Rich Hill
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How The Award-Winning Rich Hill Made an Impact
It’s been nearly two years since Rich Hill, an observational documentary about three teens growing up in rural poverty, won the U.S. Grand Jury Prize Documentary Award at the Sundance Film Festival. But the conversation the film sparked continues today and the film’s engagement campaign is still going strong. Directed by Andrew Droz Palermo and Tracy Droz Tragos, Rich Hill invites viewers into three families’ homes where they witness first-hand the hardships and challenges the families face as they struggle to make ends meet. Following its premiere at Sundance, Rich Hill was acquired by The Orchard and Independent Lens. It was […]
by Paula Bernstein on Dec 8, 2015 -
Damien Chazelle’s Whiplash Wins Two Top Prizes at the 30th Sundance Film Festival
Damien Chazelle’s Whiplash soared to victory in the major awards categories in the U.S. Dramatic Competition at the 30th Sundance Film Festival Saturday night. The picture, which was picked up for distribution by Sony Pictures Classics during the festival, took home both the U.S. Dramatic Competition Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award. Starring Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons, Chazelle’s second feature tells the story of an ambitious young jazz drummer and his unrelenting instructor in a no-holds-barred conservatory environment. The 28-year-old Chazelle first gained attention in 2009 when his feature directorial debut Guy and Madeleine on a Park Bench surfaced at […]
by Brandon Harris on Jan 25, 2014 -
Watch Sarah’s Uncertain Path: An Op-Doc from the Directors of Rich Hill
For their Op-Doc collaboration with Sundance Institute grantees, The New York Times tapped 25 New Face Andrew Droz Palermo and his cousin Tracy Droz Tragos, filmmakers behind the Sundance title Rich Hill, to produce a short profile of Sarah, a pregnant Midwestern teen, struggling to strike out against her familial trajectory. Sarah’s Uncertain Path acts as a microcosm for what Droz Palermo and Droz Tragos call “a myth in America.” “If you have a strong moral compass, work hard and make good choices, you will have equal opportunity,” they write of this unfulfilled promise. “But after two years of listening to and documenting low-income […]
by Sarah Salovaara on Jan 22, 2014 -
Interview with Rich Hill Director Tracy Droz Tragos
Filmmaker: Why this movie? Why did you decide to do it? Tragos: I made my first documentary Be Good, Smile Pretty after discovering a picture of my father the day he was killed in Vietnam. The film was well received and won the Emmy Award for Best Documentary in 2004. It was difficult to find another film project with such a deep connection – and then came motherhood. I wanted to give my daughters a different childhood than I had had – with a mom who was fully present. That was my choice then – but sometimes I wonder if I […]
by Danielle Lurie on Jan 22, 2014 -
RICH HILL: EVERYTOWN, USA
Next week, we are off to IFP’s Spotlight on Documentaries, representing our work-in-progress, Rich Hill. It’s exciting and a bit daunting — as we haven’t shared much of anything with anyone yet. Neither of us relishes the notion of the “pitch,” but at the same time, we’ve been a two-person band, wearing many hats, for almost a year now, and we need to raise funds to complete production. We feel like we’re ready to bring on an executive producer, and, maybe even, to partner with a broadcaster. Will this be the week? We’re packing our bags, doing our research and, […]
by Andrew Droz Palermo and Tracy Droz Tragos on Sep 9, 2012
