Frederick Marx
Encyclopedia
Frederick Marx is an Oscar and Emmy nominated producer/director. He was named a Chicago Tribune Artist of the Year for 1994, a 1995 Guggenheim Fellow, and a recipient of a Robert F. Kennedy Special Achievement Award. Frederick Marx achieved international notoriety for his Oscar nominated film Hoop Dreams
(1994). It is one of the highest grossing non-musical documentaries in United States history.
With a B.A. in Political Science and an MFA in filmmaking, Marx has coupled his formal education with a natural gift for languages, speaking German and some Mandarin-Chinese. His interest in languages and foreign cultures is reflected in PBS' international human rights program Out of the Silence (1991), the widely acclaimed personal essay Dreams from China (1989), and Learning Channel's Saving the Sphinx (1997). He consulted on Iranian-Kurdish director Bahman Ghobadi
's feature Turtles Can Fly
(2004) and was a teacher of renowned Thai feature filmmaker Apichatpong Weerasethakul
.
In 1993, Marx received an Emmy nomination for Higher Goals (1992) for Best Daytime Children's Special. Producer, Director, and Writer for this national PBS Special, Marx directed Tim Meadows of "Saturday Night Live" fame. Accompanied by a curriculum guide, the program was later distributed for free to over 4,200 inner city schools nationwide. The Unspoken (1999), Marx's first feature film, features performances from Russian star Sergei Shnirev of the famed Moscow Art Theatre, and Harry Lennix, most known for Get on the Bus
, Bob Roberts
, Titus
, ER
, and The Matrix
.
Three of Marx's films premiered at the New York Film Festival
. Having dedicated his life to the making and promotion of independent films, Marx repeatedly returns to work with disadvantaged and misunderstood communities: people of color, abused children, the working poor, welfare recipients, prisoners, the elderly, and "at risk" youth. His films show a passion for appreciating multiculturalism and an urgent empathy for the sufferings of the disadvantaged to every subject he tackles.
Hoop Dreams
(1994) is the film that first interested Marx in the welfare of teenage boys. Boys to Men? (2004), distributed by Media Education Foundation, takes that as its central theme. Boys Become Men, now in production, is the sequel, pinpointing initiation and mentorship as the solutions to the problems teen boys face.
A hobbyist songwriter, in 1991 Marx recorded a number of his songs collectively known as Rolling Steel. Two of those 11 songs are used over The Unspoken (1999) tail credits and one is used in Boys to Men?.
played in hundreds of theatres nationwide after winning the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival and was the first documentary ever chosen to close the New York Film Festival. It was on over 100 "Ten Best" lists nationwide and was named Best Film of the Year by Roger Ebert. Ebert also named it Best Film of the Decade. It was named the Best Documentary of All Time by the International Documentary Association. In 2005 it was added to the US Library of Congress’s National Film Registry. It won many major international awards – Producer’s Guild, Editor’s Guild, Peabody, National Film Critics, Prix Italia, Robert F. Kennedy Special Achievement.
Though Marx was nominated for editing Hoop Dreams by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Oscars), the film itself was never nominated as Best Film or Best Documentary, which caused something of a scandal and led the Academy to rewrite its nominating procedures.
tells the emotional story of 17 small children who leave home and family, possibly forever, in order to save their dying Tibetan culture. Parting from one of the most remote and desolate places on Earth – Zanskar, in northwest India – the expedition must travel on foot over 17,000 foot Himalayan passes. The two monks serving as guides walked this same path 30 years ago when they were children. Written, produced, and directed by Frederick Marx, narrated by Richard Gere, featuring the Dalai Lama, the film tells the story of their incredible journey. Distributed in France by Jupiter films, Frederick Marx is currently self-distributing Journey From Zanskar
in the United States through his non-profit company Warrior Films.
, ,
Hoop Dreams
Hoop Dreams is a 1994 documentary film directed by Steve James, with Kartemquin Films. It follows the story of two African-American high school students in Chicago and their dream of becoming professional basketball players....
(1994). It is one of the highest grossing non-musical documentaries in United States history.
Career
Frederick Marx is a producer, director, writer, and editor with 35 years in the film business, most of them as an independent filmmaker. Having worked for a time as an English and creative writing teacher, Marx began his movie career as a film critic, and has worked both as a film distributor and exhibitor. He has also traveled extensively. He's lived in Germany, China, and Hungary. He's traveled repeatedly through Western and Eastern Europe, North Africa and Himalayan India.With a B.A. in Political Science and an MFA in filmmaking, Marx has coupled his formal education with a natural gift for languages, speaking German and some Mandarin-Chinese. His interest in languages and foreign cultures is reflected in PBS' international human rights program Out of the Silence (1991), the widely acclaimed personal essay Dreams from China (1989), and Learning Channel's Saving the Sphinx (1997). He consulted on Iranian-Kurdish director Bahman Ghobadi
Bahman Ghobadi
Bahman Ghobadi is an Iranian film director of Kurdish ethnicity. He was born on February 1, 1969 in Baneh, Kurdistan Province. Ghobadi belongs to the so called "new wave" of Iranian cinema.-Biography:...
's feature Turtles Can Fly
Turtles Can Fly
Turtles Can Fly Kurdish: Kûsî Jî Dikarin Bifirin) is a 2004 film written and directed by the Kurdish Iranian filmmaker Bahman Ghobadi, with notable theme music composed by Hossein Alizadeh. It was the first film to be made in Iraq after the fall of Saddam Hussein.-Plot:The film is set in a Kurdish...
(2004) and was a teacher of renowned Thai feature filmmaker Apichatpong Weerasethakul
Apichatpong Weerasethakul
Apichatpong "Joe" Weerasethakul is a Thai independent film director, screenwriter, and film producer. His feature films include Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives, winner of the prestigious 2010 Cannes Film Festival Palme d'Or prize; Tropical Malady, which won a jury prize at the 2004...
.
In 1993, Marx received an Emmy nomination for Higher Goals (1992) for Best Daytime Children's Special. Producer, Director, and Writer for this national PBS Special, Marx directed Tim Meadows of "Saturday Night Live" fame. Accompanied by a curriculum guide, the program was later distributed for free to over 4,200 inner city schools nationwide. The Unspoken (1999), Marx's first feature film, features performances from Russian star Sergei Shnirev of the famed Moscow Art Theatre, and Harry Lennix, most known for Get on the Bus
Get on the Bus
Get on the Bus is a 1996 film about a group of African-American men who are taking a cross-country bus trip in order to participate in the Million Man March. The film was directed by Spike Lee and premiered on the one-year anniversary of the march....
, Bob Roberts
Bob Roberts
Bob Roberts is a 1992 film written and directed by Tim Robbins. It is a satirical mockumentary, chronicling the rise of Bob Roberts, a conservative politician who is a candidate for an upcoming United States Senate election...
, Titus
Titus
Titus , was Roman Emperor from 79 to 81. A member of the Flavian dynasty, Titus succeeded his father Vespasian upon his death, thus becoming the first Roman Emperor to come to the throne after his own father....
, ER
ER (TV series)
ER is an American medical drama television series created by novelist Michael Crichton that aired on NBC from September 19, 1994 to April 2, 2009. It was produced by Constant c Productions and Amblin Entertainment, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
, and The Matrix
The Matrix
The Matrix is a 1999 science fiction-action film written and directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski, starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano, and Hugo Weaving...
.
Three of Marx's films premiered at the New York Film Festival
New York Film Festival
The New York Film Festival has been a major film festival since it began in 1963 in New York. The films are selected by the Film Society of Lincoln Center...
. Having dedicated his life to the making and promotion of independent films, Marx repeatedly returns to work with disadvantaged and misunderstood communities: people of color, abused children, the working poor, welfare recipients, prisoners, the elderly, and "at risk" youth. His films show a passion for appreciating multiculturalism and an urgent empathy for the sufferings of the disadvantaged to every subject he tackles.
Hoop Dreams
Hoop Dreams
Hoop Dreams is a 1994 documentary film directed by Steve James, with Kartemquin Films. It follows the story of two African-American high school students in Chicago and their dream of becoming professional basketball players....
(1994) is the film that first interested Marx in the welfare of teenage boys. Boys to Men? (2004), distributed by Media Education Foundation, takes that as its central theme. Boys Become Men, now in production, is the sequel, pinpointing initiation and mentorship as the solutions to the problems teen boys face.
A hobbyist songwriter, in 1991 Marx recorded a number of his songs collectively known as Rolling Steel. Two of those 11 songs are used over The Unspoken (1999) tail credits and one is used in Boys to Men?.
Hoop Dreams (1994)
Frederick Marx's film Hoop DreamsHoop Dreams
Hoop Dreams is a 1994 documentary film directed by Steve James, with Kartemquin Films. It follows the story of two African-American high school students in Chicago and their dream of becoming professional basketball players....
played in hundreds of theatres nationwide after winning the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival and was the first documentary ever chosen to close the New York Film Festival. It was on over 100 "Ten Best" lists nationwide and was named Best Film of the Year by Roger Ebert. Ebert also named it Best Film of the Decade. It was named the Best Documentary of All Time by the International Documentary Association. In 2005 it was added to the US Library of Congress’s National Film Registry. It won many major international awards – Producer’s Guild, Editor’s Guild, Peabody, National Film Critics, Prix Italia, Robert F. Kennedy Special Achievement.
Though Marx was nominated for editing Hoop Dreams by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Oscars), the film itself was never nominated as Best Film or Best Documentary, which caused something of a scandal and led the Academy to rewrite its nominating procedures.
Journey From Zanskar (2010)
Journey From ZanskarJourney from Zanskar
Journey From Zanskar is a 2010 documentary film written, produced, and directed by Frederick Marx, for Warrior Films. It tells the emotional story of 17 small children who leave home and family, possibly forever, in order to save their dying Tibetan culture...
tells the emotional story of 17 small children who leave home and family, possibly forever, in order to save their dying Tibetan culture. Parting from one of the most remote and desolate places on Earth – Zanskar, in northwest India – the expedition must travel on foot over 17,000 foot Himalayan passes. The two monks serving as guides walked this same path 30 years ago when they were children. Written, produced, and directed by Frederick Marx, narrated by Richard Gere, featuring the Dalai Lama, the film tells the story of their incredible journey. Distributed in France by Jupiter films, Frederick Marx is currently self-distributing Journey From Zanskar
Journey from Zanskar
Journey From Zanskar is a 2010 documentary film written, produced, and directed by Frederick Marx, for Warrior Films. It tells the emotional story of 17 small children who leave home and family, possibly forever, in order to save their dying Tibetan culture...
in the United States through his non-profit company Warrior Films.
Filmography
- Boys Become Men (in production)
- Journey From ZanskarJourney from ZanskarJourney From Zanskar is a 2010 documentary film written, produced, and directed by Frederick Marx, for Warrior Films. It tells the emotional story of 17 small children who leave home and family, possibly forever, in order to save their dying Tibetan culture...
(2010) - Boys To Men? (2004) (documentary mini-series)
- The Unspoken (1999)
- Saving the Sphinx (1997) (Learning Channel Special) (Exec. Producer, Producer)
- Joey Skaggs: Bullshit & Balls (1996)
- A Hoop Dreams Reunion (1995) (PBS-TV Special) (Producer, Editor, Talent)
- Hoop DreamsHoop DreamsHoop Dreams is a 1994 documentary film directed by Steve James, with Kartemquin Films. It follows the story of two African-American high school students in Chicago and their dream of becoming professional basketball players....
(1994) (Producer, Editor) - Higher Goals (1992) (PBS-TV Special) (Producer, Editor, Talent)
- Inside/Out (1991) (play excerpt)
- Out of the Silence (1991) (Co-Producer, Editor)
- Hiding Out For Heaven (1989)
- House of Unamerican Activities (1984)
- Dream Documentary (1981)
External links
- Frederick Marx at WarriorFilms.org
- Frederick Marx at The Internet Movie Database
- Hoop Dreams at The Internet Movie Database
- Journey From Zanskar at WarriorFilms.org
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