Steve Bartman. For normal human beings, his name means nothing. But for baseball fans, and specifically Chicago Cubs followers, the man is the most recent example of the team's Championship curse. Bartman is notorious for catching a foul ball that might have prevented the Cubs from making the final out and advancing to the World Series back in 2003. This single act turned an entire city of loyal fans against this one man.
Six years later, ESPN is asking Oscar-Award winning filmmaker Alex Gibney to cover the event in an hour long documentary. It sounds very cut and dry until you hear the question Gibney poses for his film to answer: "Can Bartman ever forgive Chicago?" Gibney is a generally well loved filmmaker with an eye for the visual and with his name attached, this is instantly on the must see list.
The film, titled Steve Bartman, airs in early October and kicks off ESPN's 30 for 30 series covering(you guessed it) 30 sports documentaries. Besides Gibney, the series will feature some big name directors- Ron Shelton (White Men Can't Jump), Peter Berg (Friday Night Lights) Barry Levinson (the Natural) Barbara Kopple (Harlan County USA), Steve James (Hoop Dreams)- and even a few celebrity first-timers.
The the entire list of films hasn't been announced yet, but head on over to ESPN to read all the details and even catch a preview or two. With the powerhouse of names supporting this endeavour, expect some great things on ESPN through the fall and winter months.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Friday, July 31, 2009
Boxing's Black Eye Revealed
26 years ago, before Mike Tyson could throw one of his devastating punches, Luis Resto knocked out then-undefeated Billy Collins Jr. during a non-title fight at Madison Square Garden. This was no Cinderella story.
It was later revealed that Resto took the padding out of his gloves, allowing him to inflict greater damage on his opponent. The result: a tear in Collins' eye that ended his career (and may have contributed to his death a year later) and the punishment and banishment of Resto and his trainer.
Now, after decades of the boxing world trying to forget this tragedy, HBO is releasing the feature length documentary, Assault in the Ring. The film follows Resto (a now depressed man fighting drug addiction) as he is confronted by his trainer, his family, his ex-wife and the widow of the man whose career he ended.
USAToday has a brief description of the documentary, which airs Saturday at 10pm, but it's the comments from boxing fans who still refuse to grant Resto any grace for the damage he inflicted back in 1983 that make it worth the read.
It was later revealed that Resto took the padding out of his gloves, allowing him to inflict greater damage on his opponent. The result: a tear in Collins' eye that ended his career (and may have contributed to his death a year later) and the punishment and banishment of Resto and his trainer.
Now, after decades of the boxing world trying to forget this tragedy, HBO is releasing the feature length documentary, Assault in the Ring. The film follows Resto (a now depressed man fighting drug addiction) as he is confronted by his trainer, his family, his ex-wife and the widow of the man whose career he ended.
USAToday has a brief description of the documentary, which airs Saturday at 10pm, but it's the comments from boxing fans who still refuse to grant Resto any grace for the damage he inflicted back in 1983 that make it worth the read.
Monday, July 27, 2009
China Can't Stop Aussie Doc lovers
The Melbourne International Film Festival has been battling ongoing complaints from the Chinese government over it's decision to premier Ten Conditions of Love. The controversy centers on the film's main character, Rebiya Kadeer, who is the head of the World Uighur Congress and considered a terrorist by the Chinese.
Despite protests from Chinese nationals, strongly worded phone calls from diplomats and a pro-Chinese computer hacker, the controversial documentary aired to a packed audience this past weekend. An additional bonus for the Melbourne International Film Festival was the surprisingly peaceful atmosphere surrounding the screening as there were no protests or violent outbursts on the day of the event. It seems the outcries to boycott Ten Conditions of Love only provided free advertising for its screening and guaranteed a packed house.
Director Jeff Daniels told Sky News, "I know emotions are running high at the moment. It's a very dark time for the Uighurs in China and there are a lot of angry people from China on both sides... So I'm very happy that it went peacefully, as a documentary should, and people were able to see different sides of the story."
For more on the story, head over to the article posted by AFP. We will keep you posted of any further outcry this film may cause.
Despite protests from Chinese nationals, strongly worded phone calls from diplomats and a pro-Chinese computer hacker, the controversial documentary aired to a packed audience this past weekend. An additional bonus for the Melbourne International Film Festival was the surprisingly peaceful atmosphere surrounding the screening as there were no protests or violent outbursts on the day of the event. It seems the outcries to boycott Ten Conditions of Love only provided free advertising for its screening and guaranteed a packed house.
Director Jeff Daniels told Sky News, "I know emotions are running high at the moment. It's a very dark time for the Uighurs in China and there are a lot of angry people from China on both sides... So I'm very happy that it went peacefully, as a documentary should, and people were able to see different sides of the story."
For more on the story, head over to the article posted by AFP. We will keep you posted of any further outcry this film may cause.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Documentary Controversy at Jewish Film Fest
The San Francisco Jewish Film Festival (SFJFF)is the most recent festival to come under fire for its selection of controversial documentary material. This time though, the fight seems just as much internal as it is external. The film at the center of the controversy, titled Rachel, covers the story of Rachel Corrie, a Washington state girl killed in 2003 while attempting to prevent an Israeli military bulldozer from demolishing a Palestinian's home.
Though it has already aired at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York, it seems major donars to the SFJFF don't think the film is appropriate material and have even gone so far as to call it a part of the new wave of anti-Semitism. Rachel was sponsored by another group of festival donors who believe the discourse is necessary and important to the community.
Beyond the fierce war of words, audiences boycotted opening-night ceremonies and even the festival board's president resigned. The SFJFF runs until August 10th, so expect this issue to persist for the next couple weeks and beyond.
Head over to the San Francisco Chronicle for a complete and detailed summary of the controversy.
Though it has already aired at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York, it seems major donars to the SFJFF don't think the film is appropriate material and have even gone so far as to call it a part of the new wave of anti-Semitism. Rachel was sponsored by another group of festival donors who believe the discourse is necessary and important to the community.
Beyond the fierce war of words, audiences boycotted opening-night ceremonies and even the festival board's president resigned. The SFJFF runs until August 10th, so expect this issue to persist for the next couple weeks and beyond.
Head over to the San Francisco Chronicle for a complete and detailed summary of the controversy.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Spurlock talks Simpson's
It seems The Simpson's crew wants to turn their 20th anniversary into a big spectacle and what better way to do that then a feature length documentary! That's right, the Simpson's are getting the documentary treatment courtesy of the ever impressive Morgan Spurlock.
According to the press release, Spurlock says, “When they first called me about this, I thought it was a prank and I hung up...And then my agent called back and said, ‘No, no, this is for real,’ at which point I fainted. Then when I woke up, I called everyone I knew because it was the coolest thing I could ever get to do in my career.”
I have to praise Fox for understanding that only the insane mind of Morgan Spurlock could handle a Simpson's documentary with any level of success. The director of Super Size Me and Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden says the documentary will focus more on the cultural impact and on superfans more than the show itself. The film is currently titled The Simpson's 20th Anniversary Special in 3-D on Ice (though I'm sure 3-D and ice will be in short supply) and will air January 14th, 2010 on Fox.
Spurlock doesn't appear to shy away from questions about the project and has done several interviews during this week's Comic Con festival. One of the more interesting interviews is over at iFMagazine.com. So head on over there for more info.
According to the press release, Spurlock says, “When they first called me about this, I thought it was a prank and I hung up...And then my agent called back and said, ‘No, no, this is for real,’ at which point I fainted. Then when I woke up, I called everyone I knew because it was the coolest thing I could ever get to do in my career.”
I have to praise Fox for understanding that only the insane mind of Morgan Spurlock could handle a Simpson's documentary with any level of success. The director of Super Size Me and Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden says the documentary will focus more on the cultural impact and on superfans more than the show itself. The film is currently titled The Simpson's 20th Anniversary Special in 3-D on Ice (though I'm sure 3-D and ice will be in short supply) and will air January 14th, 2010 on Fox.
Spurlock doesn't appear to shy away from questions about the project and has done several interviews during this week's Comic Con festival. One of the more interesting interviews is over at iFMagazine.com. So head on over there for more info.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Tribeca and Gucci Give out Money
Yesterday, the Tribeca Film Institute and Gucci announced the recipients of the 2009 Gucci Tribeca Documentary Fund. In this second year of the fund, seven projects have been selected to receive $100,000 each. The prize is awarded to documentary filmmakers whose projects “promote social change and illuminate issues in need of deeper coverage currently missing from mainstream media.”
According to Indiewire, the topics of the films include the phenomenon of outsourcing surrogate mothers to India, a Cambodian journalist’s time spent with Khmer Rouge killers, one high school’s unique approach to education, the controversial rise to fame of the world’s youngest marathon runner, the combined impact of privatization and foreign investment in Tanzania, chaotic childhood experiences in Colombia, and one American’s attempts to save thousands of Iraqis.
The projects that will receive funding are:
- “Anatomy of Poverty,” by Elinyisia Mosha
- “Born Under Fire,” by Jairo Eduardo Carrill
- “Enemies of the People,” by Rob Lemkin & S. Thet
- “Growing Small,” by Jyllian Gunther
- “Made In India,” by Rebecca Haimowitz & Vaishali Sinha
- “Marathon Boy,” by Gemma Atwal
- “The Promise of Freedom,” by Beth Murphy.”
For more details, head on over to Indiewire.com
According to Indiewire, the topics of the films include the phenomenon of outsourcing surrogate mothers to India, a Cambodian journalist’s time spent with Khmer Rouge killers, one high school’s unique approach to education, the controversial rise to fame of the world’s youngest marathon runner, the combined impact of privatization and foreign investment in Tanzania, chaotic childhood experiences in Colombia, and one American’s attempts to save thousands of Iraqis.
The projects that will receive funding are:
- “Anatomy of Poverty,” by Elinyisia Mosha
- “Born Under Fire,” by Jairo Eduardo Carrill
- “Enemies of the People,” by Rob Lemkin & S. Thet
- “Growing Small,” by Jyllian Gunther
- “Made In India,” by Rebecca Haimowitz & Vaishali Sinha
- “Marathon Boy,” by Gemma Atwal
- “The Promise of Freedom,” by Beth Murphy.”
For more details, head on over to Indiewire.com
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
China tries to bar documentary in Australia
The Chinese Government doesn't necessarily have the best "free speech" record in the world, and earlier today it's understandable as to why. Reports have popped up that the Chinese consulate in Australia demanded the Melbourne Film Festival withdraw the documentary The 10 Conditions of Love or justify its inclusion. Festival director Richard Moore flatly refused to either demand and has not been shy to talk to the press about the incident.
The 10 Conditions of Love follows exiled Uighur businesswoman Rebiya Kadeer- highlighting her relationship with activist husband Sidik Rouzi and her desire to gain greater independence for China's 10-million Muslim Uighur population. Kadeer doesn't exactly have the best history with the Chinese government. She was arrested back in 1999 for "providing secret information to foreigners" and three of her eleven children have since been imprisoned. The government most recently accuses her group, the World Uighur Congress, as being a front for extremist militants and for instigating this month's ethnic riots in China that have claimed close to 200 lives.
Obviously, the Chinese Government doesn't want Kadeer to garner supporters around the world, but with the Melbourne Film Festival refusing to pull the documentary, it's clear all they are doing now is providing free marketing for a once relatively obscure movie. This battle is certainly not over so we will definitely monitor the situation leading up the Festival in early August.
For more information, check out the full article at Reuters.com.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
News & Documentary Emmy Awards Nominees Announced
Earlier today the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) announced the nominees for the 30th annual News & Documentary Emmy Awards. Awards will be given in 33 categories, because with the Emmy's, everyone is a winner! Actually, that's not true, but at a whopping 33 categories, it's impressive to see NATAS acknowledge the depth and diversity of the news and documentary genre.
In case you are wondering (and you can check the list for yourself), PBS leads all networks with 41 nominations while CBS sits at a distant number 2 with 23. As you can guess, the list is long enough to rival War & Peace, but if you have the time, I suggest checking it out because there are certainly some documentary gems to discover. Beyond the plethora of nominations, CNN Productions will be honored with the President's Award for its documentary production.
The Emmy award presentations occur Monday September 21, so you have plenty of time to scour the list before the winners are announced.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
HBO Summer Documentary Series Kicks Off
With the summer heat in full swing up in the Northern Hemisphere, documentary film are set to enjoy HBO's annual Summer documentary series. The series is set to begin Monday (July 13th) with a bang, premiering Teddy: In His Own Words. Developed by Peter Kunhardt and Sheila Nevins, this documentary is not a simple interview but rather a look back at the Senator's life through his past speeches, interviews and conversations. The piece most likely won't be anything close to a scathing expose, but it sounds intriguing enough to spark my interest.
Of course, the series isn't just centered around famous U.S. Senators, so if that's not your cup of tea, stay tuned. HBO will air a feature length documentary every Monday for a solid two months, so rest assured, there's something here for everyone. Trust me, the series is the perfect escape for film lovers looking to relax on their couch after a long day of basking in the sun.
Check HBO's website for the complete series schedule as well as a summary, trailer and other bits of useful information for every film.
Of course, the series isn't just centered around famous U.S. Senators, so if that's not your cup of tea, stay tuned. HBO will air a feature length documentary every Monday for a solid two months, so rest assured, there's something here for everyone. Trust me, the series is the perfect escape for film lovers looking to relax on their couch after a long day of basking in the sun.
Check HBO's website for the complete series schedule as well as a summary, trailer and other bits of useful information for every film.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Michael Moore's Documentary Gets a Name... and Date
After branching out to cover Health Care, Gun Control and the Bush Administration's response to the September 11th Attacks, Michael Moore is returning to the subject that made him the darling of the liberal film viewer: capitalism. His latest film is officially titled Capitalism: A Love Story and hopes to strike a chord with recession weary audiences everywhere.
Much like his first film Roger and Me (which centered on GM), Moore will focus his sarcasm towards large corporate businesses that (as his documentary will most likely argue) led to the current economic situation. Moore tells the Associated Press, "It will be the perfect date movie... It's got it all — lust, passion, romance and 14,000 jobs being eliminated every day. It's a forbidden love, one that dare not speak its name. Heck, let's just say it: It's capitalism."
Capitalism: A Love Story is produced and distributed by Overture Films and is currently set to be released on October 2.
Much like his first film Roger and Me (which centered on GM), Moore will focus his sarcasm towards large corporate businesses that (as his documentary will most likely argue) led to the current economic situation. Moore tells the Associated Press, "It will be the perfect date movie... It's got it all — lust, passion, romance and 14,000 jobs being eliminated every day. It's a forbidden love, one that dare not speak its name. Heck, let's just say it: It's capitalism."
Capitalism: A Love Story is produced and distributed by Overture Films and is currently set to be released on October 2.
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