190:, Spione released the DVD version of the movie through his own production and distribution company, Morninglight Films. Over the ensuing years, Spione has returned to the area numerous times, working with the Center to create a series of shorts about the unique history and culture of the region, including "Spirit of the Bird" (2012), "Watermen" (2014), "The Last Hunt Clubs" (2016), "Welcome to the Table" (2018), "Gatherings" (2020), "Island Empire: The Story of the Cobbs" (2022) and "The Almshouse" (2024).
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is an
American director, producer, writer and editor of both documentary and fiction films. Early on in his career, he developed a reputation for suspenseful dramatic shorts; his later career, however, has been marked by a new focus on short and feature-length documentaries for both theatrical
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in
Cooperstown, New York, and went on to play theatres from the Berkshires to the Midwest. Spione often toured with the movie and would hold frequent Q&A sessions at each regional premiere to engage the audience directly in discussions about the state of family farming in America.
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that "James Spione creates more tension in 25 minutes than most writer-directors manage over two hours," and the film was
Toppman's most recommended of the 1994 Charlotte Film Festival. Critic Greg Stacy of the
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journalists, along with about a dozen other mostly unarmed individuals, in a suburb of
Baghdad during one of the most violent and chaotic periods of the Iraq War. The film premiered theatrically at the 2011
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a "real gem" with "the crushing inevitability of a
Flannery O'Connor story." Reaction to Spione's later documentary work, however, has been somewhat more mixed. While
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in New York City as part of the "Independents Night" series and broadcast on the national cable program "Reel Street." Spione also produced and co-edited
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Concurrent with his film directing career, Spione often worked as a film and video editor on independent dramatic and documentary features (
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Toppman, Lawrence (May 13, 1994). "Critic's picks of films, videos to see at festival". Charlotte
Observer, p. 2F.
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In 2008, Spione collaborated with The
Barrier Islands Center in Machipongo, Virginia on a historical documentary,
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received high praise from critics during the movie's film festival tour. Lawrence
Toppman wrote in the
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region of New York State, Spione graduated with Honors in 1985 from the Film
Directing program at the
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102:. In 2018, the film was digitally restored by the Academy for inclusion in its Short Film Archives.
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He is currently making a new documentary about the civil rights-era photographer John
Shearer.
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was described by critics as "truly not worth missing" and "one powerful and disturbing film."
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During the 1990s, Spione wrote and directed several other notable dramatic shorts, including
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During the 2000s, Spione began to produce and direct nonfiction films. In 2005, he made
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was quite critical. Nonetheless, the DVD version of the movie was selected by
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premiered at the Barrier Islands Center and was subsequently broadcast by
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and played at numerous other national and international film festivals.
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Stacy, Greg (August 16–22, 1996). "Short Cuts". OC Weekly, p. 23.
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in New York City, where it won the prize for Best Short Documentary.
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He first achieved national recognition in 1987, when he received a
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magazine as one of the Best Documentaries of 2008. More recently,
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137:(1996), starring Pamela Holden Stewart, which was shown at the
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in the Outstanding Informational Long-Form Program category.
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John Shearer, Who Photographed Tumultuous 1960s, Dies at 72
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The director next completed a feature documentary called
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A Guide to the Tribeca_Film_Festival's Best Short Films
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was generally well received in newspapers such as the
870:"Life Itself," "Bolshoi" among News and Doc Emmy noms
552:. Poughkeepsie, New York. p. 25. Archived from
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257:in 2015, and nominated for a News and Documentary
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1193:State University of New York at Purchase alumni
126:was featured in the Shorts Program at the 1995
573:. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
522:. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
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969:""American Farm" Skips the Country Cliches"
788:Awards_Announced_2011_Tribeca_Film_Festival
210:was a first-person account of the infamous
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1035:"Video Librarian 2008 Best Documentaries"
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114:(1994), which starred fellow SUNY alumni
58:release and public television broadcast.
85:State University of New York at Purchase
792:. Tribeca Film Festival. Archived from
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264:Spione's most recent feature is 2017's
994:Hallenbeck, Brent (December 4, 2007).
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688:Hallenbeck, Brent (December 4, 2007).
379:Island Empire: The Story of the Cobbs
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1178:Film producers from New York (state)
1148:http://www.incidentinnewbaghdad.com/
762:. Morninglight Films. Archived from
518:Nominees for the 84th Academy Awards
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1173:American documentary film producers
844:Silenced/Tribeca Film Festival 2014
204:Spione's 2011 Oscar-nominated film
1153:https://morninglightfilms.us/home/
541:Lanzetta, Danny (April 14, 2005).
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896:Awake, A Dream from Standing Rock
758:Inauguration: Spirit of the Crowd
398:Awake: A Dream From Standing Rock
266:Awake, A Dream from Standing Rock
1013:Murray, Noel (October 5, 2005).
250:was broadcast nationally on the
212:July 12, 2007, Baghdad airstrike
967:Thomas, Rob (October 6, 2005).
571:"Student Academy Award Winners"
133:Spione next wrote and directed
48:Film director, producer, writer
708:"Upstate Films/Guest Speakers"
367:John Shearer: American Moments
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1089:Surveying the Docs at Tribeca
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874:. Brunico Communications Ltd
242:. The film premiered at the
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186:in Norfolk, Virginia. Like
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996:"Focus on Farms' Families"
690:"Focus on Farms' Families"
848:. Tribeca Enterprises LLC
343:, at least one review by
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1143:http://silencedfilm.com/
732:James Spione - Biography
75:Early life and education
973:Wisconsin State Journal
432:Incident in New Baghdad
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334:Wisconsin State Journal
306:Among his short works,
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128:Sundance Film Festival
16:American film director
1203:American film editors
1000:Burlington Free Press
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559:on November 20, 2008.
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278:Tribeca Film Festival
244:Tribeca Film Festival
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193:Released in 2010 was
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822:. Morninglight Films
796:on November 14, 2012
665:Parallel Sons (1995)
643:. Morninglight Films
496:. Morninglight Films
391:Welcome to the Table
320:Orange County Weekly
302:Praise and criticism
236:Thomas Andrews Drake
232:Obama Administration
139:Walter Reade Theatre
100:Adirondack Mountains
55:James Michael Spione
35:James Michael Spione
900:. International WOW
766:on February 1, 2011
405:The Last Hunt Clubs
164:Fenimore Art Museum
69:84th Academy Awards
1096:Filmmaker Magazine
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826:October 28,
714:February 1,
673:January 30,
526:January 27,
361:Filmography
274:Myron Dewey
120:Matt Malloy
116:Melissa Leo
1162:Categories
1134:'s channel
1071:August 17,
1023:. Madison.
1002:. Vermont.
979:August 17,
696:. Vermont.
476:References
385:Gatherings
289:X-Patriots
259:Emmy Award
61:His film,
975:. Madison
904:April 18,
852:March 29,
800:March 16,
1103:July 13,
1041:March 1,
934:June 27,
878:July 23,
818:Silenced
418:Silenced
411:Watermen
337:and the
270:Josh Fox
248:Silenced
228:Silenced
1138:YouTube
1065:ArtInfo
469:Prelude
323:called
252:DirecTV
216:Reuters
184:WHRO-TV
96:Prelude
736:. IMDb
669:. IMDb
617:. IMDb
595:. IMDb
471:(1986)
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