unfortunately, leads the way by using a belief in deities as a...
It’s surprising how many people are unfamiliar with “conversion” therapy (also known as the more Orwellian “restorative” therapy), in which gay men and woman (as well as transgender and fluid people) are subjected to either religious or pseudo-psychology to become “straight.” Kristine Stolakis sensitively allows the survivors of this abusive practice to tell their stories – including former “Living Hope” spokesperson Julie Rodgers – and although there is hopeful redemption, the pain of the process to get there is devastating. And religion, unfortunately, leads the way by using a belief in deities as a...
- 8/1/2021
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
"I've spent a lot of time thinking 'how did I believe that?'" Netflix has unveiled an official trailer for a film titled Pray Away, marking the feature directorial debut of award-winning doc filmmaker Kristine Stolakis. It's also executive produced by iconic producers Ryan Murphy and Jason Blum and many others. The doc dives into the horrible and frightening world of conversion therapy, the religious practice of sending people to camps and "therapy" centers to "pray the gay away" (there's been a few feature films about this including The Miseducation of Cameron Post and Boy Erased). After years as Christian superstars in the religious right, many of these men and women have come out as LGBTQ, disavowing the very movement they helped start. Focusing on the dramatic journeys of former conversion therapy leaders, current members, and a survivor, Pray Away chronicles the "ex gay" movement’s rise to power, persistent influence,...
- 7/12/2021
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Netflix has released the trailer for Pray Away, a new documentary that investigates the abuse brought on by gay conversion therapy programs — featuring interviews with the program leaders themselves.
The film centers on Exodus International, an Evangelical gay conversion program that began as a Bible study group between five gay men who wished to help each other leave the “homosexual lifestyle.” Shortly after its inception in the Seventies, the group received 25,000 letters from LGBTQ people asking for help, leading Exodus International to rapidly grow into the largest gay conversion therapy program in the world.
The film centers on Exodus International, an Evangelical gay conversion program that began as a Bible study group between five gay men who wished to help each other leave the “homosexual lifestyle.” Shortly after its inception in the Seventies, the group received 25,000 letters from LGBTQ people asking for help, leading Exodus International to rapidly grow into the largest gay conversion therapy program in the world.
- 7/12/2021
- by Claire Shaffer
- Rollingstone.com
Thankfully, over recent years, there has been a large outcry against conversion therapy tactics used by churches to “pray the gay away,” so to speak. And if you’re someone that is still unfamiliar with the harrowing stories of LGBTQ youth that have endured these schemes, you can see the effects first hand in the new doc, “Pray Away.”
Read More: ‘Pray Away’: Kristine Stolakis’ Doc Is One Of The Most Important Films Of The Year [Tribeca Review]
As seen in the trailer for “Pray Away,” the documentary from director Kristine Stolakis puts a spotlight on the gay conversion therapy that is utilized by various churches and Christian leaders as a way to somehow convince LGBTQ kids that they can somehow pray enough that they will become straight.
Continue reading ‘Pray Away’ Trailer: Acclaimed Tribeca Doc Targets The Evils Of Conversion Therapy at The Playlist.
Read More: ‘Pray Away’: Kristine Stolakis’ Doc Is One Of The Most Important Films Of The Year [Tribeca Review]
As seen in the trailer for “Pray Away,” the documentary from director Kristine Stolakis puts a spotlight on the gay conversion therapy that is utilized by various churches and Christian leaders as a way to somehow convince LGBTQ kids that they can somehow pray enough that they will become straight.
Continue reading ‘Pray Away’ Trailer: Acclaimed Tribeca Doc Targets The Evils Of Conversion Therapy at The Playlist.
- 7/12/2021
- by Charles Barfield
- The Playlist
Netflix has released the first trailer for “Pray Away,” the Ryan Murphy- and Jason Blum/Blumhouse Television-produced documentary about the so-called “ex-gay” movement.
The Kristine Stolakis-directed film, which will premiere Aug. 3 on the streamer, chronicles the rise and fall of Exodus International, a group founded in the 1970s by five members of an evangelical church that claimed gay people could become straight if they “pray away” their homosexuality. Since then, many of the group’s most well-known and outspoken members have come out as Lgtbq and have gone public with how harmful conversion therapy is. Conversion therapy is discredited by the World Health Organization and LGBTQ activists have forged legislative and legal battles across the world to ban the therapies.
The 2:35-minute trailer shows Exodus members disavowing the practice after touting they’d been converted on various talk shows and news programs. A new poster features...
The Kristine Stolakis-directed film, which will premiere Aug. 3 on the streamer, chronicles the rise and fall of Exodus International, a group founded in the 1970s by five members of an evangelical church that claimed gay people could become straight if they “pray away” their homosexuality. Since then, many of the group’s most well-known and outspoken members have come out as Lgtbq and have gone public with how harmful conversion therapy is. Conversion therapy is discredited by the World Health Organization and LGBTQ activists have forged legislative and legal battles across the world to ban the therapies.
The 2:35-minute trailer shows Exodus members disavowing the practice after touting they’d been converted on various talk shows and news programs. A new poster features...
- 7/12/2021
- by Marc Malkin
- Variety Film + TV
Blumhouse Television alternative chief Mary Lisio has left the company.
Lisio, who was EVP Alternative and Non-Scripted programming, is exiting to pursue other opportunities. The company will start a search for her replacement.
She has spent over three years at the company and has been involved in projects such as upcoming docuseries Worst Roommate Ever, Epix’s Fall River, CNN’s The People v. The Klan and HBO Max’s Brittany Murphy docuseries.
Other projects included Pray Away, the feature-length documentary from director Kristine Stolakis and executive producer Ryan Murphy, A Wilderness of Error for FX, A Secret Love, Relentless, for Discovery+ and This is Home.
She was also involved in the partnership with NBC News Studios that yielded NBC series The Thing About Pam with Renee Zellweger.
Her departure comes after Blumhouse struck an overall deal with ITV America to develop and produce unscripted formats.
Prior to joining Blumhouse,...
Lisio, who was EVP Alternative and Non-Scripted programming, is exiting to pursue other opportunities. The company will start a search for her replacement.
She has spent over three years at the company and has been involved in projects such as upcoming docuseries Worst Roommate Ever, Epix’s Fall River, CNN’s The People v. The Klan and HBO Max’s Brittany Murphy docuseries.
Other projects included Pray Away, the feature-length documentary from director Kristine Stolakis and executive producer Ryan Murphy, A Wilderness of Error for FX, A Secret Love, Relentless, for Discovery+ and This is Home.
She was also involved in the partnership with NBC News Studios that yielded NBC series The Thing About Pam with Renee Zellweger.
Her departure comes after Blumhouse struck an overall deal with ITV America to develop and produce unscripted formats.
Prior to joining Blumhouse,...
- 7/1/2021
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Blumhouse Television’s Mary Lisio is resigning her post.
Named executive vice president of alternative and non-scripted programming at Jason Blum’s division in 2018, Lisio is departing the company amicably to pursue other opportunities.
Her departure comes as a result of Blumhouse TV’s recent exclusive, multi-year unscripted overall deal with ITV America. The pact was designed to pivot the division closer to the core Blumhouse brand, leaning into provocative horror, paranormal reality and suspense-driven series. The division will also work with producers across ITV America’s six vertical labels — ITV Entertainment, Leftfield Pictures, Sirens Media, Thinkfactory Media, High Noon Entertainment and Good Caper Content — to develop new concepts and IP.
Lisio is an Emmy winner who oversaw several of the company’s acclaimed, premium non-fiction series and documentary films, and she was also involved in the development of scripted fare including the deal with NBC News Studios to develop...
Named executive vice president of alternative and non-scripted programming at Jason Blum’s division in 2018, Lisio is departing the company amicably to pursue other opportunities.
Her departure comes as a result of Blumhouse TV’s recent exclusive, multi-year unscripted overall deal with ITV America. The pact was designed to pivot the division closer to the core Blumhouse brand, leaning into provocative horror, paranormal reality and suspense-driven series. The division will also work with producers across ITV America’s six vertical labels — ITV Entertainment, Leftfield Pictures, Sirens Media, Thinkfactory Media, High Noon Entertainment and Good Caper Content — to develop new concepts and IP.
Lisio is an Emmy winner who oversaw several of the company’s acclaimed, premium non-fiction series and documentary films, and she was also involved in the development of scripted fare including the deal with NBC News Studios to develop...
- 7/1/2021
- by Matt Donnelly
- Variety Film + TV
Chicago – At the recent Doc 10 screening of “Pray Away,” a new documentary by Kristine Stolakis, Illinois State Representative Kelly Cassidy and Evanston (Illinois) Mayor Daniel Biss made introductory remarks regarding their role in establishing laws against “Conversion Therapy” … the industry that promises to “cure” gay or trans orientation.
Cassidy was on the State Representative side (House) and Biss was an Illinois State Senator (Senate) when they sponsored Anti-Conversion Therapy legislation that featured the survivors of these “techniques” sharing their stories, and how religion and pseudo-psychology act as con artists cashing in on these therapies. Currently, no medical or psychological associations back any conversion therapies, yet they are still legal in 30 states in the U.S. It was the efforts of Cassidy and Biss that made Illinois a state where it is illegal.
Ilinois State Rep Kelly Cassidy & Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss
Photo credit: Patrick McDonald for HollywoodChicago.com
Capsule review...
Cassidy was on the State Representative side (House) and Biss was an Illinois State Senator (Senate) when they sponsored Anti-Conversion Therapy legislation that featured the survivors of these “techniques” sharing their stories, and how religion and pseudo-psychology act as con artists cashing in on these therapies. Currently, no medical or psychological associations back any conversion therapies, yet they are still legal in 30 states in the U.S. It was the efforts of Cassidy and Biss that made Illinois a state where it is illegal.
Ilinois State Rep Kelly Cassidy & Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss
Photo credit: Patrick McDonald for HollywoodChicago.com
Capsule review...
- 6/22/2021
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Chicago – That’s a wrap! The 2021 Tribeca Film Festival – a hybrid mix of New York City in-person events and online access – has its last day on Sunday, June 20th. It’s also the last day for Tribeca At Home, click Tribeca2021.
The 2021 Tribeca Festival was presented by AT&T, bringing artists and diverse audiences together to celebrate storytelling in all its forms, including film, TV, VR, gaming, music, and online work. With strong roots in independent film, Tribeca is a platform for creative expression and immersive entertainment. This year’s celebration of storytelling can be enjoyed virtually through the “Tribeca At Home” program. Many of the most anticipated features and short films will be made available only as part of our Tribeca Online Premieres lineup … a diverse range of dramas, comedies and documentaries.
Bernstein’s Wall
Photo credit: TribecaFilm.com
Four Films Of Tribeca Fest: Capsule Reviews
Click the title for...
The 2021 Tribeca Festival was presented by AT&T, bringing artists and diverse audiences together to celebrate storytelling in all its forms, including film, TV, VR, gaming, music, and online work. With strong roots in independent film, Tribeca is a platform for creative expression and immersive entertainment. This year’s celebration of storytelling can be enjoyed virtually through the “Tribeca At Home” program. Many of the most anticipated features and short films will be made available only as part of our Tribeca Online Premieres lineup … a diverse range of dramas, comedies and documentaries.
Bernstein’s Wall
Photo credit: TribecaFilm.com
Four Films Of Tribeca Fest: Capsule Reviews
Click the title for...
- 6/21/2021
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
“Pray Away,” a documentary that holds a microscope to the “pray away the gay” movement, is coming to Netflix.
The film, from executive producers Jason Blum and Ryan Murphy, will debut on the streaming service in August. Prior to its arrival on Netflix, “Pray Away” will premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on June 16.
“Pray Away” was initially slated to open at the 2020 Tribeca Film Festival, which was paused in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. This year’s edition will run from June 9 through 20 and will be held across New York City’s five boroughs.
Kristine Stolakis directed the film in her feature filmmaking debut. The doc examines the enduring harm of conversion therapy and centers on former leaders of religious anti-gay campaigns. It also focuses on survivors, who seek healing and acceptance from more than a decade of trauma.
Stolakis produced “Pray Away” with Jessica Devaney and Anya Rous.
The film, from executive producers Jason Blum and Ryan Murphy, will debut on the streaming service in August. Prior to its arrival on Netflix, “Pray Away” will premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on June 16.
“Pray Away” was initially slated to open at the 2020 Tribeca Film Festival, which was paused in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. This year’s edition will run from June 9 through 20 and will be held across New York City’s five boroughs.
Kristine Stolakis directed the film in her feature filmmaking debut. The doc examines the enduring harm of conversion therapy and centers on former leaders of religious anti-gay campaigns. It also focuses on survivors, who seek healing and acceptance from more than a decade of trauma.
Stolakis produced “Pray Away” with Jessica Devaney and Anya Rous.
- 5/12/2021
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
Ahead of the pic’s June 16 world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival, Netflix has snapped up the Blumhouse TV and Ryan Murphy executive produced documentary Pray Away which investigates the enduring harm of conversion therapy and the “pray the gay away” movement. An August release on the streamer is currently set.
In the Kristine Stolakis-directed and produced docu, former leaders of the “pray the gay away” movement contend with the aftermath unleashed by their actions, while a survivor seeks healing and acceptance from more than a decade of trauma. In the 1970s, five men struggling with being gay in their Evangelical church started a bible study to help each other leave the “homosexual lifestyle.” They quickly received over 25K letters from people asking for help and formalized as Exodus International, the largest and most controversial conversion therapy organization in the world. But leaders struggled with a secret: their...
In the Kristine Stolakis-directed and produced docu, former leaders of the “pray the gay away” movement contend with the aftermath unleashed by their actions, while a survivor seeks healing and acceptance from more than a decade of trauma. In the 1970s, five men struggling with being gay in their Evangelical church started a bible study to help each other leave the “homosexual lifestyle.” They quickly received over 25K letters from people asking for help and formalized as Exodus International, the largest and most controversial conversion therapy organization in the world. But leaders struggled with a secret: their...
- 5/12/2021
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
“Pray Away” will premiere at Tribeca Film Festival on June 16
The documentary “Pray Away,” executive produced by Jason Blum and Ryan Murphy, has landed at Netflix, the streamer announced on Wednesday.
“Pray Away,” which examines the harm of conversion therapy and the “pray the gay away” movement, will have its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on June 16. It will then debut on Netflix in August.
Kristine Stolakis directed the documentary and also produced alongside Jessica Devaney and Anya Rous. Murphy and Blum executive produced alongside Jeremy Gold, Marci Wiseman, Mary Lisio, Amanda Spain, Daniel J. Chalfen, Jim Butterworth, Katy Drake Bettner, Johnny Symons, Julie Parker Benello, Patty Quillin, Nion McEvoy, Leslie Berriman, Regina K. Scully and Alexis Martin Woodall.
The official logline reads: “Former leaders of the ‘pray the gay away’ movement contend with the aftermath unleashed by their actions, while a survivor seeks healing and acceptance from...
The documentary “Pray Away,” executive produced by Jason Blum and Ryan Murphy, has landed at Netflix, the streamer announced on Wednesday.
“Pray Away,” which examines the harm of conversion therapy and the “pray the gay away” movement, will have its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on June 16. It will then debut on Netflix in August.
Kristine Stolakis directed the documentary and also produced alongside Jessica Devaney and Anya Rous. Murphy and Blum executive produced alongside Jeremy Gold, Marci Wiseman, Mary Lisio, Amanda Spain, Daniel J. Chalfen, Jim Butterworth, Katy Drake Bettner, Johnny Symons, Julie Parker Benello, Patty Quillin, Nion McEvoy, Leslie Berriman, Regina K. Scully and Alexis Martin Woodall.
The official logline reads: “Former leaders of the ‘pray the gay away’ movement contend with the aftermath unleashed by their actions, while a survivor seeks healing and acceptance from...
- 5/12/2021
- by Beatrice Verhoeven
- The Wrap
Feature had been invited to Tribeca, Telluride in 2020.
Netflix has acquired global rights to upcoming Tribeca Festival world premiere and gay conversion documentary Pray Away.
Ryan Murphy and Jason Blum are among executive producers on the title, which was invited to screen at Tribeca and Telluride last year before the pandemic scuppered plans.
It will premiere at Tribeca on June 16 prior to debuting on the platform in August.
Kristine Stolakis made her feature directorial debut on Pray Away, which follows former leaders of the “pray the gay away” movement as they contend with the aftermath of their actions.
Meanwhile a...
Netflix has acquired global rights to upcoming Tribeca Festival world premiere and gay conversion documentary Pray Away.
Ryan Murphy and Jason Blum are among executive producers on the title, which was invited to screen at Tribeca and Telluride last year before the pandemic scuppered plans.
It will premiere at Tribeca on June 16 prior to debuting on the platform in August.
Kristine Stolakis made her feature directorial debut on Pray Away, which follows former leaders of the “pray the gay away” movement as they contend with the aftermath of their actions.
Meanwhile a...
- 5/12/2021
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Three weeks after a spike in coronavirus cases forced the Telluride Film Festival team to cancel its 2020 event, organizers have announced the lineup that would have been.
“The Show,” as the festival refers to its annual feature program, planned to include “Ammonite,” a love story co-starring Kate Winslet and Saoirse Ronan; “The Rider” director Chloé Zhao’s “Nomadland”; contemporary Western “Concrete Cowboy” with Idris Elba; and Roger Michell’s heist movie “The Duke,” with Helen Mirren and Jim Broadbent — all four of which will make their premieres at Venice or Toronto instead.
But many of the films in the documentary-heavy lineup were not selected for either of those festivals, which explains why Telluride executive director Julie Huntsinger felt it was important to share their selections. The Telluride team typically keeps their selections secret until the day before the festival, which takes place over Labor Day weekend in the small Colorado community.
“The Show,” as the festival refers to its annual feature program, planned to include “Ammonite,” a love story co-starring Kate Winslet and Saoirse Ronan; “The Rider” director Chloé Zhao’s “Nomadland”; contemporary Western “Concrete Cowboy” with Idris Elba; and Roger Michell’s heist movie “The Duke,” with Helen Mirren and Jim Broadbent — all four of which will make their premieres at Venice or Toronto instead.
But many of the films in the documentary-heavy lineup were not selected for either of those festivals, which explains why Telluride executive director Julie Huntsinger felt it was important to share their selections. The Telluride team typically keeps their selections secret until the day before the festival, which takes place over Labor Day weekend in the small Colorado community.
- 8/3/2020
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
It was announced last month that the Telluride Film Festival made the decision to cancel their event this year due to the ongoing pandemic and the more intimate nature of their festival. As Cannes did earlier this summer, they’ve now gone ahead and revealed what would’ve screened at this year’s edition.
Featuring tributes to Kate Winslet, Anthony Hopkins, and Chloé Zhao, their new films were set to screen––Ammonite, The Father, and Nomadland, respectively––as well as new work by Werner Herzog, Liz Garbus, Gia Coppola, Gianfranco Rosi, and more. There was also a new documentary featuring interviews by Tarkovsky titled Andrey Tarkovsky. A Cinema Prayer.
“I know other festivals can do this and will pull it off great, and it’s very beneficial to their individual communities,” executive director Julie Huntsinger told THR. “But what we do is so about human intimacy. For us, it’s that alchemy.
Featuring tributes to Kate Winslet, Anthony Hopkins, and Chloé Zhao, their new films were set to screen––Ammonite, The Father, and Nomadland, respectively––as well as new work by Werner Herzog, Liz Garbus, Gia Coppola, Gianfranco Rosi, and more. There was also a new documentary featuring interviews by Tarkovsky titled Andrey Tarkovsky. A Cinema Prayer.
“I know other festivals can do this and will pull it off great, and it’s very beneficial to their individual communities,” executive director Julie Huntsinger told THR. “But what we do is so about human intimacy. For us, it’s that alchemy.
- 8/3/2020
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
Telluride Film Festival Announces Lineup Despite Cancellation Of This Year’s Labor Day Weekend Event
Following in the footsteps of Cannes, which was forced to cancel its famous film festival in May but still went on to reveal what its schedule would have been anyway, the Telluride Film Festival on Monday released its own lineup. The films would have been presented over Labor Day weekend September 3-7, but the fest was canceled last month after trying to hang on for some version of its former self in light of the pandemic.
Similar to what other fests have programmed such as Kate Winslet-starrer Ammonite, Idris Elba in Concrete Cowboys and director Chloe Zhao’s Nomadland starring Frances McDormand, the list is similar to the eclectic, film-centric nature of Telluride minus some of the starrier Oscar campaign-driven films that have put the fest on the must-stop list for Academy Award hopefuls for much of this century.
Telluride will have a branded event on September 11, when it...
Similar to what other fests have programmed such as Kate Winslet-starrer Ammonite, Idris Elba in Concrete Cowboys and director Chloe Zhao’s Nomadland starring Frances McDormand, the list is similar to the eclectic, film-centric nature of Telluride minus some of the starrier Oscar campaign-driven films that have put the fest on the must-stop list for Academy Award hopefuls for much of this century.
Telluride will have a branded event on September 11, when it...
- 8/3/2020
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
“We still want to… bring attention to these brilliant films.”
The Telluride Film Festival, which was supposed to run September 3-7 but was cancelled due to Covid-19, has revealed the films that would’ve been selected this year.
“Though we aren’t able to present our program in-person as planned, we still want to announce the lineup to bring attention to these brilliant films,” said Telluride executive director Julie Huntsinger. “We’ve listed everything we know about screening opportunities so that audiences may watch as many of these films as possible. The festival will continue to do everything in its...
The Telluride Film Festival, which was supposed to run September 3-7 but was cancelled due to Covid-19, has revealed the films that would’ve been selected this year.
“Though we aren’t able to present our program in-person as planned, we still want to announce the lineup to bring attention to these brilliant films,” said Telluride executive director Julie Huntsinger. “We’ve listed everything we know about screening opportunities so that audiences may watch as many of these films as possible. The festival will continue to do everything in its...
- 8/3/2020
- by 1101184¦Orlando Parfitt¦38¦
- ScreenDaily
There will be no Telluride Film Festival this Labor Day in Colorado, but the programmers have unveiled what this year’s selections would have been. Much like the Cannes Film Festival’s 2020 lineup, this year’s Telluride films can at least carry the imprimatur of the festival as we head into the fall circuit. The 47th edition of the Telluride Film Festival was scheduled for September 3-7. See the full lineup, as revealed on Monday, below.
The idea in presenting the Telluride selections is to recommend the best in film this year in hopes that audiences will seek out these movies at other fall festivals (or what remains of them) down the line. With the 2021 Academy Awards pushed way out to April 25, there’s at once less pressure on these films to perform for awards but also a crush of movies backlogged since quarantine hit, making for a competitive season.
The idea in presenting the Telluride selections is to recommend the best in film this year in hopes that audiences will seek out these movies at other fall festivals (or what remains of them) down the line. With the 2021 Academy Awards pushed way out to April 25, there’s at once less pressure on these films to perform for awards but also a crush of movies backlogged since quarantine hit, making for a competitive season.
- 8/3/2020
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Exclusive: A Sheila E. documentary, a film from The Two Killings of Sam Cooke director about growing up female in the Deep South, and a free speech project from Julia Bacha are among those films awarded a grant from a Covid-19 doc fund.
Xtr, the documentary studio set up by Ryot co-founder Bryn Mooser, Knock Down The House producer Wavelength Productions and new partner Park Pictures, the company behind The Truffle Hunters, partnered on the Keep The Lights On Fund to help struggling documentary filmmakers finish projects hit by the shutdown.
The collaboration offered filmmakers between $5,000 and $10,000 to help support post-production budgets or filmmakers’ personal expenses during the shutdown.
Some 12 of the 15 winners are helmed by female directors.
The fund was available for U.S.-based documentary filmmakers with feature-length films in post-production, films that were scheduled for completion in 2020 prior to the pandemic, films that address contemporary issues and premium,...
Xtr, the documentary studio set up by Ryot co-founder Bryn Mooser, Knock Down The House producer Wavelength Productions and new partner Park Pictures, the company behind The Truffle Hunters, partnered on the Keep The Lights On Fund to help struggling documentary filmmakers finish projects hit by the shutdown.
The collaboration offered filmmakers between $5,000 and $10,000 to help support post-production budgets or filmmakers’ personal expenses during the shutdown.
Some 12 of the 15 winners are helmed by female directors.
The fund was available for U.S.-based documentary filmmakers with feature-length films in post-production, films that were scheduled for completion in 2020 prior to the pandemic, films that address contemporary issues and premium,...
- 5/29/2020
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
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