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Planning your next weekend movie watch? Tubi’s adding a range of films, from the Quentin Tarantino action vehicle “Kill Bill: Volume 1” and its second part to iconic dramas like “Scarface” to horror movies “Cloverfield” and “Hereditary.” If you’re looking for a family-friendly option, Tubi offers ““Gnomeo & Juliet” and “The Lego Movie.”

There’s also plenty of chances to revisit TV shows like “Girlfriends,” “The Looney Tunes Show” and “The PJs.”

In addition to the updated library, Tubi has three new original films in its catalogue this month, as well as the season finale of an original talk show.

Here are all the new titles coming to Tubi in April:

Tubi Original Action

“Play Dirty” follows a corrupt police officer working for a criminal leader. (4/4)

Tubi Original Thrillers

“CheckMate” centers on a detective and her chess master father who tackle a serial killer together. (4/11)

“An Unusual Suspect...

In 2020, The New York Times published an opinion piece that included the stories of multiple women who, as minors, were exploited by having their sexual assaults posted to Pornhub, one of the most popular adult-content sites on the planet. The article went viral. Since then, the company has faced lawsuits from assault victims and from activists who allege the site engages in child sex trafficking. But for sex workers, Pornhub has provided a sustainable way to make a living — a livelihood that’s being threatened by what they contend is blanket censorship. Money Shot: The Pornhub Story, from Totally Under Control director Suzanne Hillinger, explores the history of the explicit-video platform and delves into the moral contradictions involved in user-uploaded pornography.

What happens in Money Shot: The Pornhub Story?

Click here for a complete timeline of events detailed in the documentary, from the early days when Pornhub disrupted the...

Neon has acquired the North American rights to Academy Award-nominated and BAFTA-winning director, Raoul Peck’s (I Am Not Your Negro) documentary Orwell, the definitive feature-length documentary on visionary author George Orwell, with the exclusive cooperation of the Orwell Estate.

Producers include Alex Gibney for Jigsaw Productions, Raoul Peck for Velvet Films, and Nick Shumaker for Anonymous Content. Stacey Offman and Richard Perello will executive produce for Jigsaw. Zhang Xin, Joey Marra, and William Horberg will executive produce for Closer Media, alongside Jessica Grimshaw, Dawn Olmstead, and David Levine of Anonymous, and Jeff Skoll and Courtney Sexton of Participant. Johnny Fewings of Universal Pictures Content Group will serve as executive producer on the film, which is currently in production.

“’Who controls the past controls the future: who controls the present controls the past…,’ wrote Orwell in his novel, 1984. Today, the “newspeak” of authoritarian rule is alive and well and in unexpected places,...

The movie year has already unleashed a lot of memorable work, from Sundance breakouts to “M3GAN.” But things are about to get a lot more global. Even as a new Marvel movie opens in theaters worldwide, the Berlin International Film Festival begins on Wednesday to offer a whole lot more. Nestled in between Sundance and SXSW, Berlin is like a firehose of international cinema.

More than 200 films from around the world will premiere at the festival this week, many of which are potential discoveries. Berlin premieres sometimes creep into awards consider (this year’s Oscar nominee “The Quiet Girl” premiered there last year) but can also deliver major new works from rising filmmaker talent. Some of the more promising titles from this year’s lineup speak to its versatility. It’s also a valuable European launchpad for Sundance highlights: The festival’s hit “Past Lives” plays in competition.

From its...

Neon in association with National Geographic Documentary Films said director Sara Dosa’s Fire of Love will cross 1 million at the box office this weekend, becoming the biggest documentary release of the year for combined domestic and international gross. The film opened this summer and is entering its ninth week in theaters nationally. It will stream on Disney+ later this year.

National Geographic Documentary Films acquired the worldwide rights to Fire of Love following its Sundance debut (awarded the Jonathan Oppenheim Editing Award). Produced by Shane Boris, Ina Fichman and Dosa, the Miranda July-narrated film explores the passionate lives and work of French volcanologists Katia and Maurice Krafft through their striking, rare archival footage.

Executive Producers are Greg Boustead and Jessica Harrop of Sandbox Films, Carolyn Bernstein of National Geographic Documentary Films and Josh Braun and Dan Braun of Submarine.

The intrepid scientists captured some of the most spectacular imagery...

Neon said Wednesday that it has come aboard Fire of Love, Sara Dosa’s documentary that world premiered earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival. That’s where Deadline boke the news that National Geographic Documentary Films acquired worldwide rights to the pic, which explores the lives and work of French volcanologists Katia and Maurice Krafft through rare archival footage.

Nat Geo and Neon previously partnered on the release last year of Matthew Heineman’s Covid documentary The First Wave. As part of the new deal, Neon will release Fire of Love in the summer ahead of a planned streaming bow on Disney+.

Shane Boris, Ina Fichman and Dosa produced Fire of Love, which is narrated by Miranda July. Executive Producers are Greg Boustead and Jessica Harrop of Sandbox Films, Carolyn Bernstein of National Geographic Documentary Films, and Josh Braun and Dan Braun of Submarine.

The feature doc is a Sandbox Films,...

Matthew Heineman is a risk-taker. Having filmed in Mexico with criminal gangs and corrupt police — for the Oscar-nominated 2016 documentary “Cartel Land” — and putting himself in danger in war-torn Syria and Afghanistan (his most recent untitled film chronicles the end of the U.S. war), it was no surprise that the 38-year-old filmmaker would jump into documenting the Covid crisis.

The question is, when will audiences be ready to experience “The First Wave”? The movie finally premieres this week at the Hamptons International Film Festival, after a series of festival rejections that the lauded filmmaker was not expecting. He initially fought to get the film finished in time for Sundance 2021, and while he got praise from the festival, director Tabitha Jackson wasn’t ready to show it. Nor was Cannes, Telluride, Toronto, or the New York Film Festival. London and a dozen regional festivals will follow the Hamptons, along with Doc NYC.

Matthew Heineman is a risk-taker. Having filmed in Mexico with criminal gangs and corrupt police — for the Oscar-nominated 2016 documentary “Cartel Land” — and putting himself in danger in war-torn Syria and Afghanistan (his most recent untitled film chronicles the end of the U.S. war), it was no surprise that the 38-year-old filmmaker would jump into documenting the Covid crisis.

The question is, when will audiences be ready to experience “The First Wave”? The movie finally premieres this week at the Hamptons International Film Festival, after a series of festival rejections that the lauded filmmaker was not expecting. He initially fought to get the film finished in time for Sundance 2021, and while he got praise from the festival, director Tabitha Jackson wasn’t ready to show it. Nor was Cannes, Telluride, Toronto, or the New York Film Festival. London and a dozen regional festivals will follow the Hamptons, along with Doc NYC.

Like the terror attacks on Sept.11, 2001, Covid-19 is a topic that will inevitably become the subject matter of hundreds, if not thousands, of documentaries over the next several decades.

Even now, just 18 months after the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S. began and during a time when the delta variant is making Covid cases surge across the country, there are a handful of pandemic-focused docus available for viewing. Each film explores the virus’ origins as well as the long-term ramifications on the world, emotionally, societally and politically.

But the question for some of the filmmakers and distributors is this: How much appetite is there for these documentaries at a time when the delta variant is surging?

HBO Documentary Films’ “In the Same Breath,” debuting Aug. 18 on HBO and HBO Max, is the latest to test that appetite. Directed by Nanfu Wang, a Chinese émigré who was Emmy-nominated last year for “One Child Nation,...

One of Jeffrey Lurie’s first jobs was cooking hot dogs and selling soda at General Cinema, his family’s chain of drive-in movie theaters. When not working the grill or pouring fountain drinks, he was tasked with checking the trunks of customers to see if anyone was sneaking in friends without buying tickets.

Decades later, Lurie has a very different day job, as the billionaire head of the Philadelphia Eagles, guiding the franchise to a Super Bowl championship in 2018 and earning a reputation as one of the most progressive owners in the NFL. He’s used his platform to promote charitable work for causes ranging from improving educational opportunities to police reform. Now, he’s turning his attention to another love — the movies, where he hopes to use cinema to shine a spotlight on social justice issues.

“There’s an opportunity in this polarized world to tell vital stories...

Premiering mere months after the October release of his Covid-19 documentary Totally Under Control, Alex Gibney’s The Crime of the Century takes a close look at the opioid crisis in America. Here, Gibney tells THR why the epidemic deserves our attention.

Why did you first get interested in the opioid crisis?

There was a sense that this was not something that just happened, that there was a series of interlocking crimes here. And that was interesting to me, because it seemed that what was missing about understanding and fixing the opioid crisis was redefining it so it wasn’t just a natural event ...

Premiering mere months after the October release of his Covid-19 documentary Totally Under Control, Alex Gibney’s The Crime of the Century takes a close look at the opioid crisis in America. Here, Gibney tells THR why the epidemic deserves our attention.

Why did you first get interested in the opioid crisis?

There was a sense that this was not something that just happened, that there was a series of interlocking crimes here. And that was interesting to me, because it seemed that what was missing about understanding and fixing the opioid crisis was redefining it, so it wasn’t just a natural event ...

Anthony Chen, Malik Vitthal, Dominga Sotomayor, David Lowery, Apichatpong Weerasethakul round out contributors.

Neon has shown first footage from its one of its first productions, hitherto secret portmanteau feature The Year Of The Everlasting Storm, at Wednesday’s (May 19) The Big Screen Is Back theatrical showcase event in Los Angeles.

Jafar Panahi, Anthony Chen, Malik Vitthal, Laura Poitras, Dominga Sotomayor, David Lowery, and Apichatpong Weerasethakul each shot personal segments during the pandemic. Neon produced and financed the film, described as a love letter to cinemas, and its storytellers.

The Year Of The Everlasting Storm will get a 2021 release and is...

Anthony Chen, Malik Vitthal, Dominga Sotomayor, David Lowery, Apichatpong Weerasethakul round out contributors.

Neon has shown first footage from its one of its first productions, hitherto secret portmanteau documentary The Year Of The Everlasting Storm, at Wednesday’s (May 19) The Big Screen Is Back theatrical showcase event in Los Angeles.

Jafar Panahi, Anthony Chen, Malik Vitthal, Laura Poitras, Dominga Sotomayor, David Lowery, and Apichatpong Weerasethakul each shot personal segments filmed during the pandemic. Neon produced and financed the film, described as a love letter to cinemas, and its storytellers.

The film will get a 2021 release and is one of the first three productions from Neon,...

Jafar Panahi, Anthony Chen, Malik Vitthal, Laura Poitras, Dominga Sotomayor, David Lowery, and Apichatpong Weerasethakul contribute segments.

Neon has shown first footage from its one of its first productions, hitherto secret portmanteau documentary Year Of The Everlasting Storm, at Wednesday’s (May 19) The Big Screen Is Back theatrical showcase event in Los Angeles.

Jafar Panahi, Anthony Chen, Malik Vitthal, Laura Poitras, Dominga Sotomayor, David Lowery, and Apichatpong Weerasethakul each shot personal segments filmed during the pandemic.

Year Of The Everlasting Storm will get a 2021 release and is one of three early productions from Neon, the others being Ben Wheatley’s...

By Glenn Dunks

Hey look, Alex Gibney is back! It was only last October that the prolific American filmmaker was releasing his rush-produced Covid-19 documentary, Totally Under Control, in time for the U.S. elections. Now he has a two-part HBO documentary about America’s opioid epidemic and its origins in crime. It's boldly titled The Crime of the Century. Given what we see unfold, and with 500,000 dead since 2000, that title is somewhat apt.

Naturally, it all comes down to capitalistic greed. You probably didn’t need me—or Gibney for that matter—to tell you that. But it does bear repeating. And over its four-hour runtime there are certainly plenty of opportunities to do so...

Producers, showrunners, APs and other freelance employees at Jigsaw Productions, the producer behind such recent documentaries as Totally Under Control, The Crime of the Century and Generation Hustle, have voted to unionize with the Writers Guild of America, East.

The Jigsaw Organizing Committee broke the news on social media today, writing: “Our goal is to work with the Wgae to negotiate a contract with Jigsaw Productions that addresses our concerns about compensation, crediting, diversity, and creates a more sustainable, equitable work environment. We fundamentally believe in what Jigsaw represents as a global brand. It’s that very ethos of telling difficult truths that inspires us to organize and align Jigsaw towards an equitable future. We believe that Jigsaw can be the catalyst for long overdue industry-wide change in nonfiction storytelling.”

The company’s nonfiction credits also include docuseries Dirty Money, Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room and Going Clear: Scientology & the Prison of Belief,...

Another guild award is in the books, ladies and gentlemen. The Writers Guild Awards are in the rearview mirror now, with some definite Oscar implications. For one thing, it does really now seem like Emerald Fennell is headed towards an Academy Award for her Promising Young Woman screenplay. She’s almost undoubtedly taken a strong lead over Aaron Sorkin and his script for The Trial of the Chicago 7. On the flip-side, Kemp Powers’ hopes to upset Chloe Zhao’s Nomadland in Best Adapted Screenplay took a hit when One Night in Miami… lost at WGA to Borat Subsequent Moviefilm. Could they be in line for another upset? We shall see… Here are all of the winners from the Writers Guild Awards: Film Original Screenplay “Judas and the Black Messiah” (Warner Bros) – Screenplay by Will Berson & Shaka King, Story by Will Berson & Shaka King and Kenny Lucas & Keith Lucas “Palm Springs...

Virtual ceremony took place on Sunday evening (March 21).

In the latest boost to ascendant campaigns, Emerald Fennell and Sacha Baron Cohen have won top honours at the Writers Guild Of America’s (WGA) awards.

Promising Young Woman writer-director Fennell took the original screenplay award at the virtual 73rd Writers Guild Awards on Sunday (March 21), less than a week after the Focus Features release earned five Oscar nominations including recognition in writing and directing categories.

Baron Cohen led the writing team on Amazon Studios’ Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, whose WGA adapted screenplay win follows Oscar nods for that category and supporting actress.

The 73rd Writers Guild Awards is underway in a virtual ceremony, honoring the best in original and adapted screenplay and documentary, TV, new media, news, radio/audio and promotional writing.

For the first time, in recent history, the awards ceremonies for both WGA West and WGA East will be in lock step as both have been merged tonight in one live stream. Typically, two ceremonies are held separately in both L.A. and NYC at the same time, with both reading off winners at separate times. Quite often, the NY awards ceremony will get ahead of LA’s and announce winners, completely spoiling the suspense for anyone in the Beverly Hilton ballroom.

Tonight’s host Kal Penn, clad in a satin purple tux jacket, was live from what looked to be his home. The Harold & Kumar actor mentioned that he just became a WGA member.

“When I joined SAG they just gave me a pin,...

“Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” and “Promising Young Woman” were named the best adapted original screenplays of 2021 at the Writers Guild Awards, which took place in a virtual ceremony on Sunday.

While “Promising Young Woman” went into the show with a slight edge over “The Trial of the Chicago 7’ for the original-screenplay award,”Borat” was a decided dark horse in the adapted-screenplay category, whose nominees also included “One Night in Miami,” “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” “News of the World’ and “The White Tiger.”

Writers Guild winners in the screenplay categories go on to win Oscars almost two-thirds of the time, although the two awards sometimes differ because the WGA is an award strictly for screenplays for movies that were made under the terms of the guild’s Minimum Basic Agreement, or similar agreements from a number of international guilds.

This year, those restrictions disqualified three Oscar-nominated screenplays: “Minari” in the Original...

Before the Indie Spirits, before the Oscars, there are the guilds, and as Hollywood inches its way through a protracted awards season, it’s up to each voting body to dole out their own accolades. On Sunday night, it was time for the writers to shine, as the Writers Guild of America presented their awards for film, television, news, and more, all voted on by fellow writers. For writers, by writers!

As IndieWire’s own Anne Thompson has noted, the WGA’s film nominees are less predictive than an indication of what’s losing and gaining heat, from the missing early 2020 releases “I’m Thinking of Ending Things,” “The King of Staten Island,” and “Da 5 Bloods,” to such surging movies as “Judas and the Black Messiah,” “Sound of Metal,” and “Promising Young Woman,” all of which recently earned Best Picture nods from the Academy.

At the Sunday night event, Emerald Fennell...

The Writers Guild of America Awards were handed during a virtual ceremony on Sunday, March 21. But don’t base your Oscar predictions on these kudos. Every year a slew of Oscar-nominated scripts are deemed ineligible for consideration here due to guild guidelines. Indeed, over the past 12 years only 80 of the Writers Guild of America Awards nominees have numbered among the 120 screenplays that reaped Academy Awards bids. Scroll down for the 2021 Writers Guild of America Awards winners list.

Our odds predict that “Nomadland” will win Best Adapted Screenplay winner at the Oscars but it was not allowed to compete at the WGA Awards. Neither was another Oscar contender in that category: “The Father.” The guild did match the academy three-for-five in this category, with “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm,” “One Night in Miami” and “The White Tiger” competing at both. “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” and “News of the World” round out the guild nominees.

Oscar voting is wrapping on Wednesday, but it ain’t over ’til it’s over. Film distributor Neon, the reigning champion at the Academy Awards for best picture with “Parasite,” has another stack of contenders this year, all unique in awards discussions. CEO and co-founder Tom Quinn has always pushed the boundaries of cinema, and deeply believes in cultural representation in front and behind the camera, and the way consumers and Academy voters accept the film medium.

“Neon’s entire mission is built around the power of cinema,” Quinn says. “Cinema for us starts in the theater, a collective body of strangers coming together to see a director’s vision — unedited, uninterrupted — and with that comes great power.”

In this bonus episode of the “Variety Awards Circuit Podcast,” Quinn talks about Neon’s robust slate, which includes the comedy “Palm Springs,” international features like “Night of the Kings,” and docs...

Variety's Awards Circuit is home to the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars from Film Awards Editor Clayton Davis. Following Academy Awards history, buzz, news, reviews and sources, the Oscar predictions are updated regularly with the current year's contenders in all categories. Variety's Awards Circuit Prediction schedule consists of four phases, running all year long: Draft, Pre-Season, Regular Season and Post Season. Eligibility calendar and dates of awards will determine how long each phase lasts and will be displayed next to revision date.

To see all the latest predictions, of all the categories, in one place, visit The Collective

Draft>>>Pre Season>>>Regular Season>>>Post Season

2021 Oscars Predictions:

Best Film Editing

Updated: Mar. 4, 2021

Awards Prediction Commentary: 50,000 feet out, “Sound of Metal” could go the way of Damien Chazelle’s “Whiplash” (2013), which won editing and sound mixing, after surprising wins at BAFTA and other guilds. “The Trial of the Chicago 7...

The film medium, all too often, is boxed or labeled into specific genres, and when it comes time for awards, that’s the only place voters deem “appropriate” for recognition. This includes documentaries, international and animated features, as well big-budget blockbusters that only find distinction in sound and visual effects, or comedies in a rare instance of the screenplay and a supporting acting nomination.

We’ve seen an eclectic and vibrant selection of films unveiled in this unconventional year. While milestone recognitions look to be on the horizon, all awards voters still have work to do in getting a more dynamic number of films recognized in other key categories. We’ve seen AMPAS take an important step in the right direction with HBO’s “Welcome to Chechnya,” which made the shortlists for both documentary and visual effects. Like last year’s “Honeyland,” which was nominated for both international and documentary feature,...

I first met Tom Quinn, the film distributor Neon’s co-founder, at a party at the Telluride Film Festival in August 2019. With his film talent in attendance, including “Parasite” director Bong Joon Ho and “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” star Adèle Haenel, a 10-minute side conversation with the CEO has remained prevalent in my mind. At the time, I conveyed to him my thoughts that Bong’s film from South Korea had a real chance to win best picture at the Oscars later in the year. I probably wasn’t the first person to make such a declaration, as the film had premiered at Cannes months earlier, and the buzz was palpable, even though it probably wasn’t believed by the masses as of yet. Without skipping a beat, Quinn almost ignored the comment, quickly stating, “That’s great, but do you know what I really want? I want...

⊗ Film is supposed to be inclusive. But if you can’t see yourself on-screen, do you feel as if you even exist? One-third of our lives is spent at work, and the artists who express their creativity through cinema deserve to have their work seen, and not just because of the color of their skin or their gender but because when you are exposed to an experience different from your own, your creativity grows. Take a moment to review this list of eligible films, putting a check mark on the ones you have seen from this year. Ideally, that will leave you with a clearer picture of how you are contributing to cinema’s evolution with your votes.

Your goal should be to watch all of these films, but let’s be realistic. Try seeing at least 60% of them. All meet the Academy’s diversity requirements — in front of or...

Don’t look for five of our predicted 10 Oscar contenders for screenplay in the 2021 Writers Guild of America Awards nominations announced February 16. They didn’t qualify for consideration under the guild’s guidelines or those of its international partners.

We are predicting that “Nomadland” will win Best Adapted Screenplay at the Oscars. Three of its likely Oscar rivals — “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” “News of the World” and “One Night in Miami” — contend at the WGA Awards as do “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” and “The White Tiger.”

The Original Screenplay Oscar frontrunner “The Trial of the Chicago 7” is in the running here as is “Promising Young Woman,” which sits in second place on our chart. With “Mank,” “Minari” and “Soul” ineligible at the guild kudos, that race is rounded out by “Judas and the Black Messiah,” “Palm Springs” and “Sound of Metal.”

Over the past 11 years only 73 of the Writers Guild...

Doc nominations include The Dissident, All In: The Fight For Democracy.

Promising Young Woman, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, Sound Of Metal and The White Tiger are among the WGA screenplay nominees announced on Tuesday (February 16).

The winners will be announced at a joint 2021 Writers Guild Awards virtual ceremony on March 21.

Original Screenplay

Judas And The Black Messiah

Screenplay by Will Berson and Shaka King

Story by Will Berson and Shaka King and Kenny Lucas and Keith Lucas

Palm Springs

Screenplay by Andy Siara

Story by Andy Siara and Max Barbakow

Promising Young Woman

Written by Emerald Fennell

Sound Of Metal

Screenplay...

Doc nominations include The Dissident, All In: The Fight For Democracy.

Promising Young Woman, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, Sound Of Metal and The White Tiger are among the WGA screenplay nominees announced on Tuesday (February 16).

The winners will be announced at a joint 2021 Writers Guild Awards virtual ceremony on March 21.

Original Screenplay

Judas And The Black Messiah

Screenplay by Will Berson and Shaka King

Story by Will Berson and Shaka King and Kenny Lucas and Keith Lucas

Palm Springs

Screenplay by Andy Siara

Story by Andy Siara and Max Barbakow

Promising Young Woman

Written by Emerald Fennell

Sound Of Metal

Screenplay...

The Writers Guild of America Awards announced their nominations where big boosts were given to films like “Judas and the Black Messiah” from Shaka King, “Palm Springs” from Max Barbakow and “The White Tiger” from Ramin Bahrani.

Missing from the lineup, that was eligible, are “Never Rarely Sometimes Always” in the original screenplay category and “First Cow” and “I’m Thinking of Ending Things” in the adapted.

The full list of nominations is below:

Original Screenplay

“Judas and the Black Messiah” (Warner Bros) – Screenplay by Will Berson & Shaka King, Story by Will Berson & Shaka King and Kenny Lucas & Keith Lucas “Palm Springs” (Hulu/Neon) – Screenplay by Andy Siara, Story by Andy Siara & Max Barbakow “Promising Young Woman” (Focus Features) – Written by Emerald Fennell “Sound of Metal” (Amazon Studios) – Screenplay by Darius Marder & Abraham Marder, Story by Darius Marder & Derek Cianfrance “The Trial of the Chicago 7” (Netflix) – Written by Aaron Sorkin...

The WGA on Tuesday unveiled the movie nominations for its 2021 WGA Awards, honoring outstanding achievement in screenwriting of original, adapted and documentary films during 2020. Winners will be March 21 in a virtual ceremony. Check out the full list below.

The Original Screenplay category covers comedy, drama, mystery and more as the scribes behind Judas and the Black Messiah, Palm Springs, Promising Young Woman, Sound of Metal and The Trial of the Chicago 7 will vie for the hardware.

The Adapted Screenplay race will be among Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, News of the World, One Night in Miami and The White Tiger.

On the documentary side, All In: The Fight for Democracy, The Dissident, Herb Alpert Is…, Red Penguins and Totally Under Control will battle it out for the WGA trophy.

The eligibility period is January 1, 2020-February 28, 2021.

The WGA is the only guild that requires a movie to have been...

“The Trial of the Chicago 7,” “One Night in Miami,” “Judas and the Black Messiah,” “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” and “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” are among the films that have been nominated by the Writers Guild of America in the original and adapted screenplay categories, the WGA West and WGA East announced on Tuesday.

In the Original Screenplay category, “Chicago 7,” “Promising Young Woman” and “Judas and the Black Messiah” were joined by “Palm Springs” and “Sound of Metal.”

“Borat,” “One Night in Miami” and “Ma Rainey” were nominated for Adapted Screenplay along with “News of the World” and “The White Tiger.”

In the documentary category, the nominees included one film that is on the Oscars documentary shortlist, “All In: The Fight for Democracy,” and four that are not: “The Dissident,” “Herb Alpert Is…,” “Red Penguins” and “Totally Under Control.”

To an even greater degree than usual, many of the top Oscar...

Every year, the Writers Guild of America leaves out several Oscar-contending screenplays in its award nominations. But this year’s ineligible list is massive, from “Mank” to “Nomadland.” The WGA maintains jurisdiction over whether scripts are produced under a Writer’s Guild contract, and who finally gets credit on a screenplay. The guild insists on withholding non-signatories from being part of the WGA Awards.

That’s why, unlike the other guilds, every year a long list of WGA ineligible indie, British, and animated movies are excluded. A WGA nomination isn’t essential for Oscar nomination; plenty of exceptions include American indie “Beasts of the Southern Wild,” Iranian Oscar-winner “A Separation,” Oscar-winning British films “Les Miserables,” and “The Favourite,” and all Pixar animated contenders, from “Up” to “Incredibles 2.” “The Artist” and “The King’s Speech” both won Best Picture without the benefit of a WGA nomination.

The WGA nominees listed below...

Every year, the Writers Guild of America leaves out several Oscar-contending screenplays in its award nominations. But this year’s ineligible list is massive, from “Mank” to “Nomadland.” The WGA maintains jurisdiction over whether scripts are produced under a Writer’s Guild contract, and who finally gets credit on a screenplay. The guild insists on withholding non-signatories from being part of the WGA Awards.

That’s why, unlike the other guilds, every year a long list of WGA ineligible indie, British, and animated movies are excluded. A WGA nomination isn’t essential for Oscar nomination; plenty of exceptions include American indie “Beasts of the Southern Wild,” Iranian Oscar-winner “A Separation,” Oscar-winning British films “Les Miserables,” and “The Favourite,” and all Pixar animated contenders, from “Up” to “Incredibles 2.” “The Artist” and “The King’s Speech” both won Best Picture without the benefit of a WGA nomination.

The WGA nominees listed below...

Director Alex Gibney is on a roll. Fresh off his documentary on Covid-19, “Totally Under Control,” HBO is announcing the director is set to tackle the opioid crisis in “The Crime of the Century.”

The two-part documentary is described by HBO as a “searing indictment of Big Pharma and the political operatives and government regulations that enable overproduction, reckless distribution and abuse of synthetic opiates.” The documentary will examine the origins, expansion, and ultimate fallout of what is now considered one of the most deadly drugs out there.

Per HBO, the documentary will include interviews with whistleblowers and insiders, as well as include newly-leaked documents and behind-the-scenes footage. The goal for Gibney and crew is to emphasize how drug companies are profiting off the crisis they’ve created.

Gibney is one of the most prolific documentarians working today, with his work covering important topics from Covid to Scientology, as well as the Elizabeth Holmes scandal.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced the shortlists for nine categories for the upcoming Oscars. The categories and number of films include documentary feature (15), documentary short subject (10), international feature (15), makeup and hairstyling (10), original score (15), original song (15), animated short film (10), live action short film (10) and visual effects (10).

The shortlist voting concluded on Feb. 5, and the remaining will move on to the official phase one voting, which will take place on March 5-9. The Oscar nominations will be announced on March 15, with the show scheduled to take place on April 25.

The full lists are below with snubs and surprises:

Documentary Feature

Fifteen films will advance in the documentary feature category out of 238 films eligible films. Members of the documentary branch vote to determine the shortlist and the nominees.

“76 Days” (MTV Documentary Films) – directed by Weixi Chen, Hao Wu, Anonymous “All In: The Fight for Democracy” (Amazon Studios) – directed by Lisa Cortes,...

283 films were submitted for the Academy Award’s Documentary Feature Oscar and now just 15 remain. AMPAS revealed the shortlist for both the Documentary Feature and Documentary Short with the former category featuring few upsets. Acclaimed titles such as “Boys State,” “Time,” “Dick Johnson is Dead,” “Collective” and “Time” are still in the running for the eventual five Oscar nominations.

Read More: “Minari” and “The Crown” rule 2021 SAG Awards nominations

Snubbed contenders in a very competitive field include “The Dissident,” “A Thousand Cuts,” “The Way I See It,” “Totally Under Control” and “John Lewis: Good Trouble,” among others.

Continue reading ‘Time,’ ‘Collective’ Make 2021 Best Documentary Oscars Shortlist at The Playlist.

Participant has partnered with Neon on the North American distribution of Jonas Poher Rasmussen’s documentary, “Flee,” after its Sundance debut.

The film, a largely animated documentary about the life of a gay Afghan refugee, earned the grand jury prize in the World Cinema Documentary Competition category on Tuesday night, just hours after the new partnership was announced.

“We were awestruck by Jonas Poher Rasmussen’s beautiful and intimate Flee and are so proud to join with Neon in co-distributing this film,” Diane Weyermann, Participant’s Chief Content Officer, said in a statement announcing the partnership.

“We are extremely happy to continue our collaboration with Participant which began with the ‘Look of Silence,’” producers Signe Byrge Sørensen and Monica Hellström, of Final Cut For Real, said of the deal.

The experimental and critically acclaimed film was written by Rasmussen and Amin Nawabi (a pseudonym for the story’s central character...

Participant, known for bolstering positive social change, said Tuesday it has partnered with Neon to co-distribute Jonas Poher Rasmussen’s animated documentary Flee. Neon acquired the film after its debut on opening night of the Sundance Film Festival in the World Cinema Documentary Competition lineup in a reported seven-figure deal brokered on behalf of the filmmakers by 30West and Cinephil.

The tie-up marks a reunion between Participant and Neon. The two previously partnered on the narrative feature Monos as well as Alex Gibney’s acclaimed documentary Totally Under Control.

Flee tells the story of Amin Nawabi (a pseudonym) as he grapples with a painful secret he has kept hidden for 20 years, one that threatens to derail the life he has built for himself and his soon-to-be husband. Recounted mostly through animation to Rasmussen — his close friend and high school classmate — he tells for the first time the story of his...

Companies worked together on Monos, Totally Under Control.

Participant has partnered with Neon on the North American release of Jonas Poher Rasmussen’ Sundance selection Flee.

Neon acquired the film late last week following its world premiere in World Cinema Documentary Competition.

Rasmussen’s animation hybrid and Cannes Label selection centres on an Afghan refugee now living in Denmark.

The pseudonymous Amin Nawabi recounts harrowing episodes from his life to old school friend Rasmussen. Riz Ahmed and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau are executive producers.

Participant previously partnered with Neon on the Sundance 2019 entry Monos, and last year’s Totally Under Control.

Amanda Seyfried...

February is now the month for guild award nominations announcements. And while the SAG Awards will be the first big ball to drop on Thursday, the Producers Guild of America began the rollout of their yearly honors with the documentary category. There were a number of familiar nominees including Oscar contenders “Time,” “Dick Johnson is Dead” and “The Truffle Hunters.”

Read More: “Never Rarely Sometimes Always,” “Minari” & “I May Destroy You” lead 2021 Independent Spirit Awards Nominations

In what has become a very competitive Oscar race there were a number of surprising omissions, however, including “Collective,” “Boy State,” “All In The Fight For Democracy,” “Welcome to Chechnya,” “City Hall,” “Crip Camp,” “MLK/FBI,” “Totally Under Control,” “On the Record” and “The Dissident.”

This year’s nominees are:

“David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet”

“Dick Johnson Is Dead”

“My Octopus Teacher”

“Softie”

“A Thousand Cuts”

“Time”

“The Truffle Hunters”

Nominees in the Sports,...

Monday is the start of five days of voting to determine shortlists in the nine Oscar categories that narrow down the field before the start of nomination balloting. In the Best Documentary Feature and Best International Feature Film categories, 238 and 93 films, respectively, will be reduced to 15 semifinalists.

In each of those categories, voters must see a minimum number of entries, drawn from a “required viewing” list sent to each member, in order to vote. Documentary voters must see more than 30 films, international voters must see 12. Shortlists in all categories will be announced on Feb. 9.

Here are our thoughts on these contests; on Tuesday, we’ll look at the below-the-line categories that also use shortlists.

‘Time’ / Amazon Studios

Best Documentary Feature

Ever since the Documentary Branch rules were changed to do away with the small committees that previously viewed films in the preliminary round of voting, the documentary shortlists have invariably...

By Glenn Dunks

Alex Gibney isn’t the only one who can crush a deadline and produce a documentary about Covid-19 in time for the new year. While Gibney’s Totally Under Control, made alongside Ophelia Harutyunyan and Suzanne Hillinger, came out in October in an attempt to radicalise the American voters with tales of the then Trump-led American government’s inept response to the coronavirus outbreak. In doing so it already looks out of date.

Two other features, however, hone in more precisely on the pandemic’s beginnings in the city of Wuhan of the Hubei Province in the heart of China. Hao Wu and Weixu Chen’s 76 Days (made in collaboration with ‘Anonymous’) and Ai Weiwei’s CoroNation take different tacts with this setting, showing a city in chaos and alarming stillness at once.

Updated with video: Neon’s documentary Totally Under Control paints a devastating picture of the Trump administration’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“There are moments that we look at in the film where the administration could have sort of righted the ship, released more funds, released the Defense Production Act to get more companies making more PPE, and that didn’t happen,” co-director Suzanne Hillinger says during Deadline’s Contenders Documentary awards-season event. “We’re still seeing effects of that now, unfortunately.”

Oscar winner Alex Gibney, Ophelia Harutyunyan and Hillinger joined forces to direct the film, springing into action to release it by October. “We moved at lightning speed,” Gibney says. “All three of us were working nonstop.”

Gibney was asked whether the administration’s failures resulted from incompetence or willful negligence.

“It was clearly incompetence because the Trump administration had playbooks…that they themselves designed…for exactly what...

The coronavirus pandemic pushed the release of a slew of narrative films into 2021, reducing the number of Best Picture contenders this Oscar season. But it’s a completely different story with documentary. Streaming platforms and other players didn’t hold back their nonfiction slate, and with the Academy relaxing qualification rules, the record for films in contention for Best Documentary is about to be shattered this year.

That makes this the perfect time to launch Deadline’s first Contenders Documentary, a virtual showcase of top nonfiction films this awards season. The event kicks off today at 8 a.m. Pt. Click here to register and join the livestream, and follow along for the day on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram via @Deadline and #DeadlineContenders. See the full schedule of panels below.

The Contenders Documentary program, featuring conversations with a raft of Oscar-winning and Oscar-nominated filmmakers including Alex Gibney, Liz Garbus, Ron Howard,...

Following the continuing success of its long-running Contenders events during Oscar and Emmy seasons, Deadline is making new additions to the franchise with Contenders Documentary, focusing on the year’s most noteworthy non-fiction films, and Contenders International, with its eye on a great lineup of foreign-language entries. Both of these events, designed to put the spotlight on worthy movies that don’t always get the attention they deserve, will be presented virtually due to the pandemic — as we did for the Emmys — in their inaugural year over the course of one weekend, with International taking place on Saturday, January 9, and Documentary on Sunday, January 10. Both will be starting their livestreams at 8 a.m. Pt.

Fifteen studios, streamers and distributors will be participating in the kickoff for Contenders International, with an impressive and varied presentation involving clips and filmmaker/talent Q&As from a total of 23 films from around the world...

Given all the hardships of the year just past, it’s certainly understandable that some viewers eschewed some of 2020’s tougher non-fiction storytelling in favor of escapism. But even with — and sometimes because of — everything else going on, the last 12 months delivered some extraordinary documentaries, and whether or not they were directly about aspects of the pandemic, they all had a lot to say about the current state of the world.

10. “Push”: As the recent furor over water being traded as a commodity reminds us, it’s never a good idea to let Wall Street collide with Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Director Fredrik Gertten takes viewers through a global crisis, in which poor people are kicked out of neighborhoods so that luxury high-rise apartments can be constructed but never occupied, purely for investment purposes. Thankfully, we also get to meet the people fighting to end this practice.

9. “American...

Exclusive: CBS has put in development The Brand, a drama from Kirk Rudell (Human Discoveries), Alex Gibney and his Jigsaw Productions and CBS Studios.

Written by Rudell, in The Brand, a driven woman with a complicated personal life is suddenly thrust into the top position at her family’s brand management firm and must contend with selling her ethically dubious clients’ images while redefining her own.

Rudell executive produces with Gibney and Kevin Plunkett for Jigsaw Productions. CBS Studios is the studio.

Rudell writes and executive produces This Functional Family, an animated series slated to premiere on TruTV. He most recently served as executive producer on the animated comedy Human Discoveries for Facebook Watch. His other credits include co-executive producer on American Dad!, Whitney and the final two seasons (7 and 8) of the original Will & Grace comedy series on NBC. He also served as consulting producer on Men at Work,...