DAILY NEWS: "Party Monster" Set; Perrier's "America"; and SF Fest Awards

DAILY NEWS: "Party Monster" Set; Perrier Celebrates America; and SF Fest
Awards

>> Bailey and Barbato Set to Shoot "Party Monster"; Manson Joins Culkin and Green on Killer Club Kid Cast

(indieWIRE: 04.02.02) -- "Party Monster," Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato's
narrative look at the life of famed New York City party promoter Michael
Alig, will begin production in NYC next month. Christine Vachon, Pam Koffler
and Katie Roumel's Killer Films is on board to produce the picture with
Bailey & Barbato's World of Wonder Productions.

Former child star Macaulay Culkin ("Home Alone") has taken the lead role as
Alig, while actor Seth Green (currently featured on TV's "Greg The Bunny")
is also on board, to star as celebutante James St. James. Finally,
shock-rocker Marilyn Manson has just been added to the cast as Alig's
superstar, "Christina."

If the title, subject matter and filmmakers sound familiar, they probably
are. Bailey and Barbato directed a documentary of the same name back in
1997. The new film, financed by ContentFilm and Fortissimo Film Sales, is
based on St. James' tell-all book, "Disco Blood Bath."

Alig is a notorious downtown New York figure. He rose to the top of the
underground club scene as a prolific promoter in the 90's, but his world
collapsed after he began to brag about murdering his drug dealer, Angel
Melendez, and the victim's dismembered body was found in the East River.

Bailey and Barbato formed World of Wonder after meeting at NYU, the two have
directed a number of doc projects under the banner, including "The Eyes of
Tammy Faye," "Juror Number Five," "The Real Ellen Story," "101 Rent Boys,"
"Monica: In Black and White," and "The Whole Warhol Story." [Eugene
Hernandez]

>> Palm/RES and Perrier to "Celebrate America" with Five Short Filmmakers

(indieWIRE/04.03.02) -- Palm Pictures, RES, and Perrier have announced
their "Perrier Across America: It's a Big Country, We Want You to Film It"
independent filmmaking contest. The competition will select five filmmakers
to travel from New York City to Los Angeles over 10 days, while creating
a short film (6-10 minutes) intended to "celebrate America."

Perrier and Palm Pictures/RES will supply the five with vehicles, digital
cameras, and producers in addition to other resources. Online audiences will
then have the opportunity to judge the completed shorts and vote for the
winner. The best short will then be screened at the 2002 national RESFEST
film festival tour and featured on two selected Palm Pictures' DVD titles.
Additionally, the recipient will secure a management contract with RES
Artist Management, affiliated with Kurfirst/Blackwell Management and one
year's supply of Perrier.

Organizers will choose the five participants from submitted 250-word
treatments describing a proposed "Perrier Across America" short. The short
must "celebrate" an aspect of the U.S. with possibilities including -- but
not limited to -- a place, activity, or person. Shorts are also required to
include Perrier branding, and all genres will be considered. Perrier also
created The Perrier Bubbling Under Award in 2001 which gives a filmmaker
$50,000 towards production of the recipient's next project. Eva Gardos won
the prize last year for her feature "An American Rhapsody."

"Coming off a successful first year where we supported first-time feature
film directors, we wanted to expand the Bubbling Under program to all
aspiring filmmakers," said Perrier's Elena Paraskeva in a prepared
statement. "We are looking forward to seeing how they will interpret
'Perrier Across America.'"

Founded in 1998 by Chris Blackwell, Palm Pictures produces, acquires,
and distributes music, film, and animation projects with an emphasis on
the DVD format. RES promotes the use of digital storytelling and produces
RESFEST and RES Magazine. [Brian Brooks]

[Deadline for submissions is May 1st. For a submission form and complete
information, eligibility requirements, rules, etc., visit:
http://www.res.com/perrier]

[DISCLAIMER: indieWIRE Managing Member Karol Martesko is a member of the Board of
Directors of RES Media Group.]

>> SF Fest Names Golden Gate Recipients for 45th Festival

(indieWIRE: 04.03.02) -- Organizers of the 45th San Francisco International
Film Festival have announced the honorees for the annual Golden Gate awards
which highlight "quality and innovation in documentary, short films,
animation, experimental works, and television production."

Member of the Bay Area media community convened to choose this year's
honorees, and during the festival (April 18 to May 2) a jury of
international dignitaries will choose Golden Gate Grand Prize winners.

Amongs the winners in the film and video category are Thomas Riedelsheimer's
"Rivers and Tides" in the arts section, while Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering
Kofman won in the biography category for "Derrida." Johnny Symons' doc
"Daddy & Papa" was the winner in the first-person documentary section, and
George Ratliff's documentary "Hell House" tied with Rich Fox and Kris
Curry's "Tribute" in the society & culture category. The Golden Gate Award
for Bay Area documentary went to Gail Dolgin and Vicente Franco for
"Daughter From Danang."

Among the short film winners were Erik Bafving for "Boogie Woogie Daddy" in
the short documentary section, while Cordell Barker's "Strange Invaders" won
in the animation category. In the short narrative section there was a tie
between Gerald Hustache-Mathieu's "Cowhide" and Trevor Sands' "Inside."
[Eugene Hernandez]

[For more information on the the festival, visit:
www.sffs.org.]