QuickShots | “Twilight” Controversy, Bauhaus at 90, No “Joe,” “Departures” $1M & “Devil”

Here’s Academy Award-Winner “Departures” Crosses $1M at Box Office

Academy Award-winning foreign language film “Departures” has crossed the $1 million dollar mark in box office grosses.  Pic, which opened on May 29 in select markets, is now on 21 screens and had a total estimated gross of $44,540 over the 3-day weekend and a screen average of $2,121.  Total estimated box office to date is $1,064,960. Yojiro Takita’s “Departures” was the official Japanese entry for Best Foreign Language Film, and is being released in the U.S. by Here Media and Here Films.

AFI Latin American Fest Sets Preliminary Titles for 20th Event

The AFI Latin American Film Festival gets underway in Silver Springs, MD September 23 - October 12. Among this year’s offerings are Fernando Eimbeke’s “Lake Tahoe,” Adrian Biniez’s “Gigante,” Carlos Sorin’s “The Window” and Lucrecia Martel’s “The Headless Woman.” For more information on this year’s 20th edition, visit their site.

Lim to Serve as 2010 Seminar Programmer at The Flaherty

Dennis Lim will be the programmer for next year’s 56th annual Robert Flaherty Film Seminar, the group unveiled. Lim is a New York based critic and editor. He is the founding editor of Moving Image Source, the online publication and research resource of the Museum of the Moving Image. Flaherty NYC returns this September, commemorating the work of Chick Strand, whose work was featured at the 2009 Flaherty Seminar and who passed away this July at the age of 78 after battling cancer. For more information and the event’s line up, visit their site.

Doc “Pray the Devil Back to Hell” to go on “Global Peace Tour

“Pray the Devil Back to Hell”‘s filmmakers created the Global Peace Tour in response to the groundswell of continued demand from churches, mosques, universities, museums, libraries, government agencies, and advocacy groups around the world. In the award winning film, Liberian women determined to bring dignity and peace back to their country stand up to Charles Taylor and the warlords, armed only with white t-shirts and courage. Their story has inspired legions of fans during the film’s nationwide theatrical run, multiple festival awards, and international screenings.

62nd Locarno International Film Festival Opens Wednesday

Fredi M. Murer’s “Vitus” (2006) will kick off the Locarno International Film Festival. Following the film, Teo Gheorghiu, who plays the leading role as a young pianist, will give a performance accompanied by the Orchestre de la Suisse italienne, conducted by Mario Beretta, who composed the film’s original score. The complete program includes 180 features and 210 short films. View the line up here.

“Empires of Tin” at IFC

“Empires of Tin,” Jem Cohen’s documentary musical hallucination, has its New York premiere Tuesday, August 11 at 7:30pm at at IFC Center as part of its “Movie Nights with Jem Cohen” series. Cohen and others will be present for a post screening discussion afterward.

Tidbits:

- Conor McPherson’s supernatural drama “The Eclipse” will open the Los Angeles Irish Film Festival on Sept. 23, Variety reports.

- Alquimia Films is seeking screenwriters for feature length films in Puerto Rico. For more information, visit their reports.

- Carlos Mencia will serve as the host for the Opening Night Gala festivities at the Egyptian Theatre on Friday, August 7 prior to the presentation of Chris Dowling’s “Rock Slyde” at the 2009 Feel Good Film Festival.