The Sundance Institute has selected Minhal Baig, Marion Hill, Ciara Lacy, Billy Luther, Chanelle Aponte Pearson, Mariem Pérez Riera, Jamila Wignot and Iman Zawahry for its fourth Momentum Fellowship, supporting professional development for mid-career artists from historically marginalized communities as they explore and develop their creative practice.
The eight fellows selected will participate in a full-year program tailored for each by Sundance Institute staffers, receiving access to unrestricted grant funding, as well as industry mentorship and meetings, a writing intensive, and professional coaching offered by Renee Freedman & Company, with support from The Harnisch Foundation. Additionally, as part of the Sundance Institute’s ongoing partnership with NBCUniversal, the studio will provide an opportunity for select Momentum fellows working on fiction projects to participate in the Universal Directors Initiative. The two-year, at-will initiative, led by Universal’s Global Talent Development & Inclusion team, provides access to NBCUniversal’s creative executives and producers to...
The eight fellows selected will participate in a full-year program tailored for each by Sundance Institute staffers, receiving access to unrestricted grant funding, as well as industry mentorship and meetings, a writing intensive, and professional coaching offered by Renee Freedman & Company, with support from The Harnisch Foundation. Additionally, as part of the Sundance Institute’s ongoing partnership with NBCUniversal, the studio will provide an opportunity for select Momentum fellows working on fiction projects to participate in the Universal Directors Initiative. The two-year, at-will initiative, led by Universal’s Global Talent Development & Inclusion team, provides access to NBCUniversal’s creative executives and producers to...
- 3/8/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.
See our comprehensive guide to where to stream the best films of 2021.
Clerk. (Malcolm Ingram)
What more can you say about a guy who’s been an open book for the last two-and-a-half decades? Herein lies the challenge of Malcolm Ingram’s warm, American Masters-style portrait of friend Kevin Smith, the kind of guy who frankly feels like a friend to all of his fans. The film, titled Clerk, allows others besides Silent Bob to contribute to the Smith story, chronicling his extensive career in filmmaking, comics, e-commerce, and podcasting. – John F. (full review)
Where to Stream: VOD
The Human Surge (Eduardo Williams)
About five years old and at least ten years ahead, Eduardo Williams’ The Human Surge is the closest...
See our comprehensive guide to where to stream the best films of 2021.
Clerk. (Malcolm Ingram)
What more can you say about a guy who’s been an open book for the last two-and-a-half decades? Herein lies the challenge of Malcolm Ingram’s warm, American Masters-style portrait of friend Kevin Smith, the kind of guy who frankly feels like a friend to all of his fans. The film, titled Clerk, allows others besides Silent Bob to contribute to the Smith story, chronicling his extensive career in filmmaking, comics, e-commerce, and podcasting. – John F. (full review)
Where to Stream: VOD
The Human Surge (Eduardo Williams)
About five years old and at least ten years ahead, Eduardo Williams’ The Human Surge is the closest...
- 11/26/2021
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Alan Brain’s 2021 award-winning “The Rumba Kings” and Jace Panebianco’s “Broken Molds” will be among the films showcased at the Maui Film Festival, which will accommodate guests in an open-air, pod-style seating, from Nov. 17-21 at the Maui Arts and Cultural Center in Kahului. There are 13 premieres among the features in the lineup.
Even though the festival has arranged for guests to show proof of vaccination, for those who wish to participate virtually, 90 feature films and shorts are available to stream. These include Nov. 17 screenings: Emily Sky’s “River,” which explores space and time throughout six continents; Panebianco’s “Broken Molds,” which follows the origin story of windsurfing, and Isaac Halasima’s “Waterman,” a documentary narrated by Jason Mamoa, that tells the story of five-time Olympic Gold medalist Paoa Kahanamoku.
Peggy Callahan and Louie Psihoyos “Mission Joy,” explores the friendship between Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the Dalai Lama, and Frauke Sandig’s documentary,...
Even though the festival has arranged for guests to show proof of vaccination, for those who wish to participate virtually, 90 feature films and shorts are available to stream. These include Nov. 17 screenings: Emily Sky’s “River,” which explores space and time throughout six continents; Panebianco’s “Broken Molds,” which follows the origin story of windsurfing, and Isaac Halasima’s “Waterman,” a documentary narrated by Jason Mamoa, that tells the story of five-time Olympic Gold medalist Paoa Kahanamoku.
Peggy Callahan and Louie Psihoyos “Mission Joy,” explores the friendship between Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the Dalai Lama, and Frauke Sandig’s documentary,...
- 11/8/2021
- by Jennifer Yuma
- Variety Film + TV
Chicago – If you ever wondered how a polyamorous relationship might play out – in this case He-She-She – then writer/director Marion Hill has created “Ma Belle, My Beauty” as one such delving into the territory. The Gene Siskel Film Center presents the Sundance Film Festival Award Winner through September 8th, 2021. For more information click Ma Belle, My Beauty.
Rating: 4.0/5.0
What happens when singer Bertie (Idella Johnson) can’t sing anymore? Her collaborator husband Fred (Lucien Guignard) calls her ex-lover Lane (Hannah Pepper), as they were part of a He-She-She relationship before their marriage. The mystery of the connection between Bertie and Lane is the key to this film, an observation into the physical and chemical connection between people and the messy emotions that get in the way. The acting is pitch perfect, and Idella Johnson’s singing voice is heaven on earth. Marion Hill envisions many hallways to go down in this three-way consortium.
Rating: 4.0/5.0
What happens when singer Bertie (Idella Johnson) can’t sing anymore? Her collaborator husband Fred (Lucien Guignard) calls her ex-lover Lane (Hannah Pepper), as they were part of a He-She-She relationship before their marriage. The mystery of the connection between Bertie and Lane is the key to this film, an observation into the physical and chemical connection between people and the messy emotions that get in the way. The acting is pitch perfect, and Idella Johnson’s singing voice is heaven on earth. Marion Hill envisions many hallways to go down in this three-way consortium.
- 9/6/2021
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
WaZabi Films, the Montreal-based sales agent launched by Anick Poirier and Lorne Price, has boarded horror comedy “Red Wings,” one of buzziest and most singular titles at early August’s Frontières Co-Production Market.
Created by executive producer Rhiannon Aarons, a publisher/co-editor on Bob Flanagan’s book “The Book of Medicine,” and Dana Hammer, author of novels such as “Rosemary’s Baby Daddy” and “Dead Viking Rehab,” “Red Wings” turns on Audrina, who gets bitten by a bat and gains an unnatural gift: Killer red bats that fly out of her vagina when she menstruates.
Learning to accept and master her superpower, she gains control of her life and fights evil in the process. Audrina starts the film being stalked by her ex-boyfriend. She now embraces her new bat-friends and sets out for retribution.
Kate Kroll will direct “Red Wings,” which is produced by Anne-Marie Gélinas at EMAfilms.
Aarons,...
Created by executive producer Rhiannon Aarons, a publisher/co-editor on Bob Flanagan’s book “The Book of Medicine,” and Dana Hammer, author of novels such as “Rosemary’s Baby Daddy” and “Dead Viking Rehab,” “Red Wings” turns on Audrina, who gets bitten by a bat and gains an unnatural gift: Killer red bats that fly out of her vagina when she menstruates.
Learning to accept and master her superpower, she gains control of her life and fights evil in the process. Audrina starts the film being stalked by her ex-boyfriend. She now embraces her new bat-friends and sets out for retribution.
Kate Kroll will direct “Red Wings,” which is produced by Anne-Marie Gélinas at EMAfilms.
Aarons,...
- 8/19/2021
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
The summer is coming to an end and with it comes a number of films to have on your to-watch list. From some highly-anticipated auteur-driven films to dazzling animations to riveting documentaries to horror stand-outs, there’s a wide-ranging array of selections. Check out our picks to see below.
12. Ma Belle, My Beauty (Marion Hill)
A premiere at Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, Marion Hill’s acclaimed drama Ma Belle, My Beauty explores the nuances of a polyamorous relationship. John Fink said in his review, “In some relationships it’s easier to pick up where you left off, even after years of being apart. Others, such as those at the core of Marion Hill’s impressive, nuanced feature film debut Ma Belle, My Beauty—contain more heartbreak and baggage. Screening in Sundance’s Next category, Hill’s picture navigates uncomfortable truths with perspective and lyrical emotional honestly as Lane...
12. Ma Belle, My Beauty (Marion Hill)
A premiere at Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, Marion Hill’s acclaimed drama Ma Belle, My Beauty explores the nuances of a polyamorous relationship. John Fink said in his review, “In some relationships it’s easier to pick up where you left off, even after years of being apart. Others, such as those at the core of Marion Hill’s impressive, nuanced feature film debut Ma Belle, My Beauty—contain more heartbreak and baggage. Screening in Sundance’s Next category, Hill’s picture navigates uncomfortable truths with perspective and lyrical emotional honestly as Lane...
- 8/3/2021
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Outfest Los Angeles features two films with "RuPaul's Drag Race" winners BeBe Zahara Benet and Bianca del Rio in its lineup for its 39th Film Festival.
Season 6 winner Bianca del Rio will join the main cast members of "Everybody’s Talking About Jamie," Max Harwood and Lauren Patel, in the festival's opening event. Del Rio plays art teacher Miss Haywood in the feature adaptation of the musical.
Season 1 winner BeBe Zahara Benet will perform live before the premiere of "Being Bebe," which follows the Cameroonian-American immigrant's struggle to embrace being an LGBTQ performer against discriminatory cultural forces.
Named after the Los Angeles-based nonprofit organization Outfest, the 10-day festival will celebrate LGBTQ+ stories and voices in film and television and will return to in-person screenings.
Outfest will also host the 5th Annual Trans and NonBinary Summit on August 21 with a panel featuring established and emerging trans and nonbinary creators, Zackary Drucker and Our Lady J.
Season 6 winner Bianca del Rio will join the main cast members of "Everybody’s Talking About Jamie," Max Harwood and Lauren Patel, in the festival's opening event. Del Rio plays art teacher Miss Haywood in the feature adaptation of the musical.
Season 1 winner BeBe Zahara Benet will perform live before the premiere of "Being Bebe," which follows the Cameroonian-American immigrant's struggle to embrace being an LGBTQ performer against discriminatory cultural forces.
Named after the Los Angeles-based nonprofit organization Outfest, the 10-day festival will celebrate LGBTQ+ stories and voices in film and television and will return to in-person screenings.
Outfest will also host the 5th Annual Trans and NonBinary Summit on August 21 with a panel featuring established and emerging trans and nonbinary creators, Zackary Drucker and Our Lady J.
- 7/26/2021
- by Loree Seitz
- The Wrap
A premiere at Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, Marion Hill’s acclaimed drama Ma Belle, My Beauty explores the nuances of a polyamorous relationship. Starring Idella Johnson, Hannah Pepper, Lucien Guignard, and Sivan Noam Shimon, the drama follows three people who were living together in New Orleans and one person in the relationship vanished. Then, two years later they get reacquainted in the south of France. Now set for an August release, the first trailer has landed.
John Fink said in his review, “In some relationships it’s easier to pick up where you left off, even after years of being apart. Others, such as those at the core of Marion Hill’s impressive, nuanced feature film debut Ma Belle, My Beauty—contain more heartbreak and baggage. Screening in Sundance’s Next category, Hill’s picture navigates uncomfortable truths with perspective and lyrical emotional honestly as Lane (Hannah Pepper...
John Fink said in his review, “In some relationships it’s easier to pick up where you left off, even after years of being apart. Others, such as those at the core of Marion Hill’s impressive, nuanced feature film debut Ma Belle, My Beauty—contain more heartbreak and baggage. Screening in Sundance’s Next category, Hill’s picture navigates uncomfortable truths with perspective and lyrical emotional honestly as Lane (Hannah Pepper...
- 6/8/2021
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
"The way you two do your things is none of my business." "You're right, it's not." Good Deed has released an official US trailer for Ma Belle, My Beauty, an indie romantic drama that originally premiered at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. It also played at the SXSW and Seattle Film Festivals and will open in select theaters in August. A surprise reunion in the South of France reignites passions and jealousies between two women who were formerly polyamorous lovers. Two years after their relationship went awry, Bertie and Fred have gotten married and are living at Fred's family home in the countryside. When Lane unexpectedly shows up in Bertie's seemingly idyllic new life, she finds her former lover much different than she remembers, and a new romantic adventure begins. The film stars Idella Johnson, Hannah Pepper, Lucien Guignard, and Sivan Noam Shimon. This was one of my...
- 6/4/2021
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Company had two projects selected at Sundance this year – Cusp and The Blazing World.
Jenifer Westphal’s Brooklyn-based Wavelength Productions, the producer of Farewell Amor and Sundance winners Cusp and Feels Good Man, has rebranded as Wavelength and established two divisions.
Wavelength Films is the documentary and narrative film production arm of the company, while Wavelength Studios is the commercial division aimed at creating elevated content for brands.
Five-year-old Wavelength will continue to develop, produce and finance “content that reveals out common humanity”.
Founder, CEO and executive producer Westphal said the rebrand and expansion were “the result of the hard...
Jenifer Westphal’s Brooklyn-based Wavelength Productions, the producer of Farewell Amor and Sundance winners Cusp and Feels Good Man, has rebranded as Wavelength and established two divisions.
Wavelength Films is the documentary and narrative film production arm of the company, while Wavelength Studios is the commercial division aimed at creating elevated content for brands.
Five-year-old Wavelength will continue to develop, produce and finance “content that reveals out common humanity”.
Founder, CEO and executive producer Westphal said the rebrand and expansion were “the result of the hard...
- 5/5/2021
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Good Deed Entertainment to release in US in August.
Montreal-based sales company WaZabi Films has bulked up its virtual Cannes sales slate for next month, picking up international rights to Sundance Next audience award winner Ma Belle, My Beauty.
‘Ma Belle, My Beauty’: SXSW Review
Marion Hill’s USA-France drama was also a SXSW selection and tells of old passions and jealousies that are reignited in the south of France between two women who were formerly polyamorous lovers.
Idella Johnson, Hannah Pepper, Lucien Guignard, and Sivan Noam Shimon star. Producers are Ben Matheny, Kelsey Scult, and Hill.
Good Deed Entertainment...
Montreal-based sales company WaZabi Films has bulked up its virtual Cannes sales slate for next month, picking up international rights to Sundance Next audience award winner Ma Belle, My Beauty.
‘Ma Belle, My Beauty’: SXSW Review
Marion Hill’s USA-France drama was also a SXSW selection and tells of old passions and jealousies that are reignited in the south of France between two women who were formerly polyamorous lovers.
Idella Johnson, Hannah Pepper, Lucien Guignard, and Sivan Noam Shimon star. Producers are Ben Matheny, Kelsey Scult, and Hill.
Good Deed Entertainment...
- 5/4/2021
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Good Deed Entertainment to release in US in August.
Montreal-based sales company WaZabi Films has bulked up its virtual Cannes sales slate for next month, picking up international rights to Sundance Next audience award winner Ma Belle, Ma Beauty.
‘Ma Belle, Ma Beauty’: SXSW Review
Marion Hill’s USA-France drama was also a SXSW selection and tells of old passions and jealousies that are reignited in the south of France between two women who were formerly polyamorous lovers.
Idella Johnson, Hannah Pepper, Lucien Guignard, and Sivan Noam Shimon star. Producers are Ben Matheny, Kelsey Scult, and Hill.
Good Deed...
Montreal-based sales company WaZabi Films has bulked up its virtual Cannes sales slate for next month, picking up international rights to Sundance Next audience award winner Ma Belle, Ma Beauty.
‘Ma Belle, Ma Beauty’: SXSW Review
Marion Hill’s USA-France drama was also a SXSW selection and tells of old passions and jealousies that are reignited in the south of France between two women who were formerly polyamorous lovers.
Idella Johnson, Hannah Pepper, Lucien Guignard, and Sivan Noam Shimon star. Producers are Ben Matheny, Kelsey Scult, and Hill.
Good Deed...
- 5/4/2021
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Monday, May 3
Charli Xcx Documentary to Close Inside Out Film Festival
Toronto’s 2021 Inside Out film festival will take place online from May 27 to June 6. The 2Slgbtq+ fest will open with Natalie Morales’ “Language Lessons,” which picked up the audience award at this year’s SXSW Film Festival. Closing Inside Out will be the Charli Xcx documentary “Alone Together.” A total of 143 films, including 33 features and five episodic series, fill the lineup for this year’s programming.
Other highlights include the Zachary Quinto-narrated “Yes, I Am: The Ric Weiland Story,” about queer computer programmer Rich Weiland, and “Drag Invasion,” a doc about an LGBTQ community in Peru that is inspired to mobilize while watching “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” The Sundance Audience Award-winning “Ma Belle, My Beauty” will also be show,n as will the premiere of Wes Hurley’s autobiographical dark comedy “Potaro Dreams of America.”
“Having pulled off the...
Charli Xcx Documentary to Close Inside Out Film Festival
Toronto’s 2021 Inside Out film festival will take place online from May 27 to June 6. The 2Slgbtq+ fest will open with Natalie Morales’ “Language Lessons,” which picked up the audience award at this year’s SXSW Film Festival. Closing Inside Out will be the Charli Xcx documentary “Alone Together.” A total of 143 films, including 33 features and five episodic series, fill the lineup for this year’s programming.
Other highlights include the Zachary Quinto-narrated “Yes, I Am: The Ric Weiland Story,” about queer computer programmer Rich Weiland, and “Drag Invasion,” a doc about an LGBTQ community in Peru that is inspired to mobilize while watching “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” The Sundance Audience Award-winning “Ma Belle, My Beauty” will also be show,n as will the premiere of Wes Hurley’s autobiographical dark comedy “Potaro Dreams of America.”
“Having pulled off the...
- 5/4/2021
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
This year’s Outfest Fusion Qtbipoc Film Festival will include 10 feature and 41 short films.
Among the feature titles are “All Boys Aren’t Blue,” “Caught,” “Crystal Diaries,” “Chosen Fam,” “Forgotten Roads,” “Kapana,” “Ma Belle, My Beauty,” “Nowhere,” “See You Then,” “Summertime” and “Unapologetic.”
The shorts include “Mariam,” about a young Arab American amateur drag queen, and “God’s Daughter Dances,” the story of a trans woman in South Korea who is called to appear for a military service examination. Also on the shorts lineup are “How to Raise a Black Boy,” “And We Collide,” “Queer Isolation” and “The Rogers.” Maisie Richardson Sellers’ “Sunday Child” is executive produced by Greg Berlanti.
The Qtbipoc festival, presented by Comcast NBCUniversal, runs April 16-20 and includes two drive-in events at Exposition Park, as well as a dozen workshops and panels and the One-Minute Movie Contest, sponsored by Hyundai.
“Outfest Fusion facilitates an environment where...
Among the feature titles are “All Boys Aren’t Blue,” “Caught,” “Crystal Diaries,” “Chosen Fam,” “Forgotten Roads,” “Kapana,” “Ma Belle, My Beauty,” “Nowhere,” “See You Then,” “Summertime” and “Unapologetic.”
The shorts include “Mariam,” about a young Arab American amateur drag queen, and “God’s Daughter Dances,” the story of a trans woman in South Korea who is called to appear for a military service examination. Also on the shorts lineup are “How to Raise a Black Boy,” “And We Collide,” “Queer Isolation” and “The Rogers.” Maisie Richardson Sellers’ “Sunday Child” is executive produced by Greg Berlanti.
The Qtbipoc festival, presented by Comcast NBCUniversal, runs April 16-20 and includes two drive-in events at Exposition Park, as well as a dozen workshops and panels and the One-Minute Movie Contest, sponsored by Hyundai.
“Outfest Fusion facilitates an environment where...
- 3/31/2021
- by Marc Malkin
- Variety Film + TV
Coda, Jockey, Superior among initial wave of deal-making.
While there hasn’t been the usual post-opening weekend torrent of Sundance deals this year, business is getting done and Apple delivered a record $25m buy on feel-good multi-award winnerCODA.
Sundance always has a long tail and deals will trickle in for weeks and months after the event, which officially ends on February 3.
At time of writing buyers were circling Questlove’s documentary Summer Of Soul, Sean Ellis’s werewolf film Eight For Silver, Franz Kanz’s post-shooting massacre drama Mass, and Lyle Mitchell Corbine Jr.’s thriller Wild Indian, among others.
While there hasn’t been the usual post-opening weekend torrent of Sundance deals this year, business is getting done and Apple delivered a record $25m buy on feel-good multi-award winnerCODA.
Sundance always has a long tail and deals will trickle in for weeks and months after the event, which officially ends on February 3.
At time of writing buyers were circling Questlove’s documentary Summer Of Soul, Sean Ellis’s werewolf film Eight For Silver, Franz Kanz’s post-shooting massacre drama Mass, and Lyle Mitchell Corbine Jr.’s thriller Wild Indian, among others.
- 3/29/2021
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Good Deed Entertainment has nabbed North American rights to “Ma Belle, My Beauty,” a queer polyamorous love story that was embraced by critics when it debuted at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.
The film, which marks Marion Hill’s directorial feature film debut, won the Audience Award in the Next category at the festival. It will next screen at the South by Southwest Film Festival in the “Festival Favorites” section.
“Ma Belle, My Beauty” unfolds in the south of France, and follows the love story of Lane (Hannah Pepper), Bertie (Idella Johnson) and Fred (Lucien Guignard). In a positive review, Variety‘s Lisa Kennedy commended Hill’s direction and noted the romantic atmosphere that she evoked.
“‘Ma Belle, My Beauty’ is lovely, not least because it was filmed in and around the book-me-a-flight village of Anduze near the Cévennes mountains,” Kennedy wrote. “Hill and cinematographer Lauren Guiteras seize the...
The film, which marks Marion Hill’s directorial feature film debut, won the Audience Award in the Next category at the festival. It will next screen at the South by Southwest Film Festival in the “Festival Favorites” section.
“Ma Belle, My Beauty” unfolds in the south of France, and follows the love story of Lane (Hannah Pepper), Bertie (Idella Johnson) and Fred (Lucien Guignard). In a positive review, Variety‘s Lisa Kennedy commended Hill’s direction and noted the romantic atmosphere that she evoked.
“‘Ma Belle, My Beauty’ is lovely, not least because it was filmed in and around the book-me-a-flight village of Anduze near the Cévennes mountains,” Kennedy wrote. “Hill and cinematographer Lauren Guiteras seize the...
- 2/18/2021
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Chicago – After garnering a major honor at the Sundance Film Festival – the Audience Award in the Next category – “Ma Belle, My Beauty” made an impression with its intimate look at polyamorous (group of three) lovers, particularly the lead actors portraying the two women, Idella Johnson and Hannah Pepper.
What happens when singer Bertie (Johnson) can’t sing anymore? Her collaborator husband Fred (Lucien Guignard) calls her ex-lover Lane (Pepper), as they were part of a He-She-She relationship before their marriage. The mystery of the connection between Bertie and Lane is the key to this film, a delve into the physical and chemical connection between people and the messy emotions that get in the way. The acting is pitch perfect, and Idella Johnson’s singing voice is heaven on earth. Writer/director Marion Hill creates many hallways to go down in this three-way consortium
Idella Johnson (left) and Hannah Pepper of...
What happens when singer Bertie (Johnson) can’t sing anymore? Her collaborator husband Fred (Lucien Guignard) calls her ex-lover Lane (Pepper), as they were part of a He-She-She relationship before their marriage. The mystery of the connection between Bertie and Lane is the key to this film, a delve into the physical and chemical connection between people and the messy emotions that get in the way. The acting is pitch perfect, and Idella Johnson’s singing voice is heaven on earth. Writer/director Marion Hill creates many hallways to go down in this three-way consortium
Idella Johnson (left) and Hannah Pepper of...
- 2/15/2021
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Love triangles seem to occur more often in the movies than in real life — unless I’ve been hanging out in all the wrong places. They are a convenient choice for storytellers looking for a piquant, offbeat way to dress up the green-eyed monster. There’s the thrill of the verboten but what often follows is the steep price at least one of the characters will have to pay for having entered into a liaison that’s more than a two-way street. Stories about three-way relationships — more than three seems entirely impossible, at least in the movies — often lure viewers into their ...
In some relationships it’s easier to pick up where you left off, even after years of being apart. Others, such as those at the core of Marion Hill’s impressive, nuanced feature film debut Ma Belle, My Beauty—contain more heartbreak and baggage. Screening in Sundance’s Next category, Hill’s picture navigates uncomfortable truths with perspective and lyrical emotional honestly as Lane (Hannah Pepper) re-enters the life of former lover Bertie (Idalla Johnson) at the request of her husband Fred (Lucien Guignard).
New Orleans ex-pat Bertie has moved to the South of France with husband Fred. Both dream of working on their music career together—until he becomes the star of the show, leaving her in the shadows. Having just lost her mother, Bertie spends her days tending to their aging villa and making trips into town where she keeps her distance despite adoration for her husband who has become a local celebrity.
New Orleans ex-pat Bertie has moved to the South of France with husband Fred. Both dream of working on their music career together—until he becomes the star of the show, leaving her in the shadows. Having just lost her mother, Bertie spends her days tending to their aging villa and making trips into town where she keeps her distance despite adoration for her husband who has become a local celebrity.
- 2/4/2021
- by John Fink
- The Film Stage
Ethical non-monogamy doesn’t make for great dramatic conflict. Maybe that’s why alternative relationship structures such as polyamory are so rarely depicted onscreen. Where would we be if scripts couldn’t rely on torrid affairs or public marriage proposals for quotable monologues and heated arguments? If anything goes, what would people fight about?
Turns out, quite a lot. But it’s not guaranteed to be any more compelling than the status quo. Though it boasts a picturesque setting and elegant shooting style, “Ma Belle, My Beauty”
Set on a sun-soaked vineyard in the South of France, “Ma Belle, My Beauty” embraces the arrival of a third person into a marriage, resisting the unconventional set-up as a dramatic flashpoint. The tension stems instead from two women re-hashing an unresolved relationship, and a man playing semi-neutral observer with his own motives. Unfortunately, the film is so intent on normalizing non-monogamy that...
Turns out, quite a lot. But it’s not guaranteed to be any more compelling than the status quo. Though it boasts a picturesque setting and elegant shooting style, “Ma Belle, My Beauty”
Set on a sun-soaked vineyard in the South of France, “Ma Belle, My Beauty” embraces the arrival of a third person into a marriage, resisting the unconventional set-up as a dramatic flashpoint. The tension stems instead from two women re-hashing an unresolved relationship, and a man playing semi-neutral observer with his own motives. Unfortunately, the film is so intent on normalizing non-monogamy that...
- 2/3/2021
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
The mostly virtual 2021 Sundance Film Festival is coming to a close. The festival announced awards winners Tuesday night, trading an in-person ceremony for one broadcast live and hosted by Patton Oswalt. The biggest winner was Sian Heder’s coming of age drama “Coda,” which earned four U.S. Dramatic Competition awards, including the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award. Other Big winners were “Summer of Soul,” which took home the two top U.S. Documentary awards.
Blerta Basholli’s “Hive” won three awards in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition: the Directing and Audience awards and the Grand Jury Prize. Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh’s “Writing with Fire” earned two World Cinema Documentary awards.
A total of 72 features screened over the last week, along with 50 shorts, four Indie Series, and 14 New Frontier VR/new media projects. Those projects were judged by a jury made up of Zeynep Atakan, Raúl Castillo,...
Blerta Basholli’s “Hive” won three awards in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition: the Directing and Audience awards and the Grand Jury Prize. Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh’s “Writing with Fire” earned two World Cinema Documentary awards.
A total of 72 features screened over the last week, along with 50 shorts, four Indie Series, and 14 New Frontier VR/new media projects. Those projects were judged by a jury made up of Zeynep Atakan, Raúl Castillo,...
- 2/3/2021
- by Chris Lindahl
- Indiewire
When Lane arrives at a train station in southern France in “Ma Belle, My Beauty,” she’s greeted by Fred. Clad in the casual uniform of late summer — shorts, sandals, a breezy cotton shirt — he gives her a little smile. Lane, on the other hand, looks from the start like something is weighing on her, and it’s not just her oversized backpack. “Do you think she’ll want to see me?” she asks, with a wary note and pensive brow. Turns out Fred is springing Lane on his wife in hopes of rekindling their threesome, not so much for himself as for wife Bertie.
While its polyamorous triangle might sound edgy to some, first-time feature director Marion Hill’s romantic drama — which had its world premiere at the Sundance film festival — was in line with other 2021 Sundance selections that depict underrepresented characters and their experiences by way of fairly traditional,...
While its polyamorous triangle might sound edgy to some, first-time feature director Marion Hill’s romantic drama — which had its world premiere at the Sundance film festival — was in line with other 2021 Sundance selections that depict underrepresented characters and their experiences by way of fairly traditional,...
- 2/2/2021
- by Lisa Kennedy
- Variety Film + TV
Marion Hill tackles uncharted territory with her polyamorous drama Ma Belle, My Beauty. After moving to rural France, Bertie (Idella Johnson) runs into her ex Lane (Hannah Pepper-Cunningham) who she was previously in a three person relationship with alongside Bertie’s husband Fred (Lucien Guignard). Hill, also the editor of the film, reveals the personal journey that went into editing the film. Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up being the editor of your film? What were the factors and attributes that led to your being hired for this job? Hill: I am also the writer, director and one of three producers […]
The post "It Was Just Me and the Characters in a Vacuum": Editor Marion Hill on Ma Belle, My Beauty first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post "It Was Just Me and the Characters in a Vacuum": Editor Marion Hill on Ma Belle, My Beauty first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 2/2/2021
- by Austin Jones
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Marion Hill tackles uncharted territory with her polyamorous drama Ma Belle, My Beauty. After moving to rural France, Bertie (Idella Johnson) runs into her ex Lane (Hannah Pepper-Cunningham) who she was previously in a three person relationship with alongside Bertie’s husband Fred (Lucien Guignard). Hill, also the editor of the film, reveals the personal journey that went into editing the film. Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up being the editor of your film? What were the factors and attributes that led to your being hired for this job? Hill: I am also the writer, director and one of three producers […]
The post "It Was Just Me and the Characters in a Vacuum": Editor Marion Hill on Ma Belle, My Beauty first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post "It Was Just Me and the Characters in a Vacuum": Editor Marion Hill on Ma Belle, My Beauty first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 2/2/2021
- by Austin Jones
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
Chicago – The 2021 Sundance Film Festival is now in Day Four, offering over 20 premieres on January 31st. This year’s festival is virtual and online, meaning anyone with a ticket or a pass can indulge in the film offerings throughout the festival, which runs until February 3rd.
For the premieres of 2021, the cutting edge potential influencer films and all the ancillary new voice filmmakers, the Sundance Film Festival is the one that begins every film year with the movies that ultimately become the talk of the town and the gatherer of year end awards. Your ticket to the festival is your chance to see these films and filmmakers before the general public.
On the Count of Three
Photo credit: Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is an annual event organized by the Sundance Institute – an organization founded by actor Robert Redford in 1980 – and dedicated to the growth of independent artists.
For the premieres of 2021, the cutting edge potential influencer films and all the ancillary new voice filmmakers, the Sundance Film Festival is the one that begins every film year with the movies that ultimately become the talk of the town and the gatherer of year end awards. Your ticket to the festival is your chance to see these films and filmmakers before the general public.
On the Count of Three
Photo credit: Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is an annual event organized by the Sundance Institute – an organization founded by actor Robert Redford in 1980 – and dedicated to the growth of independent artists.
- 1/31/2021
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Marion Hill’s “Ma Belle, My Beauty” opens with the kind of aural ecstasy you’d expect from a romantic drama set in the South of France: a lazily looping guitar accompanying a breathy, enchanting vocal. The scene is set – and then it immediately collapses, as the vocalist tells her accompanist, “I hate this song, I’m sorry,” and escapes their rehearsal to take a bath.
Read More: 25 Most Anticipated 2021 Sundance Film Festival Premieres
That opening implosion is a pretty apt encapsulation of Hill’s feature debut, which is filled with picturesque images, rolling landscapes, and shiny surfaces, yet constantly reminds us of the disappointments and unhappiness lurking beneath them.
Continue reading ‘Ma Belle, My Beauty’ Is A Sunny Tale Of Love, Heartache, And Polyamory [Sundance Review] at The Playlist.
Read More: 25 Most Anticipated 2021 Sundance Film Festival Premieres
That opening implosion is a pretty apt encapsulation of Hill’s feature debut, which is filled with picturesque images, rolling landscapes, and shiny surfaces, yet constantly reminds us of the disappointments and unhappiness lurking beneath them.
Continue reading ‘Ma Belle, My Beauty’ Is A Sunny Tale Of Love, Heartache, And Polyamory [Sundance Review] at The Playlist.
- 1/31/2021
- by Jason Bailey
- The Playlist
Marion Hill tackles uncharted territory with her polyamorous drama Ma Belle, My Beauty. After moving to rural France, Bertie (Idella Johnson) runs into her ex Lane (Hannah Pepper-Cunningham) who she was previously in a three person relationship with alongside Bertie’s husband Fred (Lucien Guignard). Dp Lauren Guiteras walks us through how she captured naturalistic sensuality, the beauty of imperfect lighting, and how she grounded Ma Belle, My Beauty in the tangible world. Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up being the cinematographer of your film? What were the factors and attributes that led to your being hired for this job? Guiteras: I had […]
The post "There Is an Appropriate Numbness and Bareness to It": Dp Lauren Guiteras on Ma Belle, My Beauty first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post "There Is an Appropriate Numbness and Bareness to It": Dp Lauren Guiteras on Ma Belle, My Beauty first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 1/30/2021
- by Filmmaker Staff
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Marion Hill tackles uncharted territory with her polyamorous drama Ma Belle, My Beauty. After moving to rural France, Bertie (Idella Johnson) runs into her ex Lane (Hannah Pepper-Cunningham) who she was previously in a three person relationship with alongside Bertie’s husband Fred (Lucien Guignard). Dp Lauren Guiteras walks us through how she captured naturalistic sensuality, the beauty of imperfect lighting, and how she grounded Ma Belle, My Beauty in the tangible world. Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up being the cinematographer of your film? What were the factors and attributes that led to your being hired for this job? Guiteras: I had […]
The post "There Is an Appropriate Numbness and Bareness to It": Dp Lauren Guiteras on Ma Belle, My Beauty first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post "There Is an Appropriate Numbness and Bareness to It": Dp Lauren Guiteras on Ma Belle, My Beauty first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 1/30/2021
- by Filmmaker Staff
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
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