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From the "Biz" Archives:
by Eugene Hernandez, Matthew Ross, and Wendy Mitchell/indieWIRE
>> 38th Chicago Fest Set To Kick Off
(indieWIRE: 10.03.02) -- The Chicago International Film Festival is gearing
for its 38th edition. This year's event will kick off October 4 with the
U.S. premiere of Bruce Beresford's "Evelyn" (United Artists) starring Pierce Brosnan and Julianna Marguiles, and its closing night film will be the Midwest premiere of Julie Taymor's "Frida," starring Salma Hayek. The festival will close on October 18 with a silent-film night.
In addition to its two competition programs (international and new
directors), the festival will also present a number of sidebar sections,
including Black Perspectives, Cinema of Americas, New Italian Cinema,
and Docufest.
Other notable events include the career achievement award, which will be
given to Pierce Brosnan, and the Black Perspectives award presentation to
actor Charles S. Dutton. Other talents attending the festival include Paul
Greengrass ("Bloody Sunday"), Michael Moore ("Bowling for Columbine"), Eriq La Salle ("Crazy as Hell"), Carlos Carrera ("The Crime of Father Amaro"), Fisher Stevens ("Just a Kiss"), Neil Hunter ("The Lawless Heart"), Parker Posey ("Personal Velocity"), Dylan Kidd ("Roger Dodger"), Lynne Ramsay ("Morvern Callar"), and Philip Noyce ("Rabbit-Proof Fence.")
The festival will screen 95 films from 35 countries, including four world
premieres and 13 U.S. premieres. [Matthew Ross]
[For more information, visit: http://www.chicagofilmfestival.com.]
>> Manne and Tait Form Duopoly
(indieWIRE: 10.03.02) -- Liz Manne and Catherine Tait have announced the
formation of Duopoly, a new outfit that is described as a "production and
strategy company." According to an announcement, the company will "executive
produce a select slate of entertainment properties each year, while
providing strategic services to production companies and other entertainment
entities."
Liz Manne was a co-founder of Fine Line Features who recently served as
executive VP of programming & marketing for the Sundance Channel, while Tait
served as executive director of the IFP/New York and recently headed Salter
Street Films as president and COO.
Among the company's first efforts are "Chilly Beach," an animated teen
comedy for the CBC in Canada, an IMAX film in development, and
business-strategy consulting for Cowboy Pictures and Topsail Entertainment. [Eugene Hernandez]
>> First Look Acquires "Autumn Spring"
(indieWIRE: 10.03.02) -- First Look Pictures has acquired North American
rights to Vladimir Michalek's "Autumn Spring" and will release the film in
summer 2003. First Look president MJ Peckos and Neil Friedman of Menemsha Entertainment negotiated the deal.
"Autumn Spring" has already fared well on the festival circuit: it won four
Czech Lion awards and the Variety Choice award at this summer's Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in the Czech Republic. It also won the Roxanne
T. Mueller Award and the Grand Prize audience award at the 2002 Cleveland
International Film Festival and is nominated for best picture for the 2002
European Film Awards. It also recently screened at the 2002 Toronto
International Film Festival.
First Look describes "Autumn Spring" as "a celebration of living life to the
fullest." The film stars legendary Czech actor Vlastimil Brodsky as a
75-year-old man who refuses to conform to society's stereotypes about the
elderly.
"Mature audiences are the only growing segment of the movie-going audience,"
said Peckos in a prepared statement. "'Autumn Spring' is a celebration of
life and a how-to guide to the art of living. Young audiences will
appreciate it and older audiences will revel in it." [Wendy Mitchell]
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