'My Kid' docu examines prodigy painter – Hollywood Reporter

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October 2, 2007 5:36 pm
By: tiffreviews

Hollywood Reporter, United States - We tend to think of documentaries as focusing on geopolitical issues of devastating significance, but that’s not always so. A case in point is Sony Pictures Classics’ “My Kid Could Paint That,” opening Friday in New York and L.A., which examines the fascinating story of 4-year-old prodigy painter Marla Olmstead. After attracting media attention, Marla became an internationally known celebrity, selling more than $300,000 worth of her abstract paintings. But did she actually paint them herself? Five months into Marla’s new stardom, an expose on “60 Minutes” strongly suggested that her amateur painter father had done or, at least, had had a hand in finishing Marla’s paintings. Suddenly Marla’s career was on hold and collectors’ interest in her work began to fade.Producer-director Amir Bar-Lev had been attracted to Marla’s story before the controversy erupted and was, therefore, already filming her at her home in Binghamton, N.Y., when “60 Minutes” dropped its bombshell, unexpectedly providing him with a new and much more compelling story to tell. The Sony Pictures Classics and A&E Indiefilms presentation in association with the BBC is an Axis Films and Passion Pictures production. Executive produced by Richard Klein for the BBC and by John Battsek, it was co-executive produced by Andrew Ruhemann. “My Kid” premiered last January at the Sundance Film Festival, where it was well-received and generated considerable interest. When it screened in September at the Toronto International Film Festival it also was met with a very positive reception… [Full Story]

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