(DEADLINE) IDA Documentary Awards Shortlists Announced

Among the highlights from the IDA’s short documentary shortlists is MINK!, directed by Ben Proudfoot, who has been nominated for Oscars the past two years, winning earlier this year for The Queen...

(VARIETY) Oscar Winner Ben Proudfoot and Publicis Sapient Launch Impact Films, Social Good Documentary Initiative

Academy Award-winning director Ben Proudfoot (“The Queen of Basketball”) and digital business transformation company Publicis Sapient have partnered to launch Impact Films, a short film series designed to showcase technology “as a force for good.”...

(DEADLINE) ‘The Best Chef In The World’ Trailer: Oscar Winner Ben Proudfoot’s New Doc Celebrates A Little Known Pioneer Of California Cuisine

Among the pioneers of California cuisine, several chefs are very well known: Wolfgang Puck, of course, Thomas Keller, and Alice Waters, founder of Chez Panisse. But there’s another woman who...

THE BEST CHEF IN THE WORLD Premieres at Telluride

The 49th Telluride Film Festival opens Friday in a much-awaited edition that is set to feature world premieres of Searchlight’s Oscar hopeful Empire of Light from director Sam Mendes, starring Olivia Coleman and Colin...

HollyShorts Oscar-Qualifying Film Festival Wraps With Awards Ceremony: Ben Proudfoot, Victor Gabriel Among Big Winners

Among other top prizes at HollyShorts, director Ben Proudfoot (The Queen of Basketball) followed up his victory at the Academy Awards in March with a win for his latest documentary short, MINK! The film...

(INDIEWIRE) Taylor Swift, Kendrick Lamar, and More Big Names Have Shorts Officially Vying for Oscars Consideration

Tennis star Naomi Osaka is one of the executive producers on the documentary short “Mink!” from recent Oscar winner Ben Proudfoot. “Mink!” tells the story of the late politician Patsy...

(VARIETY) MINK! Will Have Its Festival Premiere at Hollyshorts | Bryan Cranston, Blair Underwood, Jennifer Morrison Lead Hollyshorts Film Festival Jury

Set to open Aug. 11 at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood and virtually through the BITPIX platform, the festival will screen a number of short films including Steve McQueen’s...

(DEADLINE) ‘MINK!’: Oscar Winner Ben Proudfoot Pairs With Naomi Osaka For Doc On Woman Who Paved Way For Title IX

EXCLUSIVE: MINK!, filmmaker Ben Proudfoot’s follow up to his Oscar-winning documentary short The Queen of Basketball, will launch this week, a project that teams him with tennis star Naomi Osaka and her...

A Decade of Breakwater Studios – WATCH NOW

Founded in 2012, Breakwater Studios has been a world leader in short-form humanist storytelling. An Academy Award® winning studio, Breakwater is celebrating our first decade in our mission to champion...

(SHORT OF THE WEEK) MINK! – a Documentary Short Film by Ben Proudfoot

Ben Proudfoot is the most consistent artist working in short film documentary. Like clockwork, every year we get an acclaimed profile piece that is slick, emotive, and which goes on...

(NEW YORK TIMES) When the Backlash Came for Title IX, She Fought Back

Throughout her life, Representative Patsy Mink challenged the status quo. As a leading advocate of Title IX, she defended the bill against those who sought to weaken it. Fifty years...

(WOMEN AND HOLLYWOOD) Naomi Osaka Celebrates An Unsung Hero of Title IX in Doc Short “MINK!”

Title IX forever transformed athletics in America, and it almost didn’t happen because of me,” teases Wendy Mink in a new trailer for the documentary short “MINK!.” When U.S. Representative...

(REALSCREEN) Naomi Osaka launches prodco with SpringHill Company, preps “Mink!”

Tennis star, entrepreneur and activist Naomi Osaka, along with her longtime agent and business partner Stuart Duguid, is launching a media company called Hana Kuma in partnership with LeBron James and...

(DEADLINE) Movie Academy Invites 397 Members To 2022 Class

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said Tuesday that it is inviting 397 artists and executives to join the Oscar organizer’s membership ranks. The prospective 2022 class includes 71 Oscar...

(VARIETY) Orlando Bloom, Sofia Carson and Lucy Liu Sign on to Ben Proudfoot’s UNICEF Doc ‘If You Have’

Longtime UNICEF ambassadors Orlando Bloom, Sofia Carson and Lucy Liu have signed on as executive producers for the documentary “If You Have,” which chronicles the 75-year history of UNICEF. Directed by Academy Award winner Ben Proudfoot, who won...

(NEW YORK TIMES) Film Club: ‘The Life of Jerry Givens, a State Executioner Turned Death-Row Abolitionist’

“The Life of Jerry Givens, a State Executioner Turned Death-Row Abolitionist” is a seven-minute film from the Times’s “Cause of Life” video series that celebrates the messy, tenacious and extraordinary...

(BLEACHER REPORT) Shaquille O’Neal, Stephen Curry’s ‘The Queen of Basketball’ Documentary Wins Oscar

NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal and Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry, who were among the executive producers for “The Queen of Basketball,” have won Academy Awards after the film...

(NEW YORK TIMES) The Times Wins Its First Oscar®

The Op-Doc “The Queen of Basketball” won in the Documentary Short Subject category at the 2022 Academy Awards. The Op-Doc “The Queen of Basketball” won the 2022 Academy Award in...

(DECIDER) Oscar Winner Rebukes Joe Biden During Acceptance Speech: “Bring Brittney Griner Home”

The director of The Queen of Basketball, Ben Proudfoot, took home the Oscar award for Best Documentary Short on Sunday night at the 2022 Oscars, and the director used his acceptance speech...

(YAHOO SPORTS) Queen of Basketball’ documentary on life of pioneer Lusia Harris wins Oscar

Lusia Harris’ legacy added another chapter when the documentary celebrating her historic story won an Oscar. “The Queen of Basketball” won the Academy Award for short subject documentary at the...

(NBA) The Queen of Basketball:’ Why have we never heard of Lusia Harris?

Breanna Stewart, Diana Taurasi, Lisa Leslie and Cheryl Miller are some of the names that come to mind when talking about the best female basketball players of all time. Lusia...

(SF CHRONICLE) And the short subject documentary Oscar goes to … Steph Curry and Shaq

The story of Lusia Harris only gets better: It now has won an Oscar. And just like longtime Los Angeles Laker Kobe Bryant did four years ago in another category,...

(DEADLINE) Oscar Win For ‘The Queen Of Basketball’ Cements Legacy Of Lucy Harris, Validating Support From EP’s Shaq, Steph Curry, Director Ben Proudfoot

Proper recognition for the achievements of Lusia “Lucy” Harris has been a long time coming, but it happened emphatically tonight at the Academy Awards. The Queen of Basketball, which documents...

(DEADLINE) Children Of ‘The Queen Of Basketball’ Star Lucy Harris Reflect On Oscar-Nominated Doc About Their Mom: “Her Legacy Forever Lives On”

For the children of Lusia “Lucy” Harris, the woman at the center of The Queen of Basketball, the prospect of the upcoming Oscar ceremony brings a feeling of joy, along...

(NPR) Shaquille O’Neal on ‘The Queen of Basketball’

“The Queen of Basketball,” a documentary about the late basketball great Lusia “Lucy” Harris has been nominated for an Oscar. We hear from one of the executive producers of the...

(LA Times) Journeys of discovery are at the heart of the 2022 Oscar-nominated documentary shorts

This year’s Oscar-nominated documentary short films immerse us in the worlds of deaf teens on the cusp of adulthood, the homeless epidemic and a family displaced by war but striving for a...

(CHICAGO SUN-TIMES) Three decades ago, a Black drag queen ran for mayor of Chicago

That candidacy was covered in a 2021 documentary on Smith, “The Beauty President,” directed by Whitney Skauge. “Ronald Reagan was elected president,” Blakk said in her announcement video, as seen in the...

(HOLLYWOOD REPORTER) Steph Curry Joins Shaquille O’Neal as EP of Oscar-Nominated Short ‘The Queen of Basketball’ (Exclusive)

The film premiered at the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival, won the best documentary short Critics Choice Award and is currently streaming on the New York Times’ website and YouTube channel....

(ABC7 NEWS) Oscar-nominated documentary ‘The Queen of Basketball’ coming to Bay Area

An Oscar-nominated documentary executive produced by Shaquille O’Neal is screening in the Bay Area this weekend and you can hear directly from the director. The documentary short “The Queen of...

(MOTION PICTURE ASSOCIATION) Director Ben Proudfoot on his Oscar-Nominated Short “The Queen of Basketball”

Lusia “Lucy” Harris’s basketball resume includes leading Delta State University in Mississippi to three consecutive national titles and representing the US at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal. She made history as...

(WASHINGTON POST) A guide to the 2022 Oscar Shorts

“The Queen of Basketball” (available at nytimes.com) is the real sports charmer: The film is a portrait of Lusia “Lucy” Harris, a pioneer in women’s basketball, who, as the star player...

(NEW YORK TIMES) ‘Queen Lucy’ Was a Basketball Superstar. How Will We Remember Her?

The daughter of sharecroppers. The only Black basketball player on a college team she led to three national championships. The first woman to score a basket at the Olympics. So...

(DEADLINE) Shaquille O’Neal Announces Free L.A.-Area Screenings Of ‘The Queen Of Basketball,’ In Honor Of Late Hoops Star

EXCLUSIVE: NBA All-Star Shaquille O’Neal is booking theaters in Los Angeles this weekend for free screenings of The Queen of Basketball, in honor of Lusia “Lucy” Harris, the late subject of the...

(DEADLINE) Oscar-Shortlisted Doc ‘The Queen Of Basketball’ Tells Story Of Forgotten GOAT Of Women’s Game: “She Was Absolutely Extraordinary”

In the mid-1970s when the horn sounded for a Delta State University Lady Statesmen’s basketball game, center Lusia “Lucy” Harris could not be stopped. “The pass comes into No. 45...

(VANITY FAIR) King Richard Composer Kris Bowers Has Something to Say

Around the time that Richard Williams and Oracene Price uprooted their daughters Serena and Venus from Compton to Florida in hopes of creating tennis phenoms, Kris Bowers’s parents were also in...

(DEADLINE) “A Defiant Act Of Bravery”: ‘The Beauty President’ Recalls Terence Alan Smith’s Campaign As “First Drag Queen” Presidential Candidate

In 1992 the presidential race came down to three main candidates: the Republican incumbent, President George H.W. Bush, Democrat Bill Clinton, and Independent Ross Perot. But they weren’t the only...

(DEADLINE) Shaquille O’Neal On His Emotional Reaction To Oscar-Contending Doc ‘The Queen Of Basketball’: “It Kind Of Made Me Cry”

EXCLUSIVE: Basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal wants the world to know about an overlooked star of the game, Lusia “Lucy” Harris, the woman Shaq calls “the greatest of all time.” “She’s a...

(VARIETY) How the NY Times Built Its Op-Docs Series Into an Awards Pipeline for Nonfiction Films

Ten years ago, the New York Times embarked on an experiment to incorporate short documentary films into its opinion section and quickly established itself as an alternative to HBO Documentary...

(DEADLINE) Shaquille O’Neal Boards ‘The Queen of Basketball’ As EP, Calls Documentary’s Unsung Heroine “A Living Legend And A Pioneer”

EXCLUSIVE: NBA great Shaquille O’Neal is joining a new team—the one behind the award-winning documentary The Queen of Basketball. The Hall of Fame center and four-time NBA champ has signed on as...

(BLACK GIRL NERDS PODCAST) Vivica A. Fox and Director Whitney Skauge

In this 2-part episode of the BGN Podcast, we welcome legendary star Vivica A. Fox and filmmaker Whitney Skauge. Vivica A. Fox has an extensive catalog of her film’s on...

The Beauty President – WATCH NOW

“THE BEAUTY PRESIDENT”  presented byBREAKWATER STUDIOS, HILLMAN GRAD PRODUCTIONS & LA TIMES STUDIOS Meet America’s First Drag Queen for President“If a bad actor can be president, why not a good...

(DEADLINE) L.A. Times Enters Short Doc Space, Premieres Oscar-Contender ‘The Beauty President,’ On “Queer, Black Drag Queen” Candidate For Nation’s Highest Office

EXCLUSIVE: The Los Angeles Times is premiering the short documentary The Beauty President Tuesday, part of a new initiative that will showcase nonfiction shorts “with a West Coast perspective.” The Beauty President, directed...

(LA TIMES) The Beauty President, a doc about America’s first drag queen presidential candidate

‘The Beauty President’ is a short documentary about 1992 U.S. presidential candidate Terence Alan Smith, from executive producer Lena Waithe and emerging director Whitney Skauge, presented by Breakwater Studios, Hillman...

Our series for The Hollywood Bowl launches!

Almost everyone has a story about the Hollywood Bowl. Maybe it was the first place you ever saw a concert—or fireworks. Or it was the highlight of your family’s trip...

(ABC7) Oscar-nominated short subject documentary ‘A Concerto is a Conversation’ rooted in music, family, LA history

 The Oscar nominated short subject documentary film “A Concerto is a Conversation” is rooted in Los Angeles history. The film tells the story of Mr. Horace Bowers Sr. and his...

(ABC NEWS) 2 documentaries up for Oscars tell stories of nonagenarians

The Oscar isn’t the only one celebrating its 93rd trip around the sun at the Academy Awards ceremony this year. The shorts category features two documentaries, “ A Concerto is a Conversation...

(VARIETY) Oscar-Nominated Short Film ‘A Concerto Is a Conversation’ Bridges Generations in a Tale About Family and Race in America

Oscar-nominated short film “A Concerto Is a Conversation” is the story of love between a grandfather and his grandson woven together through music. It’s also a narrative about race in...

(TORONTO STAR) Canada’s Ben Proudfoot up for Oscar for short doc ‘A Concerto is a Conversation’

It’s been an emotional start to the week for Halifax-raised filmmaker Ben Proudfoot. On Monday, the Los Angeles-based director-producer scored an Oscar nomination for the documentary short “A Concerto is...

Academy Award® nominated A Concerto is a Conversation – WATCH NOW

Directed by Emmy-winning filmmaker Ben Proudfoot and Emmy-winning composer Kris Bowers (“Green Book”, “When They See Us”, “Bridgerton”) Executive Produced by Oscar-nominated and Emmy-winning filmmaker Ava DuVernay (“Selma”, “13th”, “When...

(DEADLINE) Grandfather, Grandson: Two Generations Meet Face To Face In Oscar-Shortlisted ‘A Concerto Is A Conversation’

The Oscar-shortlisted short documentary A Concerto Is a Conversation is a classic two-hander, the kind of story with two protagonists of equal importance. In this case the characters are Horace Bowers Sr.,...

(NEW YORK TIMES) Cause of Life

We’ve lost a million people with two things in common: They were Americans, and the coronavirus ended their lives. For these short documentaries, the filmmaker Ben Proudfoot asked five people...

(VARIETY) Ava DuVernay to Executive Produce Kris Bowers and Ben Proudfoot’s Documentary Short ‘A Concerto Is a Conversation’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Ava DuVernay is reuniting with “When They See Us” composer Kris Bowers for the documentary short “A Concerto Is a Conversation.” DuVernay will executive produce the film, which was co-directed and produced by...

Almost Famous Launches

The New York Times and Breakwater Studios present a fascinating new series about people who nearly made history — and found happiness anyway. ALMOST FAMOUS is a new kind of historical...

(THE ATLANTIC) A World-Famous Pastry Chef’s Heartbreaking Regret

The impulse to strive for excellence is something that was instilled in Milton Abel II from childhood. Growing up in Kansas City, the famed jazz musician Milton Abel Sr. immersed...

The New York Times: Almost Famous: The King of Fish and Chips

The following op-ed was written by Director Ben Proudfoot for The New York Times, published on August 20, 2019, and can also be found here. On a spring day nearly seven years ago, I stepped away from my desk as C.E.O....

We Won a Webby!

My dear friends, Sometimes there are moments that wouldn’t exist without YOU, our audience. This is one of those moments. We are so humbled to share that our film, The...

(DAILY BEAST) Virtuoso Pastry Chef Milton Abel on Fatherhood, Jazz, and His Life’s Greatest Regret

The star of the short film ‘That’s My Jazz,’ premiering at the Tribeca Film Festival, Milton Abel discusses fatherhood, food, and growing up the son of a jazz music legend....

Breakwater Needs Your Vote!

My dear friends, We are so excited to share that THE YOUNGEST CAPTAIN, David Bolen’s beautiful and haunting Alaskan meditation made in partnership with Huckberry and Xtratuf, has been nominated for a Webby Award for...

THAT’S MY JAZZ, A Short Film by Ben Proudfoot, Has World Premiere at 2019 Tribeca Film Festival

THAT’S MY JAZZ, a short form documentary by filmmaker Ben Proudfoot and Breakwater Studios, will have its world premiere on April 27th at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival. The film is part of...

Joe’s Story

Dear Friends, I want to introduce you to my friend Joe Buckner. We met Joe through our friends at Huckberry and Lululemon, who partnered with us to create a film about...

2018 Year-in-Review

Dear friends, Happy new year one and all! We had one hell of a great year, and there is so much to be excited about ahead. Thank you to all...

(DEADLINE) Gigi Pritzker & Clint Kisker’s MWM Invests In Ben Proudfoot’s Breakwater Studios

EXCLUSIVE: Gigi Pritzker and Clint Kisker’s MWM (formerly Madison Wells Media) has just completed an investment in Breakwater Studios, the digital short and documentary content company founded by CEO Ben Proudfoot. The Series A transaction...

BTS / Lost at Sea

  Twenty hours at sea. That’s the first thing we heard about Bill Durden’s incredible story. Our collective first thought, none of us survivalists or ex-Navy like Bill, was that...

BTS / A Journey To Fogo Island

“Any ideas?” I spoke into my phone, hoping its battery would hold out for just a bit longer. “I’m thinking…” said Tom, our kindly host and the voice on the...

BTS / Why Not Now: Susan Kurtik

    By the time Susan Kurtik called the Breakwater office back, she had every right to be sick of me. We didn’t really have much to go on, nor...