QuickShots | Venice Closer, Mad at “Bruno,” QT in Austin, Tax Rebate, S.F. Jewish Fest

The California Film Commission on Monday announced that 25 productions had been awarded tax credits, which refund 20% or 25% of all spending in the state on so-called below-the-line employees, Hollywood parlance for behind-the-scenes crew, the Los Angeles Times reports.

S.F. Jewish Film Festival rules in favor of social justice

The annual San Francisco Jewish Film Festival (July 23 - Aug. 10 in S.F., Berkeley, Palo Alto and San Rafael) arrives amid this jumble of uncertainties with an expansive program spotlighting the Jewish tradition of social justice and human rights. The lineup also includes, paradoxically, a number of titles (“Adam,” “Empty Nest”) about assimilated Jews whose heritage barely informs their day-to-day lives. SF360 reports.

Tidbits:

- The New York Timesis screening an exclusive clip from Sundance ‘09 winner, “The Cove,” which opens Friday.

- Paper Street Films/Tom Sawyer Entertainment announces the completion of principal photography of actor Josh Radnor’s feature film directorial debut “HappyThankYouMorePlease.” Radnor, the star of the Emmy-nominated CBS comedy “How I Met Your Mother” wrote the screenplay and co-stars along with Malin Akerman (“Watchmen”), Kate Mara (“Iron Man 2”), Zoe Kazan (“Revolutionary Road”), Pablo Schreiber (“The Wire”) and Tony Hale (“Arrested Development”). Academy Award Nominee Richard Jenkins (“The Visitor”) rounds out the cast of this New York City based project.

- Lloyd Kaufman, Chairman of the Board of Directors, announced today that the Independent Film & Television Alliance’s (IFTA) Board of Directors has renewed the contracts of President-CEO Jean Prewitt and Executive VP-American Film Market (AFM) Managing Director Jonathan Wolf through 2012.