TIFFG Names "Canada's Top Ten"

The Toronto International Film Festival Group (TIFFG) announced the top ten Canadian films of 2005 last Tuesday at the annual Canada's Top Ten industry event, hosted by actors Brent Carver and Lisa Ray. Canada's Top Ten films are chosen by a 10-member national panel of filmmakers, academics, journalists, programmers, and industry professionals. The films will be further feted at screenings and Q&As by filmmakers and panel discussions will be held January 27 to February 5 at Cinematheque Ontario in Toronto. The series travels to Vancouver, Montreal, and Ottawa at a later date. The Top Ten are: "C.R.A.Z.Y.," by Jean-Marc Vallee; "Familia," by Louise Archambault; "A History of Violence," by David Cronenberg; "Horlogue Biologique" by Ricardo Trogi; "The Life and Hard Times of Guy Terrifico," by Michael Mabbott; "Memory for Max, Claire, Ida and Company" by Allan King; "La Neuvaine" by Bernard Emond; "A Simple Curve" by Aubrey Nealon; "Water" by Deepa Mehta; "Where the Truth Lies" by Atom Egoyan. For more information, visit their website. [Brian Brooks] 
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Spurlock to Develop "The Republican War on Science" in 2006

Director and producer Morgan Spurlock, who was nominated for a Best Feature Documentary Oscar for his 2004 film, "Super Size Me," has optioned the book "The Republican War on Science." The book, written by Chris Mooney, is an account of the right-wing's position on such issues as stem cell research, climate change and sex education. "I am excited that Morgan Spurlock is taking this project on," Mooney said in a statement. "I feel that with his sensibility, he's the perfect filmmaker to capture the true essence of this book." Spurlock will begin developing the project next year. [M.L. Liu] 
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Intepid Pictures Signs Multi-year Deal with Universal and Rogue Pictures

Recently formed independent producton and film financing company Intrepid Pictures has entered into a multi-year production and co-financing deal with Universal Pictures and Rogue Pictures. Rogue and Universal will hold worldwide distribution rights to the movies that are produced under the deal, Rogue president David Linde announced Thursday with Intrepid principals and founders Trevor Macy and Marc Evans. Intrepid's deal with Universal and Rogue is a first-look but non-exclusive pact, and allows for Intrepid to produce and co-finance films with other distributors. Intrepid plans to produce and co-finance three to five pictures per year, including a minimum of eight pictures over five years with Rogue. The first two films for the partnership will be Rogue's 2006 releases "Waist Deep," directed by Vondie Curtis Hall (due out in April) and "The Return," starring Sarah Michelle Gellar and directed by Asif Kapadia (due out in September). [Brian Brooks] 
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Clooney and Heslov to Receive Paul Selvin Award from Writers Guild

Actor/director/writer George Clooney and co-writer/producer Grant Heslov are slated to receive the Writers Guild of America, west's Paul Selvin Award for their topical screenplay, "Good Night, and Good Luck," for its "portrayal of constitutional and civil rights," at the upcoming 2006 Writers Guild Awards to be held on February 4th. "This smoke-filled black and white film is a crystal clear and colorful validation of why news media must be free and independent from both political and corporate whim and intimidation. It is as relevant today as it was when the events themselves happened more than fifty years ago," said WGAw President Patric M. Verrone in a statement. Written by Clooney and Heslov, who also produced the film, and directed by and co-starring Clooney, "Good Night, and Good Luck" gives an account of the McCarthy Blacklist era chronicling the true-life war of words between iconic television anchorman Edward R. Murrow (David Strathhairn) Senator Joseph McCarthy, and the Permanent sub-committee on Investigations. [Brian Brooks] 
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Pixar: 20 Years of Animation at MoMA

The Museum of Modern Art is currently hosting an exhibition called Pixar: 20 Years of Animation. The exhibition represents the first public display of sculptures, paintings and drawings generated in the development of Pixar's movies. A retrospective screening of the animation studio's six feature films ("The Incredibles," "Finding Nemo") and 11 short films, digital media installations and talks by Pixar artists are also part of the exhibition. The exhibition runs through February 6, 2006. [M.L. Liu] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Events ]

Film Company Lions Gate is now 'Lionsgate'

Vancouver and Los Angeles-based film production and distribution company Lions Gate has announced that its new name is now "Lionsgate," at a ceremony unveiling its new logo at the Lionsgate Screening Room in Santa Monica. Regarding the change, the company stated in a release: "The simplification of the Lions Gate name into the single word 'Lionsgate' represents the ongoing unification of the company's diversified motion picture, television, home entertainment, family entertainment, documentary film, music publishing and video-on-demand businesses into a single, highly recognizable brand. The company's official legal name of Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. remains unchanged." Lionsgate has also acquired the lionsgate.com domain name. [Brian Brooks] 
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Emerging Pictures to Re-release 1972 Academy Award-winning Doc "Marjoe" in U.S.

Emerging Pictures announced today that it will re-release 1972's Oscar-winning documentary feature "Marjoe," with a January 13th opening at New York's IFC Center theatre, followed by roll-out in other markets. The provocative documentary, first seen at the Cannes Film Festival, was co-produced and co-directed by Howard Smith and Sarah Kernochan and received the 1972 Academy Award for best documentary feature. The film focuses on four-year-old Marjoe Gortner, who at the age of four was ordained and quickly became famous around the United States for preaching by memory and performing faith-healings. At age 14, he renounced his profession and his manipulative parents, but then returned to the pulpit at 21 as a preacher who didn't believe in God and exposed the tactics used by preachers-for-profit.The co-directors are scheduled to participate in a Q&A and cocktail party at the theater opening night. Simultaneous with its New York opening, "Marjoe" will be released in cities that are part of Emerging Pictures' consortium of digital projection-equipped theatres, Emerging Cinemas, including Ft. Lauderdale and Lake Worth, Florida; Scranton, Pennsylvania and Wilmington, Delaware, among others. [Brian Brooks]  
[permalink]   [ filed under Releases ]

Tropfest@Tribeca to Debut at 2006 Tribeca Film Festival

The Tribeca Film Festival and Tropfest, reputedly the world's largest short film festival, have announced that Tropfest@Tribeca will debut at Tribeca's 2006 edition. Sixteen shorts will be slated to screen as part of this new program: eight shorts chosen through competition and eight previously screened shorts representing the best of Tropfest in Australia. Director John Polson ("Hide and Seek") founded Tropfest in 1993 to highlight short films and emerging Australian filmmakers. [M.L. Liu] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Festivals ]

LSL Productions Financing Doc on Music Figure Harry Nilsson

On the heels of their Grammy nomination for "Beautiful Dreamer: The Story of Brian Wilson and Smile," LSL Productions announced today they are in production on "Who is Harry Nilsson (and Why is Everybody Talkin' About Him?)", a feature documentary on the eccentric late singer-songwriter Harry Nilsson. This marks the first documentary that LSL is independently financing. LSL Productions founders and producing partners David Leaf and John Scheinfeld made the announcement. Scheinfeld is writing and directing, Leaf and Scheinfeld are producing the project. [Brian Brooks] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Production ]

AFP: Iran set to upset Egypt with '34 Bullets for Pharoah'

An extremist Iranian Islamist group announced it was working on a film about the 1981 assassination of Egyptian president Anwar Sadat entitled "34 Bullets for the Pharoah." The documentary, produced by the "Committee for the Glorification of Martyrs for the World Islamic Movement," is certain to further upset Cairo -- with whom Tehran cut diplomatic ties after Sadat signed the 1979 Camp David peace accord with Israel. Agence France Presse reports. 
[permalink]   [ filed under Press Coverage ]

Al Jazeera: Tsunami aid misuse focus of film

Dhruv Dhawan just wanted to make a film about Sri Lankan survivors of the tsunami, but he stumbled upon a classic tale of how developing countries on the long march to prosperity often ride roughshod over the poor. But Dhawan's "From Dust," shot in the southern towns of Galle and Koggala, suggests that the poor were just duped into vacating what in today's world is considered prime real estate. "They were lied to and a lot of fear was instilled among them [of a new tsunami]," Dhawan said after the documentary was premiered at the Dubai International Film Festival on Monday. Al Jazeera reports. 
[permalink]   [ filed under Festivals ]

U.S. Comedy Arts Festival Announces Initial Line Up for Event

HBO and the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival (USCAF) announced the initial programming today for the 12th annual festival, which returns to Aspen, Colorado, from March 8 - 12, 2006. Highlights of the upcoming USCAF include salutes to "The Larry Sanders Show" with creator and star Garry Shandling and co-star Jeffery Tambor and the 15th anniversary of a Def Comedy Jam with Russell Simmons, Stan Lathan and Sandy Wernick, a presentation of Garrison Keillor's "A Prairie Home Companion" and a screening of the feature film based on "A Prairie Home Companion," as well as Jim Henson's 'Puppet Improv.' The USCAF will also feature a full line up of stand-up, sketch and alternative performances and the only major competitive film festival dedicated to comedy film. For more information, visit their website. [Brian Brooks] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Festivals ]

Shadow Distribution to Open "The Beauty Academy of Kabul" in the U.S.

Shadow Distribution will handle the U.S. release of Liz Mermin's doc "The Beauty Academy of Kabul," which will open in New York at the Angelika Film Center on March 24 and in Los Angeles in April. Other cities will follow, according to the company. The film follows Western women (some of whom emigrated from Afghanistan in the early 1980s), who return to Kabul to open an American-style school for beauticians. Mermin and her crew of three other women, plus a female translator, spent 10 weeks in Kabul building trust on camera and off, and documenting the subtle transformations and amusing cultural exchanges that took place over three intense months. [Brian Brooks]  
[permalink]   [ filed under Acquisitions ]

H'Wood Reporter: Chinese director has Oscar 'Promise'

A contender for Oscar glory in 1994 with "Farewell My Concubine," Chen Kaige again is representing mainland China's hopes in the best foreign film race with "The Promise," a $35 million film that ranks as the biggest ever made in China. Chen recently spoke about his film and the future of Chinese cinema. Jonathan Landreth reports. 
[permalink]   [ filed under Awards Watch, People ]

Sundance Names Finalists for NHK International Filmmakers Awards

Park City coverage sponsored by BE KIND REWIND.

Sundance Institute and NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) today announced the twelve finalists for the 2006 Sundance/NHK International Filmmakers Awards. The annual award supports new artists in international cinema and is presented to emerging film directors from four global regions to support them in realizing their next projects. One winner from Europe, Latin America, the United States, and Japan is selected by members of an international jury.  The four winners will be announced during the 2006 Sundance Film Festival. The twelve finalists are: Veit Helmer's "Azerbaijan Dream" (Germany), Nanouk Leopold's "Wolfsbergen" (The Netherlands), Patrice Toye's "The Spring Ritual" (Belgium), Alejandro Fernandez Almendras's "Huacho" (Chile), Josue Mendez's "Dioses" (Peru), Fernando Eimbcke's "Lake Tahoe" (Mexico), Cruz Angeles's "Don't Let Me Drown" (U.S.), Dante Harper's "Dreamland" (U.S.), Andrew Dosunmu's "Mother of George" (U.S.), Minehito Fujita's "Hurricane" (Japan), Satoki Kenmochi's "Next Sunday" (Japan), Kanji Nakajima's "The Clone Returns to the Homeland" (Japan). NHK is Japan's largest broadcaster. [Brian Brooks] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Honors, Park City ]

SF Critics Go For "Brokeback"

The San Francisco Film Critics Circle has announced its list of the best of the year, naming "Brokeback Mountain" best picture, Ang Lee best director, and Heath Ledger best actor. The award for best doc went to "Grizzly Man" and best foreign film is " Cache" (Hidden). The complete list of winners is available on the SFFCC website. [Eugene Hernandez] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Awards Watch, Honors ]

The Top Ten, So far...

Each Monday, indieWIRE compiles the final weekend numbers for specialty releases in theaters. This is our top ten for the past weekend so far, with most numbers already in. The top ten is subject to change before the final chart is published tomorrow and the weekly box office column is written. 1. "Brokeback Mountain" (Focus Features) - $547,425 wknd ($109,485 per scrn) 2. "Transamerica"(The Weinstein Company) - $21,372 wknd ($10,686 per scrn) 3. "The Boys of Baraka" (ThinkFilm) - $9,955 wknd ($9,955 per scrn) 4. "Mrs. Henderson Presents" (The Weinstein Company) - $55,344 wknd ($9,224 per scrn) 5. "Be Here To Love Me: A Film About Townes Van Zandt (Palm Pictures) - $14,659 ($3,665 per scrn) 6."The Syrian Bride" (Koch Lorber Films) - $9,966 wknd (3,322 per scrn) 7. "Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont" (Cineville) - $10,742 wknd ($2,686 per scrn) 8. "Breakfast on Pluto" (Sony Classics) - $15,982 wknd ($2,664 per scrn) 9. "Sarah Silverman: Jesus is Magic" (Roadside Attractions) - $118,999 wknd ($2,380 per scrn) 10. "Cote d'Azur" (Strand Releasing) - $2,053 wknd (2,053 per scrn) 
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Jewish Museum and Film Society of Lincoln Center to Host 15th Jewish Film Festival

The Jewish Museum and The Film Society of Lincoln Center will present the 15th annual New York Jewish Film Festival from January 11 through 26 at the Walter Reade Theater in Manhattan's Upper West Side. The line up includes two world, five United States, and 16 New York premieres with films spotlighting art, women, revelations about historical events and family secrets, among the array of festival offerings. The event will also feature the French actress Sarah Bernhardt and several of the filmmakers will be in New York during the festival to discuss their films. For a full program line up, visit their website. [Brian Brooks] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Festivals ]

RESFEST 2005 Names Winners

Talmage Cooley's "Dimmer" won the audience prize and a jury award from RESFEST 2005 the organization announced Monday. Gaelle Denis's "City Paradise" tied with "Dimmer" in receiving a special jury award, while Keith Bearden's "Raftman's Razor" won the jury prize for best short. Also taking nods were Martin de Thurah's Carpark North “Human” for best music video (audience prize) and The Chemical Brothers "Galvanize" directed by Adam Smith taking the best music video in the jury category. Sally Arthur's "Perfect" and "Dancing About Architecture" by Zeitguised tied for the jury prize for best designed film. RESFEST travels the globe annually spotlighting "cutting-edge" short films, music videos, documentaries, motion graphics, and retrospectives of industry mavericks. The awards presentation and celebration will take place at the RES monthly screening series at the Egyptian Theatre in Los Angeles Tuesday, December 13th at 8:00pm. [Brian Brooks] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Honors ]

NY Times: Doing the Hollywood Math: What Slump?

In an age of hundreds of cable channels, video games and other distractions, the domestic box office so far this year is down about 6 percent from the same time period in 2004, and off from 2003 and 2002 levels. But the money flowing into the coffers of movie studios is greater than ever. Lorne Manly reports (free subscription required to view full article). 
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Reuters: Sri Lanka film shows poor still suffer after tsunami

Dhruv Dhawan just wanted to make a film about Sri Lankan survivors of the tsunami, but he stumbled upon a classic tale of how developing countries on the long march to prosperity often ride roughshod over the poor. Dhawan's "From Dust," shot in the southern towns of Galle and Koggala, suggests that the poor were just duped into vacating what in today's world is considered prime real estate. "They were lied to and a lot of fear was instilled among them (of a new tsunami)," Dhawan said after the documentary was unveiled at the Dubai International Film Festival on Monday. Andrew Hammond reports. 
[permalink]   [ filed under Festivals ]

National Board of Review Names Best of '05

After a bumpy road to today's delayed announcement, the National Board of Review has unveiled its top films of 2005. The group of 150 members selected George Clooney's "Good Night, And Good Luck" as the best film of the year. "Paradise Now" was chosen best foreign language films, while "March of the Penguins" was named best documentary. The other nine, in alphabetical order are: "Brokeback Mountain, "Capote", "Crash", "A History of Violence", "Match Point", "Memoirs of a Geisha", "Munich", "Syriana", and "Walk the Line". Among other winners, best director is Ang Lee, best actor is Philip Seymour Hoffman in "Capote", best actress is Felicity Hoffman in "TransAmerica", best adapted screenplay awarded to Stephen Gaghan, "Syriana", and best original screenplay for Noah Baumbach, "The Squid and the Whale".  
[permalink]   [ filed under Awards Watch, Honors ]

Paramount Announces Deal for Dreamworks

Paramount Pictures officially announced today its $1.6 billion deal for Dreamworks SKG, the would-be independent movie studio formed 11 years ago by David Geffen, Jeffrey Katzenberg, and Steven Spielberg. During a conference call Sunday afternoon, Viacom co-president & co-COO Tom Freston praised the deal as part of a "strategy for a new Paramount and Viacom". Paramount chairman & CEO Brad Grey called the move "a transformative event for the studio," saying that Dreamworks will make some 4 - 6 live action movies per year beginning in 2007, as part of a Paramount strategy of releasing 14 - 16 movies annually.

David Geffen will continue to run Dreamworks as its Chairman (with a three-year contract) and Paramount will also enter into a deal with director/producer Steven Spielberg (and it will handle releases from Jeffrey Katzenberg's separate Dreamworks Animation). Asked about the reasons for the sale, Geffen said during the conference, "We had hoped to be able to rationalize being our own distributor, with this deal we are combining our distribution and marketing people with Paramount. Together we will be able to distribute our films at a much lower cost per film." He added that he does not expect significant layoffs at Dreamworks, but added that company president and COO Rick Sands, who joined Dreamworks earlier this year from Miramax, will leave the company. [Eugene Hernandez]

 
[permalink]   [ filed under Biz ]

AFI Picks Top 10 of '05

The American Film Institute has announced its Top Ten for 2005, naming the feature films that are " most outstanding achievements in film." Chosen as AFI's Movies of the Year, in alphabetical order, are: "Brokeback Mountain", "Capote", "Crash", "The 40 Year-Old Virgin", "Good Night, And Good Luck", "A History of Violence", "King Kong", "Munich", "The Squid and the Whale", and "Syriana". 
[permalink]   [ filed under Awards Watch, Honors ]

Big Numbers for "Brokeback" Debut

Focus Features' release of Ang Lee's "Brokeback Mountain" was a resounding success with the film earning more than half-a-million dollars in its limited debut this weekend. According to a Focus Features estimate Sunday, the film made $544,275 at five venues split between New York City, Los Angeles and San Francisco, for an incredible estimated per screen average of $108,855. The per screen figure is being touted as the highest ever for an adult drama (topped only by limited release openings of kid-oriented Disney fare). [Eugene Hernandez] 
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B.N.A.T.

Internet movie maven Harry Knowles annually celebrates his birthday with a 24 hour movie marathon at Austin's Alamo Drafthouse. This year's Butt-Numb-A-Thon has just ended in Austin, offering the select group of attendees a sneak peak at a number of unreleased films (and a few classics). Matt Dentler from SXSW was there and has posted dispatches (and photos) on his blog, and reported that among the new films sneaking this year included, "King Kong", "Sympathy for Lady Vengeance", "District 13", "The Descent", and "V For Vendetta". 
[permalink]   [ filed under Movies ]

"Brokeback" Leads BFCA Nominations

"Brokeback Mountain" is leading the list of nominees for the Critics Choice Awards (list via MovieCityNews), presented each year by the Broadcast Film Critics Association. The film received 8 nominations, including best picture, director, actor, supporting actor, supporting actress, screenplay and more. The runner-up for the most nominations was "Crash" with 6.  
[permalink]   [ filed under Awards Watch, Honors ]

NYT: Doing the Hollywood Math: What Slump?

In The New York Times today, Lorne Manly examines the infamous box office slump of 2005, finding that while theatrical grosses may be down from last year, over all the Hollywood studio business is healthy:

In an age of hundreds of cable channels, video games and other distractions, the domestic box office so far this year is down about 6 percent from the same time period in 2004, and off from 2003 and 2002 levels. But the money flowing into the coffers of movie studios is greater than ever.

 
[permalink]   [ filed under Biz ]