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From the "Biz" Archives:
by Anthony Kaufman and Andrea Meyer/indieWIRE
>> Cowboy and Antidote Unveil Code Red, New Distributor Takes "GeorgeWashington" and "In the Winter Dark"
(indieWIRE/05.15.00) -- Cowboy Booking International and
Antidote Films announced the formation of a new U.S. distribution company late Sunday called Code Red -- they also unveiled the outfit's first two acquisitions:
David Gordon Green's acclaimed Amer-indie "George Washington," and
Australian director James Bogle's "In the Winter Dark." The company plans to acquire and support up to ten films a year that will be distributed
theatrically by Cowboy, the outfit responsible for the releases of Ziad
Doueri's "West Beirut," Aviva Kempner's "The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg," and the upcoming "Benjamin Smoke" from Jem Cohen and Pete Sillen. A fund of $1 million has been raised by Antidote, Jeffrey Levy-Hinte's company (producer of "High Art"), to cover acquisition and distribution costs.
"Code Red will be an effective tool for connecting some of the best of
worldwide cinema to its audience," commented Cowboy Co-President John Vanco.
Along with Vanco and Levy-Hinte, the ubiquitous Cowboy Co-President and
Toronto Film Festival programmer Noah Cowan -- who can be seen around Cannes championing the films that others are afraid to -- will complete the
company's top triangle. At Saturday's "Girlfight" party, we asked Cowan what
he thought of the nearly 3-hour black and white Chinese opus, "Devils on the
Doorstep," that screened the previous day. After gushing about its closing
shot, indieWIRE asked him whether he thought it would see the light of day
in the U.S. Though admitting that the film would likely lose money, he
proudly declared that heÌd like to distribute it. [Anthony Kaufman]
>> Deals Struck In and Out of Cannes Market -- "Baby," "Memento" Find U.S. Homes
(indieWIRE/5.15.00) -- Since the festival began, several domestic film sales
have taken place on the Riviera, for films screening both in and outside of
the busy Cannes marketplace. USA Films confirmed its domestic acquisition of Ben Elton's "Maybe Baby," a UK-produced romantic comedy starring Hugh Laurie and Joely Richardson, screening in the market. Another high profile market buy was Paramount Classics Friday purchase of "Memento," Christopher Nolan's equally mesmerizing and time-twisting follow-up to "Following." "Memento" stars Guy Ritchie as a man plagued with short-term memory loss out to avenge his wifeÌs believed rape and murder.
Smaller distributors were also active with announcements over the weekend.
Arrow Entertainment, whose former titles include "Ponette" and "Under the Skin," acquired "Gloomy Sunday," Rolf Schuebel's popular Berlin entry, promising a 2000 release. The acquisition reflects a sudden, aggressive move
by the company -- its fifth in recent months, following Justin McCarthy's
LAIFF entry "Jump," Aaron Harnick's "30 Days," D. Zeiev Gilad's "Dog Run," and Jule Gilfillin's "Restless." UNAPIX Entertainment's theatrical division, according to Variety, acquired non-market entities, "The Convent," the Sundance midnight horror flick by Mike Mendez, and "The Sound and the Fury," John Aronson's acclaimed documentary about one family's battle between the deaf and the hearing.
Though indieWIRE could not yet confirm any acquisitions in the Official
Selection, deals are imminent on a number of films that screened over the first week of the festival. Ken Loach's "Bread and Roses" will likely see a deal sometime late tomorrow, while Kristian Levring's "The King is Alive" has offers from a few distributors, with the most oft-rumored candidates to be Lions Gate Films and Sony Pictures Classics. [Anthony Kaufman]
>> Gaines Named to Top AFI Festival Slot; Collet to Head Programming
(indieWIRE/5.15.00) -- The American Film Institute announced that Christian
Gaines will succeed Jon Fitzgerald as the new director of the AFI Los
Angeles International Film Festival, and Program Manager Nancy Collet will
be promoted to Director of Programming.
Gaines is the former director of the Hawaii International Film Festival.
Prior to Hawaii, he was a programmer at the Sundance Film Festival; director
of new media for the Sundance Institute; consultant for the Sundance
Channel; and a jury member for the Sundance Film Festival. He has also
contributed to indieWIRE and coordinated an eleven-city tour of fifteen
films from Asia and the Pacific Rim.
After three years as the festival's Program Manager, Collet is being
promoted to Director of Programming. In her former position, Collet was
responsible for programming such films as "Life is Beautiful," "Gods and
Monsters," "Mifune," and "All About My Mother." [Andrea Meyer]
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