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Nan A. Talese, President, Publisher and Editorial Director of her eponymous Doubleday imprint, will retire at the end of the year, bringing an end to one of publishing’s most celebrated careers that also included stints at Random House, Simon & Schuster and Houghton Mifflin.

Since starting her Nan A. Talese imprint at Doubleday in 1990, Talese, who is married to author Gay Talese, has published a list of prominent authors including Margaret Atwood, Ian McEwan, Adam Haslett, Alex Kotlowitz, Pat Conroy, Thomas Keneally, Mia Farrow, Jim Crace, Valerie Martin, Peter Ackroyd, Mary Morris, Louis Begley, Jennifer Egan, Mark Richard, Judy Collins, Barry Unsworth, Antonia Fraser, Thomas Cahill, Janet Wallach, and George Plimpton.

Talese’s successor was not announced.

After beginning her career at Vogue, Talese joined Random House in 1959 as a copy editor, then became the first woman to hold the position of literary editor. In that role, she worked with such writers as A.

Participant Media is reteaming with Oscar-nominated filmmaker Steve James and his longtime production home, Kartemquin Films, on his latest documentary, “Chicago Story.”

Participant Media will finance the project, which will be produced by James and Zak Piper. Participant’s Jeff Skoll and Diane Weyermann will executive produce with Alex Kotlowitz and Gordon Quinn. James, Piper, and Kotlowitz previously collaborated on “The Interrupters.”

The doc will be a portrait of Chicago today, captured at this crucial juncture in the city’s history – the upcoming mayoral election in February 2019. Principal photography is already underway.

“This is a film I’ve wanted to do for years, and right now seems the perfect time to make it. Chicago finds itself at a significant crossroads in so many ways as its citizens grapple with its future and who will lead them,” says James. “I’m thrilled to be partnering with Participant again after our wonderful collaboration on America to Me.

Fans of documentary filmmaker Steve James who missed his hard-hitting 2011 work “The Interrupters” have a unique opportunity to catch the film, and James himself Nov. 1 as part of the 2012 Snag the Vote screening series. The film’s digital premiere will be streamed at 7 pm Est at SnagFilms, and James and producer Alex Kotlowitz will take part in a live Q&A after the movie. James’ film follows the efforts of the Chicago organization CeaseFire, which is comprised of men trying to stop the violence that they once perpetuated in their communities. “Interrupters” had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in 2011 and won the Independent Spirit award for best documentary. The version that SnagFilms is showing is a 125-minute theatrical version that has never before been seen online. Read More: To Crowdfund or Not to Crowdfund: 20 Years After Making 'Hoop Dreams,' Filmmaker Steve James Braves the New Financing World With.

DVD Playhouse—March 2012

By Allen Gardner

J. Edgar (Warner Bros.) Director Clint Eastwood provides a rock-solid, albeit rather flat portrait of polarizing FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, covering his life from late teens to his death. Leonardo DiCaprio does an impressive turn as Hoover, never crossing the line into caricature, and creating a Hoover that is all too human, making for an all the more unsettling look at absolute power run amuck. Where the film stumbles is the love story at its core: Hoover’s relationship with longtime aide Clyde Tolson (Armie Hammer). In the hands of an openly-gay director like Gus Van Sant, this could have been a heartbreaking, tender story of forbidden (unrequited?) love, but Eastwood seems to tiptoe around their romance, with far too much delicacy and deference. The film works well when recreating the famous crimes and investigations which Hoover made his name on (the Lindbergh kidnapping,...

Reviewer: Craig Phillips

Ratings (out of five): ****

With a title that makes it sound like an action film, Steve James' new documentary The Interrupters actually is an action film in a way -- it's about the brave actions of a few reformed souls who try to do some good in a world of violence. James, who co-directed the masterful epic Hoop Dreams, one of the most important documentaries of the past thirty years, returns to Chicago for this story of those who call themselves "interrupters," people who try to mediate gang-related disputes before they escalate into violence.

The film, based on a book by Alex Kotlowitz, has a remarkably fluid, fly on the wall style of which Frederick Wiseman would approve. Though snubbed by this year's Oscars, it did at least win the Indie Spirit Award for Best Documentary.

"The Interrupters," a film about former criminals working to stop violence in Chicago, was named best documentary at the Film Independent Spirit Awards Saturday night.

Filmmakers Steve James and Alex Kotlowitz followed the violence interrupters working for Chicago's CeaseFire, an organization founded by Dr. Gary Slutkin. Slutkin believed that violence should be treated like a disease -- and the organization has managed to reduce shootings and killings by 41 to 73 percent, according to an independent evaluation by the Department of Justice.

James' widely acclaimed documentary "Hoop Dreams" was snubbed by the Oscars in 1994, and many were shocked to see the same thing happen with "The Interrupters." But the Independent Spirit Award for "Best Documentary," as Roger Ebert notes, is "no less significant."

“It's really great to win this award and win it the day before the Oscars,” James told the Chicago Tribune after winning the Spirit award Saturday. “It's a great...

Getty Michel Hazanavicius, director of “The Artist,” won Best Feature at the Independent Spirit Awards

Los Angeles — Michelle Williams, Zac Efron, Penelope Ann Miller and Zachary Quinto were among the guests who came out to celebrate the 27th annual Independent Spirit Awards Saturday afternoon in a tent on the beach in Santa Monica.

Seth Rogen hosted the event, with the first award going to Christopher Plummer for best supporting actor for his role in “The Beginners.” “Winning here, I hope...

Film Independent, the non-profit arts organization that produces the Spirit Awards and the Los Angeles Film Festival, handed out top honors to The Artist, The Descendants and Margin Call at this afternoon’s 27th Film Independent Spirit Awards. My Week With Marilyn, Beginners, 50/50, A Separation and The Interrupters also received awards at the ceremony, held in a tent on the beach in Santa Monica.

Tune in to IFC tonight at 10:00 pm Et/Pt to catch all the action at the 2012 Film Independent Spirit Awards, with actor, writer and producer Seth Rogen hosting. Highlights include: John Waters as the Voice of God, musical performances by My Morning Jacket and K’Naan.

The Spirit Awards was the first event to exclusively honor independent film, and over the past 27 years, has become the premier awards show for the independent film community, celebrating films made by filmmakers who embody independence and originality. Artists...

Michel Hazanavicius' "The Artist" was the big winner at the 2012 Film Independent Spirit Awards. The black-and-white silent film took home Best Feature, Director for Hazanavicius, Best Male Lead for Jean Dujardin, and Best Cinematography for Guillaume Schiffman.

In the performance categories, Michelle Williams took home the Best Female Lead award for her Marilyn Monroe portrayal in "My Week with Marilyn." Shailene Woodley, snubbed by the Academy for her memorable performance as George Clooney's daughter in "The Descendants," won Best Supporting Actress while Oscar frontrunner, Christopher Plummer, received the Best Supporting Actor award for his performance in "Beginners."

Held on Santa Monica Beach and hosted by Seth Rogen, the 27th Film Independent Spirit Awards will be broadcast by IFC at 10 p.m. Pst/Est.

Here's the complete list of winners (highlighted) and nominees of the Independent Spirit Awards:

Best Feature

50/50 - Producers: Evan Goldberg, Ben Karlin, Seth Rogen...

Jean Dujardin, Bérénice Bejo, The Artist The Artist, Jean Dujardin, Michelle Williams: Spirit Award Winners Best Feature (Award given to the producer) 50/50 Producers: Evan Goldberg, Ben Karlin, Seth Rogen Beginners Producers: Miranda de Pencier, Lars Knudsen, Leslie Urdang, Dean Vanech, Jay Van Hoy Drive Producers: Michel Litvak, John Palermo, Marc Platt, Gigi Pritzker, Adam Siegel Take Shelter Producers: Tyler Davidson, Sophia Lin * The Artist Producer: Thomas Langmann The Descendants Producers: Jim Burke, Alexander Payne, Jim Taylor Best Director * Michel Hazanavicius – The Artist Mike Mills – Beginners Jeff Nichols – Take Shelter Alexander Payne – The Descendants Nicolas Winding Refn – Drive Best Screenplay Joseph Cedar – Footnote Michel Hazanavicius – The Artist Tom McCarthy – Win Win Mike Mills – Beginners * Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon & Jim Rash – The Descendants Best International Film (Award given to the director) * A Separation (Iran) Director: Asghar Farhadi Melancholia (Denmark, Sweden, France, Germany) Director: Lars von Trier Shame (UK) Director: Steve McQueen...

Chicago – On Sunday, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will name what they consider to be the Best Documentary of 2011. They will be wrong. How do I know? Because it’s not even nominated. The actual best documentary of last year (which was a Very good year from the form with everything from “Into the Abyss” to “Tabloid” to “Pearl Jam Twenty” to “Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory”) was not nominated. That title goes to Steve James’ “The Interrupters,” which was recently released on Blu-ray and DVD and is simply a must-see.

Rating: 5.0/5.0

The people profiled in “The Interrupters” are true heroes. They have been through a darkness that most of you reading this can’t even imagine and they didn’t come through it shell-shocked or afraid; they came through it wanting to make a difference in the world. Where most people see a lost cause or something that demands a forceful response,...

Of course, no one is really robbed of an Academy Award nomination. It's a gift; not a right. The balloting procedure is conducted honestly and reflects a collective opinion, which was demonstrated this year when the Academy voters had the curiosity to seek out Demian Bichir for best actor for his deeply convincing performance as a Mexican gardener in Los Angeles in "A Better Life." He wasn't on my mental list of possible candidates, but when I heard the name, I thought, "Of course! Good thinking!"

Does it therefore follow that in the best actor category, Bichir "robbed" Michael Shannon of "Take Shelter," Ryan Gosling of "Drive" or Michael Fassbender of "Shame"? It does not, even though those performances were so good. There were no unworthy nominees for best actor. But let me also point out that none of the five nominees was as electrifying as the three who were "robbed.

One of the stars of the critically-acclaimed documentary "The Interrupters," called "the most necessary film of the year" by Slatelast year, was interviewed Wednesday on "The Colbert Report" a matter of weeks before the film makes its Feb. 14 television debut on PBS's Frontline.

Ameena Matthews is one of the "interrupters" who work with Chicago-based anti-violence group CeaseFire, an innovative organization that aims to decrease the brutal violence that continues to disproportionately impact the city's poor, urban neighborhoods through a peer-based public health-oriented approach. CeaseFire's model, pioneered by epidemiologist Gary Slutkin, has been replicated in a number of other cities around the world who also struggling with street violence, most recently in Philadelphia, Baltimore and London.

"She should have Michelle Pfeiffer teach them poetry," host Stephen Colbert suggested as he introduced Matthews.

Colbert, finding common ground with Matthews, said he, too, is an interrupter, before he noted that interrupting violence is...

One of the stars of the critically-acclaimed documentary "The Interrupters," called "the most necessary film of the year" by Slatelast year, was interviewed Wednesday on "The Colbert Report" a matter of weeks before the film makes its Feb. 14 television debut on PBS's Frontline.

Ameena Matthews is one of the "interrupters" who work with Chicago-based anti-violence group CeaseFire, an innovative organization that aims to decrease the brutal violence that continues to disproportionately impact the city's poor, urban neighborhoods through a peer-based public health-oriented approach. CeaseFire's model, pioneered by epidemiologist Gary Slutkin, has been replicated in a number of other cities around the world who also struggling with street violence, most recently in Philadelphia, Baltimore and London.

"She should have Michelle Pfeiffer teach them poetry," host Stephen Colbert suggested as he introduced Matthews.

Colbert, finding common ground with Matthews, said he, too, is an interrupter, before he noted that interrupting violence is...

Steve James' The Interrupters Steve James' The Interrupters, Frederick Wiseman's Harrowing Expose Titicut Follies Win Cinema Eye Honors Outstanding Achievement in Nonfiction Feature Filmmaking: The Interrupters directed by Steve James; produced by Alex Kotlowitz and Steve James Outstanding Achievement in Direction: Steve James, The Interrupters Audience Choice Prize: Buck, directed by Cindy Meehl Outstanding Achievement in a Debut Feature Film: Clio Barnard, The Arbor Outstanding Achievement in Production: Gian-Piero Ringel and Wim Wenders, Pina Outstanding Achievement in Editing: Gregers Sall and Chris King, Senna Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography: Danfung Dennis, Hell and Back Again Outstanding Achievement in an Original Music Score: John Kusiak, Tabloid Spotlight Award: The Tiniest Place, directed by Tatiana Huezo Sánchez Outstanding Achievement in Graphic Design and Animation: Rob Feng and Jeremy Landman, Tabloid Heterodox Award: Beginners, directed by Mike Mills Outstanding Achievement in Nonfiction Short Filmmaking: Diary, directed by Tim Hetherington Hell Yeah Prize: Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky,...

Chicago – Life was a happy song at the Chicago Film Critics Association Awards night, which celebrated the best cinematic achievements of 2011, while presenting honorary awards to some very special guests. The event was held January 7 at the Broadway Playhouse, and was highlighted by appearances from some of the brightest talents in show business.

Jason Segel, the exuberant star of “Freaks and Geeks,” “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” and “How I Met Your Mother,” was honored with the Comedia Extraordinaire Award for his triumphant efforts to resurrect the late Jim Henson’s waning franchise by co-writing and acting in “The Muppets.” At a press conference prior to the awards show, Segel was characteristically humble and self-deprecating while reflecting on his own work. In the case of his “Muppet” co-stars, he had nothing but praise.

“Working with [Amy Adams] and Chris Cooper, I realized why those people get nominated for awards and I don’t,” said Segel.

2011 has been a fantastic year for documentaries. In fact, you might see more than one on our best films of 2011 list. But in order to give the genre the recognition it deserves, we wanted to highlight all those that missed the cut. These films often provide more engaging drama with their veracity and technique than most narrative features and it killed us to skip over some we loved.

Just to mention a few that didn’t make the cut in no particular order: Tabloid, Beats Rhymes & Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest, Public Speaking, George Harrison: Living In The Material World, Self Made, Project Nim, The Swell Season, Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop, Page One: Inside the New York Times and Cave of Forgotten Dreams. But we’ve narrowed it down to just ten with write-ups from our own John Fink, unless otherwise noted. Check them out...

Why not fold documentaries into my list of the "Best Films of 2011?" After all, a movie is a movie, right? Yes, and some years I've thrown them all into the same mixture. But all of these year-end Best lists serve one useful purpose: They tell you about good movies you may not have seen or heard about. The more films on my list that aren't on yours, the better job I've done.

That's particularly true were you to depend on the "short list" released by the Academy's Documentary Branch of 15 films they deem eligible for nomination. The branch has been through turmoil in the past and its procedures were "reformed" at one point. But this year it has made a particularly scandalous sin of

omission. It doesn't include "The Interrupters" (currently scoring 99% on the Tomatometer), which has received better reviews and been on more critic's Best lists than any other.

The Cinema Eye Honors revealed the nominees for the 5th Annual Awards honoring Non-Fiction Filmmaking. Winners will be announced on January 11. Here's the list of the 2012 Cinema Eye Honors:

Outstanding Achievement in Nonfiction Feature Filmmaking:

"The Arbor," Directed by Clio Barnard, Produced by Tracy O.Riordan

"Senna," Directed by Asif Kapadia; Produced by James Gay-Rees, Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner

"Project Nim," Directed by James Marsh, Produced by Simon Chinn

"Position Among the Stars," Directed by Leonard Retel Helmrich, Produced by Hetty Naaijkens-Retel Helmrich

"Nostalgia for the Light," Directed by Patricio Guzmán, Produced by Renate Sachse

"The Interrupters," Directed by Steve James, Produced by Alex Kotlowitz and Steve James

Outstanding Achievement in Direction:

Clio Barnard for "The Arbor"

Leonard Retel Helmrich for "Position Among the Stars"

Patricio Guzmán for "Nostalgia for the Light"

Steve James for "The Interrupters"

Danfung Dennis for "Hell and Back Again"

Outstanding Achievement in Production:

Erik Nelson...

Steve James’ documentary "The Interrupters" has been garnering praise since premiering at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, with many calling it the best documentary of the year. Below James shares a scene from his film (produced by James and Alex Kotlowitz, whose original New York Times article inspired the film), and offers a glimpse into his method. Honor Roll is a daily series for December that will feature new or previously published interviews, profiles and first-persons of some of the year's most notable cinematic voices. Today we're revisiting a first person in which Steve James shared a scene from his doc 'The Interrupters.' The Film For "The Interrupters," Alex and I had both been haunted by the persistent violence in communities like the ones I profiled in "Hoop Dreams," and he in his book “There Are No Children Here.” We felt that through the violence interrupters at CeaseFire we.

Film Independent, the non-profit arts organization that produces the Spirit Awards and the Los Angeles Film Festival, announced nominations for the 2012 Film Independent Spirit Awards this morning. Anthony Mackie and Kate Beckinsale served as presenters. Nominees for Best Feature include 50/50, Beginners, Drive, Take Shelter, The Artist and The Descendants.

Margin Call was selected to receive the annual Robert Altman Award, which is bestowed upon one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast.

“The Film Independent Spirit Awards recognize the finest artistic achievements across the broad spectrum of independent filmmaking.from emerging talent working on a shoestring budget to established auteurs,” said Film Independent Senior Director Sean Mc Manus. “The 2012 nominees tell their stories in such an authentic way and reflect the inclusive nature of the independent filmmaking community. We are delighted to support them and expand the audience for their work.”

2012 Film Independent Spirit Award Nominations

Best Feature (Award given to the Producer,...

It’s that time of year for various organizations to recognize some of the best films of 2011. Some of these awards are lesser known, but the Film Independent Spirit Awards, is not one of them. Film Independent which also helps produce the Los Angeles Film Festival has announced the 2012 Spirit Award Nominees.

Margin Call was selected to receive the annual Robert Altman Award, which is bestowed upon one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast.

Having seen Win Win the other day, I really hope that Tom McCarthy wins the award for Best Screenplay, but it will be hard to take the win, especially with the momentum that The Descendants and The Artist are having. As for other films, its no surprise to see 50/50, Drive, Beginners, and the aforementioned The Artist and The Descendants as the nominees for Best Feature. The Spirit Award nominees is just one of the...

"The Tree of Life" and "Beginners" emerged as the big winners for the 21st Gotham Independent Film Awards. "The Descendants" and "Martha Marcy May Marlene" led the pack with three nominations each but in the end, Terrence Malick's "The Tree of Life" and Mike Mills' "Beginners" ruled the night.

Related Posts:

Ewan McGregor interview for "Beginners" right here

Mike Mills interview for "Beginners right here

The Gotham Independent Film Awards officially kicks off the 2011-12 award season which of course, leads to the granddaddy of the awards season, the Academy Awards!

Hosted by Edie Falco and Oliver Platt, the Gotham Awards also gave career tributes to Charlize Theron, Gary Oldman, David Cronenberg and Tom Rothman.

"Beginners" also took home the Best Ensemble Performance Award, "Better This World" won Best Documentary, Dee Rees who gave us the wonderful "Pariah" won Breakthrough Director, Felicity Jones for "Like Crazy" won Breakthrough Actor,...

Brad Pitt in Terrence Malick's The Tree of Life Alexander Payne, Terrence Malick In; Woody Allen Out: Gotham Awards 2011 Best Feature (tie) * Beginners Mike Mills, director; Leslie Urdang, Dean Vanech, Miranda de Pencier, Jay Van Hoy, Lars Knudsen, producers (Focus Features) The Descendants Alexander Payne, director; Jim Burke, Alexander Payne, Jim Taylor, producers (Fox Searchlight Pictures) Meek’s Cutoff Kelly Reichardt, director; Neil Kopp, Anish Savjani, Elizabeth Cuthrell, David Urrutia, producers (Oscilloscope Laboratories) Take Shelter Jeff Nichols, director; Tyler Davidson, Sophia Lin, producers (Sony Pictures Classics) * The Tree of Life Terrence Malick, director; Sarah Green, Bill Pohlad, Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Grant Hill, producers (Fox Searchlight Pictures) Best Documentary * Better This World Katie Galloway and Kelly Duane de la Vega, directors; Katie Galloway, Kelly Duane de la Vega, Mike Nicholson, producers (Loteria Films, Picturebox, Motto Pictures and Passion Pictures; Itvs in association with American Documentary | Pov) Bill Cunningham New York Richard Press,...

In a ceremony last night at the Sheffield Doc/Fest in London the nominees were announced for the 5th annual Cinema Eye Honors. Complete list of nominees are below.

Recognizing the best in nonfiction work, this year marks the first time six films will be vying for the top prize.

33 films from 12 countries are among this year’s nominees, including four nominations for seven films (The Arbor, Dragonslayer, Hell and Back Again, The Interrupters, Nostalgia for the Light, Position Among the Stars and Senna) and four individual nominations for The Interrupters‘ director Steve James.

Winners will be announced on January 11, 2012 as Cinema Eye returns for a second year to New York City’s Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, Queens.

Learn more at cinemaeyehonors.com.

2012 Cinema Eye Honors Nominees

Outstanding Achievement in Nonfiction Feature Filmmaking

The Arbor

Directed by Clio Barnard

Produced by Tracy O’Riordan

The Interrupters

Directed...

The Cinema Eye nominations have been announced! Please note short film nomination for Tim Hetherington, the reporter/filmmaker who was killed in Libya. Outstanding Achievement in Nonfiction Feature Filmmaking The Arbor...

Sure, The Oscars are what everyone pays attention to, but over the past few years, the awards known as The Gotham Awards have become more and more influential, and more and more intriguing.

With last year’s winner Winter’s Bone becoming the indie darling of last year’s awards season, it remains to be seen as to what this year’s award darling will be, but we know who it may very well end up being. The nominees for this year’s awards have been revealed, and they are not only interesting, but even have a big time Criterion connection amongst them.

Obviously the biggest winners here are the films The Descendants and Martha Marcy May Marlene, both of which walk away with the most nods respectively. Terrence Malick’s Tree Of Life is up for Best Feature, as is one of this writer’s other favorite 2011 releases, Steve James’ The Interrupters.

By Sean O’Connell

Hollywoodnews.com: Nominees for the 21st Gotham Independent Film Awards were revealed this morning, and Fox Searchlight’s bound to be pleased.

Two films the studio will be pushing through the awards season – Alexander Payne’s “The Descendants” and Sean Durkin’s “Martha March May Marlene” – lead the pack with three nominations apiece, including Best Feature (for “Descendants”) and Best Ensemble Performance (for both films).

The studio’s “The Tree of Life,” director Terrence Malick’s rumination on creation and destruction, also scored a Best Feature nomination. All told, Searchlight nabbed eight Gotham nominations. The closest competitor was Focus Features and Sony Pictures Classics, each with three nominations to their names.

The remaining Best Feature nominees were Mike Mills’ “Beginners,” Jeff Nichols’ “Take Shelter” and Kelly Reichardt’s “Meek’s Cutoff.”

The Gotham Awards’ ceremony will be held on Nov. 28 … the same day the New York...

The Ifp have announced the nominees for their 21st Gotham Independent Film Awards.

Considered the kick off to awards season, this year’s leaders in nominations are Alexander Payne‘s The Descendants and Sean Durkin‘s Martha Marcy May Marlene with three nominations each.

Along with the competitive awards, Charlize Theron, Gary Oldman, David Cronenberg and Tom Rothman will each be presented with career tributes.

The full list of nominees are below. The awards will be handed out on Monday, November 28th at Cipriani Wall Street.

And from Nov. 18-21 be sure to check out the nominees of the Best Film Not Playing At A Theater Near You (selected by us at Filmmaker) when they screen at MoMA.

The nominees for the 21st Annual Gotham Independent Film Awards are:

Best Feature

Beginners

Mike Mills, director; Leslie Urdang, Dean Vanech, Miranda de Pencier, Jay Van Hoy, Lars Knudsen, producers (Focus Features)

The Descendants

Alexander Payne,...

The heavy awards onslaught is gearing up and it is a good year to be Fox Searchlight. The 21st Gotham Independent Film Award Nominations have been announced and two of the studio’s films happen to lead the pack. Alexander Payne‘s The Descendants picked up nominations for Best Feature, Best Ensemble Performance and Best Breakthrough Actor. Their Sundance hit (and one of my personal favorites of the year) Martha Marcy May Marlene picked up Ensemble, Breakthrough Actor and Breakthrough Director for Sean Durkin.

That latter award is a great pack including Mike Cahill for Another Earth, Vera Farmiga for Higher Ground, Evan Glodell for Bellflower and Dee Rees for Pariah. It is also great to see my frontrunner for #1 film of 2011, Terrence Malick‘s The Tree of Life get a Best Feature nomination. Check out the noms below via indieWIRE.

New York, NY (October 20, 2011) – The Independent Filmmaker Project (Ifp...

Title: The Interrupters Director: Steve James “Hoop Dreams” co-director Steve James returns with another tale of Illinois-set woe and striving for self-betterment in the form of “The Interrupters,” an affecting if sometimes also emotionally wearying documentary co-produced with Alex Kotlowitz, whose 2008 “New York Times Magazine” article serves as the movie’s inspiration. A selection at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, the film tells the story of an innovative organization working to stem the rising tide of murders in Chicago. The nonprofit group Ceasefire was founded in the late 1990s by Gary Slutkin, an epidemiologist who characterizes inner city violence as a learned behavior and compares it to the infectious diseases,...

Following scans of the documentary lineups for the upcoming Toronto and New York film festivals, let's glance at a few docs in theaters right now. Melissa Anderson in the Voice: "Inspired by a 2008 New York Times Magazine article by Alex Kotlowitz, Steve James's commanding documentary The Interrupters, about 'violence interrupters' in Chicago, who intervene in conflicts before they escalate into gunshots, unfolds as deeply reported journalism. Much like Hoop Dreams (1994), James's in-depth examination of the athletic aspirations of two African-American high school students, The Interrupters reminds us of the powers and pleasures of well-crafted, immersive nonfiction filmmaking — a genre vitiated within the past five years by a glut of cruddy-looking, poorly researched and argued titles."

The Interrupters has left New York [no, it hasn't! It's at the IFC Center through Tuesday — thanks, Thor!], but its cross-country tour extends into November. It opened last week in the UK, where more than a few reviewers noted the film's relevance to the recent London...

Just about every year around this time, many filmgoers complain that it has been disappointing experience at the cinema. Here at The Film Stage we’ve handpicked our select favorites in an attempt to disprove that theory. We count down the best films we’ve seen in the first eight months in order to give you a must-see list before we head into the busy awards season. We also count down a few awards contenders coming in the next few months that we’ve already had a chance to check out. See the list below in alphabetical order (and selection limited to Us theatrical releases) and let us know if we missed any of your favorites.

The Adjustment Bureau (George Nolfi)

Based on a short story by philosopher and sci-fi poet Philip K. Dick (he inspired Blade Runner, Minority Report and Total Recall), writer/director George Nolfi attempts to inject...

One of the finest documentaries ever to come out of America, Steve James's Hoop Dreams (1994) followed two black teenagers from Chicago's South Side over a period of five years as they tried to turn their skills at basketball into "a ticket out of the ghetto" via superior high schools and basketball scholarships that would make them rich sporting superstars. It was an intense human drama with an enormous cast, painfully depressing but neither glib nor hectoring, that threw a searching light on American society and an all-embracing system that turned a healthy recreational activity into brutal business. James's latest film, The Interrupters (the subject of a major piece by Andrew Anthony in last Sunday's New Review), is shorter, set in the same Chicago milieu, and equally serious. Though quietly impressive, it's inevitably a lesser thing, lacking Hoop Dreams's narrative force and allegorical power.

Made in collaboration with the journalist...

Chicago – Chicago is a divided city. On one end is prosperity, modernity and all the trappings therein. On the other, abject poverty, anger and killing. One dedicated group is trying to diminish the killing end, and is documented by director Steve James (”Hoop Dreams”) in “The Interrupters.”

Rating: 4.0/5.0

The basis for The Interrupters is academic. If violence is viewed as a disease, what kind of “vaccination” can be introduced to heal it? This was a theory of a local professor named Gary Slutkin, who began the group CeaseFire. Director Steve James follows the members of CeaseFire, ex-convicts and gang members who are back on the streets, trying to negotiate peace in volatile urban conflict, whether it be domestic, gang related or simply anger that cannot be satisfied until someone lies dead.

The Interrupters focuses on both the facilitators of CeaseFire and the people who benefit from their work. Gary Slutkin...

They are the shock troops in the city's battle against endemic street violence – peacemakers who once lived by the gun. As a documentary on their work reaches cinemas, we visit Chicago to see the campaigners in action

On the stoop of a house on a dilapidated block in Englewood, the south side Chicago neighbourhood that tops the city's statistics for murder, drug addiction, teen pregnancy and most of other indices of social dysfunction, are eight young African-American men and two or three women. It's an oven-hot summer afternoon and the group is kicking back, drinking, shouting and laughing.

"I don't like crowd scenes," says Shango, a member of the city's anti-violence project, CeaseFire, as we pull up outside. He explains that such gatherings increase the chances of becoming a victim of a drive-by shooting.

The street we're in stands in the middle of a few blocks that have seen three murders in recent days,...

Courtesy Cinema Guild Films A scene from the filming of “The Interrupters”

The middle of the summer isn’t the most likely time for a probing documentary film on inner-city violence. But the recently-released movie “The Interrupters,” an official selection of the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, is drawing attention and winning positive notices from critics.

The film, directed by Steve James of “Hoop Dreams” fame, is an intimate look at the lives and work of Chicago-based anti-violence organization CeaseFire. The movie avoids a traditional narrative structure,...

If you get to see Steve James' new documentary "The Interrupters" (which opened this week and is produced by writer Alex Kotlowitz), one woman strikes the viewer as so incredibly genuine, so effectively focused on making change in the streets, it is impossible to watch her on screen without getting chills. Ameena Matthews is a reformed woman from a checkered past; her father is Jeff Fort, a notorious Chicago gang ...

If you get to see Steve James' new documentary "The Interrupters" (which opened this week and is produced by writer Alex Kotlowitz), one woman strikes the viewer as so incredibly genuine, so effectively focused on making change in the streets, it is impossible to watch her on screen without getting chills. Ameena Matthews is a reformed woman from a checkered past; her father is Jeff Fort, a notorious Chicago gang ...

When Steven James first premiered "The Interrupters," his compelling look at activists working to prevent Chicago street violence, the initial reaction at the Sundance Film Festival was uniformly positive. The indomitable buzz machine reported that the "Hoop Dreams" co-director had made another galvanizing portrait of inner city struggles, this one based on a New York Times Magazine article by Alex Kotlowitz. Following the travails of CeaseFire Interrupters, a group predominantly ...

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Today on indieWIRE, Christine Vachon doled out advice, an up-and-comer got put under the spotlight, Steve James shared an exclusive and much more.

Steve James' documentary, 'The Interrupters,' has been garnering praise after premiering at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year (it currently has the highest score of any film this year on criticWIRE). Here Academy Award-nominee James shares a scene from his film (produced by James and Alex Kotlowitz, whose original New York Times article inspired the film), and offers a glimpse into his method.

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Chicago is plagued with a violence epidemic, a corrosive force infecting its inhabitants. Murder rates grow while a generation of young people disappears. City officials declared their own town a war zone, asking the federal government to send in the National Guard. Ironically, the city that gave us Barrack Obama and his “Audacity of Hope” campaign has seemingly run out of it. What is to be done when the institutions can do nothing but watch murder itself become an institution?

The Interrupters, the new film from acclaimed storytellers Steve James and Alex Kotlowitz, return to the city that birthed both of their major works (Hoop Dreams and the book There Are No Children Here, respectively) to follow along with a group of felons and ex-convicts who hit the streets to intervene in conflicts, trying to fight back the wave of violence with a series of small ripples. The Interrupters is a visceral,...

I see a lot of bad documentaries about good people. Some of the most boring docs are about the most interesting people because their filmmakers simply assume that their subjects' greatness will transfer to their documentary through some sort of cinematic osmosis. Steve James and Alex Kotlowitz, director and producer of the new documentary "The Interrupters," do not make that mistake.

Their subjects are good people -- flawed, but good -- working to end the disease of violence in Chicago. But James and Kotlowitz don't just get a couple talking head interviews with these men and women, throw in a few experts on crime and gang violence, and call it a day. They spent a year with these so-called "violence interrupters," insinuating themselves into their lives and their work. We get to know who they are, what they've done, and what they continue to do for the city of Chicago.

Steve James’ documentary "The Interrupters" has been garnering praise after premiering at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year (it currently has the highest score of any film this year on criticWIRE). Below Academy Award-nominee James shares a scene from his film (produced by James and Alex Kotlowitz, whose original New York Times article inspired the film), and offers a glimpse into his method. The Film For "The Interrupters," Alex ...

Steve James’ documentary "The Interrupters" has been garnering praise after premiering at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year (it currently has the highest score of any film this year on criticWIRE). Below Academy Award-nominee James shares a scene from his film (produced by James and Alex Kotlowitz, whose original New York Times article inspired the film), and offers a glimpse into his method. The Film For "The Interrupters," Alex ...

Steve James’ documentary "The Interrupters" has been garnering praise after premiering at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year (it currently has the highest score of any film this year on criticWIRE). Below Academy Award-nominee James shares a scene from his film (produced by James and Alex Kotlowitz, whose original New York Times article inspired the film), and offers a glimpse into his method. The Film For "The Interrupters," Alex ...

Unlike many other socially engaged documentaries, the films of Steve James (Hoop Dreams) are more descriptive than prescriptive, exposing deep, intractable problems that may not have solutions, in spite of the best efforts of those concerned. James’ heartbreaking 2002 documentary Stevie relayed his own challenges and shortcomings as a Big Brother to a violent, erratic young man in rural Illinois. Produced in collaboration with Alex Kotlowitz, a journalist who wrote a 2008 New York Times piece on the effort to curb violence in Chicago, James’ powerful new film The Interrupters offers the lessons of Stevie writ large, as local activists ...

In the 1986 action thriller "Cobra," Sylvester Stallone had this great line about the evil of crime. "You're the disease," he tells a crook, "and I'm the cure." In the context of "Cobra," the line is ridiculous: Stallone's idea of a cure for crime is just murdering a lot of people (I guess that's one way to fight urban overcrowding). But maybe beneath the layers of machismo and right-wing paranoia there's a kernel of truth there. Maybe crime really is a disease. And maybe the right way to fight it is to treat it like it's a disease, by trying to stop the infection at the point of transmission.

That's the radical idea behind the Chicago organization CeaseFire and their group of so-called "violence interrupters." They work to prevent violence in their community before it happens by mediating disputes and counseling the victims of attacks before they can retaliate. The new...

Hoop Dreams director Steve James’ documentary about violence prevention in inner-city Chicago, The Interrupters, has received stellar reviews since its Sundance debut, including our own. A few excerpts below get me quite interested and it will finally get a limited release at the end of this month. Check them out, followed by the trailer.

Not unlike the HBO crime saga The Wire, James’ doc starts simply enough, presenting the conflict and jumping into what seems to be the solution. Then everything becomes more and more difficult. Things get entangled, answers aren’t so easy.

This isn’t Hoop Dreams. There’s no clear goal, no clear ending. Watching three hours of maybe is no easy task. There are no flash stat charts, no montages. It’s the camera, the criminals and the ex-criminals. We never see outside of this world. We’re in it, good and bad. James wants us...

The trailer is out for a harrowing and haunting documentary about violence in Chicago, The Interrupters, from doc veteran Steve James (Hoop Dreams) and Alex Kotlowitz (author of There Are No Children Here), which debuted at Sundance and went on to win critics' raves as well as the special jury award at the Sheffield Doc/Fest and grand jury prize at Miami Film Fest. Here's indieWIRE's review. The film documents the Violence Interrupters, a community group dedicated to stopping violence in Chicago. Run by a collection of ex-prisoners and the daughter of a prominent gang member, the Interrupters attempt to save their community from the violence they once employed. Even the trailer tugs at emotional strings, with tragic headline news of shootings, scored by a beautiful ...