Abramorama has acquired worldwide theatrical and digital distribution rights to “Upheaval,” a documentary about former Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin. The indie studio plans to premiere the film in early June 2021.
Directed by Jonathan Gruber (“Follow Me”), the film follows Begin, a proud yet scarred leader haunted by the Holocaust and decades of war, who struggles to balance history and heroism as he attempts to make peace with his greatest enemy and cement a legacy.
The film had its world premiere at the Heartland International Film Festival followed by select screenings across the country.
Begin was a controversial leader. He was alternately hailed as a peacemaker and honored with the Nobel Peace prize along with Anwar Sadat for signing a treaty with Egypt in 1979. But he was also criticized for his handling of the 1982 Lebanon War, with public dissatisfaction of his leadership during the conflict leading to his resignation.
“Upheaval...
Directed by Jonathan Gruber (“Follow Me”), the film follows Begin, a proud yet scarred leader haunted by the Holocaust and decades of war, who struggles to balance history and heroism as he attempts to make peace with his greatest enemy and cement a legacy.
The film had its world premiere at the Heartland International Film Festival followed by select screenings across the country.
Begin was a controversial leader. He was alternately hailed as a peacemaker and honored with the Nobel Peace prize along with Anwar Sadat for signing a treaty with Egypt in 1979. But he was also criticized for his handling of the 1982 Lebanon War, with public dissatisfaction of his leadership during the conflict leading to his resignation.
“Upheaval...
- 4/6/2021
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Discovery+ has acquired the worldwide rights to “Citizen Penn,” a documentary about actor Sean Penn’s humanitarian work in Haiti following the 7.0-magnitude earthquake that devastated the region in 2010.
The film is written and directed by Don Hardy (“Pick of the Litter”) and followed Penn over the course of 10 years as he and a team of volunteers set up a long base to bring aid to Haitians, including through his non-profit organization called Core. Discovery+ plans to release “Citizen Penn” on its streaming service beginning May 6.
The documentary also features an original score by songwriter Linda Perry, as well as an original song called “Eden (To Find Love)” performed by Bono and co-written by Bono and Perry.
“Citizen Penn” chronicles the moment Penn and his team of volunteers landed in Haiti, just days after the earthquake struck, and the ten years since. The film offers viewers an intimate, honest, and...
The film is written and directed by Don Hardy (“Pick of the Litter”) and followed Penn over the course of 10 years as he and a team of volunteers set up a long base to bring aid to Haitians, including through his non-profit organization called Core. Discovery+ plans to release “Citizen Penn” on its streaming service beginning May 6.
The documentary also features an original score by songwriter Linda Perry, as well as an original song called “Eden (To Find Love)” performed by Bono and co-written by Bono and Perry.
“Citizen Penn” chronicles the moment Penn and his team of volunteers landed in Haiti, just days after the earthquake struck, and the ten years since. The film offers viewers an intimate, honest, and...
- 4/2/2021
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Discovery Plus has acquired “Citizen Penn,” a look at the humanitarian efforts of Sean Penn and a team of volunteers to help Haitians in the wake of the devastating 2010 earthquake.
The documentary will premiere on the subscription streaming service on May 6. “Citizen Penn” was written and directed by Don Hardy and produced by Hardy and Shawn Dailey. It boasts up close and personal footage of Penn’s work on the frontlines in the days after a 7.0 earthquake left 250,000 people dead and displaced some 5 million others. Haiti changed Penn’s life. The Oscar-winning star of “Mystic River” and “Milk” went there for what he thought was a two-week aid mission to drop off supplies, help doctors provide immediate medical care, and then get out and get back to his normal life. Instead, he stayed and created an organization called J/P Hro (now Core) that took over management duties for the...
The documentary will premiere on the subscription streaming service on May 6. “Citizen Penn” was written and directed by Don Hardy and produced by Hardy and Shawn Dailey. It boasts up close and personal footage of Penn’s work on the frontlines in the days after a 7.0 earthquake left 250,000 people dead and displaced some 5 million others. Haiti changed Penn’s life. The Oscar-winning star of “Mystic River” and “Milk” went there for what he thought was a two-week aid mission to drop off supplies, help doctors provide immediate medical care, and then get out and get back to his normal life. Instead, he stayed and created an organization called J/P Hro (now Core) that took over management duties for the...
- 4/2/2021
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
"This is Pope Francis." Abramorama has released an official trailer for the profile documentary Francesco, a closer look at Pope Francis from Argentina. This screened at the Doc NYC Film Festival last fall, and is available for streaming this spring. This groundbreaking film features unprecedented access to His Holiness Pope Francis, providing an intimate look at a global leader who approaches challenging and complex issues with tremendous humility, wisdom and generosity for all. "Born in Argentina, Francis is the first leader of the Catholic Church to come from the Americas and the Jesuit order. His teachings bring a progressive take on issues like the climate crisis, immigration, LGBTQ support, economic equality, and religious tolerance. Francesco showcases a voice of morality that serves as a powerful counterbalance to the rise of reactionary politics around the world." Let's just hope he continues to push forward with tolerance and understanding, because the Vatican...
- 3/29/2021
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Pope Francis is coming to Discovery+ in time for Easter.
The subscription streamer said Wednesday that it has acquired Evgeny Afineevsky’s documentary Francesco, an exploration of the pope’s ministry and moral leadership in a time of surging right-wing populist movements, a worldwide refugee crisis, and the Covid-19 pandemic. Discovery+ will begin streaming Francesco globally on Sunday, March 28, the start of Holy Week, which leads up to Easter on April 4.
“It is an honor to host the global premiere of Francesco on Discovery+, spotlighting an intimate look at one of the world’s most beloved and influential leaders, Pope Francis,” said Lisa Holme, group SVP of content and commercial strategy at Discovery, in a statement. “We are thrilled to work with a powerful storyteller like Evgeny on this important project, which is emblematic of our ability to expand our documentary programming aperture on Discovery+ to serve subscribers around the...
The subscription streamer said Wednesday that it has acquired Evgeny Afineevsky’s documentary Francesco, an exploration of the pope’s ministry and moral leadership in a time of surging right-wing populist movements, a worldwide refugee crisis, and the Covid-19 pandemic. Discovery+ will begin streaming Francesco globally on Sunday, March 28, the start of Holy Week, which leads up to Easter on April 4.
“It is an honor to host the global premiere of Francesco on Discovery+, spotlighting an intimate look at one of the world’s most beloved and influential leaders, Pope Francis,” said Lisa Holme, group SVP of content and commercial strategy at Discovery, in a statement. “We are thrilled to work with a powerful storyteller like Evgeny on this important project, which is emblematic of our ability to expand our documentary programming aperture on Discovery+ to serve subscribers around the...
- 1/27/2021
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Discovery+, the non-fiction subscription streaming service, has acquired and will globally launch the documentary film “Francesco” about Pope Francis.
“Francesco” will provide an intimate look at His Holiness and his approach to complex issues like climate change, migration and refugees, female empowerment, sexual abuse and Lbgtq issues, the pandemic and border walls. The film features interviews with his nephew Jose Ignacio Bergoglio and Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, as well as Juan Carlos Cruz, a victim and activist for survivors of sexual abuse, and Sister Norma Pimentel, an advocate for refugees.
The documentary film will begin streaming globally at the start of Holy Week on March 28, following an opening in virtual cinemas.
Oscar-nominated director and producer Evgeny Afineevksy directs “Francesco.” Producers are Afineevksy, Den Tolmor, Eric Esrailian and Teri Schwartz, while Ted Hope, Colleen Camp, Mark Monroe, Tomáš Srovnal, Michelle Bertrán Neve, Svetlana Chistyakova, Bonnie Abaunza, Bohdan Batruch, Regina K. Scully,...
“Francesco” will provide an intimate look at His Holiness and his approach to complex issues like climate change, migration and refugees, female empowerment, sexual abuse and Lbgtq issues, the pandemic and border walls. The film features interviews with his nephew Jose Ignacio Bergoglio and Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, as well as Juan Carlos Cruz, a victim and activist for survivors of sexual abuse, and Sister Norma Pimentel, an advocate for refugees.
The documentary film will begin streaming globally at the start of Holy Week on March 28, following an opening in virtual cinemas.
Oscar-nominated director and producer Evgeny Afineevksy directs “Francesco.” Producers are Afineevksy, Den Tolmor, Eric Esrailian and Teri Schwartz, while Ted Hope, Colleen Camp, Mark Monroe, Tomáš Srovnal, Michelle Bertrán Neve, Svetlana Chistyakova, Bonnie Abaunza, Bohdan Batruch, Regina K. Scully,...
- 1/27/2021
- by Beatrice Verhoeven
- The Wrap
Francesco, a documentary feature about Pope Francis that premiered at last October’s Rome Film Festival to strong notices and had the whole world talking about the pontiff’s comments regarding gay Catholics, has been acquired by discovery+, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
The film will be released in virtual cinemas ahead of its debut on discovery+ on Sunday, March 28, which marks the start of Holy Week.
The deal was negotiated by ICM Partners on behalf of the filmmakers.
Directed and produced by the Oscar-nominated filmmaker Evgeny Afineevsky (Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom), who received unprecedented access to the Pope and ...
The film will be released in virtual cinemas ahead of its debut on discovery+ on Sunday, March 28, which marks the start of Holy Week.
The deal was negotiated by ICM Partners on behalf of the filmmakers.
Directed and produced by the Oscar-nominated filmmaker Evgeny Afineevsky (Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom), who received unprecedented access to the Pope and ...
- 1/27/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
No 2020 documentary has made more headlines than Oscar nominee Evgeny Afineevsky’s Francesco, a new film about Pope Francis and the people whose lives he has touched.
Immediately after Francesco’s Oct. 21 world premiere at the Rome Film Festival, word began to spread like wildfire all around the world that the Holy Father had endorsed the idea of civil unions for gay couples. And while that is certainly one noteworthy aspect of the film, there are many others, too, from the Pope’s thinly-veiled reference to Pres. Donald Trump (“Those who build walls end up trapped by those walls”) to ...
Immediately after Francesco’s Oct. 21 world premiere at the Rome Film Festival, word began to spread like wildfire all around the world that the Holy Father had endorsed the idea of civil unions for gay couples. And while that is certainly one noteworthy aspect of the film, there are many others, too, from the Pope’s thinly-veiled reference to Pres. Donald Trump (“Those who build walls end up trapped by those walls”) to ...
- 10/27/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
It’s the rare documentary film premiere that triggers worldwide headlines, but that’s what has happened with Evgeny Afineevsky’s Francesco. The film about Pope Francis debuted at the Rome Film Festival today and first the Catholic press and then secular media picked up on something the pope told Afineevsky in the film: Gay people should be allowed to form civil unions.
The Catholic Church traditionally has been hostile to homosexual activity, calling it “deviant behavior.” It has preached acceptance of gay people but called the idea of conferring legal status on same sex unions an attack on the family. What Pope Francis told Afineevsky contradicted that orthodoxy.
“Homosexuals have a right to be a part of the family. They’re children of God and have a right to a family. Nobody should be thrown out, or be made miserable because of it,” the pope says in Francesco. “What...
The Catholic Church traditionally has been hostile to homosexual activity, calling it “deviant behavior.” It has preached acceptance of gay people but called the idea of conferring legal status on same sex unions an attack on the family. What Pope Francis told Afineevsky contradicted that orthodoxy.
“Homosexuals have a right to be a part of the family. They’re children of God and have a right to a family. Nobody should be thrown out, or be made miserable because of it,” the pope says in Francesco. “What...
- 10/21/2020
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Pope Francis has publicly supported same-sex civil unions for the first time while in office, declaring that “homosexual people have the right to be in a family”. His comments were made in a documentary, Francesco, which premiered at the Rome Film Fest today.
Directed by Russian filmmaker Evgeny Afineevsky, the feature doc is an intricate look into the beliefs of the leader of the Catholic Church, during which the Pope covers topics including the environment, poverty and racial inequality, discussing how the human race can prepare for a better future.
“Homosexual people have the right to be in a family. They are children of God. You can’t kick someone out of a family, nor make their life miserable for this. What we have to have is a civil union law; that way they are legally covered,” the Pope has been quoted as saying in the film by numerous outlets including AP.
Directed by Russian filmmaker Evgeny Afineevsky, the feature doc is an intricate look into the beliefs of the leader of the Catholic Church, during which the Pope covers topics including the environment, poverty and racial inequality, discussing how the human race can prepare for a better future.
“Homosexual people have the right to be in a family. They are children of God. You can’t kick someone out of a family, nor make their life miserable for this. What we have to have is a civil union law; that way they are legally covered,” the Pope has been quoted as saying in the film by numerous outlets including AP.
- 10/21/2020
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
Pope Francis has called for civil union laws for same-sex couples in what experts consider to be his most explicit statement yet on the hot button issue, unveiled as part of a new documentary that world premiered Wednesday at the Rome Film Festival.
In “Francesco,” directed by U.S.-based helmer Evgeny Afineevsky (“Winter on Fire”), the pontiff also says that “homosexuals have a right to be part of the family,” as quoted by the Catholic News Agency.
Regarding same-sex civil unions, the Vatican-aligned news outlet also quotes Pope Francis as saying that “what we have to create is a civil union law,” and adding, “That way, they are legally covered. I stood up for that.”
Though Francis is known to have supported civil unions for gay couples in lieu of same-sex marriages when he was Archbishop of Buenos Aires, experts say he had never spoken so clearly about supporting...
In “Francesco,” directed by U.S.-based helmer Evgeny Afineevsky (“Winter on Fire”), the pontiff also says that “homosexuals have a right to be part of the family,” as quoted by the Catholic News Agency.
Regarding same-sex civil unions, the Vatican-aligned news outlet also quotes Pope Francis as saying that “what we have to create is a civil union law,” and adding, “That way, they are legally covered. I stood up for that.”
Though Francis is known to have supported civil unions for gay couples in lieu of same-sex marriages when he was Archbishop of Buenos Aires, experts say he had never spoken so clearly about supporting...
- 10/21/2020
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Francesco, a new documentary feature about and featuring unprecedented access to Pope Francis, is set to have its world premiere at the Rome Film Festival on Oct. 21 and its North American premiere at the Savannah Film Festival on Oct. 25.
The Hollywood Reporter is exclusively debuting the trailer for the film (see below), which was directed by Oscar nominee Evgeny Afineevsky (2015’s Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom) and is seeking U.S. distribution.
Filmed with the pope right through June, in the midst of the pandemic, Francesco chronicles the pontiff’s work and candid thoughts on Covid-19, police violence, racism, border ...
The Hollywood Reporter is exclusively debuting the trailer for the film (see below), which was directed by Oscar nominee Evgeny Afineevsky (2015’s Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom) and is seeking U.S. distribution.
Filmed with the pope right through June, in the midst of the pandemic, Francesco chronicles the pontiff’s work and candid thoughts on Covid-19, police violence, racism, border ...
- 10/6/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
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