Bill Cunningham New York

[*Bianca*]

The single best film I have seen this year

If you ever get the chance to see it, you must! If you're interested in fashion or not, this is such a heart-warming film, and as someone else said, if there was ever a film that you just wanted to scoop up and hug, this would be it.

billcunninghamnewyork.com

Richard Press | USA | 84 mins

"We all get dressed for Bill." – Anna Wintour, Vogue editor-in-chief

Unassuming and unpretentious, cycling through the streets of Manhattan with his battered Nikon camera, 80-year-old Bill Cunningham doesn't exactly look like someone to hold the fashion world in thrall. Yet every week his columns in the New York Times are pored over by fashion leaders.
Bill Cunningham New York is a profile of an independent, humble and intensely private individual – untouched by the affectations of the fashion world that adores him, and deeply obsessed with practicing his own unique brand of cultural anthropology.

It premiered in March '10 at the New Directors/New Films festival, and has since made it's way around to couple of other film festivals (San Francisco, Dallas, Sydney, Melbourne, Auckland, Silver Springs, Nantucket...). I think it's general release won't be until March 2011.

 

[*Bianca*]

Current screenings that I could find:

Abu Dhabi Film Festival - 18/Oct
Canberra Film Festival - 29/Oct and 4/Nov

 

[*Bianca*]

Brisbane Film Festival - 12/Nov and 14/Nov

 

[RedAzalie]

ohh i hope that it will be in some noncommercial festival in poland , maybe off plus camera fingers crossed

 

[*Bianca*]

^Hope you'll get to see it

Zeitgeist Films has just acquired Richard Press’ doc “Bill Cunningham, New York,” which was opening night film of this year’s New Directors/New Films. Produced by Philip Gefter, the film depicts Cunningham, the 80 year old New York Times photographer and unlikely man-about-town who is obsessively interested in only one thing - the pictures he takes that document the way people dress. Zeitgeist will open the film at New York’s Film Forum on March 16, 2011 with a national release to follow.

indiewire

 

[*Bianca*]

It won Best Documentary by a New Director at the Abu Dhabi Black Pearl Awards. It also won the Audience Award for Best Documentary at both Melbourne and Sydney Film Festivals

Best Documentary by a New Director ($100,000), shared by EL AMBULANTE, directed by Eduardo de la Serna, Lucas Marcheggiano and Adriana Yurcovich (Argentina), "for its honest and humanist approach, documenting a rare story of a man who turns his back on commercial filmmaking for profit, and travels inland to marginalized communities to make films reminding us why, and for whom, films are made", and BILL CUNNINGHAM NEW YORK, directed by Richard Press (USA), "for a graceful, exuberant and beautifully constructed portrait of a visionary, which shows us the humanity and integrity of a unique and sensitive man whose work takes us beyond the seemingly superficial gloss of fashion to reveal the joy of individual style".

- wam.org.ae

Unfortunately, I don't think it's eligible to be nominated for the 2011 Oscars. It hasn't screened commercially in NY or LA, within the specified time periods. Crossing my fingers for 2012 though

 

[*Bianca*]

Screening update:
It'll be showing at the Palm Springs International Film Festival in California.
Not sure of exact dates, but the festival runs Janurary 6-17, 2011, so sometime between then. Go see it

 

[*Bianca*]

Website is up! Trailer is out!

http://www.zeitgeistfilms.com/billcunninghamnewyork/index.html

trailer:

http://www.zeitgeistfilms.com/billcunninghamnewyork/trailer.html

 

[*Bianca*]

It's out in NYC, LA, and D.C - any other tFSers seen it yet?

The film now has 94% on Rotten Tomatoes; critics are loving it.

fromme-toyou tumblr

 

[MissMagAddict]

What an icon of fashion & a truly extraordinary person. I bought the DVD today & I can't stop watching it. I love you Bill.

 

[TREVOFASHIONISTO]

i saw it when it first came out in NY. I had no idea there was a thread for it. It was such an amazing documentary and I teared up a little as well

 

[lucy92]

what a kind, gracious hard working man!

he has so much integrity. its kind of sad that these old-school new yorkers are disappearing....

i have one question about his method that the movie didnt resolve..

does he photograph all his column subjects in one week? or does he amass these similar photos over a slightly longer period of time?

 

[Bertrando3]

I'm pissed I can't find the movie anywhere!!! I soooo want to see it, has anyone seen it on the web or is it available for buy?

 

[MissMagAddict]

i have one question about his method that the movie didnt resolve..

does he photograph all his column subjects in one week? or does he amass these similar photos over a slightly longer period of time?

It seems that sometimes it all comes together in one week, like during a snowstorm. Other times he said he's working on several different ideas at once. I don't know if he even really thinks about it. It seems as though he just lets it come to him. And it does. Perfectly!

I loved the part where the people were being fussy about him getting into one of the Paris shows and that guy came up took his hand and said, "this is the most important man on earth."

 

[*Bianca*]

^

^^ I believe it's out on DVD now.
I've yet to see it out on download sites though.

Can't wait to see it again

 

[KoV]

This film is available to watch instantly on netflix and starting on September 20th (which is this Tuesday, I believe), you can rent it in DVD from netflix as well. It's at the top of my queue!

 

[PoppyAzura]

What a charming man! That was a great little film-- he certainly has a great eye.

 

[*Bianca*]

Nominated for Best Documentary in the 2011 Gotham Independent Film Awards

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, director; Philip Gefter, producer (Zeitgeist Films)

Hell and Back Again
Danfung Dennis, director; Mike Lerner, Martin Herring, producers (Docurama Films)

The Interrupters
Steve James, director; Alex Kotlowitz, Steve James, producers (The Cinema Guild)

The Woodmans
C. Scott Willis, director; Neil Barrett, Jeff Werner, C. Scott Willis, producers (Lorber Films; Kino Lorber, Inc.)

 

[heyworld]

I've watched Bill Cunningham New York. Love it so much! Bill is such a beautiful, simple, kind, genuine man. He inspires me.

 

[Andrea.RL]

^I agree! I thought it was really touching how passionate he is but kind of sad too because he's so lonely in the end...