Writer and director Aaron Sorkin tried for years to make The Trial of the Chicago 7, a fact-based drama about the aftermath of riots during the 1968 Democratic Convention to nominate a Presidential candidate. With an ensemble cast, shifting timelines, conflicting narrative threads, and Sorkin’s trademark information-packed dialogue, Trial was not an easy sell.... »
One of the best received films of 2020, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom is a vivid adaptation of August Wilson’s landmark play. Directed by George C. Wolfe, the film explores a 1927 Chicago recording session featuring the celebrated blues singer Ma Rainey (played by Viola Davis) and her backup band, including trumpeter Levee Green (Chadwick... »
Fred Hampton was only 21 years old when he was assassinated by the FBI in 1969. In the Warner Bros Pictures release Judas and the Black Messiah, director Shaka King revisits the events leading up to Hampton’s (played by Daniel Kaluuya) death, as well as his relationship with FBI informant William O’Neil (LaKeith Stanfield). Based... »
In One Night in Miami…, currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video, the meeting of four cultural icons becomes the chance to explore how society deals with racism and discrimination. Directed by Regina King, and written by Kemp Powers from his play, the movie weaves the lives of Malcolm X (Kingsley Ben-Adir), Cassius Clay (Eli... »
The sweeping vistas of mountains, canyons, and plains seen in the Universal Pictures release News of the World are the work of Cinematographer Dariusz Wolski, ASC. Directed by Paul Greengrass and starring Tom Hanks and Helena Zengel, the movie is currently in select theaters and On Demand. Speaking via Zoom from Rome where he... »
For director Thea Sharrock, The One and Only Ivan wouldn’t work unless its combination of live action, animation, and special effects were “seamless.” Based on an award-winning novel, the Disney production recounts the true story of a silverback gorilla living in a shopping mall near Tacoma, Washington. Speaking on a Zoom conference call, Sharrock... »
One of the highlights of the annual EnergaCAMERIMAGE festival, the IMAGO Diversity and Inclusion panels give cinematographers across the globe the opportunity to share knowledge and experiences with colleagues. Started in 2016, the panels are free-wheeling explorations into how gender and ethnic minorities can gain footholds in the field of cinematography. IMAGO, the International... »
A Civil War veteran and a young orphan journey across Texas in News of the World, a Universal release directed by Paul Greengrass and starring Tom Hanks and Helena Zengel. The movie takes place on a turbulent frontier that ranges from cattle yards to burgeoning towns. Hanks plays Capt. Jefferson Kidd, a widower who... »
A lone scientist isolated in a polar outpost tries to warn astronauts returning from a space mission that an environmental disaster has swept over the planet in The Midnight Sky. Directed by and starring George Clooney, the movie is currently streaming on Netflix. To make The Midnight Sky, Clooney assembled a crew of distinguished... »
A bankrupt rancher tangles with the Mexican drug cartel in The Marksman, a Liam Neeson vehicle opening January 15 via Open Road. Directed by Robert Lorenz (DGA, PGA), the movie pairs Neeson as ex-Marine Jim Hanson with Miguel (Jacob Perez), a young Mexican who’s the target of cartel killers led by Mauricio (Juan Pablo... »
