QuickShots | Deauville, Comic-Con, MJ as Director? Melbourne, SAG, Spurlock and 3D Tech

Melbourne Fest Loses Chinese directors

The Melbourne International Film Festival, which gets underway in a few days, received word from its contingent of filmmakers from China that they have withdrawn their films in protest of a documentary on the Uighar ethnic community and activist Rebiya Kadeer, who will attend the event, Radio Australia reports. Additionally, Ken Loach is taking his film out of the event in protest of funding MIFF receives from Israel. “We have no choice but to take their films out of the festival, it’s very unfortunate and we’re not happy about it at all,” said the festival’s head, Richard Moore to Radio Australia.

SAG keeps a hush hush

Back Stateside, Variety reports two factions in the Screen Actors Guild (SAG), the “Membership First” coalition and “Unite for Strength” are keeping their candidates secret for the union’s September elections. Dave McNary writes that though 78% of the membership ratified SAG’s feature-primetime contract, despite opposition from “Members First” brass, many are convinced that moderates will prevail in the election, but McNary adds, “Voting by SAG members has remained unpredictable over the past decade.”

Spurlock to go “Supersized”

“Super-Size Me” director Morgan Spurlock and his Warrior Poets production outfit are teaming with Dark Horse for an “original graphic novel that will act as companion to the 2004 movie,” Borys Kit reports for HR. Entitled, “Supersized: Strange Tales From a Fast Food Culture,” the book will feature “bizarre stories about the U.S.‘s obsession with fast food that weren’t seen in the film while still hoping to make a point about health and nutrition.” The book is due out in Spring.

A glasses-free 3-D experience?

And from Japan, Fujifilm showed off its new compact digital camera Wednesday, which AFP reports “can be used to shoot three-dimensional photos and movies that can be viewed without special glasses.” The FinePix REAL 35 W1 uses “groundbreaking” technology in which two lenses are merged in a single 3D picture of movie. The camera goes on sale in Japan early next month with overseas markets receiving the gadget in late August.