Hoop Dreams

Farewell and thanks to At the Movies

August 16, 2010

This weekend saw the final episode of At the Movies broadcast on American television. Kartemquin has always been fond of the program ever since it was so integral in raising awareness of Hoop Dreams with this famous review in 1994.

It seems we're not alone in feeling this way, as many other writers over the past few days have marked the end of the show with tributes that make special mention of that landmark Hoop Dreams review, including NPR, IFC.com, Reuters, and the superb Not Just Movies blog, who felt that most appropriate way to pay tribute to was by profiling Hoop Dreams in detail, since they discovered the film "solely through the attention it received on the program."

Our thanks and eternal gratitude go to Gene Siskel, Roger Ebert and At the Movies.

Legendary Distributor to Join Kartemquin Films Board

June 24, 2010

Kartemquin Films is delighted to announce that Ira Deutchman, well-known film producer and distributor, and founder of Cinecom and Fine Line Features, has been appointed as the newest member to its Board of Directors. Mr. Deutchman’s appointment was unanimously approved at Kartemquin’s most recent board meeting.

Hoop Dreams and No Crossover : the best basketball documentaries of all time

May 28, 2010

Basketball magazine Dime has published a list of the Ten Best Basketball Documentaries of All Time, and sitting at the top of their list are Kartemquin's No Crossover: The Trial of Allen Iverson at #2, and Hoop Dreams at #1. Both films were directed by Steve James.

Coming in the future from Kartemquin films is another potential addition ot that list: Invisible Seasons, a documentary by Maria Finitzo that will look into the impact of Title IX legislation on sports and society, with a particular focus on the Chicago Sky Basketball team.

Chicago Magazine rates Hoop Dreams at #2 on list of Top Chicago Movies

May 25, 2010

The beloved Kartemquin documentary Hoop Dreams was ranked at #2 on a Chicago Magazine list of the "Top 40 Movies Filmed in Chicago." See the full list.

Hoop Dreams and In the Family featured in new book on documentary

April 23, 2010

Kartemquin documentaries Hoop Dreams and In the Family are featured in the book Documentary Media: History, Theory, Practice by Broderick Fox.

Hoop Dreams is discussed at length in a chapter titled "Crafting Your Story" and In the Family is highly praised for its editing, animated sequences and complex use of sound design in a chapter titled "Audiovisualizing the Documentary."

The book is available from publisher Pearson Higher Education Press and other retailers.

Kartemquin's April Shower of Screenings

April 8, 2010

Kartemquin is currently experiencing an incredible flurry of screenings and media attention, with over 60 screenings and television airings of our films scheduled in the rest of April alone! This explosion can be attributed to the extended Chicago run of Prisoner of Her Past, the continuing popular interest in Typeface, the unstoppable success of Milking the Rhino, and the appearance of No Crossover: The Trial of Allen Iverson at a number of festivals around it's world television premiere on ESPN. Many classic Kartemquin films will also be screening at festivals and special events.

It's almost too much for us to comprehend, and we wouldn't want you to miss anything, so please check out our Events Calendar to see if one of these great films is screening near you. For your convenience, here's a breakdown of some recent reviews, media appearances and upcoming screenings that you should look out for:

  • No Crossover: The Trial of Allen Iverson director Steve James will be on NPR's Morning Edition on April 13th, and also on WBEZ Chicago Public Radio's 848 at 9am on April 13th. The film will also be screening at the following festivals in April: Full Frame; Dallas; Sarasota; Philadelphia; River Run; and Nashville. Check here for specific listings. We'll also keep you updated on the many media appearances and reviews of the film that will emerge in relation to the film's world television premiere on April 13th, but here's a good one from this week's Chicago screening.
  • Typeface is enjoying a Midwest mini-tour this month, with Illinois screenings in Dekalb, Evanston, Geneva, Champaign and Peoria alongside what promises to be an electric (and already sold out) screening at director Justine Nagan's alma mater of Madison for the Wisconsin Film Festival on April 18th. The film is also catching fire with letterpress and wood type fans across the world and will also travel to Honolulu, Charlotte, Newport Beach and London in April. Full listings here. Also, watch this space for news of the DVD release and an exciting competition!
  • It's official: Milking the Rhino cannot be stopped. Director David E. Simpson presents the film in Tallahassee this weekend, and it's also screening at festivals in Phoenix, Milwaukee, Davis and Raleigh, before ending the month at the London International Documentary Film Festival. Full listings here.

Many Kartemquin staff members, producers and associates will be present at these screenings. Say hello to us!

Peter Gilbert is a 2010 IFP Filmmaker Lab mentor

April 1, 2010

Kartemquin's Peter Gilbert (Hoop Dreams, At the Death House Door) has again signed on to be a year-round mentor to independent filmmakers through IFP's Filmmaker Labs initiative. Peter was also one of two fellows selected for the mentor program in 2009. Find out more about 2010 IFP Independent Filmmakers Labs in Filmmaker Magazine.

No Crossover and Hoop Dreams featured in Italian NBA magazine

March 17, 2010

Kartemquin's No Crossover: The Trial of Allen Iverson is a cover story and is featured in an 8-page spread in the new issue of Rivista Ufficiale NBA, the official Italian NBA magazine. No Crossover director Steve James' classic basketball documentary Hoop Dreams is also featured in the article. The magazine is available for sale in Italy on March 26th, but you can view the article now on Kartemquin's Facebook page.

No Crossover airs on ESPN Films' 30 for 30 series on April 13th at 8pm and is currently screening at festivals across the USA.

No Crossover launches full court press on festival circuit

March 12, 2010

No Crossover: The Trial of Allen Iverson begins a run of festival screenings this Sunday, March 14th with its official world premiere at SXSW, before making appearances at Cleveland, SilverDocs, Dallas, Sarasota, the Midwest Independent Film Festival, Full Frame and Nashville. And those are just the ones we can tell you about!

Director Steve James will be in attendance at the SXSW premiere, and will also take part in a panel discussion during the festival. The film also screens in Austin on March 19th.

Following SXSW, James will take the film to the Cleveland Film Festival for two screenings on March 20th and 21st, before presenting a special SilverDocs screening of the film in Maryland on March 29th. No Crossover is also confirmed to screen in Chicago for the Midwest Film Festival on April 6th, and at Full Frame on April 9th. Expect confirmed dates for Dallas, Sarasota and Nashville (where Steve James will also present his classic film Hoop Dreams) to be announced very soon.

Steve James discusses No Crossover with SLAM magazine and Austin360.com

March 8, 2010

Basketball magazine SLAM interviewed Kartemquin director Steve James (Hoop Dreams) about his latest film delving into the sport, No Crossover: The Trial of Allen Iverson. Read the interview here.

In advance of the film's world premiere at SXSW on March 14th, Steve James also answered 5 questions from Austin360.com, coming up with this insight: "I think Iverson is something of a Rashomon-like figure: how you view him says as much about you as it does about him." Read the rest of the article.

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