US filmmaker Alex Gibney says Musk, his documentary about businessman and investor Elon Musk, is “likely to be seen next year”.
The film is in production through Gibney’s Jigsaw Productions, with Closer Media, AC Independent and Double Agent. Gibney told Screen he “keeps reaching out” to the tech billionaire to be involved in the film, but without success so far.
“It’s likely to be seen next year; I’m working on it now,” said Gibney, speaking to Screen at Cph:dox in Copenhagen where he gave a talk on Tuesday, March 19. “We keep reaching out [to Musk], but I haven’t...
The film is in production through Gibney’s Jigsaw Productions, with Closer Media, AC Independent and Double Agent. Gibney told Screen he “keeps reaching out” to the tech billionaire to be involved in the film, but without success so far.
“It’s likely to be seen next year; I’m working on it now,” said Gibney, speaking to Screen at Cph:dox in Copenhagen where he gave a talk on Tuesday, March 19. “We keep reaching out [to Musk], but I haven’t...
- 3/21/2024
- ScreenDaily
US filmmaker Alex Gibney says Musk, his documentary about businessman and investor Elon Musk, is “likely to be seen next year”.
The film is currently in production through Gibney’s Jigsaw Productions, with Closer Media, AC Independent and Double Agent. Gibney told Screen he “keeps reaching out” to the tech billionaire to be involved in the film, but without success so far.
“It’s likely to be seen next year; I’m working on it now,” said Gibney, speaking to Screen at Cph:dox in Copenhagen where he gave a talk on Tuesday, March 19. “We keep reaching out [to Musk], but I haven...
The film is currently in production through Gibney’s Jigsaw Productions, with Closer Media, AC Independent and Double Agent. Gibney told Screen he “keeps reaching out” to the tech billionaire to be involved in the film, but without success so far.
“It’s likely to be seen next year; I’m working on it now,” said Gibney, speaking to Screen at Cph:dox in Copenhagen where he gave a talk on Tuesday, March 19. “We keep reaching out [to Musk], but I haven...
- 3/21/2024
- ScreenDaily
In a keynote conversation Tuesday at Copenhagen’s leading international documentary festival Cph:dox, Academy Award winning filmmaker and producer Alex Gibney talked honestly about the winding road of making it in the documentary world, the creative process, and the lessons of life, partly learned from singer-songwriter Paul Simon.
The inspirational talk at the baroque Kunsthal Charlottenborg exhibition space, with moderator Thom Powers, Toronto Film Festival programmer, was a prelude to the festival’s screening of Gibney’s two-part doc “In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon,” which debuted on MGM+ March 17.
“What I learned from Paul was that when he wrote ‘The Sound of Silence,’ he sat alone and words came to him; creativity started to flow, and just like Bob Dylan with ‘Mr. Tambourine Man,’ [the song] suddenly fit and he felt like a conduit.”
Gibney said letting free associations take over, having an unguarded curiosity and generosity were some...
The inspirational talk at the baroque Kunsthal Charlottenborg exhibition space, with moderator Thom Powers, Toronto Film Festival programmer, was a prelude to the festival’s screening of Gibney’s two-part doc “In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon,” which debuted on MGM+ March 17.
“What I learned from Paul was that when he wrote ‘The Sound of Silence,’ he sat alone and words came to him; creativity started to flow, and just like Bob Dylan with ‘Mr. Tambourine Man,’ [the song] suddenly fit and he felt like a conduit.”
Gibney said letting free associations take over, having an unguarded curiosity and generosity were some...
- 3/20/2024
- by Annika Pham
- Variety Film + TV
Oscar nominee Steve James (Hoop Dreams) has been set to direct Mind vs. Machine, a new docuseries on the lightning rod topic of artificial intelligence from Oscar winner Alex Gibney’s Jigsaw Productions, Closer Media, Anonymous Content, and Emmy-winning producers Alyssa Fedele & Zachary Fink of Collective Hunch.
Gibney comes to the project after working with Closer Media and Anonymous Content on the forthcoming documentary Musk, to be distributed by HBO/Universal. Within the last year, his Jigsaw has also teamed with the companies on the MGM+ acquired documentary In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon and the Raoul Peck-helmed Orwell on 1984 author George Orwell, to be distributed by Neon.
As artificial intelligence bursts onto the world stage – and into our lives – it may seem like a radical new life form has suddenly been created. But as Mind vs. Machine illustrates,...
Gibney comes to the project after working with Closer Media and Anonymous Content on the forthcoming documentary Musk, to be distributed by HBO/Universal. Within the last year, his Jigsaw has also teamed with the companies on the MGM+ acquired documentary In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon and the Raoul Peck-helmed Orwell on 1984 author George Orwell, to be distributed by Neon.
As artificial intelligence bursts onto the world stage – and into our lives – it may seem like a radical new life form has suddenly been created. But as Mind vs. Machine illustrates,...
- 2/1/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Wind gusts quivered the tree limbs, rainfall ricocheted off the roads, and in an instant, power cut off at the old Opera House on Elm Street in Camden, Maine, scuttling screenings there at the Camden International Film Festival.
With that mid-September atmospheric outburst, Hurricane Lee did in the scheduled U.S. premiere of Alex Gibney’s new film In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon. Now, the honor of hosting the American debut goes to the Hamptons International Film Festival this Friday, where the documentary screens as the festival Centerpiece (Simon will appear in person there for a conversation moderated by Rolling Stone’s David Fear). On Sunday, the film plays across the pond at the BFI London Film Festival.
Alex Gibney at the Deadline Portrait Studio at TIFF 2023.
During what was supposed to be Gibney’s Camden premiere, I stopped by the hotel where the filmmaker was staying...
With that mid-September atmospheric outburst, Hurricane Lee did in the scheduled U.S. premiere of Alex Gibney’s new film In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon. Now, the honor of hosting the American debut goes to the Hamptons International Film Festival this Friday, where the documentary screens as the festival Centerpiece (Simon will appear in person there for a conversation moderated by Rolling Stone’s David Fear). On Sunday, the film plays across the pond at the BFI London Film Festival.
Alex Gibney at the Deadline Portrait Studio at TIFF 2023.
During what was supposed to be Gibney’s Camden premiere, I stopped by the hotel where the filmmaker was staying...
- 10/4/2023
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Universal Pictures Content Group has acquired international rights to Elon Musk documentary “Musk,” directed by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Alex Gibney.
It was announced during Cannes earlier this year that HBO Documentary Films had come on board to join the production and will release the film in North America.
Gibney directed “The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley,” the Oscar-nominated “Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room” and Oscar winner “Taxi to the Dark Side.”
Helen Parker, exec VP, Universal Pictures Content Group, said: “We instantly wanted to attach to this feature as we are big fans of Alex’s previous work and feel confident that he will deliver an insightful portrayal of one of the centuries most provocative characters.”
The film is produced by Jigsaw Productions and jointly financed and produced by Closer Media, Anonymous Content via their recently launched sales and finance division AC Independent, and Double Agent.
It was announced during Cannes earlier this year that HBO Documentary Films had come on board to join the production and will release the film in North America.
Gibney directed “The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley,” the Oscar-nominated “Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room” and Oscar winner “Taxi to the Dark Side.”
Helen Parker, exec VP, Universal Pictures Content Group, said: “We instantly wanted to attach to this feature as we are big fans of Alex’s previous work and feel confident that he will deliver an insightful portrayal of one of the centuries most provocative characters.”
The film is produced by Jigsaw Productions and jointly financed and produced by Closer Media, Anonymous Content via their recently launched sales and finance division AC Independent, and Double Agent.
- 10/2/2023
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Universal Pictures Content Group has acquired international rights to Alex Gibney’s latest documentary Musk, about the lightning-rod entrepreneur and businessman.
Negotiations first began in Cannes with Black Bear International and the multimillion-dollar pact is among the biggest ever for a documentary out of the Cannes Market.
In another lucrative presale we revealed in the spring, HBO Documentary Films pre-bought North American streaming and TV rights to the project. A domestic theatrical release remains in play.
Taxi to the Dark Side Oscar winner and Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room nominee Gibney has been working on the project for months. It recently was described by the producers as “a definitive and unvarnished examination” of the provocative X (formerly Twitter) owner.
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Musk recently reassumed his position as the world’s richest man with a net worth in the range of $187B, but the mercurial tech...
Negotiations first began in Cannes with Black Bear International and the multimillion-dollar pact is among the biggest ever for a documentary out of the Cannes Market.
In another lucrative presale we revealed in the spring, HBO Documentary Films pre-bought North American streaming and TV rights to the project. A domestic theatrical release remains in play.
Taxi to the Dark Side Oscar winner and Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room nominee Gibney has been working on the project for months. It recently was described by the producers as “a definitive and unvarnished examination” of the provocative X (formerly Twitter) owner.
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Musk recently reassumed his position as the world’s richest man with a net worth in the range of $187B, but the mercurial tech...
- 10/2/2023
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Paul Simon wanted a documentary. He was a fan of Alex Gibney’s 2015 “Sinatra: All or Nothing at All” and asked the Oscar-winner (“Taxi to the Dark Side”) to consider devoting a documentary to him on the occasion of recording his 15th album, “Seven Psalms”.
The result is “In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon,” which had its world premiere as an all-rights sales title at the Toronto International Film Festival. It has a running time of three and a half hours. However, the capacity audience at the Princess of Wales theater didn’t fidget and gave Simon a rousing standing ovation. On stage, he admitted that he didn’t have the courage to watch the film in the theater, and asked if he got a standing ovation. The crowd jumped up for a second time. “And it’s my birthday,” he joked. (It’s actually October 13.)
Going in,...
The result is “In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon,” which had its world premiere as an all-rights sales title at the Toronto International Film Festival. It has a running time of three and a half hours. However, the capacity audience at the Princess of Wales theater didn’t fidget and gave Simon a rousing standing ovation. On stage, he admitted that he didn’t have the courage to watch the film in the theater, and asked if he got a standing ovation. The crowd jumped up for a second time. “And it’s my birthday,” he joked. (It’s actually October 13.)
Going in,...
- 9/13/2023
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
This year, non-fiction titles will be front and center at the Toronto International Film Festival, as many writers and actors will not be on hand due to the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.
Opening night at the 2023 festival brings a documentary world premiere, Rachel Ramsay and James Erskine’s “Copa 71” (seller: Dogwoof), about an historic international women’s soccer tournament lost to sports history. The filmmakers bring us back to the record-setting crowds assembled in Mexico City in 1971. U.S. soccer star Alice Morgan and athletes Venus and Serena Williams are among the film’s executive producers.
That’s the sort of unexpected story that veteran TIFF documentary programmer Thom Powers sought for this year’s documentary program of 22 titles from 12 countries. While it’s always painful to whittle down the selection from 800 feature submissions (the post-pandemic production boom continues), Powers looked at giving a boost to sales titles...
Opening night at the 2023 festival brings a documentary world premiere, Rachel Ramsay and James Erskine’s “Copa 71” (seller: Dogwoof), about an historic international women’s soccer tournament lost to sports history. The filmmakers bring us back to the record-setting crowds assembled in Mexico City in 1971. U.S. soccer star Alice Morgan and athletes Venus and Serena Williams are among the film’s executive producers.
That’s the sort of unexpected story that veteran TIFF documentary programmer Thom Powers sought for this year’s documentary program of 22 titles from 12 countries. While it’s always painful to whittle down the selection from 800 feature submissions (the post-pandemic production boom continues), Powers looked at giving a boost to sales titles...
- 7/26/2023
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Following a three year shoot, award-winning documentary filmmaker Alex Gibney has just completed production on In Restless Dreams: The Music Of Paul Simon, the documentary about Paul Simon’s legendary Grammy Award-winning career. The film also follows Simon’s journey creating his new album Seven Psalms, which poses questions about faith and mortality, during the pandemic and while dealing with his hearing loss. The film is expected to be part of the fall film festival circuit.
In the film, Gibney and Simon journey through a dreamlike world of storytelling, an absorbing portrait of an artist, that transcends both time and space moving freely between present and past, showcasing both his music making in the here-and-now and a unique peek into his career, from Tom & Jerry to Simon & Garfunkel to the triumphs of Graceland and Rhythm of the Saints. Rarely seen or heard footage of Paul on his own in England...
In the film, Gibney and Simon journey through a dreamlike world of storytelling, an absorbing portrait of an artist, that transcends both time and space moving freely between present and past, showcasing both his music making in the here-and-now and a unique peek into his career, from Tom & Jerry to Simon & Garfunkel to the triumphs of Graceland and Rhythm of the Saints. Rarely seen or heard footage of Paul on his own in England...
- 7/11/2023
- by Justin Kroll
- Deadline Film + TV
Altitude, UTA Independent Film Group, AC Independent jointly represent global rights.
Alex Gibney has completed the three-year production of In Restless Dreams: The Music Of Paul Simon, a documentary about the career of singer-songwriter Paul Simon for Jigsaw Productions, Closer Media and Anonymous Content.
The film is expected to land a world premiere slot on the fall festival circuit and charts Simon’s career from the days of Simon & Garfunkel to the solo triumphs of Graceland and Rhythm Of The Saints.
It also follows Simon while he recorded his latest album ‘Seven Psalms’, wrestling with issues of faith and mortality...
Alex Gibney has completed the three-year production of In Restless Dreams: The Music Of Paul Simon, a documentary about the career of singer-songwriter Paul Simon for Jigsaw Productions, Closer Media and Anonymous Content.
The film is expected to land a world premiere slot on the fall festival circuit and charts Simon’s career from the days of Simon & Garfunkel to the solo triumphs of Graceland and Rhythm Of The Saints.
It also follows Simon while he recorded his latest album ‘Seven Psalms’, wrestling with issues of faith and mortality...
- 7/11/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Daniel Ellsberg died on Friday at 92 years after a battle with cancer and barely six weeks after concluding 40 hours of interviews with documentary maker Paul Jay, who is at work on How to Stop a Nuclear War. The feature follows the Pentagon Papers leaker’s efforts to raise an alarm about the threat of a devastating nuclear war.
On Monday, Jay told The Hollywood Reporter that the man who sounded the alarm about the Vietnam War was far more concerned for the rest of his life about the United States and Russia planning for a globally destructive nuclear attack that could be launched by accident, or intentionally.
“Dan considered today’s world more dangerous than during the Cuban Missile Crisis,” the Toronto-based filmmaker said of the Oct. 1962 stand-off between U.S. President John F. Kennedy, Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev and Cuban prime minister Fidel Castro that nearly resulted in a nuclear war.
On Monday, Jay told The Hollywood Reporter that the man who sounded the alarm about the Vietnam War was far more concerned for the rest of his life about the United States and Russia planning for a globally destructive nuclear attack that could be launched by accident, or intentionally.
“Dan considered today’s world more dangerous than during the Cuban Missile Crisis,” the Toronto-based filmmaker said of the Oct. 1962 stand-off between U.S. President John F. Kennedy, Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev and Cuban prime minister Fidel Castro that nearly resulted in a nuclear war.
- 6/19/2023
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Stacey Offman, Jigsaw Production’s exec VP of development and production, is exiting the company to work as an independent producer, Variety has confirmed. Longtime Jigsaw producer Erin Edeiken to serve as head of production for Alex Gibney’s shingle going forward.
Offman, who is exiting on May 19, joined Jigsaw Productions in 2012. In her 11-year tenure at the documentary production company, Offman was part of the team that launched Jigsaw’s television branch as well as the creation of a vertical of non-fiction series and documentaries for an array of studios and broadcast partners.
Offman’s recent projects include Jigsaw’s “Dirty Money,” a six-part investigative series which exposed corruption and financial malfeasance in some of the most influential companies and industries. The series began streaming on Netflix in January 2018. In addition, Offman developed “Salt, Fat, Acid Heat,” a 2018 four-part Netflix culinary travel series based on Samin Nosrat’s book by the same name,...
Offman, who is exiting on May 19, joined Jigsaw Productions in 2012. In her 11-year tenure at the documentary production company, Offman was part of the team that launched Jigsaw’s television branch as well as the creation of a vertical of non-fiction series and documentaries for an array of studios and broadcast partners.
Offman’s recent projects include Jigsaw’s “Dirty Money,” a six-part investigative series which exposed corruption and financial malfeasance in some of the most influential companies and industries. The series began streaming on Netflix in January 2018. In addition, Offman developed “Salt, Fat, Acid Heat,” a 2018 four-part Netflix culinary travel series based on Samin Nosrat’s book by the same name,...
- 5/17/2023
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
Musk, Alex Gibney’s doc about the tech giant Elon Musk, has landed at HBO Documentary Films in North America.
Musk has been described as a “definitive and unvarnished examination” of the controversial and headline-making CEO of Tesla, SpaceX and Twitter. (When the doc was first announced, in characteristic fashion, Musk made a comment on Twitter, writing, “It’s a hit piece.”) Gibney, who earned an Oscar for the 2008 film Taxi to the Dark Side, is no stranger to controversial figures, having produced docs on Scientology, Wikileaks and Enron.
Gibney’s Jigsaw Productions produced the film alongside Closer Media, Anonymous Content and Double Agent, which is also financed the project.
HBO and Gibney have a long working relationship, which includes films about the opioid crisis The Crime of the Century, Elisabeth Homes doc The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley and Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief.
Musk has been described as a “definitive and unvarnished examination” of the controversial and headline-making CEO of Tesla, SpaceX and Twitter. (When the doc was first announced, in characteristic fashion, Musk made a comment on Twitter, writing, “It’s a hit piece.”) Gibney, who earned an Oscar for the 2008 film Taxi to the Dark Side, is no stranger to controversial figures, having produced docs on Scientology, Wikileaks and Enron.
Gibney’s Jigsaw Productions produced the film alongside Closer Media, Anonymous Content and Double Agent, which is also financed the project.
HBO and Gibney have a long working relationship, which includes films about the opioid crisis The Crime of the Century, Elisabeth Homes doc The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley and Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief.
- 5/11/2023
- by Mia Galuppo
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: HBO Documentary Films has pre-bought North American streaming and TV rights to Musk, Alex Gibney’s upcoming documentary about lightning rod entrepreneur and businessman Elon Musk.
Black Bear has boarded international sales rights on the eve of the Cannes market and will be shopping the high-end doc to overseas buyers.
Taxi To The Dark Side and Enron: The Smartest Guys In The Room director Gibney has been working on the project for months. It was recently described by the producers as “a definitive and unvarnished examination” of the provocative Twitter owner.
The deal with HBO was negotiated with UTA’s Independent Film Group, AC Independent, and Double Agent. The door is seemingly ajar for a North American theatrical deal.
Tesla, Twitter and SpaceX CEO Musk recently reassumed his position as the world’s richest man with a net worth in the range of $187Bn, but the mercurial tech titan...
Black Bear has boarded international sales rights on the eve of the Cannes market and will be shopping the high-end doc to overseas buyers.
Taxi To The Dark Side and Enron: The Smartest Guys In The Room director Gibney has been working on the project for months. It was recently described by the producers as “a definitive and unvarnished examination” of the provocative Twitter owner.
The deal with HBO was negotiated with UTA’s Independent Film Group, AC Independent, and Double Agent. The door is seemingly ajar for a North American theatrical deal.
Tesla, Twitter and SpaceX CEO Musk recently reassumed his position as the world’s richest man with a net worth in the range of $187Bn, but the mercurial tech titan...
- 5/11/2023
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Apple TV+ has released the official trailer for “Boom! Boom! The World vs. Boris Becker,” the new two-part documentary event from Oscar-winning director Alex Gibney and Oscar-winning producer John Battsek will premiere globally on April 7, 2023. The docuseries explores every aspect of the man who became a tennis sensation after winning The Wimbledon Championships at the age of just 17, going on to win 49 career titles, including six Grand Slams and an Olympic gold medal, as well as his high-profile, sometimes tumultuous personal life. The filmmakers had special access to Becker for more than three years, until late April 2022, when he was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison for hiding assets and loans to avoid paying his debts. “Boom! Boom! The World vs. Boris Becker” features a series of personal interviews with Becker, including an exclusive conversation with the champion the week of his sentencing, alongside members of his immediate family and tennis stars,...
- 3/23/2023
- by Hollywood Outbreak
- HollywoodOutbreak.com
Much like its subject, Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, the nonfiction thriller “Navalny” started off as an underdog in our Oscar predictions for Best Documentary Feature. But after key wins at precursor awards ceremonies, it has risen to the top of the odds, which are calculated based on the combined predictions of thousands of Gold Derby users. Do you agree that it will prevail on March 12? Scroll down to see the graph that illustrates how quickly the film has climbed.
Going into the Oscar nominations, “Navalny” actually ranked fourth in our predictions behind front-runner “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed” as well as “All That Breathes” and “Fire of Love.” All four of them ended up with nominations, along with surprise contender “A House Made of Splinters.” Then in the winners round it rose to third place, and it stayed there until as recently as February 26. So what changed?
A week earlier,...
Going into the Oscar nominations, “Navalny” actually ranked fourth in our predictions behind front-runner “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed” as well as “All That Breathes” and “Fire of Love.” All four of them ended up with nominations, along with surprise contender “A House Made of Splinters.” Then in the winners round it rose to third place, and it stayed there until as recently as February 26. So what changed?
A week earlier,...
- 3/9/2023
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
Elon Musk has responded to the news that Oscar-winning filmmaker Alex Gibney is working on a new documentary about him.
The director announced the film, which will be titled Musk, on Monday (6 February), calling it a “definitive and unvarnished examination” of the multi-billionaire tech entrepreneur and CEO of Tesla, SpaceX and Twitter.
Replying to a tweet about the news on Tuesday, Musk wrote simply: “It’s a hit piece.”
Gibney said in a statement: “I have been working on this film, off and on, for some time and am hugely excited about it. I am delighted by this extraordinary group who are working with me. Onward!”
The Independent has contacted Musk and Gibney for further comment.
One of the film’s producers, Closer Media founder Zhang Xin, said: “Now is the moment for a rigorous portrait of Elon Musk, who is undeniably one of the most influential figures of our time.
The director announced the film, which will be titled Musk, on Monday (6 February), calling it a “definitive and unvarnished examination” of the multi-billionaire tech entrepreneur and CEO of Tesla, SpaceX and Twitter.
Replying to a tweet about the news on Tuesday, Musk wrote simply: “It’s a hit piece.”
Gibney said in a statement: “I have been working on this film, off and on, for some time and am hugely excited about it. I am delighted by this extraordinary group who are working with me. Onward!”
The Independent has contacted Musk and Gibney for further comment.
One of the film’s producers, Closer Media founder Zhang Xin, said: “Now is the moment for a rigorous portrait of Elon Musk, who is undeniably one of the most influential figures of our time.
- 3/7/2023
- by Tom Murray
- The Independent - Film
Oscar-winning filmmaker Alex Gibney is working on a new documentary about Elon Musk, the multi-billionaire tech entrepreneur and CEO of Tesla, SpaceX and Twitter.
Musk will be a “definitive and unvarnished examination” of the world’s richest man, and Gibney said: “I have been working on this film, off and on, for some time and am hugely excited about it. I am delighted by this extraordinary group who are working with me. Onward!”
Gibney won an Academy Award for his 2007 film Taxi to the Dark Side, which focused on the December 2002 killing of an Afghan driver named Dilawar, who was beaten to death by American soldiers while being held in extrajudicial detention and interrogated at a black site at Bagram air base.
He has also made the documentaries Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room, Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief and Steve Jobs: Man in the Machine.
Musk will be a “definitive and unvarnished examination” of the world’s richest man, and Gibney said: “I have been working on this film, off and on, for some time and am hugely excited about it. I am delighted by this extraordinary group who are working with me. Onward!”
Gibney won an Academy Award for his 2007 film Taxi to the Dark Side, which focused on the December 2002 killing of an Afghan driver named Dilawar, who was beaten to death by American soldiers while being held in extrajudicial detention and interrogated at a black site at Bagram air base.
He has also made the documentaries Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room, Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief and Steve Jobs: Man in the Machine.
- 3/7/2023
- by Ellie Harrison
- The Independent - Film
Alex Gibney, the Oscar-winning filmmaker behind Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief, announced on Monday that he has been working on a documentary about Elon Musk, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The project is already months into production, according to the report, and is described as a “definitive and unvarnished examination of multi-billionaire tech entrepreneur and CEO of Tesla, SpaceX and Twitter.”
“I have been working on this film, off and on, for some time and am hugely excited about it,” said Gibney, per THR. “I am delighted...
The project is already months into production, according to the report, and is described as a “definitive and unvarnished examination of multi-billionaire tech entrepreneur and CEO of Tesla, SpaceX and Twitter.”
“I have been working on this film, off and on, for some time and am hugely excited about it,” said Gibney, per THR. “I am delighted...
- 3/6/2023
- by Charisma Madarang
- Rollingstone.com
The Oscar-winning film-maker has announced he is months into making Musk, which will examine the controversial entrepreneur
Oscar-winning film-maker Alex Gibney has announced that he is in the process of making a documentary about Elon Musk.
The documentarian behind films such as Taxi to the Dark Side and Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room is months into the making of Musk, “a definitive and unvarnished examination” of the provocative tech entrepreneur.
Oscar-winning film-maker Alex Gibney has announced that he is in the process of making a documentary about Elon Musk.
The documentarian behind films such as Taxi to the Dark Side and Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room is months into the making of Musk, “a definitive and unvarnished examination” of the provocative tech entrepreneur.
- 3/6/2023
- by Benjamin Lee
- The Guardian - Film News
Alex Gibney, the Emmy- and Academy Award-nominated documentary filmmaker behind “Taxi to the Dark Side,” “Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room” and “The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley,” will next set his sights on Elon Musk with “Musk,” described in the official announcement as “a definitive and unvarnished examination of multi-billionaire tech entrepreneur Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, SpaceX and Twitter.”
“I have been working on this film, off and on, for some time and am hugely excited about it,” said Gibney in an official statement. “I am delighted by this extraordinary group who are working with me. Onward!”
Musk’s life is certainly colorful enough for a documentary (or maybe a limited series) and his most recent stint as the perpetually embattled CEO of Twitter is the latest chapter in a rich tapestry at once visionary and bumbling.
Also Read:
2023 Movie Release Dates: A Schedule of...
“I have been working on this film, off and on, for some time and am hugely excited about it,” said Gibney in an official statement. “I am delighted by this extraordinary group who are working with me. Onward!”
Musk’s life is certainly colorful enough for a documentary (or maybe a limited series) and his most recent stint as the perpetually embattled CEO of Twitter is the latest chapter in a rich tapestry at once visionary and bumbling.
Also Read:
2023 Movie Release Dates: A Schedule of...
- 3/6/2023
- by Drew Taylor
- The Wrap
Elon Musk will be the center of a new documentary from the unflinching Alex Gibney, the Oscar-winning director of “Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief.”
Already months into production, Gibney announced the project on Monday saying he was “hugely excited” about tackling Musk on film. It is described as a “definitive and unvarnished examination of multi-billionaire tech entrepreneur and CEO of Tesla, SpaceX and Twitter.”
Tech mogul Musk reached peak saturation in late 2022 when he completed a $44 billion acquisition of Twitter, promising to upend the platform’s user experience as well as restore “balance” to its user body.
Jigsaw Productions is producing the film alongside Closer Media, Anonymous Content, and Double Agent, which is also financing the project. A distribution partner for the doc has not yet been named.
“Now is the moment for a rigorous portrait of Elon Musk, who is undeniably one of the most influential figures of our time.
Already months into production, Gibney announced the project on Monday saying he was “hugely excited” about tackling Musk on film. It is described as a “definitive and unvarnished examination of multi-billionaire tech entrepreneur and CEO of Tesla, SpaceX and Twitter.”
Tech mogul Musk reached peak saturation in late 2022 when he completed a $44 billion acquisition of Twitter, promising to upend the platform’s user experience as well as restore “balance” to its user body.
Jigsaw Productions is producing the film alongside Closer Media, Anonymous Content, and Double Agent, which is also financing the project. A distribution partner for the doc has not yet been named.
“Now is the moment for a rigorous portrait of Elon Musk, who is undeniably one of the most influential figures of our time.
- 3/6/2023
- by Matt Donnelly
- Variety Film + TV
Closer Media, Anonymous Content, Double Agent producing and financing.
Alex Gibney has revealed he is months into making Musk, a documentary about Elon Musk, the controversial multi-billionaire and CEO of Tesla, Space X and Twitter.
Jigsaw Productions is producing the film alongside Closer Media, Anonymous Content, and Double Agent, the joint venture between New Regency and Black Bear Pictures, who are also financing the project.
Gibney and Jessie Deeter are producing for Jigsaw Productions alongside Dana O’Keefe for Double Agent, Joey Marra and Zhang Xin on behalf of Closer Media, and Anonymous Content’s Nick Shumaker and Jessica Grimshaw.
Stacey Offman...
Alex Gibney has revealed he is months into making Musk, a documentary about Elon Musk, the controversial multi-billionaire and CEO of Tesla, Space X and Twitter.
Jigsaw Productions is producing the film alongside Closer Media, Anonymous Content, and Double Agent, the joint venture between New Regency and Black Bear Pictures, who are also financing the project.
Gibney and Jessie Deeter are producing for Jigsaw Productions alongside Dana O’Keefe for Double Agent, Joey Marra and Zhang Xin on behalf of Closer Media, and Anonymous Content’s Nick Shumaker and Jessica Grimshaw.
Stacey Offman...
- 3/6/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Oscar-winning filmmaker Alex Gibney has his next documentary in Musk, a definitive and unvarnished examination of multi-billionaire tech entrepreneur Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, SpaceX and Twitter.
“I have been working on this film, off and on, for some time and am hugely excited about it,” Gibney said. “I am delighted by this extraordinary group who are working with me. Onward!”
Gibney has made a career out of hard-hitting documentaries that include Taxi to the Dark Side — for which he won an Oscar — Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room, Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief and Steve Jobs: Man in the Machine.
Jigsaw Productions is producing the film alongside Closer Media, Anonymous Content and Double Agent, who also are financing the project.
Gibney and Jessie Deeter produce the film for Jigsaw Productions, with Stacey Offman and Richard Perello executive producing. Joey Marra and Zhang Xin produce on behalf of Closer Media,...
“I have been working on this film, off and on, for some time and am hugely excited about it,” Gibney said. “I am delighted by this extraordinary group who are working with me. Onward!”
Gibney has made a career out of hard-hitting documentaries that include Taxi to the Dark Side — for which he won an Oscar — Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room, Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief and Steve Jobs: Man in the Machine.
Jigsaw Productions is producing the film alongside Closer Media, Anonymous Content and Double Agent, who also are financing the project.
Gibney and Jessie Deeter produce the film for Jigsaw Productions, with Stacey Offman and Richard Perello executive producing. Joey Marra and Zhang Xin produce on behalf of Closer Media,...
- 3/6/2023
- by Justin Kroll
- Deadline Film + TV
Elon Musk is getting the Alex Gibney treatment.
Gibney, who has tackled Scientology, Wikileaks and Russian president Vladimir Putin, announced Monday that tech entrepreneur and multi-billionaire Elon Musk is the focus of his latest work.
Titled Musk, the feature project already months into making is described as a “definitive and unvarnished examination” of the controversial and headline-making CEO of Tesla, SpaceX and Twitter.
Gibney’s Jigsaw Productions is producing the film alongside Closer Media, Anonymous Content and Double Agent, which is also financing the project.
The list of producers and executive producers feels like it rivals the number of Teslas seen on Beverly Hills streets.
Gibney and Jessie Deeter are producing the film via Jigsaw with the company’s Stacey Offman and Richard Perello executive producing. Joey Marra and Zhang Xin will produce on behalf of Closer Media, which has a mission “to make meaningful stories to bring people closer together,...
Gibney, who has tackled Scientology, Wikileaks and Russian president Vladimir Putin, announced Monday that tech entrepreneur and multi-billionaire Elon Musk is the focus of his latest work.
Titled Musk, the feature project already months into making is described as a “definitive and unvarnished examination” of the controversial and headline-making CEO of Tesla, SpaceX and Twitter.
Gibney’s Jigsaw Productions is producing the film alongside Closer Media, Anonymous Content and Double Agent, which is also financing the project.
The list of producers and executive producers feels like it rivals the number of Teslas seen on Beverly Hills streets.
Gibney and Jessie Deeter are producing the film via Jigsaw with the company’s Stacey Offman and Richard Perello executive producing. Joey Marra and Zhang Xin will produce on behalf of Closer Media, which has a mission “to make meaningful stories to bring people closer together,...
- 3/6/2023
- by Borys Kit
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
“All the Beauty and the Bloodshed” seemed like a lock to win Best Documentary. The political exposé on artist Nan Goldin and the fall of a pharmaceutical empire was cleaning up among critics’ groups throughout awards season – including New York, Los Angeles, and Florida – as well as being named one of the top-five docs of the year by the National Board of Review.
But as we head toward the Oscars ceremony on March 12, “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed” feels more vulnerable than ever despite a comfortable lead in the Gold Derby combined odds. After missing a nomination at the Producers Guild Awards, director Laura Poitras lost to “Fire of Love” filmmaker Sara Dosa at the Directors Guild Awards. Then on Sunday at the BAFTA Awards, “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed” lost Best Documentary to “Navalny.”
Let’s start with the PGA Awards, which take place this weekend. The...
But as we head toward the Oscars ceremony on March 12, “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed” feels more vulnerable than ever despite a comfortable lead in the Gold Derby combined odds. After missing a nomination at the Producers Guild Awards, director Laura Poitras lost to “Fire of Love” filmmaker Sara Dosa at the Directors Guild Awards. Then on Sunday at the BAFTA Awards, “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed” lost Best Documentary to “Navalny.”
Let’s start with the PGA Awards, which take place this weekend. The...
- 2/27/2023
- by Sebastian Ochoa Mendoza
- Gold Derby
Exclusive: Smokehouse TV and 101 Studios have made a multiyear overall deal for original scripted and unscripted content for television.
This formalizes a relationship that got underway with Smokehouse Pictures and 101 Studios already teaming on the upcoming docuseries about the decades-long abuse scandal in the athletic department at Ohio State University. Based on the Sports Illustrated article by Jon Wertheim, this docuseries will be distributed by HBO. Its focus is on the victims of Richard Strauss, a former sports physician at Ohio State who’s accused of sexually abusing more than 300 athletes over decades working at and with the university. Oscar and Emmy winner Eva Orner (Taxi to the Dark Side) directed the feature length docu.
Next up is The Department, which Clooney is directing and is EP. Showtime has given a straight-to-series order. The Department is based on the acclaimed French espionage political thriller The Bureau. Smokehouse Pictures produces...
This formalizes a relationship that got underway with Smokehouse Pictures and 101 Studios already teaming on the upcoming docuseries about the decades-long abuse scandal in the athletic department at Ohio State University. Based on the Sports Illustrated article by Jon Wertheim, this docuseries will be distributed by HBO. Its focus is on the victims of Richard Strauss, a former sports physician at Ohio State who’s accused of sexually abusing more than 300 athletes over decades working at and with the university. Oscar and Emmy winner Eva Orner (Taxi to the Dark Side) directed the feature length docu.
Next up is The Department, which Clooney is directing and is EP. Showtime has given a straight-to-series order. The Department is based on the acclaimed French espionage political thriller The Bureau. Smokehouse Pictures produces...
- 2/23/2023
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
Boris Becker has revealed he started crying in jail as he watched Novak Djokovic win Wimbledon in 2022.
Becker, who used to coach the current Australian Open champion until 2016, told press at the Berlin Film Festival that he continues to regard Djokovic as a member of his family.
He explained: “While I was inside (jail), Novak supported me, he supported my family. I started crying when he started winning. I’m very proud that probably the best player of all time is part of this story.”
‘This story’ is Boom! Boom! The World vs. Boris Becker, a two-part documentary on Becker’s life directed by Oscar winner Alex Gibney, set to premiere on Apple TV+.
Becker took the chance in Berlin to reflect on his life since being released from jail in the UK at the end of last year, after serving six months for tax evasion.
He said: “It feels great to be free,...
Becker, who used to coach the current Australian Open champion until 2016, told press at the Berlin Film Festival that he continues to regard Djokovic as a member of his family.
He explained: “While I was inside (jail), Novak supported me, he supported my family. I started crying when he started winning. I’m very proud that probably the best player of all time is part of this story.”
‘This story’ is Boom! Boom! The World vs. Boris Becker, a two-part documentary on Becker’s life directed by Oscar winner Alex Gibney, set to premiere on Apple TV+.
Becker took the chance in Berlin to reflect on his life since being released from jail in the UK at the end of last year, after serving six months for tax evasion.
He said: “It feels great to be free,...
- 2/19/2023
- by Caroline Frost
- Deadline Film + TV
Emma Thompson is set to narrate a feature doc about Pentagon Papers leaker Daniel Ellsberg, dubbed “the most dangerous man in America” by then U.S. President Richard Nixon.
The Hollywood actress will lend her voice to director Paul Jay’s How to Stop a Nuclear War, which is based on the book Doomsday Machine: Confessions of a Nuclear War Planner by Ellsberg.
In extensive interviews with Jay for the feature, Ellsberg explains the “institutional madness” of American nuclear war plans and how the Russian invasion of Ukraine has made the world far more dangerous, according to a synopsis by the filmmakers.
In a statement obtained by The Hollywood Reporter, Thompson said she had been fearful of nuclear weapons in her youth and participated in protests against their use, and feels a need to get active again.
“Making the connection between the climate crisis movement and the anti-nuclear movement has never been more essential.
The Hollywood actress will lend her voice to director Paul Jay’s How to Stop a Nuclear War, which is based on the book Doomsday Machine: Confessions of a Nuclear War Planner by Ellsberg.
In extensive interviews with Jay for the feature, Ellsberg explains the “institutional madness” of American nuclear war plans and how the Russian invasion of Ukraine has made the world far more dangerous, according to a synopsis by the filmmakers.
In a statement obtained by The Hollywood Reporter, Thompson said she had been fearful of nuclear weapons in her youth and participated in protests against their use, and feels a need to get active again.
“Making the connection between the climate crisis movement and the anti-nuclear movement has never been more essential.
- 1/31/2023
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Click here to read the full article.
At first, director Alex Gibney wholeheartedly embraced the influx of energy — and money — the streamers have increasingly pumped into the documentary space over the past decade. Selling to the growing platforms eager to bulk up their content libraries struck the Oscar-winning director of Taxi to the Dark Side and Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief as a creative windfall — a larger market for the kind of filmmaker-driven films that had previously found some success at the box office and HBO. His company, Jigsaw, could produce unique, entertaining titles in a traditionally underfunded field, told in stylistically distinct ways, and receive “greater monetary reward” to boot.
But then, a red flag: Gibney started to get notes from the streamers “that tried to scientifically rationalize the process,” he says: “‘Our algorithm states that by minute 10 you should do X, Y or Z.'” In the meantime,...
At first, director Alex Gibney wholeheartedly embraced the influx of energy — and money — the streamers have increasingly pumped into the documentary space over the past decade. Selling to the growing platforms eager to bulk up their content libraries struck the Oscar-winning director of Taxi to the Dark Side and Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief as a creative windfall — a larger market for the kind of filmmaker-driven films that had previously found some success at the box office and HBO. His company, Jigsaw, could produce unique, entertaining titles in a traditionally underfunded field, told in stylistically distinct ways, and receive “greater monetary reward” to boot.
But then, a red flag: Gibney started to get notes from the streamers “that tried to scientifically rationalize the process,” he says: “‘Our algorithm states that by minute 10 you should do X, Y or Z.'” In the meantime,...
- 9/16/2022
- by Mia Galuppo and Katie Kilkenny
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
A documentary film focusing on the recent sex abuse scandal at Ohio State University has begun production, HBO has announced.
The film is based on a 2020 Sports Illustrated cover story written by Jon Wertheim about allegations of sexual abuse that occurred at Ohio State University from 1978 to 1998. The story details how the university’s athletics physician Richard Strauss abused hundreds of male student athletes, mostly on the wrestling and football teams, and how the university swept the abuse under the rug. An independent investigation into the allegations was conducted in 2018, and concluded that the university new about the abuse as early as 1979 but did not report it to law enforcement. Strauss retired from the university in 1998, and died by suicide in 2005.
Eva Orner, an Oscar winner for the 2007 documentary “Taxi to the Dark Side,” will direct the film, which has begun production. The film is set to feature interviews with several of the victims,...
The film is based on a 2020 Sports Illustrated cover story written by Jon Wertheim about allegations of sexual abuse that occurred at Ohio State University from 1978 to 1998. The story details how the university’s athletics physician Richard Strauss abused hundreds of male student athletes, mostly on the wrestling and football teams, and how the university swept the abuse under the rug. An independent investigation into the allegations was conducted in 2018, and concluded that the university new about the abuse as early as 1979 but did not report it to law enforcement. Strauss retired from the university in 1998, and died by suicide in 2005.
Eva Orner, an Oscar winner for the 2007 documentary “Taxi to the Dark Side,” will direct the film, which has begun production. The film is set to feature interviews with several of the victims,...
- 6/7/2022
- by Wilson Chapman
- Variety Film + TV
HBO has acquired the feature documentary about the alleged Ohio State sexual abuse scandal from Sports Illustrated and George Clooney’s Smokehouse Pictures, it was announced Tuesdsay. The film, first reported as a docuseries last year, is produced by Clooney and Grant Heslov of Smokehouse Pictures and David C. Glasser of 101 Studios. The documentary will debut on HBO and be available to stream on HBO Max, though no premiere date has been announced.
Oscar and Emmy winner Eva Orner (“Taxi to the Dark Side”) will direct the film, which will explore the experiences of the victims of Osu’s former athletics physician, Dr. Richard Strauss. These include hundreds of male student athlete victims, ranging from All-American wrestlers to football players and beyond, many of whom are speaking out publicly for the first time in this documentary. Former UFC heavyweight champion and Osu alum Mark Coleman, who first spoke with...
Oscar and Emmy winner Eva Orner (“Taxi to the Dark Side”) will direct the film, which will explore the experiences of the victims of Osu’s former athletics physician, Dr. Richard Strauss. These include hundreds of male student athlete victims, ranging from All-American wrestlers to football players and beyond, many of whom are speaking out publicly for the first time in this documentary. Former UFC heavyweight champion and Osu alum Mark Coleman, who first spoke with...
- 6/7/2022
- by Brandon Katz
- The Wrap
A new documentary on tennis superstar Boris Becker is nearing completion and is set to be sold at the upcoming Cannes Film Market.
Alex Gibney, Oscar-winning director of “Taxi to the Dark Side” and John Battsek, producer of the Oscar-winning “One Day in September,” have had exclusive access to Becker since 2019 and have been documenting him from then until late April, when he was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison for hiding assets and loans to avoid paying his debts.
The as-yet-untitled documentary aims to explore every aspect of the man who became a tennis sensation after winning the Wimbledon Championship at the age of just 17 and went on to win 49 career titles including six Grand Slams and an Olympic gold medal. Off court, Becker has had a tumultuous personal life. The film will also speak to major figures in his life, from family members to tennis greats John McEnroe and Bjorn Borg.
Alex Gibney, Oscar-winning director of “Taxi to the Dark Side” and John Battsek, producer of the Oscar-winning “One Day in September,” have had exclusive access to Becker since 2019 and have been documenting him from then until late April, when he was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison for hiding assets and loans to avoid paying his debts.
The as-yet-untitled documentary aims to explore every aspect of the man who became a tennis sensation after winning the Wimbledon Championship at the age of just 17 and went on to win 49 career titles including six Grand Slams and an Olympic gold medal. Off court, Becker has had a tumultuous personal life. The film will also speak to major figures in his life, from family members to tennis greats John McEnroe and Bjorn Borg.
- 5/10/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Alex Gibney’s upcoming Boris Becker documentary is heading to Cannes, with Lorton Entertainment set to launch sales on the title on the Croisette next week.
The project, which is nearing completion, has exclusive behind-the scenes access to the former-Grand Slam champion. Gibney, the Oscar-winning director behind Taxi To The Dark Side, has been documenting Becker for more than three years, right up until the end of last month, when he was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison for hiding millions of dollars of assets after being made bankrupt in 2017.
The title, which is produced by John Battsek, explores every aspect of the tennis sensation who won the Wimbledon Championship at the age of just 17. He went on to win 49 career titles including six Grand Slams and an Olympic gold medal. The project features a series of personal interviews with Becker as well as members of his immediate family and...
The project, which is nearing completion, has exclusive behind-the scenes access to the former-Grand Slam champion. Gibney, the Oscar-winning director behind Taxi To The Dark Side, has been documenting Becker for more than three years, right up until the end of last month, when he was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison for hiding millions of dollars of assets after being made bankrupt in 2017.
The title, which is produced by John Battsek, explores every aspect of the tennis sensation who won the Wimbledon Championship at the age of just 17. He went on to win 49 career titles including six Grand Slams and an Olympic gold medal. The project features a series of personal interviews with Becker as well as members of his immediate family and...
- 5/9/2022
- by Diana Lodderhose
- Deadline Film + TV
Two questions ran through my mind throughout the two hours of Alex Gibney’s new HBO documentary The Forever Prisoner.
The first, “Wait, haven’t I seen this documentary before?”
The second, “Wait, hasn’t Alex Gibney made this documentary before?”
The answer to both questions is “Kinda, but not exactly,” and it underlines how, when it comes to The Forever Prisoner, the aspect that makes it least successful is maybe, simultaneously, the aspect that makes it most important. Going back to Gibney’s Taxi to the Dark Side and Errol Morris’ Standard Operating Procedure and through literally countless documentaries in ...
The first, “Wait, haven’t I seen this documentary before?”
The second, “Wait, hasn’t Alex Gibney made this documentary before?”
The answer to both questions is “Kinda, but not exactly,” and it underlines how, when it comes to The Forever Prisoner, the aspect that makes it least successful is maybe, simultaneously, the aspect that makes it most important. Going back to Gibney’s Taxi to the Dark Side and Errol Morris’ Standard Operating Procedure and through literally countless documentaries in ...
- 12/6/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Two questions ran through my mind throughout the two hours of Alex Gibney’s new HBO documentary The Forever Prisoner.
The first, “Wait, haven’t I seen this documentary before?”
The second, “Wait, hasn’t Alex Gibney made this documentary before?”
The answer to both questions is “Kinda, but not exactly,” and it underlines how, when it comes to The Forever Prisoner, the aspect that makes it least successful is maybe, simultaneously, the aspect that makes it most important. Going back to Gibney’s Taxi to the Dark Side and Errol Morris’ Standard Operating Procedure and through literally countless documentaries in ...
The first, “Wait, haven’t I seen this documentary before?”
The second, “Wait, hasn’t Alex Gibney made this documentary before?”
The answer to both questions is “Kinda, but not exactly,” and it underlines how, when it comes to The Forever Prisoner, the aspect that makes it least successful is maybe, simultaneously, the aspect that makes it most important. Going back to Gibney’s Taxi to the Dark Side and Errol Morris’ Standard Operating Procedure and through literally countless documentaries in ...
- 12/6/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Sales to commence at next week’s AFM.
Viggo Mortensen and Caleb Landry Jones will star in Alex Gibney’s UK-us thriller Two Wolves, which Altitude is producing and will introduce at next week’s virtual American Film Market.
Altitude is handling international sales on the title, which is written by four-time Oscar nominee Anthony McCarten and Matt Cook. The domestic sale is being co-repped by UTA Independent Film Group and ICM.
Two Wolves is the story of helicopter pilot Hugh Thompson who turned against his fellow soldiers during the Vietnam War to halt the My Lai massacre; but was...
Viggo Mortensen and Caleb Landry Jones will star in Alex Gibney’s UK-us thriller Two Wolves, which Altitude is producing and will introduce at next week’s virtual American Film Market.
Altitude is handling international sales on the title, which is written by four-time Oscar nominee Anthony McCarten and Matt Cook. The domestic sale is being co-repped by UTA Independent Film Group and ICM.
Two Wolves is the story of helicopter pilot Hugh Thompson who turned against his fellow soldiers during the Vietnam War to halt the My Lai massacre; but was...
- 10/28/2021
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Alex Gibney, best known for documentaries such as “Taxi to the Dark Side” and “Going Clear,” is helming a new feature starring Viggo Mortensen (“Captain Fantastic”) and Cannes best actor winner Caleb Landry Jones (“Nitram”).
Produced and sold internationally by Altitude, thriller “Two Wolves” will be introduced to buyers at the virtual American Film Market next week. All rights are currently available.
Here’s the official description: The film tells the story of helicopter pilot Hugh Thompson who, during the Vietnam War, turned against his fellow soldiers to halt the massacre of unarmed civilians in the village of My Lai, and rescued survivors of the atrocities. But far from being treated as a hero, Thompson was branded a traitor and threatened with court-martial, while the actual perpetrators of the war crimes were lionized by supporters and pardoned by President Nixon. It came down to General William ‘Ray’ Peers to investigate...
Produced and sold internationally by Altitude, thriller “Two Wolves” will be introduced to buyers at the virtual American Film Market next week. All rights are currently available.
Here’s the official description: The film tells the story of helicopter pilot Hugh Thompson who, during the Vietnam War, turned against his fellow soldiers to halt the massacre of unarmed civilians in the village of My Lai, and rescued survivors of the atrocities. But far from being treated as a hero, Thompson was branded a traitor and threatened with court-martial, while the actual perpetrators of the war crimes were lionized by supporters and pardoned by President Nixon. It came down to General William ‘Ray’ Peers to investigate...
- 10/28/2021
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
“Burning,” Amazon’s first original feature-length documentary from Australia, about the devastating ‘Black Summer’ of 2019-20 Australian bushfires makes its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. There is every chance it will spark a political response.
Co-produced by Propagate Content and Dirty Films (in which Cate Blanchett is executive producer) “Burning” is produced and directed by Los Angeles-based Australian filmmaker Eva Orner, whose credits include the politically-charged documentaries “Chasing Asylum,” “The Network” and 2009 Oscar winner “Taxi To The Dark Side.”.
With “Burning” Orner takes an unflinching look at Australia’s unprecedented and catastrophic fires which galvanized the world’s focus at the time. Some 59 million acres (25 million hectares) were burned, destroying 5,900 buildings, taking 34 lives and decimating Australia’s unique wildlife.
“I was in Australia then and the fires were everywhere. The smoke was so thick in Sydney, my eyes were watering and I could hardly breathe. I knew...
Co-produced by Propagate Content and Dirty Films (in which Cate Blanchett is executive producer) “Burning” is produced and directed by Los Angeles-based Australian filmmaker Eva Orner, whose credits include the politically-charged documentaries “Chasing Asylum,” “The Network” and 2009 Oscar winner “Taxi To The Dark Side.”.
With “Burning” Orner takes an unflinching look at Australia’s unprecedented and catastrophic fires which galvanized the world’s focus at the time. Some 59 million acres (25 million hectares) were burned, destroying 5,900 buildings, taking 34 lives and decimating Australia’s unique wildlife.
“I was in Australia then and the fires were everywhere. The smoke was so thick in Sydney, my eyes were watering and I could hardly breathe. I knew...
- 9/13/2021
- by Katherine Tulich
- Variety Film + TV
The documentary awards race always begins at Sundance, where “Flee” (Neon) and “Summer of Soul” (Searchlight) broke out as Oscar frontrunners; Tribeca debuted high-profile “The Lost Leonardo” (Sony Pictures Classics) and “Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain” (Focus), while Todd Haynes’ “Velvet Underground” (AppleTV+) and “Val” (A24/Amazon) played well at Cannes.
Every September, the Toronto International Film Festival documentary lineup introduces more top non-fiction titles to the list of Oscar contenders — and this year, without many clear frontrunners, TIFF’s influence will be greater than ever. In the good old days when the TIFF selection was a sprawling smorgasbord, Thom Powers lead the TIFF documentary programmers through an enormous number of submissions to cull 22 selections. In the slimmed-down pandemic era, his team had to winnow TIFF Docs down to 13 features (announced so far)..
“Every year it’s a painful part of the process,” Powers told IndieWire, who is able...
Every September, the Toronto International Film Festival documentary lineup introduces more top non-fiction titles to the list of Oscar contenders — and this year, without many clear frontrunners, TIFF’s influence will be greater than ever. In the good old days when the TIFF selection was a sprawling smorgasbord, Thom Powers lead the TIFF documentary programmers through an enormous number of submissions to cull 22 selections. In the slimmed-down pandemic era, his team had to winnow TIFF Docs down to 13 features (announced so far)..
“Every year it’s a painful part of the process,” Powers told IndieWire, who is able...
- 8/5/2021
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
The documentary awards race always begins at Sundance, where “Flee” (Neon) and “Summer of Soul” (Searchlight) broke out as Oscar frontrunners; Tribeca debuted high-profile “The Lost Leonardo” (Sony Pictures Classics) and “Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain” (Focus), while Todd Haynes’ “Velvet Underground” (AppleTV+) and “Val” (A24/Amazon) played well at Cannes.
Every September, the Toronto International Film Festival documentary lineup introduces more top non-fiction titles to the list of Oscar contenders — and this year, without many clear frontrunners, TIFF’s influence will be greater than ever. In the good old days when the TIFF selection was a sprawling smorgasbord, Thom Powers lead the TIFF documentary programmers through an enormous number of submissions to cull 22 selections. In the slimmed-down pandemic era, his team had to winnow TIFF Docs down to 13 features (announced so far)..
“Every year it’s a painful part of the process,” Powers told IndieWire, who is able...
Every September, the Toronto International Film Festival documentary lineup introduces more top non-fiction titles to the list of Oscar contenders — and this year, without many clear frontrunners, TIFF’s influence will be greater than ever. In the good old days when the TIFF selection was a sprawling smorgasbord, Thom Powers lead the TIFF documentary programmers through an enormous number of submissions to cull 22 selections. In the slimmed-down pandemic era, his team had to winnow TIFF Docs down to 13 features (announced so far)..
“Every year it’s a painful part of the process,” Powers told IndieWire, who is able...
- 8/5/2021
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Eva Orner’s Burning, about Australia’s devastating ‘Black Summer’, will make its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in September.
Produced by Propagate Content, Dirty Films and Amazon Studios, the film marks Amazon’s first feature-length Australian documentary commission. To screen as part of the TIFF Docs strand, it explores what happened during the 2019 and 2020 bushfires from the perspective of victims, activists and scientists, as well as the lack of political will to address climate change.
In addition to directing, Orner executive produces alongside Cate Blanchett.
The LA-based Australian director won an Oscar for producing Alex Gibney’s 2008 doc Taxi To The Dark Side. Her credits also include Chasing Asylum, which tackled Australia’s treatment of refugees and asylum seekers, and The Network, a behind-the-scenes look at the largest TV network in Afghanistan.
Burning is one of two Australian films selected for this year’s TIFF,...
Produced by Propagate Content, Dirty Films and Amazon Studios, the film marks Amazon’s first feature-length Australian documentary commission. To screen as part of the TIFF Docs strand, it explores what happened during the 2019 and 2020 bushfires from the perspective of victims, activists and scientists, as well as the lack of political will to address climate change.
In addition to directing, Orner executive produces alongside Cate Blanchett.
The LA-based Australian director won an Oscar for producing Alex Gibney’s 2008 doc Taxi To The Dark Side. Her credits also include Chasing Asylum, which tackled Australia’s treatment of refugees and asylum seekers, and The Network, a behind-the-scenes look at the largest TV network in Afghanistan.
Burning is one of two Australian films selected for this year’s TIFF,...
- 8/5/2021
- by Jackie Keast
- IF.com.au
Exclusive: Alex Gibney is to exec produce MGM and Tadmor Entertainment’s limited series about judo champions Saeid Mollaei and Sagi Muki.
It comes after Mollaei’s emotional silver medal win in the Tokyo Olympics, where the Iranian refugee thanked Israel for his win after being driven out of his home country and now representing Mongolia. Similarly, Muki helped the Israeli judo team to a bronze medal.
Gibney is best known for directing documentaries such as Taxi to the Dark Side and Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room, but has been moving into scripted television, exec producing series including Hulu’s The Looming Tower and Netflix’s Painkiller and directing an episode of Showtime’s Billions.
American-Iranian writer Cyrus Nowrasteh (The Stoning of Soraya M) will pen the script for the new limited series. Gibney and his Jigsaw Productions colleague Kevin Plunkett will exec produce alongside Nowrasteh, Emilio Schenker,...
It comes after Mollaei’s emotional silver medal win in the Tokyo Olympics, where the Iranian refugee thanked Israel for his win after being driven out of his home country and now representing Mongolia. Similarly, Muki helped the Israeli judo team to a bronze medal.
Gibney is best known for directing documentaries such as Taxi to the Dark Side and Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room, but has been moving into scripted television, exec producing series including Hulu’s The Looming Tower and Netflix’s Painkiller and directing an episode of Showtime’s Billions.
American-Iranian writer Cyrus Nowrasteh (The Stoning of Soraya M) will pen the script for the new limited series. Gibney and his Jigsaw Productions colleague Kevin Plunkett will exec produce alongside Nowrasteh, Emilio Schenker,...
- 8/2/2021
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Some of the documentary features vying for 2021 Emmys may seem familiar. That’s because a bunch of them pushed through the ultra-long Oscar season last year, and some landed on the Oscar shortlist of 15, only to be left off the final five nominations. Last year’s revised Emmy rules dictate that no Oscar nominees will be chasing one of two Primetime Emmy Award categories for features, Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special or Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking. That’s why you can count out of the Emmy running the Oscar-winning “My Octopus Teacher” (Netflix) and four nominees “Collective” (Magnolia), “Time” (Amazon), “Crip Camp” (Netflix), and “The Mole Agent” (Gravitas Ventures).
Last year, the Television Academy forged a stronger divide between the Emmy Awards and the Oscars to clear up some of the confusion that has reigned as movies have double-dipped from one to the other. The Academy has done its...
Last year, the Television Academy forged a stronger divide between the Emmy Awards and the Oscars to clear up some of the confusion that has reigned as movies have double-dipped from one to the other. The Academy has done its...
- 6/14/2021
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Some of the documentary features vying for 2021 Emmys may seem familiar. That’s because a bunch of them pushed through the ultra-long Oscar season last year, and some landed on the Oscar shortlist of 15, only to be left off the final five nominations. Last year’s revised Emmy rules dictate that no Oscar nominees will be chasing one of two Primetime Emmy Award categories for features, Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special or Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking. That’s why you can count out of the Emmy running the Oscar-winning “My Octopus Teacher” (Netflix) and four nominees “Collective” (Magnolia), “Time” (Amazon), “Crip Camp” (Netflix), and “The Mole Agent” (Gravitas Ventures).
Last year, the Television Academy forged a stronger divide between the Emmy Awards and the Oscars to clear up some of the confusion that has reigned as movies have double-dipped from one to the other. The Academy has done its...
Last year, the Television Academy forged a stronger divide between the Emmy Awards and the Oscars to clear up some of the confusion that has reigned as movies have double-dipped from one to the other. The Academy has done its...
- 6/14/2021
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
It doesn’t take much to get Alex Gibney to describe how sickening it was to view how prescription drug companies were neglecting the safety of patients to make more money with the sale of opioids. “The willful denial, in the service of profit really made me ill,” he tells us in our recent webchat about his newest documentary, “The Crime of the Century” (watch the exclusive video above). The pursuit of profit that Purdue Pharma brought to Gibney’s mind the title of one of his previous documentaries about Jack Abramoff, “Casino Jack and the United States of Money.” “I kept hearing that subtitle in the background here. That says all and then when you see the staggering amount of suffering involved and death, I mean, it really makes your head spin.”
“The Crime of the Century,” which is currently available to stream on HBO Max looks into the...
“The Crime of the Century,” which is currently available to stream on HBO Max looks into the...
- 6/11/2021
- by Charles Bright
- Gold Derby
The statistics are staggering. Over half-a-million Americans have died of opioid overdoses triggered by controlled-release Oxycontin. So, the big question is how did this happen?
“The Crime of the Century,” HBO’s new two-part, four hour-documentary airing May 10-11 from the Oscar and Emmy-winning Alex Gibney and produced in association with the Washington Post, is a disturbing deep dive into how Big Pharma, political operatives and government regulations helped cause this massive health crisis. The first part looks at the origins of the crisis while part two explores the marketing of the deadly synthetic opioid fentanyl. Recently, the Washington Post hosted a zoom conversation between Gibney and Post reporters Sari Horwitz and Scott Higham who have investigated the drug crisis for several years.
“The Crime of the Century” was three years in the making. Gibney was drawn to the subject matter after a conversation with the investigative unit at the Post.
“The Crime of the Century,” HBO’s new two-part, four hour-documentary airing May 10-11 from the Oscar and Emmy-winning Alex Gibney and produced in association with the Washington Post, is a disturbing deep dive into how Big Pharma, political operatives and government regulations helped cause this massive health crisis. The first part looks at the origins of the crisis while part two explores the marketing of the deadly synthetic opioid fentanyl. Recently, the Washington Post hosted a zoom conversation between Gibney and Post reporters Sari Horwitz and Scott Higham who have investigated the drug crisis for several years.
“The Crime of the Century” was three years in the making. Gibney was drawn to the subject matter after a conversation with the investigative unit at the Post.
- 5/10/2021
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
When “My Octopus Teacher” won the Producers Guild Award for Best Documentary on March 24, I started to wonder if that clears the path to it winning the Oscar. It’s an emotional, heartwarming film about nature, and feel-good movies sometimes have an advantage over investigative docs and grittier subjects.
First, it must be acknowledged that the PGA Award often veers wildly from the Oscars. In fact, the last three PGA winners weren’t even nominated by the motion picture academy: “Jane” (2017), “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” (2018) and “Apollo 11” (2019). But when an Oscar nominee does win PGA, it tends to win the Oscar too, like “Searching for Sugar Man” (2012), “Amy” (2015) and “O.J.: Made in America” (2016) in the last decade. The last time the PGA winner had an Oscar nomination but lost it was Michael Moore‘s “Sicko” (2007), and that was 13 years ago.
SEE4 documentary filmmakers for ‘Crip Camp,’ ‘The Dissident,...
First, it must be acknowledged that the PGA Award often veers wildly from the Oscars. In fact, the last three PGA winners weren’t even nominated by the motion picture academy: “Jane” (2017), “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” (2018) and “Apollo 11” (2019). But when an Oscar nominee does win PGA, it tends to win the Oscar too, like “Searching for Sugar Man” (2012), “Amy” (2015) and “O.J.: Made in America” (2016) in the last decade. The last time the PGA winner had an Oscar nomination but lost it was Michael Moore‘s “Sicko” (2007), and that was 13 years ago.
SEE4 documentary filmmakers for ‘Crip Camp,’ ‘The Dissident,...
- 3/26/2021
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
Oscar voting is wrapping on Wednesday, but it ain’t over ’til it’s over. Film distributor Neon, the reigning champion at the Academy Awards for best picture with “Parasite,” has another stack of contenders this year, all unique in awards discussions. CEO and co-founder Tom Quinn has always pushed the boundaries of cinema, and deeply believes in cultural representation in front and behind the camera, and the way consumers and Academy voters accept the film medium.
“Neon’s entire mission is built around the power of cinema,” Quinn says. “Cinema for us starts in the theater, a collective body of strangers coming together to see a director’s vision — unedited, uninterrupted — and with that comes great power.”
In this bonus episode of the “Variety Awards Circuit Podcast,” Quinn talks about Neon’s robust slate, which includes the comedy “Palm Springs,” international features like “Night of the Kings,” and docs...
“Neon’s entire mission is built around the power of cinema,” Quinn says. “Cinema for us starts in the theater, a collective body of strangers coming together to see a director’s vision — unedited, uninterrupted — and with that comes great power.”
In this bonus episode of the “Variety Awards Circuit Podcast,” Quinn talks about Neon’s robust slate, which includes the comedy “Palm Springs,” international features like “Night of the Kings,” and docs...
- 3/9/2021
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
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