Noticias

In a revealing HBO documentary, the women involved with the groundbreaking feminist publication describe the rocky road to progress

The first of July marks the anniversary of Ms magazine’s official inaugural issue, which hit newsstands in 1972 and featured Wonder Woman on its cover, towering high above a city. Truthfully, Ms debuted months earlier, on 20 December 1971, as a 40-page insert in New York magazine, where founding editor Gloria Steinem was a staff writer. Suspecting this might be their only shot, its founders packed the issue with stories like The Black Family and Feminism, De-Sexing the English Language, and We Have Had Abortions, a list of 53 well-known American women’s signatures, including Anaïs Nin, Susan Sontag and Steinem herself. The 300,000 available copies sold out in eight days. The first US magazine founded and operated entirely by women was, naysayers be damned, a success.

The groundbreaking magazine’s history, and its impact...

"We're not just a magazine... we're a whole social movement." HBO debuted the trailer for a documentary event titled Dear Ms.: A Revolution in Print, taking a look back at the iconic, groundbreaking magazine known as Ms. This three-part doc film is being released by HBO streaming starting in July this summer. It recently premiered at the 2025 Tribeca Film Festival this month. 3 filmmakers dive deep into the storied and complex legacy of Ms. magazine through the lens of some of its most iconic covers, featuring never-before-seen archival footage and engaging interviews. Ms. wasn’t just a magazine–it was a revolution. Told through the lens of three directors and the covers that made history. Part One - "A Magazine for all Women" - is directed by Salima Koroma. Part Two - "Ms.: A Portable Friend" - is directed by Alice Gu (director of The Donut King). Part Three...

Gloria Steinem’s legacy extends far beyond her literary achievements, but her beloved magazine Ms. is what really started a movement. The story of Ms. has been fictionalized onscreen in “Mrs. America,” “Minx,” and “Good Girls Revolt,” and even had a real-life syndicated spinoff “Woman Alive!” that started in 1974. The reach of Ms. is almost unfathomable — and its imprint (pun intended) on the sociocultural landscape is still being felt today.

“Dear Ms.: A Revolution in Print” revisits the iconic publication through the lens of three directors: Salima Koroma, Alice Gu, and Cecilia Aldarondo. In the film, the trio each examine a different Ms. cover story to honor the legacy of the magazine.

Ms. launched in 1972 and arguably revolutionized the feminist movement at the time. As the official synopsis for the documentary states, the magazine was suddenly “bringing radical ideas to kitchen tables across the country and sparking provocative conversations...

Has there ever been a more essential moment for a documentary than one about the making of Ms. magazine? Though it was founded more than half a century ago, nearly all the subjects it raised and debated continue to feel urgently relevant.

To wit, “Dear Ms: A Revolution in Print” opens with narration from founding editor Letty Cottin Pogrebin: “Try to imagine life where you are owned by, or controlled by, men.” There are, perhaps, some women who can still imagine what that might be like today.

Directors Salima Koroma, Alice Gu and Cecilia Aldarondo are well aware of the timeliness of their subject and subtly allow us to draw parallels even as they take us back to the 1970s.

They’ve chosen to split the film into three chapters, with each director telling a different part of the magazine’s story. This tripartite structure does make the film feel somewhat fragmented,...

The Bentonville Film Foundation celebrated the conclusion of their 10th anniversary year on Sunday with the announcement of their narrative, documentary, short film and episodic winners.

The annual fest amplifies female, non-binary, Lgbtqia+, Bipoc and people with disabilities’ voices in entertainment. This year’s event ran from June 10 to 16 in Bentonville, Arkansas.

Suze from Linsey Stewart and Dane Clark won the festival’s best narrative feature award. In their statement, the jury — which included Abbott Elementary star Lisa Ann Walter — noted that the film “captivated us with its tender, funny and charming portrayal of a modern-day odd couple. We were blown away by Michaela Watkins and Charlie Gillespie, who turn in wonderfully heartfelt and delightful performances. This is a film that showcases the power of compassion and the beauty of unlikely friendships.”

In the same category, Tokyo Cowboy received an honorable mention and Boca Chica took home a special jury recognition.

The Bentonville Film Foundation, in collaboration with founding partner Walmart and presenting sponsor Coca-Cola, have announced the winners of their narrative, documentary, short film and episodic categories from this year’s competition program.

The festival, which ran from June 10-16 in Bentonville, Ark., aims to amplify female, non-binary, Lgbtqia+, Bipoc and people with disabilities’ voices in entertainment.

“Suze” from Linsey Stewart and Dane Clark won the award for best narrative feature, and “Daughters,” directed by Natalie Rae and Angela Patton, took home the prize for best documentary feature.

Additionally, The See It, Be It Award, was presented to Phoebe-Rae Taylor, star of “Out of My Mind.” This award, which has been presented every year since the beginning of the festival, is given to someone who has opened doors for people like them through their work and influenced the entertainment industry and pop culture through the creation of content that empowers stories that are otherwise underrepresented.

The Bentonville Film Festival, this year celebrating its tenth anniversary, has announced its award winners to close out its latest edition. In collaboration with its founding partner, Walmart, and presenting sponsor, Coca-Cola, the fest’s winners include films and episodic offerings in narrative, documentary, short film, and episodic categories. The annual festival is a globally recognized platform amplifying female, non-binary, Lgbtqia+, Bipoc, and people with disabilities’ voices in entertainment.

The festival’s top two awards went to Linsey Stewart and Dane Clark’s “Suze” (Best Narrative Feature) and Natalie Rae and Angela Patton’s “Daughters” (Best Documentary Award), with the festival’s See It, Be It Award going to Phoebe-Rae Taylor, the star of festival opener “Out of My Mind.” This award, which has been presented every year since the beginning of the festival is, per the festival, “given to someone who has opened doors for people like them through...

The 13th annual Sun Valley Film Festival, kicking off Feb. 28, will aim to once again to capture the spirit of storytelling by celebrating poignant films at the Idaho ski resort town.

This year’s festival kicks off with “Ezra,” directed by Tony Goldwyn and starring Bobby Cannavale, Rose Byrne and Robert De Niro, and concludes March 3 with a screening of “Sugarcane,” a documentary about missing children at a Native residential school that recently won a directing trophy for Emily Kassie and Julian Brave NoiseCat at Sundance.

The programming team also chose multiple films from first-time feature filmmakers, including Sophia Sabello and Pablo Feldman’s “Edge of Everything,” Annie Baker’s “Janet Planet,” Marc Marriott’s “Tokyo Cowboy,” Caroline Lindy’s “Your Monster,” while the documentary line-up includes Maggie Contreras’ “Maestra” and Lisa D’Apolito’s “Shari & Lamb Chop.”

Panels and starry tributes are planned at the fest, with movies screening at...

Exclusive: Randy Kiyan, the talent and literary manager most recently serving as the head of literary at Luber Roklin Entertainment, today announced the launch of his own management company, Ronin Entertainment.

Kiyan told Deadline that the company “will embody a sleek and nimble mentality that is best served to advocate and support artists in this ever-evolving entertainment landscape.” He added that the trust he shares with clients stems from “a mandate of clear communication of goals, and a passion to tell inclusive stories for broad audiences. We are unified in our commitment to integrity of our artform.”

Kiyan went on to express his gratitude to Luber Roklin principals Matt Luber and Lena Roklin “for taking a chance on me and providing the foundation and freedom to grow my business over the years, as well as my mentors, friends, and colleagues for their continued support. I have always admired the entrepreneurial...

IMAX is partnering with Beach House Pictures and China Review Studio on feature documentary The Elephant Odyssey. The film will chronicle the epic adventure of the wandering Asian elephants that captivated viewers around the world in 2020 and explore the rarely seen world of Yunnan, China where the elephants live. Filmed with IMAX cameras and slated for release across the IMAX network in 2024, the 90-minute film is currently in production in China. Alice Gu (The Donut King) is directing with Clair Popkin (Free Solo) serving as Dp.

The film will offer a new perspective on the spectacular story that unfolded when 16 wild Asian elephants left their habitat in Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve in March 2020. For 18 months, the elephants traveled over 1000 kilometers on a wildlife journey that included impromptu village feasts, riotous raids on grain stores, messy mud fights, and even giving birth on the road. Millions of viewers followed the story...

Production is now under way on “The Elephant Odyssey,” a major wildlife documentary film that will release in Imax theaters next year.

The film, directed by Alice Gu, chronicles the highly unusual trek by a herd of elephants in China that began in early 2020. As the group diverted from their usual habitat and marched over 1,000 km (600 miles) across remote Yunnan Province they attracted global attention, including live-streamed drone footage. They raided grain stores, indulged in impromptu village feasts and messy mud fights, and even gave birth while on the road.

Reasons for the herd’s 18-month trek are unclear, with wildlife experts variously pointing to climate change and the failure of conservation efforts.

“The Elephant Odyssey” is directed by Gu (“The Donut King”), with Clair Popkin serving as the director of photography. It is filmed with Imax-certified cameras and will feature exclusive footage of the elephants’ journey through an unprecedented...

Imax has boarded production on a new nature documentary, The Elephant Odyssey, chronicling 16 wild Asian elephants’ improbable journey across China’s Yunnan province. Filmed with Imax cameras and slated for release across the Imax theater network in 2024, the 90-minute documentary is currently in production in China. Co-producers with Imax are Singapore’s Beach House Pictures and a Beijing-based company called China Review Studio of China International Communications Group.

The producers say the film will offer “a completely new story on humanity’s relationship with the elephant,” with a narrative built around the real-life story that unfolded in 2020 when a group of wild Asian elephants left their habitat in China’s Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve. The elephants’ journey was captured by drone cameras and live-streamed, captivating viewers in China and elsewhere. For 18 months, the elephants traveled over 1,000 kilometers (over 620 miles) on a wildlife journey that included “impromptu village feasts, riotous raids on grain stores,...

Imax is teaming up with Beach House Pictures (a Blue Ant Media company) and China Review Studio of China International Communications Group (Cicg) for the new documentary “The Elephant Odyssey.” Directed by Alice Gu (“The Donut King”) and shot by Clair Popkin, the film recounts the saga of the wandering Asian elephants in 2020 and 2021, while exploring the rarely-seen world of Yunnan, China.

The 90-minute film, shot with Imax cameras and slated for release across the Imax network in 2024, is currently in production in China.

“The 18-month journey of the Yunnan elephants at the height of the pandemic was a hopeful antidote to the lockdowns many of us were enduring,” said Imax Head of Documentaries John Turner, Head of Documentaries for Imax. “We wanted to know more about these animals and why it happened. Together with Beach House Pictures, China Review Studio and director Alice Gu, this will be an immersive wildlife documentary like no other.

Frank Grillo (Kingdom) has signed on to star in the thriller The Dagon, from director Brad Anderson (The Machinist), which will soon head to Cannes. Independent Entertainment’s Head of International Sales Sarah Lebutsch will handle international at the Marché du Film, co-representing North American rights with CAA’s Nick Ogiony.

The film centers on Jack (Grillo), a father looking to control his family’s isolated rural life. When his eldest daughter comes of age, the family must confront the Dagon—the terrifying, deadly creatures that surround them every night. Pic reunites Anderson with producers Neal Edelstein (Mulholland Drive) and Mike Macari (Alone), following 2019’s Fractured, with an original screenplay penned by Peter Mattei (Outsiders). Production will kick off in the Pacific Northwest this fall.

“The Dagon is one of those rare scripts that delivers a story and characters you completely invest in, only to totally pull the rug from under you,...

Concordia Studio, the award-winning executive producers of this year’s Academy Award-winning Summer Of Soul, has announced four new exceptional filmmakers selected as part of the studio’s 2022 class of fellows for their signature program, The Concordia Fellowship.

The chosen recipients of the Fellowship are creators with the commitment to reshape the future of storytelling. Within the bespoke artist development program, each fellow receives a plan tailored to meet their specific creative goals, financial backing to develop a new project of their choosing, focused guidance and tools to build a sustainable career, and access to professional resources, use of the studio’s state-of-the-art facilities, and mentorship from Concordia executives.

Concordia fellows are the next generation of powerful storytellers and come from diverse racial, religious, and regional backgrounds. This year’s selected fellows who are recognized for their excellence in documentary filmmaking are Giselle Bailey,...

The joy of playing the guitar radiates from Really Good Rejects, Alice Gu’s SXSW documentary about Reuben Cox. Cox is a modern-day “luthier” – he makes stringed instruments, and his custom guitars grace stages all over the world. Artists clearly have a passion for his work: those lining up to praise him include Jackson Browne, Carrie Brownstein, Aaron Dessner of The National, Jim James of My Morning Jacket, Madison Cunningham, and Andrew Bird.

The film opens with a barrage of platitudes before introducing us to the man himself and settling into a calmer groove. Cox is a pleasant photographer who started making guitars out of reclaimed wood, from everything from an old cabin to a side table in his home – the latter to the chagrin of his wife, Miwa Okumura, who jokes about it in an interview here.

Dessner was one of the first to try the instruments out, and...

Exclusive: Snapchat’s parent company Snap has commissioned UK producer Barcroft Studios and Bipoc-owned Calico to make As I Am, an original series spotlighting the stories of Asian Americans.

Each of the six episodes follows a central character as they share their culture and history, and open up about their efforts to challenge and break down stereotypes, address ongoing discrimination, hate crimes, and terrorism.

Those featured include a stand-up comedian, a campaigner fighting to protect senior citizens from violence, and rapper and activist China Mac. Dino-Ray Ramos, host of Deadline’s New Hollywood podcast, also features.

As I Am is directed by Alice Gu, the feature documentary director behind The Donut King. Executive Producers are John Farrar for Barcroft Studios and Danny Lee for Calico. It is produced by Ellie Winstanley and Alex Mucadum for Barcroft Studios.

Lee said: “As a first-generation Asian-American who grew up in the face of racism,...

As Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month continues, several newer films with Aapi stars and/or creators are available on streaming. Check out their descriptions and how to watch them, below:

“The Donut King” (2020)

From filmmaker Alice Gu, “The Donut King” traces the twisty, unexpected journey of Cambodian refugee Ted Ngoy, who arrived in California in the 1970s and, through a mixture of diligence and luck, built a multi-milion dollar donut empire up and down the west coast.

After escaping the brutal Khmer Rouge in Cambodia, Ngoy started a new life in America as a church custodian and eventually parlayed hard luck and opportunity into the opening of his first donut shop in Orange County, California. His Christy’s Doughnuts became a rapidly expanding chain of success, and over the next decade, Ngoy also sponsored hundreds of visas for incoming Cambodian refugees and offered them steady employment in his donut shops.

Independent Lens, the PBS documentary anthology series, has announced its upcoming spring slate. The weekly program, produced in partnership with Itvs, will spotlight a range of topics, from criminal justice reform to the plight of the American dream.

Among the first to air will be “Philly D.A.,” an eight-episode deep dive into local-policy making and the fight for criminal justice reform. For the series, filmmakers Ted Passon and Yoni Brook gained unparalleled access into the office of Philadelphia Defense Attorney Larry Krasner as he and his team attempt to fight inequities in the justice system and institute real change. It premieres on April 20 on Independent Les and will be available to stream on the PBS Video App.

The first two hours of “Philly D.A.” premiered at Sundance Film Festival to strong reviews. In Variety’s review, Kiko Martinez called the series “compelling” and “empowering.”

“For anyone looking for a leader...

Vice is launching its own online documentary film festival with 11 feature-docs curated by the company’s co-founder Suroosh Alvi.

The youth-skewing media company is launching a site to house the films, which includes a number of Oscar contenders, with each film featuring a Q&a with Alvi and the filmmakers and subjects.

The films are The Toxic Pigs of Fukushima, Showgirls of Pakistan, We Hold the Line, Sakawa, Another Kind of Paradise, Dope Is Death, Mayor, The Donut King, Yung Lean – In My Head, Two Gods and The Prophet and the Space Aliens (full details below).

The collection will be preceded by a linear airing of The Toxic Pigs of Fukushima, which will air today, January 31 at 6:30am Pt, on Vice TV, with the site going live at 8am Pt.

The Short List With Suroosh Alvi is produced by Vice World News and distributed worldwide by Vice Distribution. Executive...

Exclusive: UK sales firm Independent has sold SXSW-winning documentary The Donut King to key markets with Vice picking the film up for the world excluding North America, UK/Ireland, Japan, Australia/New Zealand and Portugal.

New deals on the film also comprise UK and Ireland (Sky), Australia (Madman), Japan (Twin), Portugal (Nos Lusomundo) and Airlines (Aardwolf). Greenwich Entertainment released the film in North America last month, screening it across virtual cinemas.

The well-received feature, which chronicles the rags-to-riches-to-rags story of Cambodian refugee-turned-‘Donut King’ Ted Ngoy, was previously due to premiere in this year’s SXSW Documentary Feature Competition lineup before the festival’s cancellation due to Covid. The film went on to receive a Special Jury Award from the SXSW jury.

Vice will include the film on The Short List with Suroosh Alvi, an upcoming series from recently-launched Vice World News. The collection of acclaimed documentaries will be curated by Vice Media co-founder Alvi.

New Indie

Big month for Charlie Plummer, as the young star of “Lean on Pete” has lead roles in two critically-acclaimed films making their way to DVD and Blu-ray: “Words on Bathroom Walls” (Lionsgate) stars Plummer as a teenager overcoming a mental illness diagnosis to chase his dreams of becoming a chef. The drama’s impressive ensemble includes Taylor Russell (“Waves”), Andy Garcia, AnnaSophia Robb, Beth Grant, Molly Parker and Walton Goggins. In the YA adaptation “Spontaneous” (Paramount Home Entertainment), Plummer and Katherine Langford (“13 Reasons Why”) play high school seniors who manage to find love despite the fact that many of their classmates seem to be unexpectedly exploding.

New Foreign

The team behind the global anime smash “Your Name” returns with another transcendent love story in “Weathering With You” (Gkids/Shout Factory), an epic saga of rain, young love and potato-chip fried rice that includes the English-language dub that...

The 21st San Diego Asian Film Festival (Sdaff) announced the winners of its competition categories at the Sdaff Awards Gala held on Sunday, November 1, 2020. Winners were selected by an independent jury of filmmakers, curators, critics, academics, and other professionals.

Awards were distributed in the following feature film categories:

Grand Jury, Narrative Feature, Documentary Feature, George C. Lin Emerging Filmmaker, and Special Jury Mention.

Awards were also given in the short film categories:

Narrative, Documentary, Animation, and International.

Asian American Competition Jury Awards

Grand Jury Award

Katelyn Rebelo, Kira Dane’s Mizuko (Water Child)

Best Narrative Feature

Bassam Tariq’s Mogul Mowgli

Best Documentary Feature

Alice Gu’s The Donut King

Best Narrative Short

Nirav Bhakta’s Thank You, Come Again

Best Documentary Short

Yeon Park’s I Bought A Time Machine

Best Animated Short

Angeline Vu and Arlene Bongco’s Felt Love

Special Jury Mention (chosen from any category)

Jiayan...

During the latest decades, the concept of the “American Dream” has been criticized and even ridiculed as much as it was celebrated back in the 60s and the 70s. The success of a Cambodian immigrant who became the Donut King (aka Uncle Ted) reminds that the dream was actually a realistic goal at some point, through a rather tasteful approach.

“The Donut King” is screening at San Diego Asian Film Festival

Mixing animation, music, archival and historical footage, all excellently connected by Carol Martori’s editing, Alice Gu presents the whole story of Ted Ngoy, notwithstanding the historic/political events that resulted in him finding success in America. Going back and forth in time in a fashion that retains interest for the whole of its 90 minutes, the documentary presents the history of war that resulted in thousand of Cambodian migrating from their country, while also highlighting the struggles Ted’s...

A few movies may have been scared off by the pandemic (like Blumhouse’s “Halloween Kills” and MGM’s “Candyman” reboot), but Hollywood’s spooky season comes to a crescendo all the same this weekend with several new horror offerings.

While Sony is charging $24.99 to rent its watered-down teen-witch sequel “The Craft: Legacy,” theatergoers can see Amblin-produced haunted-iPad chiller “Come Play” in theaters for less. Paramount is giving audiences a choice with hoodoo horror movie “Spell”: See it in theaters or via PVOD.

Netflix subscribers have options as well, with new releases including Sundance midnight movie “His House” and Polish import “Nobody Sleeps in the Woods Tonight.”

To recap the other horror options that have come out this month, there are four “Welcome to the Blumhouse” movies on Amazon. Hulu had “Bad Hair” and “Books of Blood.” “Saw” co-creator Darren Lynn Bousman made “Death of Me,” while “Final Destination...

This weekend is Halloween and Focus Features is delivering some scares with the Jacob Chase-directed horror Come Play, which opens in theaters starting today.

Come Play is based on Chase’s 2017 short film Larry. The feature version which is dubbed as “a terrifying new vision in horror” follows Oliver (newcomer Azhy Robertson), a lonely young boy who feels different from everyone else. Desperate for a friend, he seeks solace and refuge in his ever-present cell phone and tablet. When a mysterious creature uses Oliver’s devices against him to break into our world, Oliver’s parents (Gillian Jacobs and John Gallagher Jr.) must fight to save their son from the monster beyond the screen.

The horror film was set to open in theaters on July 24, but like all movies, the release date shifted due to the pandemic. However, to release the movie on Halloween weekend seems more appropriate. Sony...

With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options—not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves–each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit platforms. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.

City Hall (Frederick Wiseman)

In the opening shot of Frederick Wiseman’s National Gallery, a man polishes the floor in a room walled with masterpieces. Writing about the scene for Mubi recently, the critic Joseph Owen noted that “the politics of this institution exist in a subterranean passage: between its low-paid maintenance jobs and its disreputable oil sponsorships.” Petrodollars aside, it’s an observation that speaks in some way to any number of Wiseman’s films: that the souls of the institutions he so dedicatedly depicts are neither the heads on top, the public face or the multitude of working parts below but something malleable and indefinable in the middle.

How much do you know about donuts? According to guilty-pleasure doc “The Donut King,” on average, Americans eat 31 of the deep-fried confections per year. Taken as a whole, the donut industry generates somewhere on the order of $8 billion annually. An effortlessly educational first feature from Chinese American cinematographer Alice Gu, “The Donut King” is full of trivia about the beloved American treats, but the most surprising fact by far is that the vast majority of the donuts sold in California — some estimate as many as 90% — are made by Cambodian immigrants, and that phenomenon traces back to one man, Ted Ngoy.

The surprising story of how that came to be, and what it says about the American Dream are the real drivers of Gu’s drool-inducing debut, which assumes that everyone loves the sweet snacks, but most don’t think about who actually does the dunkin’. Buoyed by flashy editing and a West Coast hip-hop score,...

Feast your eyes on the first mouth-watering trailer for the documentary The Donut King, which was a selection at this year’s SXSW festival. The directorial debut of Alice Gu, the film will be released in theaters and Virtual Cinemas on October 30th from Greenwich Entertainment. Ahead of the release, Ridley Scott has also boarded the project as an executive producer.

The documentary details entrepreneur Ted Ngoy’s rise from a penniless Cambodian immigrant to becoming a millionaire by crafting delicious sugary concoctions and owning several donut chain restaurants in Southern California, subsequently hiring many immigrants and refugees to work for him. Also touching on his sudden fall in riches brought about by numerous gambling debts, The Donut King becomes the tragic true story of one man achieving the American Dream only to fall victim to greed and lose almost everything he ever built.

In our review by John Fink,...

"Imagine a man, with nothing, penniless, come to the most powerful country in the world. And he built something." Greenwich Ent. has released an official trailer for the documentary The Donut King, which premiered at a few small film festivals (online) earlier this summer. From director Alice Gu, The Donut King tells the story of "donut king" Ted Ngoy's rise and fall (of the B & B Donuts empire). Ngoy's story is one of fate, love, survival, hard knocks, redemption. It’s the rags to riches story of a refugee escaping Cambodia, arriving in America in 1975 and building an unlikely multi-million-dollar empire baking America’s favorite pastry, the donut. Ted sponsored hundreds of visas for incoming refugees and helped them get on their feet teaching them the ways of the donut business. By 1979 he was living the American Dream. But, in life, great rise can come with great falls. This looks utterly fascinating,...

If you ever wondered why there are so few Dunkin’ Donuts shops in California and Los Angeles compared to the rest of the country and why there are dozens of smaller donut shops everywhere, Ted Ngoy aka “The Donut King” is the reason why.

Ngoy is a Cambodian refugee who came to American in 1975 and founded an empire of donut shops across the West coast. But as the documentary “The Donut King” about his life shows he cooked up more than round pastries when he got here.

“The Donut King” is a documentary by Alice Gu and was an official selection of the canceled 2020 SXSW Film Festival, but it will now debut online and in select theaters from Greenwich Entertainment on October 30 after playing the rounds of a handful of fall film festivals.

Gu shows in the film that you can still see Ngoy’s influence in Los Angeles today...

Geena Davis’s inclusive Bentonville Film Festival has unveiled its jury prize winners for their sixth annual festival. The fest, which was a hybrid of in-person and virtual events, had its most diverse festival to-date with over 70 films where over 80% were directed by women, 65% Bipoc and 45% Lgbtqia+.

Isabel Sandoval’s Lingua Franca took home the top trophy, winning the jury award for Best Narrative Feature. The drama made history at the 2019 Venice International Film Festival Venice Days program as the first film directed and starring an openly trans woman of color to screen in competition. In July, Ava DuVernay’s Array Releasing acquired the title and it is set to debut on Netflix and open theatrically in select cities on August 26.

On the docu side, Alice Gu’s The Donut King was crowned Best Documentary. In March, the film won the award Special Jury Recognition for Achievement in Documentary Storytelling at SXSW.

Exclusive: Deadline has learned that Greenwich Entertainment has picked up North American rights to Alice Gu’s documentary The Donut King which earned a Special Jury Recognition for Achievement in Documentary Storytelling at SXSW. Greenwich is planning a theatrical release for later this year.

The Donut King tells the story of Ted Ngoy, a Cambodian refugee who arrived in Los Angeles in 1975 and changed everything we know about America’s favorite pastry, the donut. While building a multi-million-dollar empire that effectively kept Dunkin’ Donuts out of Southern California for decades, Ngoy became a hero of the Cambodian community by sponsoring hundreds of visas for incoming refugees.

“As the child of immigrant parents who came to America to seek a better life for themselves, making this film about Ted Ngoy achieving the American Dream was deeply personal for me,” said Gu. “Though The Donut King’s story takes place in America,...

Exclusive: Well-received SXSW selection The Donut King has been boarded for international sales by UK outfit Independent. CAA reps domestic.

The Scott Free-produced documentary won a Special Jury Award at SXSW, whose physical edition was cancelled this year due to the coronavirus.

Alice Gu’s directorial debut tells the rags to riches story of Ted Ngoy, a refugee who escaped the murderous Khmer Rouge in Cambodia for America where in the 1970s he built an unlikely multi-million dollar donut empire. Ngoy sponsored hundreds of visas for incoming refugees and helped them get on their feet teaching them the ways of the donut business. By 1979 he was living ‘the American dream’, but, his steep rise would ultimately lead to a remarkable fall.

Independent will introduce the project to international buyers at this year’s Cannes virtual market.

Producers are Tom Moran for Scott Free, Jose Nunez, Alice Gu, and Farhad Amid.

In today’s film news roundup, romantic comedy “Tell Me I Love You” finds a home; the Canadian government gives Covid-19 relief funding to the Canada Media Fund and Telefilm Canada; and the cancelled Sun Valley Film Festival gives out awards.

Acquisition

Vision Films has acquired Los Angeles romantic comedy film “Tell Me I Love You,” starring Kaniehtiio Horn (“Hemlock Grove”), Paulina Cerrilla, and Sam Clark.

The company has set a June 2 release date for DVD and all major VOD platforms, along with virtual screening event Q&As. Fiona Mackenzie directed “Tell Me I Love You” from her own script about three best friends and bandmates living together in Malibu with a desperate need for cash to finish their album. The trio devise an outrageous plan to get married and inherit a large sum of money.

An Ascent Media and Chelsea Pictures production, “Tell Me I Love You” was produced by Mackenzie and Bill Chamberlain.

In today’s film news roundup, film commissioners have teamed up to launch a production resource service with information related to the Covid-19 pandemic, Dave Franco’s “The Rental” finds a home, Saban Films will release “Most Wanted” in the summer and the Sun Valley Film Festival unveils its winners.

Initiative

The Association of Film Commissioners International is launching the Afci Global Production Alert service, providing updated information on coronavirus-related policies and restrictions worldwide.

The organization, which represents more than 300 film commissions on six continents, unveiled the initiative Thursday on its website. The goal is to ensure that film and TV production industry decision makers have the information they need to make informed decisions during and following the pandemic along with preventing misinformation, speculation and confusion about Covid-19’s impact. Information in the Global Production Alert is provided directly by Afci-member film offices

“Afci’s new Global Production Alert provides...

Alice Gu’s moving documentary The Donut King isn’t just a sugary concoction. Although the documentary has its sweet moments, it’s a rather nuanced and often heartbreaking tale of Ted Ngoy, a Cambodian refugee who escaped to southern California in 1975 and through hard work and dedication built a donut empire. Affectionately known as “Uncle Ted,” the 77-year-old entrepreneur was originally a major in the Cambodian army and made the difficult decision to escape just as the Khmer Rouge led a bloody revolution. He and wife Chrissy land in La, working odd jobs nearly 24 hours a day until he stumbles into a donut shop and falls in love with a taste that reminds him of home. Determined to get into the business he takes a job at the fast-growing Winchell’s chain which grew alongside car culture, interstates, and urban sprawl in the 1950s as two donuts and a...

The South by Southwest (SXSW) Conference and Festivals has announced its 2020 Jury and Special Award winners for this year’s film festival, despite it having been cancelled due to the spread of the coronavirus earlier this month.

The SXSW Film Festival had several Special Awards juries set up, but after the cancellation, the organization expanded to the juried competitions.

“When we curated and announced our slate for the 2020 SXSW Film Festival, filled with an array of wonderful films we were excited to share with our unique audience, we had no idea of the unprecedented impact that Coronavirus would have on all our lives,” Janet Pierson, Director of Film, said. “Our hearts were broken for all the filmmakers who invested so much time and talent in their work, hoping for a transformative experience at our event. We’re honored to at least be able to present our juried and special awards.

Following its abrupt cancellation earlier this month due concerns over the coronavirus outbreak, SXSW on Tuesday announced the 2020 award winners for the 27th annual film festival.

After being forced to shut down a week before its scheduled March 13 kickoff, SXSW director of film Janet Pierson revealed alternative plans that included providing screening links to allow jurors to see and hand out awards to the fest’s competition films.

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While no Audience Awards were handed out, Jury Awards were selected from the narrative feature and documentary feature competition categories as well as short films and other juried sections such as the Film Design award.

Though this year’s SXSW was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, the film festival held annually in Austin, Texas announced 2020 award winners.

Cooper Raiff’s comedy “Shithouse” has won the SXSW Grand Jury Award in the narrative feature competition, and Katrine Philip’s “An Elephant in the Room” took home the top prize for documentary features.

SXSW announced the recipients of its 12 jury awards Tuesday, two days after the 27th annual festival was expected to end. This year’s event was originally scheduled for March 13 through March 22. Prior to its cancellation, the SXSW Film Festival had several special awards juries already in place, and expanded to all juried competitions once the majority of the filmmakers opted in and juries were available.

“When we curated and announced our slate for the 2020 SXSW Film Festival, filled with an array of wonderful films we were excited to share with our unique audience,...

Normally, the SXSW Film Festival award winners are handed out during a lively ceremony at the end of the first weekend, but this year required some improvisation. When the SXSW became the first major film event to cancel in the face of global pandemic, it was unclear what would happen to the hundreds of films and filmmakers primed for the late March festivities.

While many filmmakers were left struggling to figure out their next moves, the festival’s leadership opted to hand out awards to the films set to premiere at the festival, with the juries announced weeks earlier. SXSW Director of Film Janet Pierson and her team made the decision to “continue and expand to all the juried competitions, if the majority of the filmmakers opted in and juries were available.”

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“This was going to a transformative event, and with the cancellation, the filmmakers were left stranded and scrambling.”

SXSW film head Janet Pierson said on Friday (13) that despite the cancellation of the physical festival, staff will ensure all of this year’s competition sections can be judged via screener links.

At time of writing Screen understands almost every filmmaker in every section including the 10 narrative feature and 10 documentary feature competition categories had opted into the plan. Only one filmmaker of a short had not opted in and at time of writing organisers were waiting to hear back from the teams behind two high school shorts.

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