iW NEWS | IFC Films Conquers "Flame & Citron" for the U.S.

US rights to Ole Christian Madsen's Danish drama "Flame & Citron" have been acquired by IFC Films, the company announced Thursday afternoon. The film, which will have its world premiere this weekend at the Telluride Film Festival followed by a screening at the upcoming Toronto International Film Festival, stars Mads Mikkelsen ("After the Wedding") and Thure Lindhardt ("Into the Wild"). The film will be released in 2009 theatrically through IFC Films and on VOD through its day and date distribution platform. Arianna Bocco, Vice President of Production and Acquisitions for IFC Films negotiated the deal with Michael Weber from The Match Factory. Filmed in Germany, Copenhagen and Prague, the film is based on actual events and eye-witness accounts of two of the most active resistance fighters in the Holger Danske resistance group during World War II, Bent Faurschou-Hviid (known as Flame) and Jorgen Haagen Schmith (known as Citron). "This is truly dazzling filmmaking that delivers enough twists and turns to keep even the sharpest viewer on the edge of their seats," commented Jonathan Sehring, President of IFC Entertainment in a statement. "We're looking forward to bringing this film to an American audience." [Brian Brooks] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Acquisitions ]

iW NEWS | Danny Boyle's "Slumdog Millionaire" Set for Searchlight/Warner Bros.

Fox Searchlight and Warner Bros. are partnering on Danny Boyle's "Slumdog Millionaire," the companies announced today. Searchlight is set to handle the marketing and distribution of the film, written by Simon Beaufoy and starring Dev Patel, Madhur Mittal, Freida Pinto, Anil Kapoor and Irrfan Khan. It is based on the best selling novel Q&A by Vikas Swarup. Set to have its world premiere at the upcoming Toronto International Film Festival, the movie will open on November 28th. Variety speculated today that the film will sneak this weekend in Telluride, but Searchlight declined to comment this afternoon. [Eugene Hernandez] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Acquisitions, Toronto ]

iW NEWS | Truly Indie Takes "Gun"

Greenwood Hill Productions has signed on with Truly Indie's self-distribution company to release its first feature film, "Dalton Trumbo's Johnny Got His Gun." The film, an adaptation of the 1982 award-winning play, takes place in the mind of an American soldier hit by an artillery shell on the last day of WWI. It stars Ben McKenzie ("Junebug"), and will have its World Premiere on September 22nd at the Paramount Theatre in Austin prior to beginning a rollout on September 26th. A portion of the film's proceeds will be donated to the Fallen Patriot Fund, a non-profit organization established to help families of U.S. military personnel who were killed or seriously injured in Iraq. [Peter Knegt] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Acquisitions ]

iW NEWS | Finalists Selected For CFTPA Prize

The shortlist for the 3rd Annual CFTPA Feature Film Producer's Award were announced by last year's recipient and this year's jury chair, Niv Finhman. The award honors Canadian producers with work screening at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival. This year's nominees are Dean English ("Edison and Leo"), Jennifer Jonas ("Toronto Stories"), Barbara Shrier ("Un ete sans point ni coup sur"), Rob Merilees ("Stone of Destiny") and David Hamilton ("Heaven on Earth"). The winner receives a cheque for $10,000 at a special reception to mark the opening of the Toronto International Film Festival on September 4th. [Peter Knegt]  
[permalink]   [ filed under Honors, Toronto ]

iW NEWS | Feel Good Fest Announces Winners

Los Angeles-based Feel Good Film Festival announced the award winners for its inaugural film festival. Jim Pasternak's "Certifiably Jonathan" won the Grand Jury Prize for Best Feel Good Feature Film and Michael Berry's "Mira" was named as the winner of the Grand Jury Prize for Best Feel Good Short Film. "Mira" also won the Audience Award for best short, while Christopher Watson's "The Rainbow Tribe" won the Audience Award for feature. Noah Edelson's "Hear, Boy!" won the Feel Good Screenplay Competition and Alyssa Suede won the Feel Good Original Song Competition for her song, "Falling From Mars.""Our first year exceeded everyone's most hopeful expectations from the number of great films we were able to program, the participation of the filmmakers, sponsors and vendors, to the tremendous audience support we had over the course of the weekend," said Festival Director Kristen Ridgway in a statement. [Peter Knegt] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Festivals, Honors ]

iW NEWS | Academy Doc Deadline Approaches

Next Tuesday, September 2nd is the deadline for filmmakers to submit their short subject and feature documentaries to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for consideration for the 81st Academy Awards. To be eligible, documentary features must have completed a seven-day commercial run in at least one theater in both Los Angeles County and in the Borough of Manhattan in New York, between September 1, 2007, and August 31, 2008. Documentary short subjects must have completed the same in either Los Angeles County or in the Borough of Manhattan in New York, between those dates. The 81st Academy Awards nominations will be announced on Thursday, January 22, 2009. [Peter Knegt] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Awards Watch, Official Info ]

iW NEWS | "Haber" Best of the Fest

The Los Angeles Shorts Film Festival presented its "Best of the Fest" award over the weekend to writer-director Daniel Ragussis for his film "Haber," the story of Nobel Prize winner Fritz Haber. "I am honored to receive this prestigious award for a film that has consumed me personally and professionally," said the director of his win. As winner of the "Best of the Fest," the filmmakers received a $60,000 camera package and a qualification for an Academy Award nomination. [Peter Knegt] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Festivals, Honors ]

iW NEWS | Academy Awards $50,000 To Telluride

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has awarded a $50,000 grant to underwrite the Telluride Film Festival's Guest Director program. Slavoj Zizek, the Slovenian political philosopher and cultural critic, will preside as guest director of the Festival's 35th show when it kicks off this Friday, August 29th. "Making the world of film more accessible is central to the Academy's mission," said Academy President Sid Ganis in a statement. "Telluride's Guest Director program does just that by sharing the experience and vision of some of the world's foremost creative thinkers." The Academy's cultural and educational wing - the Academy Foundation - annually grants more than $1 million to film scholars, cultural organizations and film festivals throughout the U.S. and abroad. [Peter Knegt] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Biz ]

iW NEWS | Owens Named Nashville Artistic Director

The Nashville Film Festival has named Brian Owens as its Artistic Director. Owens joins the Festival as it gears up for its 40th anniversary on April 16-23, 2009. Owens was previously the artistic director of the Indianapolis International Film Festival, which he founded in 2003. "As founder of the Indianapolis International Film Festival, Brian has seen much success," said Sallie Mayne, Nashville Exectuive Director, in a statement. "Nashville Film Festival will benefit from his strong artistic vision, great industry contacts and his passion for film." [Peter Knegt] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Festivals ]

iW NEWS | "Blindness" and "Summerhood" Bookend 28th Atlantic Film Festival

Canadian/Brazilian co-production "Blindness" by Don McKellar will open the 28th Atlantic Film Festival in Halifax, NS September 11, ushering in the 10-day festival featuring 254 films. Also screening among AFF's eleven galas is local filmmaker Michael Melski's debut "Growing Up," Atom Egoyan's "Adoration," Jennifer Chambers Lynch's "Surveillance" and Cannes 2008 favorite "Une Conte de Noel" by Arnaud Desplechin. "The Book Lady," a documentary about Dolly Parton's campaign for children's literacy from Natasha Ryan and Brad Horvath is also on tap. Favorites making the festival cirucit rounds including "Patti Smith: Dream of Life" and "Otto: Or, Up with Dead People" are also on tap for this year's edition. Closing out the Atlantic Film Festival will be the Canadian premiere of "Summerhood" by Halifax filmmaker, Jacob Medjuck about a "pivotal summer" in the life of a nine year-old boy, including narration by John Cusack. "We are proud of the calibre of films, music, and industry sessions that we are bringing to Atlantic Canada in this, our biggest year yet," commented AFF executive director Gregor Ash in a statement. "The festival this year continues its tradition of being a unique cultural event in the country that showcases the vast talent of Atlantic Canada while bringing films from across the country and world to Halifax." For more information on the Atlantic Film Festival, visit their website. [Brian Brooks]] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Documentary, Festivals ]

iW NEWS | Jaman and Lionsgate Announce Deal

Jaman.com, has announced a deal to distribute a large collection of titles from Lionsgate. Under the terms of the deal, Jaman.com will showcase select Lionsgate titles on its site. A number of these titles will be available for free, ad-supported and instantly streamed in high-definition quality. This deal makes more than 100 of the movies from Lionsgate library available to Jaman's community of film fans. Among the titles are "Dogville," "Caramel," Gods and Monsters," "Teeth" and "Requiem For a Dream." "We are delighted to add these excellent Lionsgate films to our collection of quality movies," said Gaurav Dhillon, founder and CEO of Jaman, in a statement. [Peter Knegt] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Industry Moves ]

iW NEWS | here! Takes "Queen"

here! Films has acquired North American distribution rights to Olaf de Fleur's "The Amazing Truth About Queen Raquela." The film has won multiple awards on the festival circuit, including the Teddy Award for Best Feature at the 2008 Berlin Film Festival. Sister company Regent Releasing will distribute the film for here! in select cities this Fall starting with New York and Los Angeles on September 26th. "We are thrilled to be working with such an innovative, emerging talent like Olaf de Fleur," said Mark Reinhart, West Coast General Manager and EVP, Distribution and Acquisitions, Regent, in a statement. "'Queen Raquela' is refreshing and inspirational in both content and form and we are excited to bring this festival favorite to a broad U.S. audience this fall." The acquisition was negotiated by Reinhart and Nate Bolotin from XYZ Films and Stefan Schaefer from Cicala Filmworks on behalf of Olaf de Fleur. [Peter Knegt] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Acquisitions, Queer Cinema ]

iW NEWS | Fortissimo Acquires "Food"

Documentary coverage sponsored by SnagFilms.

Fortissimo Films has announced its acquisition of the documentary feature "Food, Inc.," which will have its world premiere at next week's Toronto International Film Festival. Produced and directed by Robert Kenner, the Participant Media-River Road Entertainment presentation draws upon Eric Schlosser and Michael Pollan's investigation into "the growth of big business and the ways in which it has impacted upon how and what we eat." The deal, for worldwide rights excluding North America, was brokered between Fortissimo's Senior Vice President, Sales and Acquisitions Winnie Lau, Participant Media's Executive Vice President, Business Affairs Jeff Ivers and River Road's Head of Business Affairs Deborah Zipser. "We are very pleased to be involved with a film which deals with such important subject matter with the intelligence it requires and clearly demonstrates the gravity of the situation the global community is facing," said Lau in a statement. "And we are of course excited to be working with such a talented and experienced group of filmmakers." [Peter Knegt] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Acquisitions, Documentary ]

iW NEWS | "Pride," "Lucky" and "Genius" to Open 9th Woodstock Film Festival

The U.S. premiere of Gavin O'Connor's "Pride and Glory," Mike Leigh's "Happy-Go-Lucky" and Marc Abraham's "Flash of Genius" will launch the 2008 Woodstock Film Festival October 2nd. Screening at three locations in and near Woodstock, New York, the films are the official openers of the ninth annual event, which will screen 150 films, panels and concerts October 1 - 5. O'Connor's "Pride and Glory", starring Edward Norton and Colin Farrell is a cop drama screening in Woodstock, while Leigh's "Happy-Go-Lucky" about a free thinking schoolteacher living in North London will screen in nearby Rhinebeck, New York. Opening the WFF in Rosendale, New York is "Flash of Genius," based on the true story of college professor and part-time inventor Robert Kearns (Greg Kinnear), whose long battle with the U.S. automobile industry, came at a heavy price. "You might say we hit the trifecta of quality films with the diverse slate of our three opening selections, and we are especially pleased to be able to offer the U.S. premiere of 'Pride and Glory," commented WFF executive director and co-founder Meira Blaustein in a statement. "For the past several years we have been screening films in Rosendale as well as Woodstock and Rhinebeck, and we have developed a strong following there, so we are delighted to celebrate with a great opening film in Rosendale as well." [Brian Brooks] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Festivals ]

iW NEWS | Celluloid Takes Non-North American Rights to Venice's "Vegas" and "Valentino"

Venice '08 titles "Vegas: Based on a True Story" by Amir Naderi and "Valentino: The Last Emperor" by Matt Tyrnauer have been added to Celluloid Dreams' fall slate. "Vegas," which will screen September 1 at the Venice Film Festival centers on a family living on the outskirts of Las Vegas. Celluloid is handling rights outside North America which is being handled by Cinetic Media. "Valentino," about the couturier, will screen August 28 in Venice. Richard Klubeck of UTA is handling North American rights, while Celluloid will represent in the rest of the world. [Brian Brooks] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Festivals ]

iW NEWS | Goldcrest Launches Production Arm

The Goldcrest Group has announced the formation of a new division, Goldcrest Features. The new company will integrate the production process for independent filmmakers from pre-production through post-production and delivery, all under one roof. Goldcrest Features' mission is to co-produce as many as seven films a year, with budgets ranging from $5 million to $15 million. The company is currently finishing the shoot of "The City of Your Final Destination" for Merchant Ivory Pictures. [Brian Brooks] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Biz ]

HR | "Juno" among finalists for Humanitas

The screenwriters of "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly," "Juno" and "Lars and the Real Girl" have been named finalists in the feature film category of the 2008 Humanitas Prize, which honors writing that explores the human condition. Hollywood Reporter reports. 
[permalink]   [ filed under Honors ]

AP | Clooney, Pitt to walk red carpet walk for charity

George Clooney and Brad Pitt will make two appearances at the Venice Film Festival this week. Colleen Barry reports. 
[permalink]   [ filed under Festivals ]

iW NEWS | BAFTA/LA To Celebrate With "Never Apologize"

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts/Los Angeles (BAFTA/LA) will celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the BAFTA/LA Heritage Archive with a special screening of "Malcolm McDowell, Never Apologize" at the Skirball Center on Friday, September 5, 2008. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with McDowell. The documentary is McDowell's recollection of director Lindsay Anderson, and is directed by Mike Kaplan. Founded ten years ago with a grant in the name of British director, Alexander "Sandy" Mackendrick, the Heritage Archive has compiled over 70 interviews that, said BAFTA/LA in a statement, "preserve the wit and wisdom of Britain's finest talents both in front of and behind the camera for BAFTA members worldwide, scholars and future generations of film lovers." [Peter Knegt]  
[permalink]   [ filed under Events ]

iW NEWS | Laemmle Music Hall To Join Emerging Cinemas

It was announced that the Laemmle Music Hall is joining the Emerging Cinemas Network, whic is made up of independent theaters and cultural institutions that are tied together through the use of Emerging's digital cinema system. The Music Hall is the first location for Emerging Cinemas in southern California, and the 50th location in the United States. Initial programming at the Music Hall will be the current season of La Scala Operas, which Emerging Pictures distributes exclusively in the U.S. and other territories. Other upcoming programming offered through Emerging includes the just completed Salzburg Festival, ballets from the Bolshoi, and a wide range of independent films, documentaries and foreign language films. "We've been highly selective in finding a location in Los Angeles that is the right match for our audience, and with the Music Hall, we've found it," said Barry Rebo, Chairman of Emerging Pictures, in a statement. "The reputation for quality that has been fostered at Laemmle Theaters over the years is the perfect environment for our cultural offerings." [Peter Knegt] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Industry Moves ]

iW NEWS | Visit Films Acquires "Adela"

Visit Films has announced its worldwide acquisition of Toronto International Film Festival title "Adela." Screening it Toronto's Contemporary World Cinema section, the film is directed by Filipino Adolfo Alix Jr.. It tells the story of a former radio personality who is celebrating her 80th birthday in the slums of Manila. "This film marks a significant move forward for Visit," said Visit Films partner Sylvain Tron in a statement. "We have acquired a top tier international project from a director whose first film was the Filipino entry for the Academy Awards Foreign Language category. The film is deeply poetic and addresses the basic need to survive amidst the chaos of life." The Toronto International Film Festival runs September 4-13, 2008. [Peter Knegt]  
[permalink]   [ filed under Acquisitions, Toronto, World Cinema ]

iW NEWS | Weekend Estimates: "Water" Leads, "Hamlet" So-So

Box Office coverage presented by Rentrak Theatrical

According to indieWIRE Box Office Tracking (iW BOT) estimates from Rentrak this afternoon, Tia Lessin and Carl Deal's Sundance winner, "Trouble the Water," looks to lead the iW BOT, averaging $9,427 from 3 screens for a $28,281 total. That total was overwhelmingly from the Zeitgeist release's IFC Center engagement, were it grossed $21,501. Another Sundance alum, Andrew Fleming's "Hamlet 2," opened below rather huge expectations. Opening on 103 screens before a wide release next weekend, the Focus Features release grossed a mild $435,294, averaging $4,226. Another opener, Patrick Creadon's "I.O.U.S.A.," debuted on 18 screens and also found a soft $3,460 average, though certainly expectations were far lighter than "Hamlet." The national debt-doc grossed $62,278 in total for Roadside Attractions ("Momma's Man," this weekend's other notable opener, has yet to submit estimates). Among holdovers, two Penelope Cruz starrers, "Elegy," and "Vicky Cristina Barcelona," held on very nicely. "Elegy" expanded from 6 to 92 screens for IDP/Samuel Goldwyn Films and held on to a promising $5,458 average, while "Barcelona" continued to show strength on its static 692 screens, taking in a another $3,003,000. Dropping just 20%, it brings the Woody Allen film to a $8,569,474 total after 10 days. indieWIRE will publish its weekly box office column Monday night and final weekend numbers for specialty and limited release films on Tuesday. Get the latest in the indieWIRE Box Office section. [Peter Knegt]  
[permalink]   [ filed under Box Office ]

iW NEWS | SPC Buys "Paris"

Christophe Barratier's "Paris 36" (Faubourg 36), which opened the Montreal World Film Festival last night, has been acquired by Sony Pictures Classics. The company announced today a deal for U.S., Australasian and Scandinavian rights rights to the movie. Described as the story of "a bygone era in France," the film is Barratier's follow-up to "The Chorus" (Les Choristes). The film was produced by Jacques Perrin, and Nicolas Mauvernay and  co-produced by Romain Le Grand for Pathe. "This is one of those amazing populist movies no one seems to make anymore: a big, boisterous, moving 1930's music hall movie with perfect attention to detail in performance, cinematography, and production design," SPC's Michael Barker said in a statement today. "Director Christophe Barratier integrates the power and beauty of music with great visual storytelling seamlessly." It is also set for next month's Toronto International Film Festival. [Eugene Hernandez] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Acquisitions, Toronto, World Cinema ]

SFC | "I.O.U.S.A.": In debt we trust

Don't start snoozing yet. "I.O.U.S.A." might be the most must-see movie out there, if only because it is constantly evolving. G. Allen Johnson reports. 
[permalink]   [ filed under Movies ]

The Week in Fests | "The State of the Fest" in Two Parts, and Toronto "Celeb Overflow"

The latest from the festival scene this week. A link exchange by Variety.com and indieWIRE.

"DO FESTIVALS MATTER?"
Christian Gaines asks whether festivals matter in part one of a two-part "State of the Fest" series.

"THINGS GOTTA CHANGE"
In the second part of the series, Gaines makes some suggestions for change.

CELEBRITY OVERKILL?
Michael Jones takes on Toronto's "laundry list of celebs."

More at Variety's Festival Central  
[permalink]   [ filed under Festivals ]

iW NEWS | Peace Arch Takes "JCVD"

Peace Arch Home Entertainment, LLC has announced that it has acquired all North American distribution rights to director Mabrouk El Mechr's "JCVD." The film, which had its world premiere at Cannes this May and will make its North American debut in Toronto, stars Jean-Claude Van Damme as a self-deprecating version of himself. "'JCVD' is the first significant acquisition of the new venture between Peace Arch and ContentFilm," said Berry Meyerowitz, President of Peace Arch Home Entertainment, in a statement. "This outstanding film resonates with moviegoers, and we are thrilled to partner with Jean-Claude, director Mabrouk El Mechri and Gaumont to present it to audiences in North America." The film will screen on opening night of the Midnight Madness program of the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival on September 4th. Peace Arch plans to release the film in theaters "shortly thereafter." [Peter Knegt] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Acquisitions, Toronto ]

iW NEWS | IFC To Walk Stabile's "Shoes"

IFC Films has acquired North American rights to director Salvatore Stabile's "Where God Left His Shoes," which stars John Leguizamo. The film premiered in the Tribeca Film Festival in 2007, and details a family facing homelessness. "Shoes" will be released in December 2008 theatrically through IFC Films and on VOD through IFC in Theaters. The film will also be distributed through IFC Entertainment's exclusive deal with Blockbuster Inc. through its stores, its by-mail rental service and its digital downloading service. "When we screened Salvatore's film in Tribeca last year, we knew immediately that this would be a fit with our model and our audience," said Arianna Bocco, Vice President of Acquisitions and Production for IFC Films, in a statement. Bocco negotiated the deal with Michael Caldwell and Richard Hutton from Vulcan Productions. [Peter Knegt]  
[permalink]   [ filed under Acquisitions ]

iW NEWS | Sarsenova is Pusan's Asian Filmmaker of the Year

The 13th Pusan International Film Festival has announced that Gulnara Sarsenova is their annual recipient for their award for Asian Filmmaker of the Year. As the first female award winner, Sarsenova is currently a festival chairman of International Eurasia Film Festival and also a producer in Kazakhstan. She established Eurasia Film Production in 2004. The award, in its sixth year, has previously been given to Mohsen Makhmalbaf, Hou Hsiao-hsien, broadcasting company NHK, Andy Lau and the late Edward Yang. The festival runs October 2-10, 2008. [Peter Knegt] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Honors ]

iW NEWS | Financial Town Hall Kicks off "I.O.U.S.A" Release Tonight

Documentary coverage sponsored by SnagFilms.

iW NEWS | Financial Town Hall Kicks off "I.O.U.S.A" Tonight Hundreds of American movie theaters will become local town halls tonight (Thursday, August 21st) as part of a special event kicking off the theatrical release of "Wordplay" director Patrick Creadon's latest doc, "I.O.U.S.A." Warren Buffet will be among the panelists participating in a 45-minute panel discussion that will air following a screening of the film in nearly 400 theaters. "I think this is a really interesting model with tons of potential for special interest docs," noted distributor Roadside Attractions co-president Eric D'Arbeloff on Wednesday from Ohio, where the town hall event set to take place. It is being delivered via satellite to chain theaters via NCM's digital broadcast network and Fathom Events. "I.O.U.S.A." opens on 18 screens this Friday. For more information, visit the Fathom Events website. [Eugene Hernandez]  
[permalink]   [ filed under Documentary, Movies ]

iW NEWS | Weeks & Caldwell Launch Online Release for "10 Yards"

Aiming to create wider awareness and prime the pump for an upcoming DVD release, filmmakers Hunter Weeks and Josh Caldwell are previewing their new documentary, "10 Yards: Fantasy Football," via OurStage.com, iTunes and SnagFilms. Now online, the film explores the 20 million strong universe of fantasy football fans. Viewers can grab a free iTunes download of the film on OurStage or watch it via Snag's viral movie theater widgets. The film's DVD release will kick-off on September 30th. "Distributing '10 Yards' online is the perfect approach for connecting with a substantial number of web-savvy, socially-active consumers of indie art, " said OurStage's Lora Kratchounova, in a statement. "Studios take note, this unconventional release strategy is a prime example of the changing landscape of film and music distribution." [Eugene Hernandez] DISCLOSURE: indieWIRE is owned by SnagFilms (Recent letter to iW readers). 
[permalink]   [ filed under New Media & Technology ]

iW NEWS | Friedlander To Head CBS Films Distribution

Steven Friedlander has been named Executive Vice President, Theatrical Distribution of CBS Films. In this new position, Friedlander will be responsible for overseeing the domestic theatrical distribution for the studio's films. The move officially establishes CBS Films' planned domestic distribution unit. "Steven's reputation is stellar," said Amy Baer, President and Chief Executive Officer of the film division within CBS Corporation, in a statement. "He's one of the most respected distribution executives in the industry today -- highly regarded among filmmakers and exhibitors alike." Friedlander joins CBS Films from Warner Independent Pictures, where he served as Executive Vice President of Distribution. [Peter Knegt] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Biz, Industry Moves ]

iW NEWS | Zurich Fest To Honor Stallone

The Zurich Film Festival has announced that Sylvester Stallone will receive the inaugural Golden Icon Award at this year's Festival, taking place September 25-October 5, 2008. "We are absolutely honored to welcome incomparable Hollywood icon Sylvester Stallone as the first Golden Icon Award winner and Zurich Master Class lecturer at our young Film Festival," said Festival Directors Nadja Schildknecht and Karl Spoerri in a statement. Stallone will accept the award on September 26th. [Peter Knegt] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Honors ]

iW NEWS | Icarus Offering "Bird's Nest" Doc Online

Documentary coverage sponsored by SnagFilms.

Capitalizing on the high profile awareness of the 29th Summer Olympics in Bejing, Icarus Films is showcasing -- exclusively via Amazon Unbox -- Christoph Schaub and Michael Schindhelm's "Bird's Nest: Herzog & de Meuron in China." The doc looks at architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron's building of Bejing's distinctive National Stadium, also known as the Bird's Nest. Available for a limited time through the end of the Games, the film is priced for both sale and rental. Company president Jonathan Miller developed the strategy while in conversations with Amazon aimed at securing a swift released timed to the Olympics. While he is open to other online opportunites for the film, after the Olympics, the film will continue on its traditional release plan, including theatrical books, nontheatrical sales, and a DVD release next year, including a new architecture line for the company. [Eugene Hernandez] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Documentary, Movies ]

indieWIRE Presents: Alan Ball and Summer Bishil, "Towelhead"

Join filmmaker Alan Ball ("American Beauty", "Six Feet Under") and actress Summer Bishil at the Apple Store as they discuss their film, "Towelhead." Based on the critically acclaimed novel by Alicia Erian and written for the screen and directed by Alan Ball, "Towelhead" follows the dark, bold, and sometimes shockingly funny life of Jasira, a 13-year-old Arab-American girl, as she navigates the confusing and frightening path of adolescence and her own sexual awakening. The discussion will be moderated by indieWIRE writer, Eric Kohn. Warner Independent Pictures will release Towelhead in theaters on September 12.

WHEN: Monday, September 8, 7:00 p.m.

WHERE: Apple Store, SoHo, 103 Prince Street, NYC
COST: Free, No RSVP required. Seats are first come, first serve. Seating is limited.

 
[permalink]   [ filed under Events ]

iW NEWS | IndiePix, Harrington Announce $700k Film Slate

In the wake of naming Ryan Harrington to run IndiePix Studios, the company has announced $700,000 in funding for its first slate of films. In production this week is Paola Mendoza and Gloria Lamorte's "Entre Nos," a story of Colombian immigrants starring Mendoza. Also on the IndiePix slate are Samantha Buck's verite documentary "21 Below," about a family in Buffalo, NY (set for the '09 fest circuit); Gabriel Noble and Marjan Tehrani's doc "P Star's Redemption," the story of a father and daughter pursuing a dream of rap stardom (also set for the '09 fest circuit). Rounding out the slate are Nicole Quinn's "Slap and Tickle," a film described as "a coming-of-age story by, for, and about women, and specifically women of color," starring Gloria Reuben, Linda Powell, Adam Lefevre, Melissa Leo, Giancarlo Esposito, and Caitlin Quinn; Annie Sundberg and Ricki Stern's doc "The End of America," based on Naomi Wolf's book of the same name, which will be released this fall; and Kristi Jacobson's "Toots," the award winner from the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival. [Eugene Hernandez]  
[permalink]   [ filed under Production ]

iW NEWS | Pusan Promotion Plan Announces Projects

The 11th Pusan Promotion Plan (PPP) has announced its official selection of film projects for 2008. The official line-up will showcase 30 projects from 17 countries, selected out of 200 submissions. The largest project market in Asia, it allows projects to seek various possibilities for financings and co-production through individual meetings and networking chances organized by the event. This year's event will feature work from filmmakers such as Lee Chang-dong, Zhang Lu, Choi Dong-hoon, Chang Tso Chi, Sabu, Lee Sang-il, Marat Sarulu, Zhang Yuan and Viet Linh. The 30 finalists will be presented at Paradise Hotel at Haeundae beach on Oct 3-6, 2008, during the 13th Pusan International Film Festival. [Peter Knegt] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Events, World Cinema ]

iW BOT UPDATE | "A Girl" Leads

Box Office coverage presented by Rentrak Theatrical

Claude Chabrol's "A Girl Cut In Two," from IFC Films is atop the weekly iW BOT box office chart, which was published this afternoon. The film earned $18,658 from 2 runs. More in this week's box office column, which was published last night.  
[permalink]   [ filed under Box Office ]

iW NEWS | 28 Films On Tap For Latinbeat

The Film Society of Lincoln Center's annual Latinbeat series announced their 2008 programming, which presents 28 films from 11 different countries. This year's series hosts films from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Uruguay, Venezuela and the United States. "Never before has the landscape of Latin American film been richer and more varied in style, genre, theme, location and the number of countries explored," says the Film Society's Marcela Goglio, who curated the series with Film Society program director Richard Pena, in a statement. "The number of strong, arresting works and the range of exciting unique personal voices reflect the diversity and overall cultural effervescence of the region itself." Announced titles include Lucia Cedron's "Lamb of God," Laura Amelia-Guzman's "Cochochi," Ishtar Yasin Gutierrez's "The Path," Wolney Oliveira's "El cayo de la muerte," Mariana Randon's "Postcards from Leningrad," Anahi Berneri's "Encarnacion" and Enrique Fernandez and Cesar Charlone's "The Pope's Toilet." Latinbeat runs from September 5-25, 2008 at the Walter Reade Theater in New York City. For tickets and more information, visit their website. [Peter Knegt]  
[permalink]   [ filed under Festivals, New York, World Cinema ]

iW NEWS | Gotham Awards To Honor Cruz

The IFP has announced that Penelope Cruz will be presented with a Gotham Award Tribute at the 18th Annual Gotham Awards. Cruz currently stars in both "Elegy" and "Vicky Cristina Barcelona." "Penelope's body of work embodies what is exciting and vibrant about filmmaking today, in particular independent filmmaking" said Michelle Byrd, executive director of IFP, in a statement. "Her performances working with internationally acclaimed directors and her choice of roles are dynamic, vivacious and varied. IFP is especially pleased to salute her still very young career this year as she delivers knockout performances in two extremely different and winning films presently in theaters." Additional Tribute recipients will be announced next week. Nominees for the awards will be announced on October 20th, 2008, and winners will be honored at a ceremony at Cipriani Wall Street on December 2nd. [Peter Knegt] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Awards Watch, Honors ]

SF360 | Manny Farber (1917-2008): "The Geography of Gesture"

Film critic Manny Farber died in California yesterday at the age of 91, reports SF360. "I can only say that Manny was a dear friend and one of my heroes, a great writer and a great painter," Telluride Film Festival co-director Tom Luddy told the site. Reprinting an article about the critic from 2003, SF360 added, "One of America's greatest film critics, Farber leaves behind many other admirers and friends in the Bay Area, including the San Francisco Film Society, who enjoyed Farber's presence when he received the Mel Novikoff Award during the 2003 Festival. 
[permalink]   [ filed under People ]

iW NEWS | BAMcinematek Presents "Best of NewFest"

BAMcinematek, the repertory film program at BAM Rose Cinemas, will present "The Best of NewFest: The 20th Anniversary New York Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, & Transgender Film Festival," this Friday through Sunday, August 22-24. The program will spotlight a selection of the 2008 programming, including are festival award winners "Pageant," directed by Ron Davis and Stewart Halpern (Audience Award For Best Feature), and "The Lost Coast," directed by Gabriel Fleming (Best U.S. Narrative Feature Award). Other films include Lonnie Tristan Renteria's "Ebony Chunky Love," Shamim Sharif's "The World Unseen," Morgan Jon Fox's "OMG/HaHaHa," James Vasquez's "Ready? Ok!," Monalisa McComb's "Being Proud, Black, & LGBT In America," Charles B. Brack's "Dreams Deferred," Hanifah Walidah and Olive Demetrius' "U People," and the short programs "Maneater" and "Girls On Film." Tickets are available at the BAM Rose Cinemas box office or online. [Peter Knegt]  
[permalink]   [ filed under Events, Festivals, New York, Queer Cinema ]

iW NEWS | Reykjavik Announces Honorees, Programs

The 5th Annual Reykjavik International Film Festival has announced that it will run from September 25-October 5, 2008, and will honor filmmaker Constanin Costa-Gavras with its lifetime achievement award. Costas-Gavras and Shirin Neshat will be the festival's guests of honor, with Neshat's work being showcased throughout the eleven day event. The festival also announced a new program, "Sound on Sight," which will highlight the relation between music and films. On October 2nd, music supervisors, film producers, composers, network programmers and record company executives from the two entertainment sectors will meet to "discuss practical aspects of the fusion of music and films, its production methods, and how to market and distribute the artifacts, such as soundtracks and music documentaries." The not-yet-announced festival programme will consist of approximately 80 feature films and documentaries. [Peter Knegt]  
[permalink]   [ filed under Festivals ]

iW NEWS | Celluloid Takes Rights to Venice's "Plastic City" and "Birdwatchers"

Rights to Venice competition titles "Plastic City" by Yu Lik-wai and Marco Bechis' "Birdwatchers" have been picked up by Celluloid Dreams. Set in Liberdade, Sao Paulo, Brazil, "Plastic City" recounts a futuristic multi-ethnic neighbourhood with the largest Japanese immigrant community in the world. "Birdwatchers" revolves around the conflict between Brazil's landed wealthy and mostly landless natives who exist on the periphery. Both films join Takeshi Kitano’s "Achilles and the Tortoise" to make three films on Celluloid Dreams’ Venice festival slate. [Brian Brooks] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Festivals ]

iW NEWS | Marchetti Launches Variance Films with "Smother" and "Dead Fish"

Former ThinkFilm exec Dylan Marchetti is launching Variance Films, described as a micro-distributor aimed at securing traditional U.S. theatrical distribution for independent films. A former director of distribution and marketing at the company, Marchetti will build a slate by partnering with filmmakers on self-funded released and ultimately acquiring titles for distribution. Variance's first two titles are Franklin Martin's "Walking on Dead Fish" (with Dutchmen Films). Narrated and executive produced by Terry Bradshaw, the football documentary will be released on September 5th. Next up will be the September 26th release of Vince Di Meglio's "Smother," a comedy featuring Diane Keaton, Dax Shepard, and Liv Tyler. "Variance Films will represent the best of the old thinking and the best of the new, adapting both to the reality of today's marketplace," said Marchetti, in a statement. "While there is no shortage of independent films being made today, there are far too many noteworthy films that are struggling to find distribution and often winding up going straight-to-video. Variance Films is designed to take these smaller films to theaters - tailoring each release to the specific film for the specific US markets, even when it doesn't fit the standard theatrical NY/LA expansion model. And we will have a strong acquisitions component, so we'll soon be a staple at festivals and markets, chasing after films we believe in." [Eugene Hernandez] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Acquisitions ]

iW NEWS | Weekend Estimates: Vital "Vicky," Paltry "Poole"

Box Office coverage presented by Rentrak Theatrical

According to indieWIRE Box Office Tracking (iW BOT) estimates from Rentrak this afternoon, Woody Allen's "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" and Mark Pellington's "Henry Poole Is Here" aggressively entered the late summer specialty derby to contrasting results. On 692 screens, The Weinstein Company and MGM's "Barcelona" showed a lot of promise, grossing $3.7 million and averaging $5,361. However, though it did much better than January's "Cassandra's Dream," "Barcelona" actually found an average slightly lower than Woody's last summer-Scarlett offering, 2006's considerably less applauded "Scoop." That film averaged $5,663 from 538 theaters. But "Scoop" didn't have the Olympics to contend with. "Poole," on the other hand, is a disappointment with or without Michael Phelps' shadow, managing just $800,000 on 527 screens for Overture Films, averaging only $1,518. Neither film looks to lead the iW BOT though, which ranks by per-theatre-average. Claude Chabrol's "A Girl Cut In Two" grossed $19,480 on 2 screens for IFC Films, averaging $9,740. That narrowly beat the average of Isabel Coixet's "Elegy," which remained on 6 screens on its second weekend and saw its grosses cut roughly in half, taking in $54,054 or $9,009 per run. indieWIRE will publish its weekly box office column Monday night and final weekend numbers for specialty and limited release films on Tuesday. Get the latest in the indieWIRE Box Office section. [Peter Knegt] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Box Office ]

iW NEWS | Toronto To Present "Future Projections"

The Toronto International Film Festival announced its plans for this year's Future Projections program, comprised of seven installation-based works with "inspired connections to the history and the culture of cinema." Presented outside the cinema space and throughout Toronto, Future Projections will include an array of moving-image talent, visual artists Glenn Ligon, Margaux Williamson and Samuel Chow, multidisciplinary artist Clive Holden and Marco Brambilla, and film directors Srinivas Krishna and Philip Haas. The seven installations will be offered as free, non-ticketed events. "With Future Projections 2008 we are continuing to explore new film-based art forms and the diversity of ideas with dynamic links to film culture, says Noah Cowan, Artistic Director, Bell Lightbox, in a statement. "Bell Lightbox will be a year-round incubator for ideas, and inspirations and we will look forward to fostering new experiences and relationships." The festival runs September 4-13, 2008. [Peter Knegt] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Festivals, Toronto ]

The Week in Fests | Saravejo, Stiges and San Sebastian

The latest from the festival scene this week. A link exchange by Variety.com and indieWIRE.

SARAJEVO OPENS FEST WITH ITS OWN
Aida Begic's "Snow" comes full circle.

"MIRRORS" TO OPEN STIGES
Alexandre Aja's latest will open Europe's biggest genre pic event.

STILLER AND DOWNEY JR. HEAD TO SAN SEBASTIAN
"Tropic Thunder" will play out of competition at the September fest.

More at Variety's Festival Central 
[permalink]   [ filed under Festivals ]

iW NEWS | Image Take "The Who"

Image Entertainment, Inc. announced today that it has acquired the rights to "The Who At Kilburn: 1977," which has not been available or seen publicly since it was first filmed almost 31 years ago. It would turn out to be the next-to-the-last live performance by The Who's Keith Moon, who died September 7, 1978. As part of its agreement with Spitfire Pictures, Image has secured all worldwide home video, broadcast, digital and non-theatrical rights to the concert and related footage, with the exception of Japan. "The release of this concert is a milestone in the career of a band that defined an entire music generation," said David Borshell, president of Image Entertainment, in a statement. [Peter Knegt]  
[permalink]   [ filed under Acquisitions ]

iW NEWS | "Snow" and "24 City" to Open 14th Sarajevo Film Festival

Bosnian director Aida Begic's "Snow" will open the 14th Sarajevo Film Festival, taking place August 15 - 23, launching the event which will screen 174 films in 12 programs. The film, which won Critics Week at the Cannes Film Festival, takes place in post-war Bosnia in which a family is faced with the prospect of leaving their town in return for money from unscrupulous businessmen. Chinese director Jia Zhang-ke's "24 City" will open the festival's Panorama section the same evening. The film chronicles China's rapid change from the building of the Three Gorges Dam to the country's rampant commericalism. Director Todd Haynes will be among the guests attending this year's festival along with writer/director Charlie Kaufman, director Terry George and actor Kevin Spacey. In addition to the fest's main section and Panorama, there will also be a children's and teen festival. For more information and a list of programmed films, visit the festival's website. [indieWIRE's Brian Brooks will be attending the festival and will publish dispatches from the event next week.] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Festivals ]

IW NEWS | Toronto Adds Titles To Vanguard, Visions Programs

In addition to completing its Discovery section, the 33rd Toronto International Film Festival also announced eleven feature films joining their Vanguard and Visions programmes. "Visions and Vanguard films both push boundaries - Visions for form, Vanguard for content," said festival Co-Director Cameron Bailey in a statement. "We find TIFF audiences love a new challenge; this is where to find it." The six films added to Vanguard are Gilles Bourdos' "Afterwards," Antti-Jussi Annila's "Sauna," Uro Stojanovi's "Tears for Sale," Thomas Woschitz's "Universalove," Marco Pontecorvo's "PA-RA-DA" and Lance Daly's "Kisses." The five Visions titles are Scott McGehee and David Siegel's "Uncertainty," Fien Troch's "Unspoken," Joana Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige's "Je veux voir," Semih Kaplanolu's "Suet" and Fabrice du Welz's "Vinyan." The festival runs September 4-13, 2008. [Peter Knegt] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Festivals, Toronto ]