‘A Rad Documentary’ Sets March 20 World Premiere Honoring 80s BMX Cult Classic – Film News in Brief
Utopia and Fathom Entertainment will premiere “A Rad Documentary” in more than 700 screens nationwide on March 20 in honor of Rad Day 2025. Celebrating the 80s BMX cult classic film “Rad,” the new documentary revisits production, catches up with the cast, and interrogates the film’s impact on pop culture.
“As a BMX’er, being a stunt rider in RAD was a dream come true but producing ‘A Rad Documentary’ and helping tell the story behind the film has been a full circle moment,” said producer Chris Phoenix. “It’s incredible to be able to share it with the fans whose passion and dedication to the movie have made it a classic for almost 40 years.”
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“A Rad Documentary” will premiere as part of a double feature alongside a 4k restoration of “Rad” on March 20 in theaters across the US and Canada. Tickets for Rad Day are now on sale at FathomEntertainment.com.
‘Centered: Joe Lieberman’ Documentary to Play in Regal Theaters
Regal Cinemas will celebrate the life of late Senator Joe Lieberman with a two-night screening of the documentary “Centered: Joe Lieberman.”
Directed by Jonathan Gruber, the doc chronicles the Senator’s life and 40-plus-year political career. The film highlights Lieberman’s commitment to the American people and his run in 2000 to become the first Jewish Vice President of the United States. Lieberman, who died in March 2024 at age 82, participated in the doc.
In association with Hidden Light Institute and Black Eye Productions, Regal Cinemas will release the film in over 60 Regal theaters nationwide on March 18 and 19. Select nationwide week-long runs of the film will follow.
Academy Museum Unveils Spring Programming Featuring Bong Joon Ho and Judd Apatow
The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures will include screenings with major directors Bong Joon Ho, Judd Apatow and Lilly Wachowski as part of its spring programming line-up.
The “Director’s Inspiration: Bong Joon Ho” series will accompany the exhibition of the same name that is set to open March 23, including special appearances from the Oscar-nominated director and conversations with John Carpenter and Steven Yeun. Fanny’s will even have a weekly menu with Korean cuisine as screenings of “Okja” and “Parasite” kick off the screening series.
Along with the opening of the exhibit “Barbie to Anna Karenina: The Cinematic Worlds of Sarah Greenwood and Katie Spencer” on May 23, the museum will host a screening of “Barbie” with the film’s Oscar-nominated production designers.
Additional spotlights include the west coast restoration premiere of Jean-Luc Godard’s “A Woman Is a Woman” in 4K, a 35mm screening of “Gas Food Lodging,” a 35mm nitrate print of Alfred Hitchcock’s “Rope,” the North American restoration premiere of Michel Soutter’s “Faces of Love” in 4K and a 20th anniversary screening of “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” with Apatow taking the stage.
2025 New African Film Festival to Take Place March 14-27 at AFI Silver in Silver Spring, MD
AFI and the Africa World Now Project have announced that the 21st edition of the New African Film Festival (NAFF) will take place March 14-27 at AFI Silver in Silver Spring, Maryland.
Co-founded by Mwiza Munthali and Judith Mbuya, the NAFF is intended to “bring the vibrancy of African filmmaking from all corners of the continent and across the diaspora to the Washington, DC area.” This year’s festival features 29 films from 19 countries, and will open with “No Chains No Masters,” a historical epic from Franco-Beninese filmmaker Simon Mouta?rou.
First-time feature filmmaker Amel Guellaty’s road trip comedy-drama “Where the Wind Comes From” will close the festival, with other lineup highlights including 2025 best documentary feature nominee “To A Coup D’Etat” and A24’s “On Becoming a Guinea Fowl.”
Tickets and the festival’s full lineup can be found via AFI.com/Silver.
Wednesday, Feb. 19
Viola Davis and Erik Feig to be Honored at City Year Los Angeles’ Spring Break Gala
Viola Davis and Erik Feig will both be honored at City Year Los Angeles’ Spring Break Gala.
Both Davis and Feig will be honored for their commitment to educational opportunities and helping students in underrepresented communities. Davis, who is an EGOT recipient and acclaimed actress, is recognized for her time and resources given to youth while Feig, founder and CEO of Picturestart, has financed and produced diverse projects.
“City Year Los Angeles is thrilled to honor Viola Davis and Erik Feig for their extraordinary contributions to youth empowerment and their unwavering support of educational opportunity,” event co-chair Dwight Caines said in a statement. “This year, as our city continues to recover from the devastating fires, the Spring Break Gala will not only celebrate the strength of Los Angeles, but also honor the power of the community. This is a time to come together, strengthen our bond, and invest in the future of our children. We look forward to celebrating this spirit of unity and hope, while raising critical funds to support the students and families of Los Angeles.”
The 14th annual Spring Break Gala will take place Saturday, May 10 in Los Angeles with Juju Green hosting and Leon Bridges performing.
ReelAbilities Film Festival Announces Opening Night Film From ‘Exit Through the Gift Shop’ Director
The ReelAbilities Film Festival has announced its opening night film selection as “The Trouble with Mr. Doodle” while Marissa Bode will receive an award her work in “Wicked.”
The documentary “The Trouble with Mr. Doodle” looks back on the social media phenomenon Sam Cox, who followed his compulsive doodling to a black-and-white transformation of his entire house. It will screen at The Shed on April 3 and is directed by the Oscar-nominated Jaimie D’Cruz (“Exit Through the Gift Shop”) and Ed Perkins (“Black Sheep”).
Bode will be recognized as a 2025 Spotlight Award recipient for her performance as Nessarose in “Wicked,” who is notably the first wheelchair user to play the role. The Spotlight Award honors individuals who have worked toward greater representation and opportunities for under-served communities, with past recipients including Whoopi Goldberg, Troy Kotsur and Marlee Matlin.
The 17th annual ReelAbilities Film Festival runs from April 3-9 in New York.
Tuesday, Feb. 18
LuckyChap Adds Veteran Exec Milan Popelka as Partner
LuckyChap (“Barbie,” the upcoming “Wuthering Heights”) adds veteran studio executive Milan Popelka as a partner, joining the company’s current partners Tom Ackerley, Josey McNamara and Margot Robbie.
Popelka brings over 15 years of experience as Chief Operating Officer of FilmNation and served as executive producer on many of the company’s most-acclaimed projects, including the currently Academy Award-nominated films “Anora” and “Conclave” as well as “Arrival” and “Promising Young Woman,” which was a LuckyChap production.
“We are thrilled to have Milan join our team at LuckyChap in a time when entrepreneurialism is at a premium,” stated Ackerley, McNamara and Robbie. “His experience, expertise, and unwavering commitment to maximizing the potential of every project align perfectly with our filmmaker-first ethos. This is an exciting next step in the evolution of LuckyChap, and we look forward to the impact he will make across the company as we pursue new and diverse ways to empower our creative partners.”
In his new role, a press release notes, Popelka will oversee business operations and strategic growth across LuckyChap’s expanding portfolio of film, TV and other ventures. He will play a key role in managing the company’s operational and financial strategies, while continuing to advance LuckyChap’s entrepreneurial approach to content creation and production as the company the company looks to ambitiously scale the capabilities of its story-telling platform.
In addition to the $1.4 billion-grossing “Barbie,” which also earned eight Academy Award nominations, LuckyChap is also behind the award-winning films “I, Tonya,” “Saltburn” and “My Old Ass,” and on the television side, produced the Emmy-nominated limited series “Maid” and the comedy series “Dollface.” The company is currently in production on Emerald Fennell’s film Wuthering Heights, starring Robbie and Jacob Elordi; recently wrapped production on Molly Smith Metzler’s limited series “Sirens” and will soon begin production on Megan Park’s upcoming YA drama series “Sterling Point.”
LuckyChap is represented by Entertainment 360, CAA, Attorney Jeff Bernstein and Narrative.
‘Movie Awards Charity Challenge’ to Raise Funds Following California Wildfires
The Motion Picture and Television Fund has unveiled the “Movie Awards Charity Challenge,” allowing the biggest film fans to make their Oscar bets while also supporting a cause.
Each player is asked to donate $20, placing their bets on everything from the top categories of the night to unofficial categories like “Longest Acceptance Speech.” Funds raised will go toward working and retired people in the entertainment industry who have struggled in the aftermath of the California wildfires.
“With the ‘Movie Awards Charity Challenge,’ we’re providing another tool for those who love film and television to directly support those who need it most,” MPTF CEO Bob Beitcher said in a statement. “In the wake of the devastation caused by the Southern California wildfires, MPTF is providing critical services, including financial assistance, supportive counseling, and assistance navigating insurance needs.”
Movie buffs can get their submissions in before March 2 at 6:59 p.m. ET.
‘Near Death’ Indie Film Cast to Include Alex MacNicoll, Harrison Xu, Ivan Leung and More
The cast of indie thriller film “Near Death” will include Alex MacNicoll, Harrison Xu, Ivan Leung, Olivia Rose Prince, Del Eswar, David A. Chang and Paige Hapeman.
The film, written and directed by Shaina Aidan as her debut feature, follows a software engineer having a birthday celebration at a mountain cabin with his friends. After a test of augmented reality technology goes wrong, “the group is forced to question reality as the night devolves into a fight to stay alive,” per the official logline.
Chang, Eswar and Noel Do-Murakami serve as producers.
MacNicoll is known for acting in “Brilliant Minds” and “Bad Monkey.” Xu is known for the film “Extremely Unique Dynamic” as well as “Shameless” and “Grey’s Anatomy.” Leung, also a part of “Extremely Unique Dynamic,” has appeared in “The Sex Lives of College Girls.” Prince is known for “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” Chang has acted in “The Accountant 2” and Eswar has a role in “The Dresden Sun.” Hapeman has appeared in “Before We Begin.”
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