Handheld

The father of direct cinema, Albert Maysles, redefined documentary in practice and meaning. With unfettered access to his entire filmography, including outtakes, unknown commercial works, and family footage, Handheld is the story of Albert’s life told entirely through the images he captured on film. His goal to film everyday people around the world humanized how we see ourselves in others.

REBEKAH MAYSLES (Director) is a New York City based artist.  For the past seven years she has been the President of Maysles Films, Inc. founded by her father Albert and his brother David Maysles.  She has focused on preserving the archive, generating international and educational distribution deals, and special projects. She collaborated with her father on the Emmy-nominated IRIS (2015)- one of his final films which premiered at the 52nd New York Film Festival.  In 2009 she co-edited and illustrated the book Grey Gardens - filled with Maysles Films ephemera and many handmade illustrations. Rebekah is currently on the board of the Maysles Documentary Center in Harlem which is dedicated to the exhibition and production of documentary films that inspire dialogue and action.

LAURA COXSON (Producer) is a New York City-based documentary producer who began her career at Maysles Films. Recent films include the short series Quitting Time (2022, True False), Midnight in Paris (2019), Chef Flynn (2018) and The Proposal (2018). Iris (2015) premiered at the 2014 New York Film Festival and was released by Magnolia Pictures. In 2017, she was chosen to take part in the Impact Partners Producers Salon and in 2018 was invited to the Sundance Creative Producing Summit.  At Maysles Films, Coxson produced The Love We Make (2012) with Paul McCartney for Showtime; Muhammad and Larry (2009) for ESPN’s 30 for 30 series; and a Documentary Yearbook piece for the 81st Academy Awards. She previously worked for Janus films, notably on the theatrical release of The Great Beauty (2013 Academy Award Winner- Foreign Language Film).  She’s a founding member of the Documentary Producers Alliance (DPA) and a member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences.