Final five nominations to be announced on November 2.
Steve McQueen’s Occupied City, Justine Triet’s Anatomy Of A Fall and Todd Haynes’ May December are among the titles on the latest British Independent Film Awards (BIFA) longlists, for Best Feature Documentary and Best International Independent Film.
15 films are on the documentary longlist, with five of them by first-time directors; with 17 films on the international list.
Scroll down for the longlists
Alongside McQueen’s film combining analysis of Amsterdam during the Second World War with the present day, documentary titles include Kevin MacDonald’s High & Low: John Galliano about the...
Steve McQueen’s Occupied City, Justine Triet’s Anatomy Of A Fall and Todd Haynes’ May December are among the titles on the latest British Independent Film Awards (BIFA) longlists, for Best Feature Documentary and Best International Independent Film.
15 films are on the documentary longlist, with five of them by first-time directors; with 17 films on the international list.
Scroll down for the longlists
Alongside McQueen’s film combining analysis of Amsterdam during the Second World War with the present day, documentary titles include Kevin MacDonald’s High & Low: John Galliano about the...
- 10/19/2023
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
The Virginia Film Festival has announced the lineup for its 36th year, which will take place in Charlottesville from Oct. 25-29. Netflix’s Maestro — written, produced and directed by and starring Bradley Cooper as legendary composer Leonard Bernstein — will be the festival’s opening night film. Makeup effects artist Kazu Hiro, a two-time Academy Award winner for Bombshell and Darkest Hour, will receive the Vaff Craft Award at the screening.
The festival’s centerpiece film will be Focus Features’ The Holdovers, directed by Alexander Payne and starring Paul Giamatti, Da’Vine Joy Randolph and newcomer Dominic Sessa. Giamatti stars as a curmudgeonly teacher at a New England prep school who forms an unexpected bond with one of his unruly students (Sessa) during Christmas break. The film’s Academy Award-winning producer Mark Johnson (Rain Man), also the Vaff’s advisory board chair, will appear for a post-screening discussion.
Netflix’s American Symphony,...
The festival’s centerpiece film will be Focus Features’ The Holdovers, directed by Alexander Payne and starring Paul Giamatti, Da’Vine Joy Randolph and newcomer Dominic Sessa. Giamatti stars as a curmudgeonly teacher at a New England prep school who forms an unexpected bond with one of his unruly students (Sessa) during Christmas break. The film’s Academy Award-winning producer Mark Johnson (Rain Man), also the Vaff’s advisory board chair, will appear for a post-screening discussion.
Netflix’s American Symphony,...
- 9/26/2023
- by Tyler Coates
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Riding in Cars with Boys: Gina Gammell, Riley Keough, Franklin Sioux Bob and Willi White on War Pony
Gaining access to an underrepresented community comes with a great amount of responsibility. There are countless examples of a director visiting a site for a few days, getting what they need, then hightailing it out only to use their subsequent press tour to emphasize the “raw grittiness” they observed while filming on location. It’s crucial to question who benefits from this exchange. Does the filmmaker gain authenticity for their work merely by virtue of who they put in front of the camera? Does the portrayed community benefit from being used to confirm an outsider’s predetermined perception? Gina Gammell and Riley […]
The post Riding in Cars with Boys: Gina Gammell, Riley Keough, Franklin Sioux Bob and Willi White on War Pony first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post Riding in Cars with Boys: Gina Gammell, Riley Keough, Franklin Sioux Bob and Willi White on War Pony first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 8/4/2023
- by Erik Luers
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Riding in Cars with Boys: Gina Gammell, Riley Keough, Franklin Sioux Bob and Willi White on War Pony
Gaining access to an underrepresented community comes with a great amount of responsibility. There are countless examples of a director visiting a site for a few days, getting what they need, then hightailing it out only to use their subsequent press tour to emphasize the “raw grittiness” they observed while filming on location. It’s crucial to question who benefits from this exchange. Does the filmmaker gain authenticity for their work merely by virtue of who they put in front of the camera? Does the portrayed community benefit from being used to confirm an outsider’s predetermined perception? Gina Gammell and Riley […]
The post Riding in Cars with Boys: Gina Gammell, Riley Keough, Franklin Sioux Bob and Willi White on War Pony first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post Riding in Cars with Boys: Gina Gammell, Riley Keough, Franklin Sioux Bob and Willi White on War Pony first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 8/4/2023
- by Erik Luers
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
The story of Riley Keough and Gina Gammell’s War Pony, which traces the lives of members of the Oglala Lakota tribe on the Pine Ridge Reservation, starts on the set of another film. As she awaited filming a scene in Andrea Arnold’s American Honey, Keough struck up a friendship with extras Bill Reddy and Franklin Sioux Bob from Pine Ridge. She would later visit them at the reservation with Gammell, her producing partner, and the quartet’s energy began funneling the energy of their friendship into a cinematic form.
“The spirit of that summer informed War Pony,” Keough admits. Just as American Honey’s egalitarian end credits don’t attribute hierarchical titles to the artists involved in the film, so, too, does War Pony embody a spirit of collaborative creativity. In conjunction with the wider Pine Ridge community, Bill and Franklin’s experiences and stories of growing up...
“The spirit of that summer informed War Pony,” Keough admits. Just as American Honey’s egalitarian end credits don’t attribute hierarchical titles to the artists involved in the film, so, too, does War Pony embody a spirit of collaborative creativity. In conjunction with the wider Pine Ridge community, Bill and Franklin’s experiences and stories of growing up...
- 7/29/2023
- by Marshall Shaffer
- Slant Magazine
You’ve seen it a million times in a million different movies: A dude is cruising in his neighborhood, bumping bass-heavy tunes out of his car and dragging on a cigarette. His baseball cap is tilted, the heart tattoo inked on his cheek looks like a birthmark, and thanks to the camera placement, we’re riding shotgun right next to him. His buddy in the basketball jersey is in the back seat, conked out. They’re driving through one of the residential areas on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota,...
- 7/28/2023
- by David Fear
- Rollingstone.com
Riley Keough and Gina Gammell’s War Pony embodies the unconventional spirit that’s marked the former’s acting career. Shot on location at the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota and starring a cast of indigenous Lakota non-actors, the film details the daily struggles of a hustler, Bill (Jojo Bapteise Whiting), and a neglected middle-schooler, Matho (Ladainian Crazy Thunder). Structured in intertwining storylines, War Pony possesses a gritty essence, but for however uncompromising its glimpse into Bill and Matho’s stagnantly bleak existences may be, the film also feels generic in execution.
This can be chalked up to War Pony’s glaring, almost frustrating lack of nuance or specificity, as the filmmakers never effectively detail the characters’ relation to the various cultural, psychological, or historical intricacies of their milieu. Instead, they’re almost stubbornly focused on capturing an unflinchingly unvarnished view of day-to-day life on society’s fringes.
This can be chalked up to War Pony’s glaring, almost frustrating lack of nuance or specificity, as the filmmakers never effectively detail the characters’ relation to the various cultural, psychological, or historical intricacies of their milieu. Instead, they’re almost stubbornly focused on capturing an unflinchingly unvarnished view of day-to-day life on society’s fringes.
- 7/23/2023
- by Wes Greene
- Slant Magazine
Riley Keough made her feature directorial debut with “War Pony,” which premiered at 2022 Cannes, where it won the Camera d’Or Prize for best first feature.
The newly minted “Daisy Jones and the Six” Emmy nominee co-directed the drama along with Gina Gammell from a script both directors co-wrote with Franklin Sioux Bob and Bill Reddy. “War Pony” follows the interlocking stories of two young Lakota men on the Pine Ridge Reservation as they face a world built against them and navigate unique paths to manhood.
At 23, Bill (Jojo Bapteise Whiting) just wants to make something of himself. Whether it’s delivering goods or breeding Poodles, he is determined to hustle his way to the “American Dream.” Meanwhile, 12-year-old Matho (Ladainian Crazy Thunder) can’t wait to become a man. Desperate for approval from his young father, a series of impulsive decisions turns Matho’s life upside down and he...
The newly minted “Daisy Jones and the Six” Emmy nominee co-directed the drama along with Gina Gammell from a script both directors co-wrote with Franklin Sioux Bob and Bill Reddy. “War Pony” follows the interlocking stories of two young Lakota men on the Pine Ridge Reservation as they face a world built against them and navigate unique paths to manhood.
At 23, Bill (Jojo Bapteise Whiting) just wants to make something of himself. Whether it’s delivering goods or breeding Poodles, he is determined to hustle his way to the “American Dream.” Meanwhile, 12-year-old Matho (Ladainian Crazy Thunder) can’t wait to become a man. Desperate for approval from his young father, a series of impulsive decisions turns Matho’s life upside down and he...
- 7/12/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
“War Pony,” the directorial debut of Riley Keough and Gina Gammell that premiered at the Cannes Film Festival last year, got a new trailer Wednesday via eOne’s Momentum Pictures.
The film follows the interlocking stories of two young Oglala Lakota men growing up on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. At 23 years old, Bill (Jojo Bapteise Whiting) just wants to make something of himself and is determined to hustle his way to the “American Dream.”
Meanwhile, 12-year-old Matho (Ladainian Crazy Thunder) can’t wait to become a man. Desperate for approval from his young father, a series of impulsive decisions turns his life upside down and he finds himself unequipped to deal with the harsh realities of the adult world. Bound by their shared search for belonging, Bill and Matho grapple with identity, family and loss as they navigate their unique paths to manhood.
“War Pony” premiered at...
The film follows the interlocking stories of two young Oglala Lakota men growing up on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. At 23 years old, Bill (Jojo Bapteise Whiting) just wants to make something of himself and is determined to hustle his way to the “American Dream.”
Meanwhile, 12-year-old Matho (Ladainian Crazy Thunder) can’t wait to become a man. Desperate for approval from his young father, a series of impulsive decisions turns his life upside down and he finds himself unequipped to deal with the harsh realities of the adult world. Bound by their shared search for belonging, Bill and Matho grapple with identity, family and loss as they navigate their unique paths to manhood.
“War Pony” premiered at...
- 7/12/2023
- by Jeremy Fuster
- The Wrap
While Riley Keough was working on Andrea Arnold’s American Honey in South Dakota she connected with a pair of extras, Bill Reddy and Franklin Sioux Bob, and after becoming friends, decided to make her directorial debut inspired by their lives on Pine Ridge Reservation. Co-directed with Gina Gammell—co-founder of their production company, Felix Culpa––the drama premiered at Cannes Film Festival last fall and will now arrive in theaters and on VOD on July 28. Ahead of the release, the first trailer has now been released.
Here’s the synopsis: “War Pony follows the interlocking stories of two young Oglala Lakota men growing up on the Pine Ridge Reservation. At 23, Bill just wants to make something of himself. Whether it’s delivering goods or breeding Poodles, he is determined to hustle his way to the “American Dream”. Meanwhile, 12-year-old Matho can’t wait to become a man. Desperate for approval from his young father,...
Here’s the synopsis: “War Pony follows the interlocking stories of two young Oglala Lakota men growing up on the Pine Ridge Reservation. At 23, Bill just wants to make something of himself. Whether it’s delivering goods or breeding Poodles, he is determined to hustle his way to the “American Dream”. Meanwhile, 12-year-old Matho can’t wait to become a man. Desperate for approval from his young father,...
- 7/12/2023
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
While July is a bit of a lighter month for worthwhile cinematic offerings, it’s only because a trio of blockbuster hopefuls, while anticipated, are taking up so much oxygen. Thankfully, there’s still room for my favorite film of the year, a few worthwhile directorial debuts, and more. Check out my picks to see below and catch up with the best films from the first half of the year.
9. Talk to Me (Danny and Michael Philippou; July 28)
A horror hit at Sundance that was quickly snatched up by A24. John Fink said in his review, “Featuring a great premise from which to build a franchise, YouTube creators Danny and Michael Philippou’s directorial debut Talk To Me is a refreshing retread, imagining tantalizing “micro-possessions” that get stronger the more you use them. The premise is simple enough: a possessed hand that seems to have been passed down for generations...
9. Talk to Me (Danny and Michael Philippou; July 28)
A horror hit at Sundance that was quickly snatched up by A24. John Fink said in his review, “Featuring a great premise from which to build a franchise, YouTube creators Danny and Michael Philippou’s directorial debut Talk To Me is a refreshing retread, imagining tantalizing “micro-possessions” that get stronger the more you use them. The premise is simple enough: a possessed hand that seems to have been passed down for generations...
- 7/3/2023
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Keough – Elvis’s granddaughter – had already made her name as an actor. Then as a first-time director, she won the Caméra d’Or at Cannes. She and creative partner Gina Gammell talk about War Pony, their film about a Native American reservation
In 2015, Riley Keough was in a motel in South Dakota waiting to shoot a scene in Andrea Arnold’s American Honey. As the hours dragged, she got chatting to a couple of extras, Bill Reddy and Franklin Sioux Bob, two Native American men who’d grown up on the nearby Pine Ridge Reservation. “It was one of those situations where we started talking, and we just didn’t stop,” Keough says. “Then lunchtime came, and I found myself going, ‘Can I sit with you?’”
Keough and the two men swapped numbers and, after shooting wrapped, she flew from Los Angeles to the reservation for a holiday – joined by...
In 2015, Riley Keough was in a motel in South Dakota waiting to shoot a scene in Andrea Arnold’s American Honey. As the hours dragged, she got chatting to a couple of extras, Bill Reddy and Franklin Sioux Bob, two Native American men who’d grown up on the nearby Pine Ridge Reservation. “It was one of those situations where we started talking, and we just didn’t stop,” Keough says. “Then lunchtime came, and I found myself going, ‘Can I sit with you?’”
Keough and the two men swapped numbers and, after shooting wrapped, she flew from Los Angeles to the reservation for a holiday – joined by...
- 6/2/2023
- by Cath Clarke
- The Guardian - Film News
Picturehouse Entertainment unveiled a new trailer for the award-winning ‘War Pony’, out in UK and Irish cinemas on 9th June.
The directorial debut of Riley Keough and Gina Gammell and co-written with first-time writers, Franklin Sioux Bob and Bill Reddy, a story of collaboration, with the directors working closely with members of the Pine Ridge community to shine a light on the Native voice and portray the gritty realism of growing up on a Reservation in modern-day America. At the heart of the film are two remarkable performances from newcomers Jojo Bapteise Whiting and Ladainian Crazy Thunder.
The film was awarded the Caméra d’Or at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival for best first feature film, it has gone on to play numerous other festivals such as SXSW and was the Surprise Film during last month’s Glasgow Film Festival, receiving a wealth of positive reviews.
Also in trailers – Exclusive Trailer:...
The directorial debut of Riley Keough and Gina Gammell and co-written with first-time writers, Franklin Sioux Bob and Bill Reddy, a story of collaboration, with the directors working closely with members of the Pine Ridge community to shine a light on the Native voice and portray the gritty realism of growing up on a Reservation in modern-day America. At the heart of the film are two remarkable performances from newcomers Jojo Bapteise Whiting and Ladainian Crazy Thunder.
The film was awarded the Caméra d’Or at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival for best first feature film, it has gone on to play numerous other festivals such as SXSW and was the Surprise Film during last month’s Glasgow Film Festival, receiving a wealth of positive reviews.
Also in trailers – Exclusive Trailer:...
- 4/7/2023
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Momentum Pictures has acquired North American rights to Riley Keough and Gina Gammell’s award-winning feature directorial debut “War Pony.” CAA brokered the domestic deal, while Protagonist Pictures is handling international sales.
Co-written with Franklin Sioux Bob and Bill Reddy, the film follows two young Oglala Lakota men growing up on the Pine Ridge Reservation. Their interlocking stories function as an exploration of growing up and searching for a sense of belonging in a world where the chips are stacked against them.
“War Pony” premiered at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Caméra d’Or for best first feature. It will make its U.S. debut at SXSW on Thursday.
Also Read:
‘War Pony’ Film Review: Riley Keough and Gina Gammell Tell Indigenous Story From the Inside
In TheWrap’s Cannes review, Steve Pond called the film “unhurried, naturalistic and heartbreaking,” praising the “intimacy” it achieves as “a story told from the inside,...
Co-written with Franklin Sioux Bob and Bill Reddy, the film follows two young Oglala Lakota men growing up on the Pine Ridge Reservation. Their interlocking stories function as an exploration of growing up and searching for a sense of belonging in a world where the chips are stacked against them.
“War Pony” premiered at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Caméra d’Or for best first feature. It will make its U.S. debut at SXSW on Thursday.
Also Read:
‘War Pony’ Film Review: Riley Keough and Gina Gammell Tell Indigenous Story From the Inside
In TheWrap’s Cannes review, Steve Pond called the film “unhurried, naturalistic and heartbreaking,” praising the “intimacy” it achieves as “a story told from the inside,...
- 3/15/2023
- by Harper Lambert
- The Wrap
Exclusive: Riley Keough and Gina Gammell’s feature directorial debut War Pony has seen its US and Canadian rights acquired by Momentum Pictures.
The movie which made its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in Un Certain Regard and won the Camera d’Or (awarded for Best First Feature Film), will play SXSW, tomorrow, March 16.
War Pony follows the interlocking stories of two young Oglala Lakota men growing up on the Pine Ridge Reservation. Bound by their shared search for belonging, each of the young men grapples with a world built against them, as they navigate their unique paths to manhood.
Back in 2015, Keough befriended two extras on the set of American Honey—Franklin Sioux Bob and Bill Reddy. She introduced them to her best friend Gina Gammell, and a creative foursome was born. The stories in War Pony are drawn from Sioux Bob and Reddy’s own lives...
The movie which made its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in Un Certain Regard and won the Camera d’Or (awarded for Best First Feature Film), will play SXSW, tomorrow, March 16.
War Pony follows the interlocking stories of two young Oglala Lakota men growing up on the Pine Ridge Reservation. Bound by their shared search for belonging, each of the young men grapples with a world built against them, as they navigate their unique paths to manhood.
Back in 2015, Keough befriended two extras on the set of American Honey—Franklin Sioux Bob and Bill Reddy. She introduced them to her best friend Gina Gammell, and a creative foursome was born. The stories in War Pony are drawn from Sioux Bob and Reddy’s own lives...
- 3/15/2023
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
The US drama is inspired by true events.
Les Films du Losange has taken French rights to Riley Keough and Gina Gammell’s directorial debut War Pony from Protagonist Pictures.
Premiering in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard earlier this year, the US drama follows two boys, played by newcomers Jojo Bapteise Whiting and Ladainian Crazy Thunder, growing up in South Dakota as they grapple with the different phases of their life.
The screenplay was inspired was true events and co-written by Gammel and Keough, who is better known for her acting roles in Mad Max: Fury Road and American Honey, with...
Les Films du Losange has taken French rights to Riley Keough and Gina Gammell’s directorial debut War Pony from Protagonist Pictures.
Premiering in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard earlier this year, the US drama follows two boys, played by newcomers Jojo Bapteise Whiting and Ladainian Crazy Thunder, growing up in South Dakota as they grapple with the different phases of their life.
The screenplay was inspired was true events and co-written by Gammel and Keough, who is better known for her acting roles in Mad Max: Fury Road and American Honey, with...
- 9/5/2022
- by Ellie Calnan
- ScreenDaily
Drama is co-directed by Riley Keough and Gina Gammell.
Picturehouse Entertainment has secured all UK and Ireland rights to Riley Keough and Gina Gammell’s War Pony, which won the Camera d’Or at Cannes on Saturday (May 28).
The deal was closed with UK outfit Protagonist Pictures, which is handling international sales.
Inspired by true events, the US drama follows two boys living in the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota, as they face the difficult realities of growing into adulthood. The two central roles are played by Jojo Bapteise Whiting and Ladainian Crazy Thunder.
It marks the directorial debut of Keough,...
Picturehouse Entertainment has secured all UK and Ireland rights to Riley Keough and Gina Gammell’s War Pony, which won the Camera d’Or at Cannes on Saturday (May 28).
The deal was closed with UK outfit Protagonist Pictures, which is handling international sales.
Inspired by true events, the US drama follows two boys living in the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota, as they face the difficult realities of growing into adulthood. The two central roles are played by Jojo Bapteise Whiting and Ladainian Crazy Thunder.
It marks the directorial debut of Keough,...
- 6/1/2022
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
There are 574 federally recognized Native American tribes in the United States. South Dakota is home to nine, the majority of which lie on the western half. Along the Nebraska border and the southern tip of the Badlands sits the Pine Ridge Reservation, one of America’s largest. At 2.1 million acres, the vast, breathtaking prairie landscapes and infinite horizon of rolling hills might distract from the fact that it’s also among the poorest counties in the country.
Riley Keough was working on American Honey in South Dakota when she met a couple locals who’d been cast as extras: Bill Reddy and Franklin Sioux Bob. They hit it off and immediately became friends outside production. Bill and Frank invited her to their home, Pine Ridge, and Keough and co-director Gina Gammell—who started a production company, Felix Culpa, together in 2018—quickly fell in love with the people and the land.
Riley Keough was working on American Honey in South Dakota when she met a couple locals who’d been cast as extras: Bill Reddy and Franklin Sioux Bob. They hit it off and immediately became friends outside production. Bill and Frank invited her to their home, Pine Ridge, and Keough and co-director Gina Gammell—who started a production company, Felix Culpa, together in 2018—quickly fell in love with the people and the land.
- 5/22/2022
- by Luke Hicks
- The Film Stage
Editor’s note: This review was originally published at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival. Momentum Pictures releases the film in theaters on Friday, July 28.
In the summer of 2015, Riley Keough met a pair of remarkable young men, cast as extras in Andrea Arnold’s “American Honey,” at a motel in South Dakota. Both members of the Lakota nation and residents of the nearby Pine Ridge reservation, Bill Reddy and Franklin Sioux Bob took quickly to the actress. The trio — later joined by Keough’s producing partner Gina Gammell — formed a fast friendship that eventually spawned Keough and Gammell’s directorial debut, “War Pony.”
Franklin Sioux Bob and Reddy are credited as co-writers on the project, alongside Keogh and Gammell (who also produced it), while Franklin Sioux Bob also appears in a small, but pivotal role in the film. Steeped in their own stories, “War Pony” follows two young Oglala Lakota men...
In the summer of 2015, Riley Keough met a pair of remarkable young men, cast as extras in Andrea Arnold’s “American Honey,” at a motel in South Dakota. Both members of the Lakota nation and residents of the nearby Pine Ridge reservation, Bill Reddy and Franklin Sioux Bob took quickly to the actress. The trio — later joined by Keough’s producing partner Gina Gammell — formed a fast friendship that eventually spawned Keough and Gammell’s directorial debut, “War Pony.”
Franklin Sioux Bob and Reddy are credited as co-writers on the project, alongside Keogh and Gammell (who also produced it), while Franklin Sioux Bob also appears in a small, but pivotal role in the film. Steeped in their own stories, “War Pony” follows two young Oglala Lakota men...
- 5/21/2022
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
The tenderness, wisdom and instinct to survive of two teenage males is beautifully observed in actor-turned-director Riley Keough’s debut feature
Riley Keough is an actor who establishes her film-making credentials with this terrific debut feature, co-directed with Gina Gammell. It is a movie set on and around the Pine Ridge Native American reservation in South Dakota and is scripted by Gammell with Bill Reddy and Franklin Sioux Bob. It’s a really heartfelt and absorbing story (with something of Chloé Zhao’s The Rider) about two young guys from the Oglala Lakota community, one about 12 or 13, the other 19 or 20. They are not known to each other, or at least not until the very end of the film. But the drama lets us see how much life experience they share, and how they could almost be the same boy at different times of life.
Ladainian Crazy Thunder plays Matho, a young kid with an aggressive,...
Riley Keough is an actor who establishes her film-making credentials with this terrific debut feature, co-directed with Gina Gammell. It is a movie set on and around the Pine Ridge Native American reservation in South Dakota and is scripted by Gammell with Bill Reddy and Franklin Sioux Bob. It’s a really heartfelt and absorbing story (with something of Chloé Zhao’s The Rider) about two young guys from the Oglala Lakota community, one about 12 or 13, the other 19 or 20. They are not known to each other, or at least not until the very end of the film. But the drama lets us see how much life experience they share, and how they could almost be the same boy at different times of life.
Ladainian Crazy Thunder plays Matho, a young kid with an aggressive,...
- 5/21/2022
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
When “War Pony” debuts in Cannes on May 21, it will represent the culmination of a project almost a decade in the making. Directed by Riley Keough and Gina Gammell, and written by Keough, Gammell, Bill Reddy and Franklin Sioux Bob, the film about two boys growing up on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota took seven years from conception to post-production.
Protagonist Picture is handling international sales on the project while CAA Media Finance is repping North America.
“It was a very slow burn,” Keough says of the film. “Because we didn’t really have a clear intention for many years.”
Keough met Reddy and Sioux Bob, who both grew up on the Pine Ridge Reservation, when they were extras on Andrea Arnold’s 2016 feature “American Honey,” in which Keough starred. When a scene featuring the trio got delayed by six hours, they had nothing else to do but hang out,...
Protagonist Picture is handling international sales on the project while CAA Media Finance is repping North America.
“It was a very slow burn,” Keough says of the film. “Because we didn’t really have a clear intention for many years.”
Keough met Reddy and Sioux Bob, who both grew up on the Pine Ridge Reservation, when they were extras on Andrea Arnold’s 2016 feature “American Honey,” in which Keough starred. When a scene featuring the trio got delayed by six hours, they had nothing else to do but hang out,...
- 5/19/2022
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety Film + TV
Ahead of “War Pony“‘s Cannes debut in the Un Certain Regard section, the film’s directors, Riley Keough and Gina Gammell, posed with lead actor Ladainian Crazy Thunder and producer Willi White. The film is the product of a years-long friendship and cross-cultural collaboration among Keough, Gammell and Native American storytellers Franklin Sioux Bob and Bill Reddy.
“This story is tough and rooted in this space of struggle,” said producer Willi White. “But as I saw Riley and Gina’s relationship with Frank and Bill and the crew, how they worked with these kids (actors) and how they brought in our community, it allowed me to feel safe. I think they’ve been really intentional about building relationships in the community over a long time. And to hear feedback from some of the young actors who resonated with the story and talked about how it made them feel visualized,...
“This story is tough and rooted in this space of struggle,” said producer Willi White. “But as I saw Riley and Gina’s relationship with Frank and Bill and the crew, how they worked with these kids (actors) and how they brought in our community, it allowed me to feel safe. I think they’ve been really intentional about building relationships in the community over a long time. And to hear feedback from some of the young actors who resonated with the story and talked about how it made them feel visualized,...
- 5/17/2022
- by Photographed by Jai Lennard for TheWrap
- The Wrap
Protagonist Pictures have boarded Riley Keough’s directorial debut “War Pony” (previously known as “Beast.”)
Keough (“Mad Max: Fury Road”) co-directed the feature with Gina Gammell (“Manodrome”). It is set to premiere at Cannes next month in the Un Certain Regard strand of the festival.
Protagonist will rep international sales on the project while CAA Media Finance is handling North American sales.
Inspired by real events and starring Jojo Bapteise Whiting and Ladainian Crazy Thunder, “War Pony” tells the story of two boys – 23-year-old Bill and 12-year-old Matho – growing up on Pine Ridge Reservation in the U.S. While Bill is reaching for the American Dream, Matho is desperate to become a man and seeks approval from his father. “Bound by their shared search for belonging, each of the boys grapple with identity, family, and loss, as they navigate their unique paths to manhood,” reads the logline.
Keough and Gammell...
Keough (“Mad Max: Fury Road”) co-directed the feature with Gina Gammell (“Manodrome”). It is set to premiere at Cannes next month in the Un Certain Regard strand of the festival.
Protagonist will rep international sales on the project while CAA Media Finance is handling North American sales.
Inspired by real events and starring Jojo Bapteise Whiting and Ladainian Crazy Thunder, “War Pony” tells the story of two boys – 23-year-old Bill and 12-year-old Matho – growing up on Pine Ridge Reservation in the U.S. While Bill is reaching for the American Dream, Matho is desperate to become a man and seeks approval from his father. “Bound by their shared search for belonging, each of the boys grapple with identity, family, and loss, as they navigate their unique paths to manhood,” reads the logline.
Keough and Gammell...
- 4/27/2022
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety Film + TV
The debut feature from Riley Keough and Gina Gammell was previously known as ‘Beast’.
UK-based sales outfit Protagonist Pictures and CAA Media Finance are handling sales for Cannes Un Certain Regard title War Pony, the directorial debut of Riley Keough and Gina Gammell, which was previously titled Beast.
Protagonist will introduce the title to international buyers at Cannes, while CAA Media Finance takes on North American sales.
Bill Reddy, Franklin Sioux Bob, Gammell, and Keough wrote the film, which was inspired by real events and tells the stories of two Lakota boys living in the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota,...
UK-based sales outfit Protagonist Pictures and CAA Media Finance are handling sales for Cannes Un Certain Regard title War Pony, the directorial debut of Riley Keough and Gina Gammell, which was previously titled Beast.
Protagonist will introduce the title to international buyers at Cannes, while CAA Media Finance takes on North American sales.
Bill Reddy, Franklin Sioux Bob, Gammell, and Keough wrote the film, which was inspired by real events and tells the stories of two Lakota boys living in the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota,...
- 4/27/2022
- by Mona Tabbara
- ScreenDaily
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