Emma Badame – Page 2 – ALLIANCE OF WOMEN FILM JOURNALISTS

BLACKBERRY – Review by Emma Badame

May 16, 2023May 16, 2023 Emma Badame Blackberry, canadian films., Douglas Fregin, Glenn Howerton, Jacob Raab, Jay Baruchel, Jim Balsillie, Matt Johnson, Michelle Giroux, Mike Lazaridis, Research in Motion, smartphone

You’d be forgiven for thinking that the story of the sensational rise and fall of the first smartphone would make a better doc than drama, but director and co-writer Matt Johnson turns that theory on its head with the fabulous bio-comedy, and faux-documentary, BlackBerry. The proudly Canadian feature tells the home-grown story of Mike Lazaridis (Jay Baruchel) and Jim Balsillie (Glenn Howerton), the two men behind the spectacularly popular line of thumb-numbing mobile devices. It traces its beginnings at the Waterloo, Ontario-based tech company Research in Motion (RiM) to its impressive and catastrophic downfall, largely due to cocky business decisions and a failure to keep up in an ever-changing, fast-moving market.

Festivals

HotDocs2023: Feminist Festival Wrap – Emma Badame reports

May 12, 2023 Emma Badame documentaries, female focus, female programming, gender parity, hot docs 2023

Hot Docs International Film Festival has long been a fabulous showcase of work from female filmmakers, and its 2023 line-up was no different. After achieving gender parity in 2018, this year the festival hosted a slate of world and North American premieres, director panel discussions, and networking events, there was plenty for film fans and industry members alike to take in as part of the festival’s 30th anniversary. The yearly, Toronto-based festival has been transparent about their goals of equity and inclusion, especially over the last 10 years. Hot Docs pledged “commitment to equity and inclusiveness in all aspects of the organization.” While they talk the talk, the organization clearly walks the walk when it comes to their programming too.

Reviews

SHTETLERS – Review by Emma Badame

January 31, 2023February 2, 2023 Emma Badame documentaries, Eastern Europe, holocaust, iron curtain, Jewish traditions, Katya Ustinova, Shtetlers

Community is an essential part of understanding who you are and where you fit in. As the world expands and grows ever more chaotic, there’s comfort and calm to be found in the strong ties that bind. They lift us up, give us purpose, and support us. But what happens when your community disappears? Forced apart or scattered to the wind by circumstance. That’s the question at the heart of Katya Ustinova’s debut feature documentary, Shtetlers.

Interviews

Jeff Malmberg and Disney Animators on MICKEY: THE STORY OF A MOUSE – Emma Badame interviews

November 22, 2022December 28, 2022 Emma Badame documentaries, Eric Goldberg, Floyd Norman, Jeff Malmberg, Meghan Walsh, Mickey Mouse, Mickey The Story of a Mouse, walt disney

Immediately recognizable to both the young and young-at-heart the world over, Mickey Mouse has been an icon of joy and delight for almost 100 years. From his humble beginnings as a replacement black and white cartoon hero to his role as the beating heart of the entertainment monolith he helped to build, the road hasn’t always been smooth for Mickey–or indeed, for his creator. But despite those ups and downs, despite the passage of time and endless societal shifts and upheavals, Mickey has managed to remain one of the most beloved, most recognizable icons of all time.