Lilly Hartley is an American documentary

film producer A film producer is a person who oversees film production. Either employed by a production company or working independently, producers plan and coordinate various aspects of film production, such as selecting the script, coordinating writing, di ...

and actress, and the founder of

Candescent Films Candescent Films is an American film production company that produces and finances documentary and narrative films that explore social issues. History Candescent Films was founded in 2010 by producer and actress Lilly Hartley.Mike Fleming, Jr.� ...

Early life and education

Hartley was raised in

East Hampton, New York The Town of East Hampton is located in southeastern Suffolk County, New York, at the eastern end of the South Shore of Long Island. It is the easternmost town in the state of New York. At the time of the 2020 United States census, it had a total ...

and

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

.Team bios
1971film.com. Retrieved July 4, 2014. Her father is a playwright and graduate of the Yale School of Drama and her mother is a scientist. Her godfather, Ken Howard, was an actor and was president of the

Screen Actors Guild The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) was an American labor union which represented over 100,000 film and television principal and background performers worldwide. On March 30, 2012, the union leadership announced that the SAG membership voted to m ...

. Her grandfather,

Benjamin Epstein Benjamin Epstein was national director of the Anti-Defamation League from 1948 through 1978. He was ADL vice president from 1978 through 1983. Career Epstein taught at the University of Pennsylvania and as a high school teacher in Coatesville fo ...

, worked with Martin Luther King Jr. and

Robert F. Kennedy Robert Francis Kennedy (November 20, 1925June 6, 1968), also known by his initials RFK and by the nickname Bobby, was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 64th United States Attorney General from January 1961 to September 1964, a ...

during the

Civil Rights Movement The civil rights movement was a nonviolent social and political movement and campaign from 1954 to 1968 in the United States to abolish legalized institutional Racial segregation in the United States, racial segregation, Racial discrimination ...

in his role as national director of the

Anti-Defamation League The Anti-Defamation League (ADL), formerly known as the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith, is an international Jewish non-governmental organization based in the United States specializing in civil rights law. It was founded in late Septe ...

. She majored in history and English in college and graduated ''

summa cum laude Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some Sou ...

''. She studied acting at William Esper Studio, completing the two-year program.

Career

Hartley founded

in 2010.Linda Hassler
“Lilly Hartley’s Candescent Films Shines Its Light On Documentaries,”
''

Huffington Post ''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...

'', June 4, 2014.Susan McPherson
"Meet the Filmanthropist: Lilly Hartley,"
''

Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also re ...

'', August 20, 2014. The film production company supports documentary films exploring social issues.Mike Fleming Jr
“Candescent Films Launches With Jeff Nichols, Javier Bardem, R.J. Cutler Pics,”
''

Deadline Hollywood ''Deadline Hollywood'', commonly known as ''Deadline'' and also referred to as ''Deadline.com'', is an online news site founded as the news blog ''Deadline Hollywood Daily'' by Nikki Finke in 2006. The site is updated several times a day, with ...

'', September 21, 2011. Prior to founding the company, Hartley worked as an actress and production executive. She is a member of the

and Producers Guild of America. The first film supported by Candescent was ''

The Queen of Versailles ''The Queen of Versailles'' is a 2012 American documentary film by Lauren Greenfield. The film depicts Jackie Siegel and David Siegel, owners of Westgate Resorts, and their family as they build their private residence – Versailles, one of ...

'', which was the opening night film at the

2012 Sundance Film Festival The 2012 Sundance Film Festival took place from January 19 until January 29, 2012 in Park City, Utah. 64 short films were selected for the festival from 7,675 submissions, including 27 international shorts from 3,592 submissions. Non-competition ...

, and was nominated for a

DGA Award The Directors Guild of America Awards are issued annually by the Directors Guild of America. The first DGA Award was an "Honorary Life Member" award issued in 1938 to D. W. Griffith. The statues are made by New York firm, Society Awards. Categ ...

IDA Award International Documentary Association (IDA), founded in 1982, is a non-profit 501(c)(3) that promotes nonfiction filmmakers, and is dedicated to increasing public awareness for the documentary genre. Their major program areas are: Advocacy, Filmm ...

and Critics' Choice Award. Hartley served as an executive producer.Pamela McClintock
“Sundance: Candescent Films Announces 2014 Documentary Awards,”
''

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...

'', January 18, 2014. As a producer on ''Sons of the Clouds'', a documentary exploring human rights issues in

Western Sahara Western Sahara ( '; ; ) is a disputed territory on the northwest coast and in the Maghreb region of North and West Africa. About 20% of the territory is controlled by the self-proclaimed Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), while the r ...

and starring Javier Bardem, Hartley won the 2013 Goya Award for Best Documentary Film. The film premiered at the 2012 Berlin International Film Festival, had its North American premiere at the

Toronto International Film Festival The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the largest publicly attended film festivals in the world, attracting over 480,000 people annually. Since its founding in 1976, TIFF has grown to become a permane ...

, and was also screened at the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...

in New York, the RFK Center for Justice and Human Rights in Washington, DC, and at the

European Parliament The European Parliament (EP) is one of the legislative bodies of the European Union and one of its seven institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union (known as the Council and informally as the Council of Ministers), it adopts ...

in Brussels. In 2012, Hartley's Candescent Films created the Candescent Award, providing grant money in support of socially conscious documentary films. The Candescent Award is an annual award given to projects supported by the Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program that premiere at the

Sundance Film Festival The Sundance Film Festival (formerly Utah/US Film Festival, then US Film and Video Festival) is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with more than 46,66 ...

. Past winners are '' Escape Fire: The Fight to Rescue American Healthcare'' (2012), ''

Gideon's Army ''Gideon's Army'' is a 2013 American documentary film about three public defenders in the Southern United States. The movie is directed by Dawn Porter. Its title comes from ''Gideon v. Wainwright'', which required that indigent criminal defendants ...

'' (2013), ''

After Tiller ''After Tiller'' is a 2013 documentary film directed by Martha Shane and Lana Wilson that follows the only four remaining doctors in the United States who openly perform abortions in the third trimester of pregnancy. In 2015, ''After Tiller'' won ...

'' (2013), ''

Marmato ''Marmato'' is a 2014 American documentary film written, directed and produced by Mark Grieco. It is the debut feature film of Grieco. The film premiered in competition category of U.S. Documentary Competition program at the 2014 Sundance Film Fest ...

'' (2014), ''

Private Violence ''Private Violence'' is a 2014 American documentary film directed and produced by Cynthia Hill. The film focuses on the issue of domestic violence, as told through two survivors. Ultimately, the film centers on dispelling the logic of the commonly ...

'' (2014), ''

E-Team ''E-Team'' is a 2014 American documentary film co-directed and produced by Katy Chevigny and Ross Kauffman. The film premiered in the competition category of U.S. Documentary Competition program at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival on January 18, 2 ...

'' (2014), '' How to Change the World'' (2015), '' (T)error'' (2015) and ''

City of Ghosts City of Ghosts may refer to: * City of Ghosts (2002 film), an American crime thriller film * City of Ghosts (2017 film), an Arabic-language American documentary film * City of Ghosts (TV series) ''City of Ghosts'' is a hybrid French-American an ...

'' (2017), which was bought by

Amazon Amazon most often refers to: * Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek mythology * Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin * Amazon River, in South America * Amazon (company), an American multinational technology c ...

. In 2014, Hartley partnered with the Tribeca Film Institute to develop a Candescent Award for films that premiere at the

Tribeca Film Festival The Tribeca Festival is an annual film festival organized by TriBeCa Productions, Tribeca Productions. It takes place each spring in New York City, showcasing a diverse selection of film, episodic, talks, music, games, art, and immersive progra ...

. The inaugural recipient of this award was '' Nas: Time Is Illmatic'' (2014).Pamela McClintock
“Tribeca: Nas Documentary ‘Time is Illmatic’ to Receive Inaugural Candescent Award,”
''The Hollywood Reporter'', April 2, 2014. The second winner was ''

The Yes Men Are Revolting ''The Yes Men Are Revolting'' is a 2014 documentary film directed by Laura Nix and The Yes Men, a culture jamming duo who use the aliases Andy Bichlbaum and Mike Bonanno. Adam McKay executive produced. The film follows their exploits as they pra ...

'', and the 2015 winner was ''

The Wolfpack ''The Wolfpack'' is a 2015 American documentary film, directed by Crystal Moselle. It is about the Angulo family, who homeschooled and raised their seven children (six boys and one girl) in the confinement of their apartment in the Lower East Sid ...

''. Some of Hartley's other work includes executive producing ''Who Is Dayani Cristal?'' starring Gael García Bernal, executive producing ''

'', which premiered at the

2014 Sundance Film Festival The 2014 Sundance Film Festival took place from January 16, 2014 until January 26, 2014 in Park City, Utah, United States, with screenings in Salt Lake City, Ogden, and Sundance Resort in Utah. The festival opened with ''Whiplash'' directed by Da ...

, and producing ''Likeness'', a short film starring Elle Fanning and directed by Rodrigo Prieto. ''Likeness'' premiered at the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival, and was nominated for a 2014 Webby Award for Drama: Long Form or Series. Hartley executive produced ''

The Departure The Departure was an English rock band from Northampton, formed in October 2003. Their debut album, ''Dirty Words'', was released 13 June 2005 by Parlophone. A second album, ''Inventions'', was expected to be released in early 2008, but was not ...

'', directed by

Lana Wilson Lana Wilson is an American filmmaker. She directed the feature documentaries ''After Tiller'', ''The Departure,'' and ''Miss Americana''. The first two films were nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Documentary. Life and career Or ...

, which premiered at the 2017

, and was nominated for the 2017

Independent Spirit Award for Best Documentary Feature The Independent Spirit Award for Best Documentary Feature is one of the annual Independent Spirit Awards. It is given to the director(s) of the film and since 2014 it is also given to the producers. It was first presented in 2000, with Marc Singer ...

. Hartley executive produced the big game hunting documentary ''

Trophy A trophy is a tangible, durable reminder of a specific achievement, and serves as a recognition or evidence of merit. Trophies are often awarded for sporting events, from youth sports to professional level athletics. In many sports medals (or, in ...

'', which premiered at the

2017 Sundance Film Festival The 2017 Sundance Film Festival took place from January 19 to January 29, 2017. The first lineup of competition films was announced November 30, 2016. Awards The following awards were presented: * Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic – ''I Don't Feel at ...

, where it was acquired by CNN Films and

The Orchard The Orchard may refer to: * The Orchard (company), American music and entertainment company * The Orchard (band), Canadian country music duo * ''The Orchard'' (Lizz Wright album), 2008 * ''The Orchard'' (Ra Ra Riot album), 2010 * The Orchard (t ...

. Hartley executive produced ''

Generation Wealth ''Generation Wealth'' is a 2018 American documentary film directed by Lauren Greenfield. It follows Greenfield's 2017 book and photo exhibition of the same name. Release ''Generation Wealth'' was selected to be the opening night film at the 2018 ...

'', which had its world premiere at the

2018 Sundance Film Festival The 2018 Sundance Film Festival took place from January 18 to January 28, 2018. The first lineup of competition films was announced on November 29, 2017. Awards The following awards were presented: * U.S. Dramatic Grand Jury Prize Award: '' Th ...

, its European premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival, and was nominated for a 2018 Writers Guild of America Award for Best Documentary Screenplay. Through Candescent Films, Hartley has also lent support to the documentaries '' Fed Up'' (produced and narrated by Katie Couric), ''

Art and Craft Mark Augustus Landis (born 1955) is an American painter who lives in Laurel, Mississippi. He is best known for "donating" large numbers of forged paintings and drawings to American art museums. Life and career Mark Landis was born in Norfolk, V ...

'', '' 3½ Minutes, Ten Bullets'', ''

Cartel Land ''Cartel Land'' is a 2015 American documentary film directed by Matthew Heineman about the Mexican Drug War, especially vigilante groups fighting Mexican drug cartels. The film focuses on Tim "Nailer" Foley, the leader of Arizona Border Recon ...

'', '' Racing Extinction'', ''

Solitary Solitary is the state of being alone or in solitude. The term may refer to: * shortened form of solitary confinement * Solitary animal, an animal that does not live with others in its species * Solitary but social, a type of social organization in ...

'', ''Vegas Baby'' and ''

Step Step(s) or STEP may refer to: Common meanings * Stairs#Step, Steps, making a staircase * Walking * Dance move * Military step, or march ** Marching Arts Films and television * Steps (TV series), ''Steps'' (TV series), Hong Kong * Step (film), ' ...

''.Dave McNary
"Sundance: Documentary ‘City of Ghosts’ Wins Candescent Award,"
''Variety'', January 19, 2017. ''Art and Craft'' (2014) and ''3½ Minutes, Ten Bullets'' (2015) were each shortlisted for the

Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary education, secondary or tertiary education, tertiary higher education, higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membershi ...

Honors and awards

* Goya Award for Best Documentary Film, ''Sons of the Clouds'', 2013 * ''

Marie Claire ''Marie Claire'' is a French international monthly magazine first published in France in 1937, followed by the United Kingdom in 1941. Since then various editions are published in many countries and languages. The feature editions focus on wo ...

s New Guard 50 Most Connected Women In America, 2014"The New Guard: The 50 Most Connected Women in America,"
''

'', October 2014.

Filmography

References

External links

Candescent Films website
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hartley, Lilly Living people Year of birth missing (living people) American documentary film producers Actresses from New York City Film producers from New York (state) 21st-century American actresses American television actresses American women documentary filmmakers