The Official Peter Coyote Web Site

Coymoon Creations


SUMMER
2013 NEWSLETTER
 

August 20, 2013

Among the new documentaries this year that Peter has contributed to is "Mumia: Long Distance Revolutionary". One of the most famous prisoners in America, Mumia Abu-Jamal refuses to let his message fall silent. The troubling case of this black activist-journalist, who has been in prison for 30 years for the murder of a white Philadelphia cop in 1981, is examined in this documentary.  A gathering of articulate defenders, which include Peter, Cornel West, Alice Walker, Angela Davis, Ruby Dee, and Dick Gregory, give voice to his radicalism and experiences behind bars. Abu-Jamal was originally sentenced to death, but his punishment was later changed to life without parole. The two-hour film, directed and written by Stephen Vittori, is available on iTunes and DVD.

As for official narrations by Peter, this month we can add the PBS television special, "Smarter Brains". The documentary explores the latest science on intelligence and looks at how taking on new challenges and exercising creativity can improve brain power. The film examines Designer Salvatore J. Cesarini's work as both a designer and an instructor at Parsons The New School for Design, and shows how the interaction with students and use of the latest design software stimulate him creatively. The special also features interviews with Jeff Hawkins, the inventor of the Palm Pilot, Alzheimer's disease researchers at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, and brain and intelligence experts.

June 27, 2013

These days Peter must be singing one of my favorites, "One Night in Bangkok" while filming a new movie in Thailand. French director Olivier Baroux has cast him in his film, "On a Marché sur Bangkok" along with Algerian actor Kad Merad and French actress Alice Taglioni. Filming, which began May 2nd, will wrap up by July 5th. Peter reports, "It's a very silly comedy in which I play the head of the CIA trying to prevent two French reporters from tracking down the last living person who had proof that during the Apollo Moon-landing the American astronauts were beaten to the punch by Aliens." He adds, "Other than being deathly hot, we had a great time".

June 5, 2013

A documentary, narrated by Peter, won a Special Jury Award at the 2013 Worldfest Film Festival in Houston last month. International award-winning wildlife TV producer Gary W. Griffen won the award for his TV special on white-tailed deer, "The Secret Life of Whitetails." The Special Jury Awards are Grand Remi nominees and are the highest awards for creative excellence in each major film category. About 4,500 entries from around the world competed for awards and more than 30,000 people attended the 10-day event in Texas. Over the course of three years, Griffen followed white-tailed deer in all types of weather, capturing unique footage of this magnificent creature throughout its annual cycle. Filmed in high definition, this 54-minute documentary gives new insights into a whitetail's home range, diet, winter adaptations and its relationship with predators and humans.

Here are a couple new photos by Hans Peter Schneider that I've added to the Black & White Gallery: