Latest news with #PorcelainWar
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Taxi Driver' Screenwriter Paul Schrader Accused Of Sexual Assault By Former Assistant
Filmmaker Paul Schrader is the subject of a lawsuit by a former personal assistant, who alleges that he sexually assaulted and harassed her during her time of employment, reports The Independent newspaper. The UK title adds that these allegations, the subject of a lawsuit filed in civil court by the unnamed woman, came to light after Schrader reneged on a confidential settlement previously agreed and the complainant filed a new affadavit in New York State Supreme Court. More from Deadline Paul Schrader Posits ChatGPT Can Write "Original" And "Fleshed Out" Movie Scripts 'Oh, Canada' Star Richard Gere And Director Paul Schrader Explain Why The 'American Gigolo' Reunion Took So Long: "The Right Thing Hadn't Occurred" 'My Dead Friend Zoe,' 'Porcelain War,' 'Brooklyn, Minnesota' Among Big Winners At 25th Woodstock Film Festival AP News reports that the complainant is seeking a judge's order to enforce the agreement after Schrader said he couldn't go through with it. The terms of the settlement were not disclosed. Schrader's attorney Philip Kessler told The Independent that the filmmaker – whose screenwriting credits include Taxi Driver, American Gigolo and Raging Bull and an Oscar nomination for 2017's First Reformed – denied all the allegations made against him, calling it 'a desperate, frivolous and opportunistic claim.' We have reached out to Schrader's legal representatives for comment. The former personal assistant, aged 26, made allegations in the lawsuit arising fro her time working for Schrader 2021 to September 2024, including: That Schrader used his position of power to sexually assault the complainant, luring her into a hotel room, forcibly grabbing and kissing her, then three days later forcing her into his hotel room where he exposed himself; Schrader 'force[d] her to work in a sexually hostile, intimidating, and humiliating environment on a daily, if not hourly, basis'; A 'barrage' of harassment by Schrader, including, among other things, 'forced exposure of his genitals, unwanted sexual advances, repeatedly professing his love and desire to touch Ms. Doe (both verbally and via numerous emails), and near-constant inappropriate sexual questions and lewd and misogynistic commentary'; Schrader fired her last September after she rejected his advances. Schrader's attorney said: 'The underlying intentions of the plaintiff here contain many very material inaccuracies, and are obviously designed to paint Mr. Schrader in a very false light, in an effort to intimidate and coerce him into settling. And just to be very clear, Mr. Schrader never had sex in any form with the plaintiff, nor did he ever attempt such a thing. We will vigorously defend this.' Best of Deadline '1923' Season 2 Release Schedule: When Do New Episodes Come Out? Everything We Know About 'Nine Perfect Strangers' Season 2 So Far Everything We Know About 'Hacks' Season 4 So Far
CBS News
28-03-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Could Sundance Film Festival's move mean more films shot in Colorado? Locals hope so.
As Colorado celebrated the coming move of the Sundance Film Festival to Boulder , Colorado film industry leaders were looking ahead at what seemed like potential for more production. "I really hope that it will attract other productions to come. I hope that our state continues to support filmmaking so that we can attract productions from all around the country and the work," said Paula Dupré Pesmen, a producer and documentary filmmaker who lives in Colorado. Colorado has tried for decades to attract the film industry. There are selling points for the state. "There's amazing locations -- you can be in the mountains, there's towns, there's cities, there's Denver. There are so many different locations that can work for so many different kinds of stories," said Dupré Pesmen, whose work includes the recent Oscar Award-nominated documentary, "Porcelain War," about artists in Ukraine. The addition of business production and post-production houses could come if there's growth. "Studios, stages, all of those things. If the work is coming here, those things are going to be developed," she added. But creating a larger industry means pulling it away from somewhere else. The Colorado Office of Film, Television, and Media boasts that the state's existing film incentive program has generated $153 million dollars in economic impact, creating over 5,000 cast and crew jobs -- albeit temporary ones. But other states have been more successful. "Tyler Perry built a huge vertically-integrated production company in Atlanta and Georgia gives a ton of investment," noted Dean Stoecker, CEO of Ranch Productions, serving as executive producer of a movie now being shot in Boulder. "We have named it, 'The Man who Changed the World,'" said Stoecker. The movie is a story about his family. Some of the crew is from Colorado, some come in from out of state. Production trucks have been brought in from Albuquerque, New Mexico, which has used significant incentives to draw in film production. Then 3,000 costumes were brought in from Los Angeles, said Stoecker, because there are no costume houses in Colorado. The way to build up the industry, be believes, is with larger incentives. "What we found out is that every dollar of investment from the state leads to $8.50 dollars return to the state. And so I don't know anywhere you can get and 850% return on your money unless you're a bank robber," said Stoecker. But setting aside government money is always a tough sell. "I think it's incentives. I think it's tax incentives and the availability of the locations. And the infrastructure," said Stoecker. "So I'm convinced it will work. The timing of it, I'm not sure."
Voice of America
09-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Voice of America
'Porcelain War' documentary spotlights Ukrainian artists' fight for country
The documentary film Porcelain War highlights the struggle of Ukrainian artists and ordinary citizens fighting to save their country and culture in the face of Russian aggression. The movie won the 2024 Sundance Festival Grand Jury Prize for documentaries and was nominated for an Oscar this year. Elena Wolf has the story, narrated by Anna Rice. VOA footage by Elena Matusovsky.
Los Angeles Times
04-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Russia is ‘trying to erase Ukrainian identity' in ‘genocide war,' say ‘Porcelain War' doc filmmakers
Ukraine war documentary 'Porcelain War' director Brendan Bellomo, Director/Film Participant Slava Leontyev, and film participant Frodo the dog spoke to The Times about their Oscar-nominated feature doc while on the red carpet of the Oscars. 'Porcelain War' follows three artists in Ukraine as they 'defiantly find inspiration and beauty as they defend their culture and their country,' according to the film's official synopsis. 'Under roaring fighting jets, Ukrainian artists Slava, Anya, and Andrey stay behind, defiantly finding beauty amid destruction. Armed with art, cameras, and for the first time in their lives, guns, they show that while it's easy to frighten people, it's harder to destroy their passion for living.'
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Oscar-Nominated Ukraine War Documentary ‘Porcelain War' To Screen At Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center In DC
EXCLUSIVE: Three years ago today, Russia launched its hellish full-scale invasion of Ukraine, an unprovoked assault that has killed and injured more than 40,000 Ukrainian civilians, according to the UN. As the war enters its fourth year, there is news about the Oscar-nominated documentary Porcelain War, which tells of the resistance to Russian aggression by artists and civilian soldiers. The film directed by Brendan Bellomo and Slava Leontyev has been selected to screen on March 31 as part of the Stories That Matter series at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center in Washington, DC. More from Deadline Ukraine Marks Three Years Under Attack: "Today, A Ukrainian Producer Is Nothing Short Of A Superhero" As Donald Trump Appears Ready To Abandon Ukraine, Filmmaker Evgeny Afineevsky Focuses On War's Youngest Victims Doc Talk Podcast With 'Porcelain War' Directors Brendan Bellomo & Slava Leontyev Before They Head To The Oscars The series, created in partnership with the Johns Hopkins Graduate Film and Media program and the Cineteca Di Bologna, will welcome the directors and producer Paula DuPré Pesmen for the screening followed by a conversation with Johns Hopkins experts. 'Porcelain War embodies the mission of the Stories That Matter series by highlighting the important role of artistic expression in fostering public dialogue around challenging issues,' commented Cybele Bjorklund, executive director of the Hopkins Bloomberg Center. 'We invite policymakers, members of the media, students, and the community to experience the film and engage in our thought-provoking, post-screening program.' Sig Libowitz, director of the Graduate Film and Media program, said in a statement, 'Porcelain War confronts us unexpectedly with imagery, imagination, and a range of emotions as we consider our humanity and the purpose of art within the landscape of war. This is a story of artists who become soldiers and defenders of their nation's culture and heritage. The film's spirit is at the core of Stories that Matter.' Porcelain War won the DGA Award earlier this month, the latest in a long list of honors that includes the duPont-Columbia University Award, the Grand Jury Prize for U.S. Documentary at Sundance, awards at the Seattle International Film Festival, Heartland International Film Festival, Stockhold Film Festival, Sydney Film Festival, two awards at the Woodstock Film Festival in New York and four awards at the Woods Hole Film Festival in Massachusetts. Porcelain War is a Songbird Studios Production, in association with Imaginary Lane, Bob's Your Uncle, Far Star Media, Sobrato Philanthropies, and Cayton Goldrich Family Foundation. The film is produced by Paula DuPré Pesmen (Oscar-winner The Cove), Aniela Sidorska, Camilla Mazzaferro, and Olivia Ahnemann. The Stories That Matter series, which presents narrative features, documentaries and short films, kicked off last Friday with a screening of the Oscar-shortlisted documentary Daughters. A release notes, 'The series provides filmmakers from the U.S. and around the world the opportunity to present international cinema to D.C. audiences, including stakeholders in the U.S. government, the international diplomatic community, and Johns Hopkins students and alumni, at the Hopkins Bloomberg Center, situated at the epicenter of the U.S. capital, with sweeping views of the Capitol building and the National Gallery of Art.' Some of the films in the series will also be presented at Johns Hopkins campuses in Baltimore, Maryland, and in Bologna, Italy. Best of Deadline Who Is The Mysterious Caller In 'The White Lotus' Season 3 Episode 2? 'The White Lotus' Season 3 Release Schedule: When Do New Episodes Arrive On Max? 'The White Lotus' Season 3: Everything We Know About The Cast, Premiere Date & More
