Roger Ross Williams News

The Apollo Theater today announced details of its 2019 fall season, featuring myriad music, dance, and theater performances and film screenings that expand the nonprofit theater's role as a partner, commissioner, and co-producer of programming that articulates African American narratives.

Sundance Institute announces six projects selected for the 2019 Sundance Institute New Frontier Story Lab, which supports independent artists working at the cutting-edge convergence of film, art, media, live performance and technology.  The New Frontier Story Lab is a week-long immersive experience that empowers creatives with individual story sessions, conversations about key artistic, design and technology issues and case study presentations from experts in multiple disciplines. Past participants include Roger Ross Williams, Josephine Decker, Silas Howard, Tracy Fullerton, Yung Jake, Chris Milk, Hasan Minhaj, Tommy Pallotta, Amelia Winger-Bearskin, Hank Willis Thomas, Jillian Mayer, Heather Dewey-Hagborg, Navid and Vassiliki Khonsari, A Dandy Punk, and Nicolas Peufaillit. The Lab takes place May 16-21 at the Sundance Resort in Utah, under the leadership of Sundance Institute Feature Film Program Founding Director Michelle Satter and Ruthie Doyle, Interim Director of New Frontier Lab Programs.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Maria's catastrophic destruction in 2017, three Puerto Rican women and their families are caught between worlds as their FEMA housing assistance in New York expires. With the threat of homelessness on the horizon, After Maria follows as they fight to keep their families together and weather the emotional effects from displacement.

The 2019 Tribeca Film Festival, presented by AT&T, today unveiled its feature film lineup. Continuing its tradition of elevating exceptional storytelling rooted in today's global film communities, the 18th annual Festival will showcase debut works from emerging talent and new works from notable filmmakers. The program includes discoveries, comedies, music-centered, political and social films. The 2019 Tribeca Film Festival takes place April 24 - May 5.  

Eleven screenwriters have been selected to participate in Sundance Institute's seventh annual Screenwriters Intensive in Los Angeles, to take place February 28 - March 1, 2019. Part of the Institute's commitment to introducing the industry to an inclusive pipeline of exciting new storytellers, the Intensive is a two-day workshop for writers or writer/directors from underrepresented communities developing their first fiction feature. Fellows at the Intensive will advance the art and craft of their work under the guidance of experienced filmmakers and in collaboration with Institute's Feature Film Program.

The Tribeca Film Festival, presented by AT&T, will open its 18th edition with the world premiere of the HBO Documentary Film The Apollo. Helmed by Academy and Emmy Award-winning director Roger Ross Williams, The Apollo chronicles the unique history and contemporary legacy of the New York City landmark, the Apollo Theater. The film will debut at the iconic theater itself on Wednesday, April 24, 2019 and later this year on HBO. The feature-length documentary weaves together archival footage, music, comedy and dance performances, and behind-the-scenes verité with the team that makes the theater run. The Apollo features interviews with artists including Patti LaBelle, Pharrell Williams, Smokey Robinson, and Jamie Foxx. The documentary is produced by Lisa Cortés, Nigel Sinclair's White Horse Pictures, and Williams. The 2019 Tribeca Film Festival runs April 24-May 5.

Sundance Institute spotlights work at the dynamic crossroads of film, art and technology with the New Frontier selections for the 2019 Sundance Film Festival, announced today. This curated collection of cutting-edge independent and experimental media works are by creators who are pushing artistic innovation across new mediums that include VR, AR, mixed reality (MR) and AI. Programmers assembled a global slate of work from a mix of invitations and submissions to an open call for VR work earlier this year.

Sidelined, the acclaimed, original short documentary film, will have its television premiere on Lifetime on Monday, January 14 at 10pm ET/PT.

On New York's Governor's Island, an unprecedented program has an ambitious goal: to restore once-bountiful oysters and the environmental benefits they bring to New York Harbor. What's more, the foot soldiers of this environmental movement are an unlikely group--high school students at a remarkable public school that teaches stewardship of the waterways alongside math and English. TAKE BACK THE HARBOR highlights the stories and work of these extraordinary students and their inspiring teachers as they persevere to turn the tide on decades of neglect and bring back the health of New York City waterways.

An elegant, engaging and cinematic verite documentary series celebrating the deep emotional bonds between people and their beloved four-legged best friends. The series tracks six incredible stories from across the globe including Syria, Japan, Costa Rica, Italy and the US—each proving that the unconditional love one feels for their dog is a beautiful universal truth. With episodes helmed by critically acclaimed directors including: Academy Award-nominated Amy Berg (Deliver Us From Evil), Academy Award-winning Roger Ross Williams (Life Animated, Music by Prudence), Academy Award-nominated Heidi Ewing (Jesus Camp, One of Us), Emmy Award-winning Richard Hankin (The Jinx) and Academy Award-winners T.J. Martin and Daniel Lindsay (Undefeated), Dogs takes us on an inspirational journey exploring the remarkable, perhaps even magical qualities that have given these animals such a special place in all of our hearts.

The 2018 Woodstock Film Festival will showcase 9 World Premieres, 4 North American Premieres, 1 US Premiere, 12 East Coast Premieres, and 8 New York Premieres.

The 2018 Woodstock Film Festival will showcase 9 World Premieres, 4 North American Premieres, 1 US Premiere, 12 East Coast Premieres, and 8 New York Premieres.

Aspiring and established filmmakers have just over two weeks left to get their submissions in for the 19thAnnual Woodstock Film Festival that runs from October 10 – 14, 2018. 

Thirteen new independent feature projects from the U.S., Cuba, Kenya, Mexico, Morocco, and Palestine have been selected for the 2018 Sundance Institute Directors and Screenwriters Labs. At the Directors Lab (May 28-June 21), filmmakers will rehearse, shoot and edit key scenes from their scripts, working closely with industry advisors, actors, and production crews to help drive creative growth via an immersive and hands-on experience at the Sundance Resort in Utah. The Screenwriters Lab from June 23-28  fosters a similar environment of dynamic inspiration as participants focus on the art and craft of screenplay writing with one-on-one support from Institute advisors . Overseen by Feature Film Program Founding Director Michelle Satter and Labs Director Ilyse McKimmie, the Labs begin a year-round continuum of customized support for Fellows, which can include creative mentorship, granting, and guidance from industry professionals. 

Sundance Institute announces the six projects selected for the annual New Frontier Story Lab, which supports independent artists working at the cutting-edge convergence of film, art, media, live performance and technology.

Sundance Institute Announces Fellows for Two Focused Intensives

Netflix Announces Films and Documentaries to Premiere at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival

This morning, Jennifer Hudson, Brie Larson, Emmanuel Lubezki, Jason Reitman and Ken Watanabe will join Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs to reveal the 89th Oscars Nominations

LIFE, ANIMATED, the acclaimed, award-winning original documentary feature film directed by Academy Award(R) winner Roger Ross Williams, will have its television premiere on A&E Network today, January 7 at 8pm ET/PT.

LIFE, ANIMATED, the acclaimed, award-winning original documentary feature film directed by Academy Award(R) winner Roger Ross Williams, will have its television premiere on A&E Network on Saturday, January 7 at 8pm ET/PT.