DOC NYC features Unraveled, First Position, Into the Abyss, No Look Pass and On Being There with Richard Leacock

nraveled screens at DOC NYC November 5th and 9th. Directed and produced by CDAS Partner Marc H. Simon (After Innocence, Nursery University) and co-produced by Frederick P. Bimbler’s client Stick Figure Productions, Unraveled is an intimate portrait of Marc Dreier, a prominent Manhattan attorney, arrested for orchestrating a massive fraud scheme that netted hundreds of millions of dollars from hedge funds. Interwoven with flashbacks, Unraveled is set in the “purgatory” of house arrest — an upper East Side penthouse — where the Court has ordered Dreier confined until his sentencing day.

First Position also screens November 5th at DOC NYC. Directed and produced by Bess Kargman, this documentary follows six aspiring dancers (ages 9-19) as they prepare for the ballet’s toughest youth competition. The film has enjoyed raves from critics including in Variety.

Werner Herzog’s Into the Abyss will open DOC NYC on November 2nd. Co-produced by CDAS client Creative Differences, this documentarytakes us inside a Texas prison to meet inmates convicted of triple homicide. Mr. Simon has handled the legal services and negotiations for the distribution of both films and has also handled the financing and production for First Position. North American distribution rights forInto the Abyss as well as First Position have been picked up bySundance Selects, a sister company of IFC Films, which enjoyed solid success with Herzog’s Cave of Forgotten Dreams. (Mr. Simon also provided legal counsel for the distribution of Dreams as well).

Opening DOC NYC’s Tribute to Richard Leacock on November 4th is Jane Weiner’s work-in-progress On Being There with Richard Leacock. In this intimate portrait of documentarian Richard Leacock, Director Jane Weiner draws upon footage that she’s shot over 38 years of Leacock’s encounters with other master filmmakers and artists. The film includes footage from his classic films and never-before-seen segments from his personal archives. Ms. Weiner is represented by CDAS’ Robert I. Freedman.

Melissa Johnson’s award-winning documentary, No Look Pass will make its East Coast debut at Doc NYC on November 5th and 7th. The film follows Harvard basketball superstar Emily Tay, who struggles to balance the rigors of playing for a professional basketball team in Germany while trying to maintain a relationship with her conservative Burmese-American immigrant parents, and gains the courage to “come out” in her lesbian relationship with a U.S. servicewoman on the cusp of the demise of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell”. Winner of the Special Programming Award for Freedom at LA’s Outfest, it has been hailed as a “A masterful piece of documentary filmmaking… the most honest show of a lifetime.” CDAS’ Janis Nelson represents No Look Passdirector/producer Melissa Johnson and production company High Hip Productions.

CDAS is proud to once again co-sponsor DOC NYC.