Oscar documentary winner “No Other Land,” which shows Palestinian families in Masafer Yatta struggling to stay on their land, will be available on digital platforms in the U.S. starting Oct. 20. The documentary will be available on Apple TV, Amazon, Google Play and YouTube.
“No Other Land” did not have a U.S. distributor until striking a deal with MUBI. But following the announcement that MUBI had accepted a $100 million investment from investment firm Sequoia Capital, the filmmakers ended the deal in objection to Sequoia’s financial ties to the Israeli military and weapons industry.
“This film shows the reality of Israeli occupation and oppression against Palestinians — but that truth apparently didn’t fit the narrative that big U.S. streamers wanted to promote. We talked to MUBI for months, and initially thought our film had found its home, but in the end we learned that they were accepting a huge investment from Sequoia Capital,” said No Other Land co-director Basel Adra.
“In addition to being unethical, it made no sense to us that they would take our film showing Israel’s oppression of Palestinians, and then also partner with a company contributing to that oppression,” added No Other Land co-director Yuval Abraham.
100% of proceeds from purchases and rentals of “No Other Land” will go directly to Palestinian communities in Masafer Yatta.
Friday, Oct. 17
Ben Platt Sets Two-Week Residency in Los Angeles With 10 Shows
Ben Platt will perform at the Ahmanson Theatre for a new two-week residency from Dec. 12 to Dec. 21.
The residency features 10 performances by the musician, as well as special guests who will join him onstage. Known for his roles in “Pitch Perfect” and “Dear Evan Hansen,” Platt is also a singer and songwriter with three released albums: “Sing to Me Instead,” “Reverie” and “Honeymind.”
His recent hits include the singles “Grow as We Go,” “Bad Habit,” “Words Fail” and “If I Could Tell Her,” among others.
“Ben Platt: Live at the Ahmanson” will be directed by Tony Award-winning director Michael Arden and feature Platt performing Broadway classics and covers in addition to his own solo records.
Thursday Oct. 16
Directors’ Fortnight Extended to Return for Three Day Festival in Los Angeles
Acropolis Cinema will continue its collaboration with the Quinzaine des cinéastes (The Directors’ Fortnight) with a three-day festival at the DGA Theater Complex. The second edition will run from Nov. 7 to Nov. 9, featuring seven films from this year’s Directors’ Fortnight in Cannes.
The festival will open with Lloyd Lee Choi’s “Lucky Lu,” starring Chang Chen as a New York City delivery driver trying to make a new life for his family abroad. Yuiga Danzuka’s family drama “Brand New Landscape” will headline Saturday’s lineup, where the director will be in attendance alongside Chen. The festival will close out with Nadav Lapid’s “Yes,” a portrait of the ongoing turmoil in the Middle East.
Other selections include Sang-il Lee’s kabuki drama “Kokuho,” Julia Kowalski’s psychological horror fable “Her Will Be Done,” Prïncia Car’s “The Girls We Want,” and Valéry Carnoy’s teen boxing drama “Wild Foxes,” the winner of the SACD Prize for best French film and the Europa Cinemas Label for best European Film at the 2025 Directors’ Fortnight.
Wednesday, Oct. 15
‘Cover-Up,’ ‘A Life Illuminated,’ Among Other Films Added to Doc Stories Festival Lineup
“Ask E. Jean,” “The Bend in the River,” “Divers” and “They Eyes of Ghana” are among the 10 features and 12 short films that will be screened at SFFILM’s 11th annual Doc Stories event at the Vogue Theatre in San Francisco from Nov. 6-9.
The four-day event will bring established and emerging filmmakers to celebrate non-fiction films. The feature film “Cover-Up” is set to open the festival.
The celebration will feature showings of “In My Day,” “My Mom Jayne,” “Newport & The Great Folk Dream,” “Powwow People,” “Put Your Soul in Your Hand and Walk,” Shorts Block: New York Times Op-Docs,” “Shorts Block: Spaces of Resistance,” “The Tale of Silyan,” “S the Wolf,” among others.
A screening of “A Life Illuminated” will close the festival.
SFFILM will also host an event called Doc Congress, which convenes documentary industry professionals, funders and filmmakers for dialogue and features a keynote by Lois Vossen, the founding executive producer of “Independent Lens” on PBS.
The festival will also present a workshop designated for younger filmmakers called “Teen Workshop: Documentary Filmmaking and Creating Understanding.”
Tickets will go on sale for SFFILM Members on Oct. 15 at 10 am at sffilm.org, with sales opening for the general public on Oct. 17 at 10 am.
Students and teachers get free access to a festival program specially designed by the festival’s long-time education team called Schools at Doc Stories.
“Roads of Fire” Documentary to Have L.A. Premiere
“Roads of Fire,” the feature documentary from director Nathaniel Lezra will kick off its Los Angeles run at the Laemmle Monica Film Center on Oct. 31. The film, which explores the global migration crises through the lens of three different stories, won Best Documentary Feature at the 2025 Santa Barbara International Film Festival and the Audience Award at the Brooklyn Film Festival.
A special preview of the “Roads of Fire” will take place at the Laemmle Glendale on Oct. 29, featuring a Q&A about the film and its subject matter.
Tuesday Oct. 14
Jennifer Fox to Produce AMPAS Governors Awards
Academy Producers Branch governor Jennifer Fox will return to produce the 16th Governors Awards for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, set to take place on Nov. 16. This will be Fox’s seventh time producing the event.
“Jennifer’s expertise in producing the Governors Awards is unmatched. We are thrilled to welcome her back to kick off our 98th Oscars events with a celebration of four truly remarkable honorees,” said Academy President Howell Taylor in a statement.
This year’s Honorary Oscars will be presented to Debbie Allen, Tom Cruise and Wynn Thomas, with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award presented to Dolly Parton. The event will be held at the Ray Dolby Ballroom at Ovation Hollywood.
IDA and Manhattan Neighborhood Network Launch Facility Partnership
The International Documentary Association and Manhattan Neighborhood Network have formed a partnership that will allow both organizations access to each other’s events, facilities, and communities. Established in 1992, MNN is a media learning, production, and distribution hub with facilities including virtual production studios, two podcast studios, six open edit stations, three closed edit suites and a closed screening room featuring a 4K DCP projector, 193” screen with surround sound, live streaming, and recording capabilities. On Sept. 20, IDA members residing in or visiting New York City will have full access to all MNN amenities for free or at a discounted rate.
As a part of the partnership, all MNN members will receive a 20% discount on IDA memberships. IDA will also host quarterly Work-In-Progress screenings for IDA members to show their work to fellow members and their guests to receive feedback. The first IDA Docs-In-Progress event will be held on November 13.
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