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From the "Biz" Archives:
By Eugene Hernandez/indieWIRE
>> Toronto Festival Unveils Perspective Canada Slate
(indieWIRE/7.26.00) -- 15 world premieres will screen in the Perspective
Canada lineup at the 25th Toronto International Film Festival, organizers
announced at a press conference yesterday. The complete lineup is comprised
of 20 feature films and 29 shorts, all made by Canadians. Topping the lineup
of Canadian movies is the section's opening night screening of Denis
Villenueve's "Maelstrom," as well as the special presentation of Robert
Lepage's "Possible Worlds."
Among the filmmakers in the section are seven prominent Canandian filmmakers
returning with world premieres of new work: Clement Virgo ("Love Come
Down"), Lynne Stopkewich ("Suspicious River"), Gary Burns ("Waydowntown"), Anne Wheeler ("Marine Life"), John L'Ecuyer ("Saint Jude"), John Greyson ("The Law of Enclosures"), and Colleen Murphy ("Desire").
Perhaps most notable of all Canadian films set to screen in Toronto this
year is the opening night movie, Denys Arcand's "Stardom."
[For more information on the Toronto International Film Festival, visit:
http://www.bell.ca/filmfest.]
>> Killer Films and Blow-Up Unveil Minihan's "Contenders" for Buyers
(indieWIRE/7.26.00) --indieWIRE got a sneak preview of Dan Minihan's
new digital feature, "Series 7: The Contenders," at a screening
yesterday morning. Produced by Blow-Up Pictures ("Chuck and Buck") and Killer Films ("Boys Don't Cry"), the movie was shown to a packed room of distributors at the Tribeca Grand Hotel. Top executives and
acquisitions teams from all of the major theatrical distributors were on
hand for the showing, including buyers from Artisan, IDP/Samuel Goldwyn, Fine Line, Fox Seachlight, Good Machine International, Lions Gate, Lot 47, Miramax, Palm Pictures, Sony Pictures Classics, USA Films, andZeitgeist.
Shot digitally in New England late last year, "The Contenders" offers
segments from the nation's top TV show, a reality game show of the same
name. Six contestants, each armed with a gun, are charged with killing
their competitors -- the last won alive wins. Brooke Smith portrays the
lead character, the show's reigning champ who is pregnant and determined
to escape with her life.
The producers decided to preempt a Fall festival debut in front of the
acquisitions community by scheduling their own advance showing -- seeking
a deal before they enter the upcoming circuit of industry events and
marketplaces. Certainly, the "torn from the headlines" nature of the
subject matter would invite a buyer to grab the film and launch it at a
high-profile festival in the next few months.
"Reality TV is certainly a hot topic right now, and it wasn't really a matter of publicity but about availbility and a very high 'want to see,'" commented PR rep Jeremy Walker. In a separate conversation, Sue Bodine explained, "We feel that the timeliness of the film and the fact that it was ready to be seen now would be to our advantage."
>> BRIEFLY: RES Tour Adds Cities and Net Showcase
(indieWIRE/7.26.00) -- The 4th Annual RESFEST Digital Film Festival has
confirmed the dates for its 2000 tour, this year adding stops in Seattle,
Montreal, Seoul, and Osaka (joining its events in San Francisco, London,
Chicago, New York, Los Angeles and Tokyo).
Kicking off in San Francisco on September 7th, the Festival will launch
"New Cinema 2000," organizers announced yesterday. The two-day conference
will include screenings and discussions dedicated to Internet content and
distribution -- it will be held in Los Angeles November 1st - 5th.
[For more information on RESFEST, visit:
http://www.resfest.com.]
>> Boyle Heading IFP/West's Indie Alliance
(indieWIRE/7.26.00) -- The IFP/West announced today that Valhalla
Motion Pictures President Barbara Boyle has been named Chair of its
"Indie Alliance," a group of established filmmakers who pay dues of
$1,000 per year to join the exclusive group of IFP/West members.
"For 20 years, IFP/West has promoted films made with an economy of
means and under the creative control of the filmmaker. The Indie
Alliance is a compelling way for individuals to join IFP/West and
help us serve artists who are the creative backbone of this industry,"
commented IFP/West Executive Director Dawn Hudson.
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