Latest news with #BBCStoryville
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Alex Gibney to Exec Produce Doc About College Culture Wars and Freedom of Speech (EXCLUSIVE)
Oscar winner Alex Gibney has signed on to executive produce 'Speechless,' a feature-length documentary about the culture wars being waged and the threats to freedom of speech on university and college campuses across the United States. Directed by Ric Esther Bienstock ('Enslaved'), the doc will feature interviews with students, faculty, and administrators from a wide range of universities and colleges, including community colleges and the Ivys. 'Speechless' will examine the fiery ideological clashes, stark political divides, and deeply personal battles shaping the future of higher education. Additionally, the current threat to freedom of speech and academic freedom on U.S. college campuses will be covered in the film. To convey the turbulent crossroads facing academia, the doc will include covert recordings inside Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion offices, a white professor's landmark legal battle against racial discrimination, a conservative takeover of a Florida college, and the dramatic canceling of a Harvard biologist's 20-year career. More from Variety Vietnam War Doc 'Child of Dust,' Produced by 'The Stringer's' Bao Nguyen, Acquired by Rise and Shine Ahead of Thessaloniki Documentary Festival Premiere (EXCLUSIVE) Thessaloniki's Industry Head on 'Embracing' Change, Providing a Safe Harbor for Documentary Filmmakers in Turbulent Times 'We Live Here,' About a Former Soviet Nuclear Test Site, Boarded by Syndicado Ahead of CPH:DOX Premiere (EXCLUSIVE) 'As a society, we stand at a crossroads where the principles of free speech and intellectual inquiry are under siege,' says Gibney. 'This documentary shines a much-needed spotlight on the critical issues facing higher education today and challenges us to confront the consequences of stifling dissenting voices.' On March 4, in a social media post, President Trump threatened to stop federal funding for 'any College, School, or University that allows illegal protests,' and proposed that 'agitators will be imprisoned/or permanently sent back to the country from which they came.' 'In these dangerously polarized times, I thought it was essential to investigate the institutions shaping the minds of our future citizens and leaders,' says Bienstock. 'It's easy to mock 'woke' politics and rant about right-wing agendas, but the reality is more nuanced and, from what we've witnessed, way more dramatic. And now, with Trump in the White House and academia in his sights, the future of higher education has never been more precarious.' 'Speechless' is currently in production and is being backed by Toronto-based Good Soup Productions, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, BBC Storyville and The Why Foundation. In addition to Gibney, Mette Hoffmann Meyer and Randi Kirshenbaum will serve as executive producers on the film. Producers are Bienstock and Garfield L. Miller ('Percy Vs Goliath'). The documentary does not yet have a release date or U.S. distribution. CBC and BBC Storyville will distribute the doc in Canada and England, respectively. Gibney is currently in production on 'Musk,' about Elon Musk for HBO Documentary Films, and 'Knife,' a tentatively titled documentary inspired by Salman Rushdie's memoir 'Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder,' published in April. Best of Variety Oscars 2026: First Blind Predictions Including Timothée Chalamet, Emma Stone, 'Wicked: For Good' and More What's Coming to Disney+ in March 2025 What's Coming to Netflix in March 2025
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
AI in Non-Fiction, Immersive Storytelling, Investigative Journalism and Climate Justice to Be Debated at CPH:DOX
The conference program of Copenhagen Intl. Documentary Film Festival, a.k.a. CPH:DOX, will explore topics such as AI in non-fiction, immersive storytelling, investigative journalism and climate justice. Speakers attending the program, running March 24-28 and held in partnership with Documentary Campus, include Christo Grozev, James Jones, Alexis Bloom, Kate Townsend, Sam Soko, Mstyslav Chernov and Nathan Grossman. More from Variety James Cameron Joins Palestinian-Israeli Doc 'There Is Another Way' as Exec Producer (EXCLUSIVE) 'Cheech & Chong's Last Movie' Trailer: The Iconic Stoner Duo Reunites for Final Buddy Comedy Doc 'Court of Gold' Director on Making Kevin Durant Cry, Getting Kicked Out of Serbia's Locker Room and Interviewing 7'3'' Victor Wembanyama on a Stool The conference this year is curated by Mandy Chang, former head of BBC Storyville, and global documentaries at Fremantle. Mara Gourd-Mercado, head of industry and training at CPH:DOX, said the conference 'creates space to explore how documentary filmmaking shapes the world around us.' She added: 'Through hands-on discussions and insights from industry leaders, the conference promises to spark fresh ideas and equip filmmakers with new tools for telling impactful stories.' Donata von Perfall, managing director of Documentary Campus, added: 'The documentary filmmaking community has an immense sense of shared responsibility and values. It is via platforms like CPH:Conference where we can come together to discuss the urgent topics in our industry, to spark new ideas and celebrate the power of great stories.' After the kick off with the CPH:DOX Summit on March 24, from Tuesday to Thursday the conference will open each day with 'A Morning With…,' hosted by Thom Powers, the voice behind the 'Pure Non-Fiction' and 'Documentary of the Week' podcasts. Powers will lead conversations with filmmakers Violet Du Feng ('The Dating Game'), Sam Soko ('Matabeleland'), and Mark Cousins ('The Story of Documentary Film'), discussing their latest work, their careers, and how they navigate the challenges of filmmaking. The morning sessions conclude with 'Dialogues,' conversations between filmmakers around a particular area of filmmaking. The sessions will offer insights into the creative processes, industry trends and the evolving role of documentaries in the digital age. In 'Adaptive Storytelling: Crafting Frameworks for the AI + Automation Era,' Mark Atkin, head of studies, CPH:Lab, and artist Violeta Ayala of United Notions Film will explore how AI is reshaping documentary production and storytelling; intimacy coordinator Anne Sofie Steen Sverdrup of Bedside Productions, filmmaker Laurits Flensted-Jensen ('Neon Heart'), and producer Mads Damsbo of Makropol will lead a session on crafting intimate, co-created narratives in VR, focusing on immersive storytelling and ethical creativity; Olivier Sarbil ('Viktor') and Geeta Gandbhir ('The Perfect Neighbor') will discuss how they transition to directing from other positions in filmmaking; while Mstyslav Chernov ('2000 Meters to Andriivka') and Nathan Grossman ('Climate in Therapy') will shed light on the importance of revisiting urgent subjects in a landscape saturated with stories. The afternoons are packed with panels covering all things industry. 'The Cost of Exposing Truth to Power,' featuring Christo Grozev of Der Spiegel ('The Insider'), James Jones ('Antidote'), and Jenny Raskin of Impact Partners, will explore the challenges of investigative journalism in today's polarized world. Meanwhile, 'Producing for Success,' with Helle Faber ('Mr Nobody Against Putin') and Rachel Leah Jones ('Co-Existence, My Ass!'), will discuss financing and safeguarding independent documentaries, and the responsibility toward the characters integral to the story. Finally, 'Collaborations and Coalitions,' with Keri Putnam of Putnam Pictures, Alexandre Marionneau of ARTE, and Erika Dilday of POV, will cover innovative distribution strategies and sustainable funding models amid shifting media landscapes. The conference will conclude on March 28 with the 'Climate Story Lab Nordic,' which will examine the role of documentaries in driving climate justice. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Grammy Predictions, From Beyoncé to Kendrick Lamar: Who Will Win? Who Should Win? What's Coming to Netflix in February 2025
