News

Emmy nominated actor Vincent D'Onofrio (Men In Black, Law & Order: Criminal Intent) and Rodrigo Santoro (300, Love Actually) are in final negotiations to star alongside Diego Boneta (Rock of Ages), Golden Globe nominated actor Colm Meaney (Get Him to the Greek, The Damned United) and Seu Jorge (The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, City Of God) who have joined the cast of Pele, the inspirational drama about the legendary Brazilian soccer player, written and to be directed by Michael Zimbalist and Jeff Zimbalist, and produced by Imagine Entertainment's Brian Grazer, Seine Pictures' Ivan Orlic, and Kim Roth, and Colin Wilson.

Principal photography started on September 30 on location in Brazil. Pele will be executive produced by Pel&#233, Paul Kemsley and Exclusive Media.

Seine Pictures is fully financing the film and licensed Pele's life rights from Sports Licensing International B.V.

The film's creative team includes Academy Award nominated director of photography Matthew Libatique (Black Swan,...

Emmy nominated actor Vincent D’Onofrio (Men In Black, ‘Law and Order: Criminal Intent’) and Rodrigo Santoro (300, Love Actually) are in final negotiations to star alongside Diego Boneta (Rock Of Ages), Golden Globe nominated actor Colm Meaney (Get Him To The Greek, The Damned United) and Seu Jorge (The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou, City Of God) who have joined the cast of PELÉ, the inspirational drama about the legendary Brazilian soccer player, written and to be directed by Michael Zimbalist and Jeff Zimbalist, and produced by Imagine Entertainment’s Brian Grazer, Seine Pictures’ Ivan Orlic, and Kim Roth, and Colin Wilson.

Principal photography started on September 30 on location in Brazil. PELÉ will be executive produced by Pelé, Paul Kemsley and Exclusive Media.

Seine Pictures is fully financing the film and licensed Pele’s life rights from Sports Licensing International B.V.

The film’s creative team includes Academy...

Emmy nominated actor Vincent D’Onofrio (Men In Black, ‘Law and Order: Criminal Intent’) and Rodrigo Santoro (300, Love Actually) are in final negotiations to star alongside Diego Boneta (Rock Of Ages), Golden Globe nominated actor Colm Meaney (Get Him To The Greek, The Damned United) and Seu Jorge (The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou, City Of God) who have joined the cast of PELÉ, the inspirational drama about the legendary Brazilian soccer player, written and to be directed by Michael Zimbalist and Jeff Zimbalist, and produced by Imagine Entertainment’s Brian Grazer, Seine Pictures’ Ivan Orlic, and Kim Roth, and Colin Wilson.

Brian Grazer said, “I’ve always been excited about the exploration of genius. PELÉ is that story. He is an inspiration to his country.”

Principal photography started on September 30 on location in Brazil. PELÉ will be executive produced by Pelé, Paul Kemsley and Exclusive Media.

PELÉ tells...

Michael and Jeff Zimbalist are set to direct a biopic based on the life of soccer icon Pele for Imagine Entertainment and Seine Pictures.

The story follows his rise to glory from impoverished youth in Brazil to a soccer prodigy who led soccer-mad Brazil to its first-ever World Cup title in 1958. His teams ultimately won three World Cup titles.

The Zimbalist's helmed "Favela Rising" and the acclaimed Espn doco "The Two Escobars" about the collision of Colombia’s national team and notorious drug lord Pablo Escobar.

Brian Grazer, Ivan Orlic, Kim Roth and Dany Wolf are producing, with shooting slated to begin in August.

Source: Deadline...

Updated through 5/19.

Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris, which opened the Cannes Film Festival on Wednesday, already has its own entry, of course (and it's still being updated, too), but it's here that I'll collect all that's notably linkable related to the films in the Official Selection yet screening Out of Competition (excluding Special Screenings, which'll have their own upcoming roundup). We already have plenty on Jodie Foster's The Beaver here; and I'm sure Christophe Honoré's Beloved will warrant an entry of its own when it closes the Festival on May 22.

"Bursting with light and color, and a torrent of martial arts action both swift and savage (arguably the best that lead actor Donnie Yen has choreographed for years), Wu Xia is coherently developed and stylishly directed by Peter Ho-Sun Chan to provide unashamedly pleasurable popular entertainment," writes Maggie Lee in the Hollywood Reporter, where Karen Chu interviews Chan.

Shekhar Kapoor’s production, Bollywood: The Greatest Love Story Ever Told, which played outside competition at the Cannes Film Festival, came as a huge disappointment, particularly at a time when India is struggling to find some space, however tiny, here at what is undoubtedly the world’s largest movie carnival. The film, strictly a documentary -- that has been helmed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra (Delhi 6, Rang De Basanti) and Jeff Zimbalist (an American documentary moviemaker best known for his Favela Rising, The Two Escobars, and The Scribe of Urabá) -- is indeed a love story of Hindi film song sequences. But it ...

Shekhar Kapoor’s production, Bollywood: The Greatest Love Story Ever Told, which played outside competition at the Cannes Film Festival, came as a huge disappointment, particularly at a time when India is struggling to find some space, however tiny, here at what is undoubtedly the world’s largest movie carnival. The film, strictly a documentary -- that has been helmed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra (Delhi 6, Rang De Basanti) and Jeff Zimbalist (an American documentary moviemaker best known for his Favela Rising, The Two Escobars, and The Scribe of Urabá) -- is indeed a love story of Hindi film song sequences. But it ...

Shekhar Kapoor’s production, Bollywood: The Greatest Love Story Ever Told, which played outside competition at the Cannes Film Festival, came as a huge disappointment, particularly at a time when India is struggling to find some space, however tiny, here at what is undoubtedly the world’s largest movie carnival. The film, strictly a documentary -- that has been helmed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra (Delhi 6, Rang De Basanti) and Jeff Zimbalist (an American documentary moviemaker best known for his Favela Rising, The Two Escobars, and The Scribe of Urabá) -- is indeed a love story of Hindi film song sequences. But it ...

Shekhar Kapoor’s production, Bollywood: The Greatest Love Story Ever Told, which played outside competition at the Cannes Film Festival, came as a huge disappointment, particularly at a time when India is struggling to find some space, however tiny, here at what is undoubtedly the world’s largest movie carnival. The film, strictly a documentary -- that has been helmed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra (Delhi 6, Rang De Basanti) and Jeff Zimbalist (an American documentary moviemaker best known for his Favela Rising, The Two Escobars, and The Scribe of Urabá) -- is indeed a love story of Hindi film song sequences. But it ...

Shekhar Kapoor’s production, Bollywood: The Greatest Love Story Ever Told, which played outside competition at the Cannes Film Festival, came as a huge disappointment, particularly at a time when India is struggling to find some space, however tiny, here at what is undoubtedly the world’s largest movie carnival. The film, strictly a documentary -- that has been helmed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra (Delhi 6, Rang De Basanti) and Jeff Zimbalist (an American documentary moviemaker best known for his Favela Rising, The Two Escobars, and The Scribe of Urabá) -- is indeed a love story of Hindi film song sequences. But it ...

Shekhar Kapoor’s production, Bollywood: The Greatest Love Story Ever Told, which played outside competition at the Cannes Film Festival, came as a huge disappointment, particularly at a time when India is struggling to find some space, however tiny, here at what is undoubtedly the world’s largest movie carnival. The film, strictly a documentary -- that has been helmed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra (Delhi 6, Rang De Basanti) and Jeff Zimbalist (an American documentary moviemaker best known for his Favela Rising, The Two Escobars, and The Scribe of Urabá) -- is indeed a love story of Hindi film song sequences. But it ...

Shekhar Kapoor’s production, Bollywood: The Greatest Love Story Ever Told, which played outside competition at the Cannes Film Festival, came as a huge disappointment, particularly at a time when India is struggling to find some space, however tiny, here at what is undoubtedly the world’s largest movie carnival. The film, strictly a documentary -- that has been helmed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra (Delhi 6, Rang De Basanti) and Jeff Zimbalist (an American documentary moviemaker best known for his Favela Rising, The Two Escobars, and The Scribe of Urabá) -- is indeed a love story of Hindi film song sequences. But it ...

Shekhar Kapoor’s production, Bollywood: The Greatest Love Story Ever Told, which played outside competition at the Cannes Film Festival, came as a huge disappointment, particularly at a time when India is struggling to find some space, however tiny, here at what is undoubtedly the world’s largest movie carnival. The film, strictly a documentary -- that has been helmed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra (Delhi 6, Rang De Basanti) and Jeff Zimbalist (an American documentary moviemaker best known for his Favela Rising, The Two Escobars, and The Scribe of Urabá) -- is indeed a love story of Hindi film song sequences. But it ...

Shekhar Kapoor’s production, Bollywood: The Greatest Love Story Ever Told, which played outside competition at the Cannes Film Festival, came as a huge disappointment, particularly at a time when India is struggling to find some space, however tiny, here at what is undoubtedly the world’s largest movie carnival. The film, strictly a documentary -- that has been helmed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra (Delhi 6, Rang De Basanti) and Jeff Zimbalist (an American documentary moviemaker best known for his Favela Rising, The Two Escobars, and The Scribe of Urabá) -- is indeed a love story of Hindi film song sequences. But it ...

Shekhar Kapoor’s production, Bollywood: The Greatest Love Story Ever Told, which played outside competition at the Cannes Film Festival, came as a huge disappointment, particularly at a time when India is struggling to find some space, however tiny, here at what is undoubtedly the world’s largest movie carnival. The film, strictly a documentary -- that has been helmed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra (Delhi 6, Rang De Basanti) and Jeff Zimbalist (an American documentary moviemaker best known for his Favela Rising, The Two Escobars, and The Scribe of Urabá) -- is indeed a love story of Hindi film song sequences. But it ...

Shekhar Kapoor’s production, Bollywood: The Greatest Love Story Ever Told, which played outside competition at the Cannes Film Festival, came as a huge disappointment, particularly at a time when India is struggling to find some space, however tiny, here at what is undoubtedly the world’s largest movie carnival. The film, strictly a documentary -- that has been helmed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra (Delhi 6, Rang De Basanti) and Jeff Zimbalist (an American documentary moviemaker best known for his Favela Rising, The Two Escobars, and The Scribe of Urabá) -- is indeed a love story of Hindi film song sequences. But it ...

Shekhar Kapoor’s production, Bollywood: The Greatest Love Story Ever Told, which played outside competition at the Cannes Film Festival, came as a huge disappointment, particularly at a time when India is struggling to find some space, however tiny, here at what is undoubtedly the world’s largest movie carnival. The film, strictly a documentary -- that has been helmed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra (Delhi 6, Rang De Basanti) and Jeff Zimbalist (an American documentary moviemaker best known for his Favela Rising, The Two Escobars, and The Scribe of Urabá) -- is indeed a love story of Hindi film song sequences. But it ...

Shekhar Kapoor’s production, Bollywood: The Greatest Love Story Ever Told, which played outside competition at the Cannes Film Festival, came as a huge disappointment, particularly at a time when India is struggling to find some space, however tiny, here at what is undoubtedly the world’s largest movie carnival. The film, strictly a documentary -- that has been helmed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra (Delhi 6, Rang De Basanti) and Jeff Zimbalist (an American documentary moviemaker best known for his Favela Rising, The Two Escobars, and The Scribe of Urabá) -- is indeed a love story of Hindi film song sequences. But it ...

Shekhar Kapoor’s production, Bollywood: The Greatest Love Story Ever Told, which played outside competition at the Cannes Film Festival, came as a huge disappointment, particularly at a time when India is struggling to find some space, however tiny, here at what is undoubtedly the world’s largest movie carnival. The film, strictly a documentary -- that has been helmed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra (Delhi 6, Rang De Basanti) and Jeff Zimbalist (an American documentary moviemaker best known for his Favela Rising, The Two Escobars, and The Scribe of Urabá) -- is indeed a love story of Hindi film song sequences. But it ...

Shekhar Kapoor’s production, Bollywood: The Greatest Love Story Ever Told, which played outside competition at the Cannes Film Festival, came as a huge disappointment, particularly at a time when India is struggling to find some space, however tiny, here at what is undoubtedly the world’s largest movie carnival. The film, strictly a documentary -- that has been helmed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra (Delhi 6, Rang De Basanti) and Jeff Zimbalist (an American documentary moviemaker best known for his Favela Rising, The Two Escobars, and The Scribe of Urabá) -- is indeed a love story of Hindi film song sequences. But it ...

Shekhar Kapoor’s production, Bollywood: The Greatest Love Story Ever Told, which played outside competition at the Cannes Film Festival, came as a huge disappointment, particularly at a time when India is struggling to find some space, however tiny, here at what is undoubtedly the world’s largest movie carnival. The film, strictly a documentary -- that has been helmed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra (Delhi 6, Rang De Basanti) and Jeff Zimbalist (an American documentary moviemaker best known for his Favela Rising, The Two Escobars, and The Scribe of Urabá) -- is indeed a love story of Hindi film song sequences. But it ...

Shekhar Kapoor’s production, Bollywood: The Greatest Love Story Ever Told, which played outside competition at the Cannes Film Festival, came as a huge disappointment, particularly at a time when India is struggling to find some space, however tiny, here at what is undoubtedly the world’s largest movie carnival. The film, strictly a documentary -- that has been helmed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra (Delhi 6, Rang De Basanti) and Jeff Zimbalist (an American documentary moviemaker best known for his Favela Rising, The Two Escobars, and The Scribe of Urabá) -- is indeed a love story of Hindi film song sequences. But it ...

Shekhar Kapoor’s production, Bollywood: The Greatest Love Story Ever Told, which played outside competition at the Cannes Film Festival, came as a huge disappointment, particularly at a time when India is struggling to find some space, however tiny, here at what is undoubtedly the world’s largest movie carnival. The film, strictly a documentary -- that has been helmed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra (Delhi 6, Rang De Basanti) and Jeff Zimbalist (an American documentary moviemaker best known for his Favela Rising, The Two Escobars, and The Scribe of Urabá) -- is indeed a love story of Hindi film song sequences. But it ...

By Sam Weisberg - October 20, 2010

In “The Two Escobars” brothers Jeff and Michael Zimbalist ("Favela rising") have taken three rather straightforward storylines—the rise and fall of a Messianic athlete, the rise and fall of a Robin Hood-like drug kingpin, and, most broadly, the rise and fall of a country—and interwined them into one of the most intensely complex documentaries ever made.

You don't walk out of “The Two Escobars” merely saddened by the dashed hopes and dreams of Andres Escobar, the star captain for the Colombian soccer team Atlético Nacional, who was gunned down just days after accidentally scoring against his team in the 1994 World Cup. Nor do you leave simply cursing Pablo Escobar, the Colombian drug lord billionaire unrelated by blood to Andres but a not-so-silent partner of his soccer league—and an inevitable creator of the violence that fueled not just Andres' murder but his own,...

Only rarely can a documentary match feature films for gripping human drama, but this one, The Two Escobars, has more than done that. Its two illustrious characters, born into unrelated Medellin families named Escobar, captivated the nation of Colombia for several years (ending in 1994) and shook its laissez-faire roots. Now their story captivates us. The 100-minute film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival April 22, and it will show Friday, May 14, at the Cannes Film Festival that begins this week. It is an official selection in Cinema de la Plage. This story of ill-gained power turned loose on soccer was directed by brothers Jeff and Michael Zimbalist (Favela Rising, Tff '05). It traces the lives of Pablo Escobar, who rose to become Colombia's #1 drug lord and soccer supporter, and Andres Escobar, who, as inspirational team captain, helped...

9th Annual Festival to Present 85 Feature-Length and 47 Short Film Selections from April 21 – May 2, 2010

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Tribeca Film Festival Virtual and Tribeca Film Boost Festival Reach

New York, NY [March 10, 2010] – The 2010 Tribeca Film Festival (Tff), presented by American Express®, the Founding Sponsor of the Festival, today announced the first 34 films to be presented among the 85 feature length and 47 short films at this year’s Festival. The 34 titles include 24 World Narrative and Documentary Competition films, as well as out-of-competition feature film selections in the Showcase and Special Events sections.

The 2010 Tff will take place from April 21 to May 2 in lower Manhattan. The 2010 film selection encompasses feature films from 38 different countries, including 45 World Premieres, 7 International Premieres, 14 North American Premieres, 6 U.S. Premieres and 12 New York Premieres, among which are 7 titles which are part of the fourth annual Tribeca/Espn Sports Film Festival. 96 directors will be presenting feature works at the Festival, with 38 of these filmmakers presenting...

Four free performances by Australia's Strange Fruit, the international outdoor festival performers, will launch the 35th anniversary of Great Performances at Vanderbilt this week, with shows at Nashville's Centennial Park and on the Alumni Lawn on the Vanderbilt University campus. Other events in the 2009-2010 season include a radio documentary performance by L.A. Theatre Works and the social revolutionary group, Grupo Cultural AfroReggae with Anderson Sa himself on-site direct from Rio de Janeiro including among residency activities the screening of Favela Rising, recipient of 36 international film festival awards.

• Favela Rising Movie: Disc: Click here to read the dvd review! Rio de Janeiro, the home of Carnivál, sun drenched beaches, and one of the most famous statues in the world is also the home of one of the most violent neighborhoods in the world. Jeff Zimbalist and Matt Mochary delve deeply into the war zone that is Vigario Geral in Favela Rising a powerful and moving documentary which displays both the lowest levels of humanity and the ability to rise from the depth to empowerment....

...

The International Documentary Assn. has chosen Favela Rising, Our Brand Is Crisis, and The Children of Leningradsky as the winners of distinguished documentary achievement awards. Also recognized were CNN Presents and The Staircase, and all will be presented with achievement awards during the 21st annual IDA Awards Gala Benefit here Dec. 9 at the DGA Theatre. The docus were chosen by a jury of peers and chosen from hundreds of films submitted from around the world, IDA executive director Sandra Ruch said.

The indie blockbuster March of the Penguins is among the 15 documentaries that have made the cut for consideration for the best feature documentary Oscar at the 78th annual Academy Awards. The short-listed candidates -- drawn from 82 films that were eligible -- include After Innocence, The Boys of Baraka, Darwin's Nightmare, The Devil and Daniel Johnston, Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room, Favela Rising, Mad Hot Ballroom, March of the Penguins, Murderball, Occupation: Dreamland, On Native Soil: The Documentary of the 9/11 Commission Report, Rize, Street Fight, 39 Pounds of Love and Unknown White Male, the Academy said Tuesday. Eligible documentaries were screened by the documentary branch screening committee, made up of members of the branch who serve on a volunteer basis. The above films were chosen after a preliminary round of screenings. The nominated films will be announced along with nominations in 24 other categories on Jan. 31. The Academy Awards will be presented March 5 at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland, televised live by ABC.

The indie blockbuster March of the Penguins is among the 15 documentaries that have made the cut for consideration for the best feature documentary Oscar at the 78th annual Academy Awards. The short-listed candidates -- drawn from 82 films that were eligible -- include After Innocence, The Boys of Baraka, Darwin's Nightmare, The Devil and Daniel Johnston, Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room, Favela Rising, Mad Hot Ballroom, March of the Penguins, Murderball, Occupation: Dreamland, On Native Soil: The Documentary of the 9/11 Commission Report, Rize, Street Fight, 39 Pounds of Love and Unknown White Male, the Academy said Tuesday. Eligible documentaries were screened by the documentary branch screening committee, made up of members of the branch who serve on a volunteer basis. The above films were chosen after a preliminary round of screenings. The nominated films will be announced along with nominations in 24 other categories on Jan. 31. The Academy Awards will be presented March 5 at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland, televised live by ABC.

ThinkFilm and HBO/Cinemax Documentary Films have jointly acquired Jeff Zimbalist and Matt Mochary's documentary Favela Rising. ThinkFilm, the New York-based indie distributor, and HBO, the Time Warner cable service, previously collaborated on the distribution of the Oscar-nominated docu Spellbound and the Oscar-winning docu Born into Brothels. Favela, which had its world premiere at this year's Tribeca Film Festival, where it won the best new documentary filmmaker prize, has just been short-listed for two International Documentary Assn. awards, competing for the best feature prize as well as the Pare Lorentz Award honoring activism and lyrical vision.