+ NEWS FROM IMPACT PARTNERS
Over the past couple weeks, two IP films, BILLY PRESTON: THAT’S THE WAY GOD PLANNED IT and THE SHEPHERD AND THE BEAR, enjoyed exciting theatrical releases! THE SHEPHERD AND THE BEAR opened in the UK to wonderful reviews, and BILLY PRESTON: THAT’S THE WAY GOD PLANNED IT launched theatrically at NYC’s Film Forum. More information about both are below.
BILLY PRESTON: THAT’S THE WAY GOD PLANNED IT
This past weekend, BILLY PRESTON: THAT’S THE WAY GOD PLANNED IT, launched theatrically at NYC’s Film Forum. Now, it will expand to theaters throughout the country. The theatrical launch inspired some amazing press including two articles in The New York Times – an in-depth feature about Billy Preston and a Critic’s Pick review.
The director, Paris Barclay, was also interviewed on NPR and the Morning Joe about the film.
Some of our favorite press quotes are below:
“Mind-blowing…Moving and vivid…As tough a life as Preston had, the music that buoys this chronicle is a constant source of joy.” – New York Times, Critic’s Pick
“A long overdue documentary…If you’ve yet to step through the musical doors to the church of Billy Preston, BILLY PRESTON: THAT’S THE WAY GOD PLANNED IT is an ideal entry point…Barclay elegantly and empathetically weaves the sadder parts of Preston’s life into the fabric of the film like a quiet and sad overture in an otherwise joyous melody.” – Hammer to Nail
“Paris Barclay’s new documentary presents a moving portrait of a lonely, beloved, enigmatic musician. THAT’S THE WAY GOD PLANNED IT does an admirable service in bringing his talents back into the spotlight, drawing on a wealth of footage from across his five decades as a performer.” – 4Columns
For more information on BILLY PRESTON and to find a screening near you, please visit their website.
THE SHEPHERD AND THE BEAR
THE SHEPHERD AND THE BEAR, Max Keegan’s exploration of the repercussions of reintroducing brown bears to a traditional herding community in the French Pyrenees, opened in UK cinemas. Here’s a roundup of some of our favorite press:
“An uplifting and warmly humane masterpiece…breathtaking cinematography and immersive storytelling.” – The Morning Star (5 Stars)
“A breathtaking new film that basks in the vast vistas of the Pyrenees mountains, and humanises conflict.” – The Independent
“Immersive and beautiful” – The Guardian (3 Stars)
“An immersive lyrical ode to nature and those bewitched by it…the cinematography by Keegan and Clément Beauvois is ravishing, capturing the natural world in all its beauty. Yet for all the wide shots of misty mountains, sun-kissed hills and verdant forests, perhaps the most telling image is a close-up of the weathered lines on Yves’ face. They speak deeply to a way of life that has all but vanished.” – Time Out (4 Stars)
“Enchanting…Keegan’s film restores some balance to this debate, and hopefully others, by seeding greater understanding of the humans within the ecosystems we seek to conserve.” – BFI Sight and Sound
“A conflict outlined in beautiful detail…It’s a story being repeated the world over.” – The Arts Desk (4 Stars)
For more information on THE SHEPHERD AND THE BEAR, including their upcoming ‘Far and Wide’ Tour in the US, please visit the film’s website.
+ NOW STREAMING
After a successful theatrical release this fall, MISTRESS DISPELLER is now available to stream on The Criterion Channel! Don’t miss Elizabeth Lo’s intimate, and often stranger-than fiction, documentary on China’s mistress dispelling industry which offers the viewer a unique window into modern relationships in the wake of infidelity. There has been some great press coverage of the streaming launch including a feature in Deadline.
“One of the most exciting new voices in documentary.” – POV Magazine
“A sharp-eyed, open-ended inquiry into marriage and romance.” – The Hollywood Reporter
“A miracle of documentary filmmaking.” – Autostraddle
“Shockingly intimate…Gorgeous to behold.” – Mashable
“This level of intimacy and access is rare…A profound and searching panorama of loneliness and partnership, where everyone gets a chance to be heard.” – IndieWire
For more updates on MISTRESS DISPELLER, visit the film’s website and Instagram.
+ FESTS
Spring festivals have started releasing their line-ups, and we are thrilled to see 3 IP films included in recent program announcements of internationally renowned festivals:
ASK E. JEAN
Ivy Meeropol’s film about the amazing E. Jean Carroll will open the 28th Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival in Greece. This will be the film’s international premiere. You can read the announcement here.
ONE IN A MILLION
Itab Azzam’s and Jack MacInnes’s Sundance award-winning film will celebrate its European premiere at Thessaloniki and CPH:DOX. Check out the full CPH:DOX line up here.
REMAKE
Ross McElwee’s intimate exploration of grief, time and memory will screen at Cinéma du Réel in Paris, France as part of their Special Screenings selection. For more information, check out the full announcement.
We wish these films luck as they continue their festival journeys and share their stories with the world!