Fox Searchlight Nabs Worldwide Rights to "Little Miss Sunshine"

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Fox Searchlight Pictures has announced that the company has acquired worldwide rights to Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris' "Little Miss Sunshine", which had its world premiere last night at the Sundance Film Festival. Fox would not confirm a figure for the deal, but insider buzz pegged the pact at $10 million. The film is scheduled to be released this summer. [Eugene Hernandez] 
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Band Members Direct Music Films

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Music films are a familiar sight at Sundance, but there are two this year that tell their stories from entirely new perspectives. Stewart Copeland's Everyone Stares: The Police Inside Out was created from Super 8 footage he shot during a Police tour in the late 70s, providing a first-person version of their rise from obscurity to stardom. In contrast, Awesome: I Fuckin' Shot That! is the result of Adam Yauch's (of the Beastie Boys) idea to give digital cameras to 50 concert-goers at the 2004 Madison Square Garden concert, "creating a 'concert film' like no other". "Everyone Stares" is in the Spectrum program this year, while "Awesome" screens as part of Park City at Midnight. Dan Nailen reports for the Salt Lake Tribune. 
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"Eve & The Fire Horse" warms up snowy Sundance

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Vancouver director Julia Kwan received a warm welcome from Sundance viewers for her first (and the only Canadian) feature-length film, Eve & the Fire Horse, at its world premiere on Friday evening. Kwan's short film "Three Sisters on Moon Lake" was screened at the 2002 festival; her current tale of two sisters searching for answers to a series of family misfortunes, one of whom combines Catholicism and Buddhism to do so, is "full of charm and wonder," and "seemed to strike a chord with premiere patrons Friday." The Canadian Press reports. 
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"War Stories" from Sundance

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With the crazed surreality of Park City during Sundance (a film festival in the Utah mountains in the middle of January is not a natural occurence), it's not surprising that rather odd things happen to festival-goers on a regular basis. Sean P. Means reports for the Salt Lake Tribune about "Sundance war stories," experiences and encounters people have had that could only happen during Sundance. At the 1987 festival, for instance, Candace Bergen asked a Sundance press office employee if she could borrow a pair of trousers for the opening night film. Not an everyday occurence, is it? 
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Salt Lake City Hopes for a Park City Ambience

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Through a few small changes, Salt Lake City is attempting to keep locals in town during Sundance, while also convincing Park City diehards to stop by. Although Sundance has always had a presence in Salt Lake City, this is the first year that a "festival district" has been officially declared downtown. The Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center has been chosen for the premiere of Kinky Boots this evening, and a number of restaurants, galleries, and businesses have extended hours and are offering festival specials. Salt Lake will screen about 100 films this year, in the hopes of relieving congestion in Park City. Salt Lake Tribune reports. 
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Sundance a springboard for under-the-radar films

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This year, Sundance continues its tradition of bringing in a host of eclectic, low-budget films, some of which may become the next big hits known for their intimacy and individuality. These are films that refuse to be lumped into categories, which is exactly what distributors are looking for; past successes include March of the Penguins, Garden State, and Sex, Lies, and Videotape. "The obvious choices everybody already knows," says Peter Block, acqusitions president for Lions Gate Films. "It's the ones that don't fit that list that you need to pay attention to." Films with big potential to look out for this year include The Hawk is Dying, The Science of Sleep, Little Miss Sunshine, and Art School Confidential. Anthony Breznican reports for USA Today. 
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Picturehouse and New Line International Take Rights to "Silk"

Picturehouse and New Line International have acquired all rights to Francois Girard's romantic drama "Silk" starring Michael Pitt ("Last Days"), Keira Knightley ("Pride & Prejudice"), Koji Yakusho ("Memoirs of a Geisha") and Alfred Molina ("Spiderman II"), Bob Berney, president of Picturehouse, Rolf Mittweg, president and COO of New Line Worldwide Distribution and Marketing and Camela Galano, president of New Line International announced Thursday. Based on the best-selling novel by Alessandro Baricco, "Silk" is the story of Herve Joncour, a 19th century French silkworm merchant who travels to Japan and begins a clandestine and forbidden romance with a mysterious and sensual woman. The deal was brokered on behalf of Picturehouse by Carolyn Blackwood, SVP business Affairs, New Line and negotiated on behalf of the film by Stephen Saltzman of Loeb and Loeb. [Brian Brooks] 
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Third Annual Queer Lounge at Sundance

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Queer Lounge, the only gay organization sanctioned by Sundance, returns to Park City for a third year. This "festival hot spot" is dedicated to building mainstream audiences and promoting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) films and filmmakers. Some of the most hotly anticipated films at Sundance this year either explore queer issues or are created by LGBT filmmakers, including Small Town Gay Bar, Puccini For Beginners, and Night Listener. Ross von Metzke writes for 247Gay.com. 
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TIME: After 25 Years, Redford Reflects on Sundance

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TIME Magazine sits down with Robert Redford to discuss Sundance's evolution after 25 years. "...as the festival has increased in notoriety, the merchants came, then celebrities came, then the paparazzi came, then fashion came, and everybody's welcome. But at the core, we program the festival the same way we did the opening year, we program for diversity. So if you look at the festival from the inside, where the filmmakers are, you're going to get one perspective. If you judge it from the party circuit, outside, you might see a different festival. But the truth is we've never changed anything; it's just that the festival's population and exhibition have grown, and all that comes with it." 
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BBC: World Premiere of Glastonbury Documentary

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The World Documentary Competition at Sundance '06 includes a new film by director Julien Temple about the legendary UK Glastonbury music festival. Glastonbury follows the evolution of the festival since it began in 1970, through both professional footage and home videos collected from festival-goers. "I think [the festival] does bring together a certain kind of free-thinking Englishness that in a very interesting way mirrors the changes that have happened in the wider culture," says Temple, who first attended as a university student in 1971. The film premieres Saturday, January 21. BBC reports.  
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New Zealand Director Debuts at Sundance with "No. 2"

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New Zealand director Toa Fraser will debut at Sundance '06 with his film "No. 2," about a Fijian woman who gathers her grandchildren to announce her successor as head of the family. Primarily a playwright, Fraser originally wrote the script of "No. 2" as a play, but eventually developed it as a screenplay. It is the first New Zealand film to be part of the World Dramatic Cinema category at Sundance. "No. 2" opens in the evening on Friday, January 20. 
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"Brokeback" Going Wide This Weekend

"Brokeback Mountain" will go into wide national release this weekend, hitting nearly 1,200 screens across the U.S. The Focus Features film, currently on just 683 screens, topped the national box office as the #1 movie in the country in daily grosses Tuesday, beating out wide release films after winning top prizes at the Golden Globe Awards Monday (it was at #9 over the weekend). Focus' distribution president Jack Foley said today that he would expand the film to 1,194 theaters on Friday. "The growth potential is still evolving and more and more exhibitors are requesting the film, so we're going to expand," he said. [Eugene Hernandez] 
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Sundance Plans to Return to Smaller Fares

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Sundance festival director Geoff Gilmore wants the right distributors to find more small films, reports Anne Thompson from The Hollywood Reporter. Many films that were under the radar during Sundance 2005 have done surprisingly well, while some Sundance films with the most hype have failed to acheive success at the box office.  
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Turan Weighs In On Sundance

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"There are times when the drama offstage at the Sundance Film Festival overshadows what is happening on screen, and 2006 is shaping up as one of those years," writes Kenneth Turan in his Sundance '06 preview for the LA Times. But he goes on to single out a number of his notable films... 
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A Hot List

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On the USA Today "tip sheet" for the films to see at the Sundance Film Festival are: "The Hawk is Dying", "Right At Your Door", "The Science of Sleep", "Little Miss Sunshine", "Illusionist", "Thank You For Smoking", "Giant Buddhas", "This Film Is Not Yet Rated", "Moonshine", and "Art School Confidential".  
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And the BAFTA Nominees Are...

"A Constant Gardener" is the top nominee for the British Academy Film Awards with nods, followed closely by "Brokeback Mountain" and "Crash," each with 9 moniations. Nominated for best film this year are: "Brokeback Mountain", "Capote", "The Constant Gardener", "Crash", "Good Night, and Good Luck". The complete list of nominees is available on the BAFTA website. [Eugene Hernandez] 
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BBC: Berlin festival judges revealed

A Bollywood producer and renowned cinematographer will be among the panel awarding the prestigious Golden Bear prize at the Berlin International Film Festival. India's Yash Chopra, Janusz Kaminski, and US artist Matthew Barney - the husband of Icelandic singer Bjork - are among the eight-strong jury. In December it was revealed that British actress Charlotte Rampling will chair the panel. The 56th Berlinale will take place from 9 to 19 February. BBC reports. 
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AP: Gore, Nader, Aniston at Sundance

Actors are directing. Singers are acting. Drama directors are making concert films. Former presidential rivals Al Gore and Ralph Nader are hitting the big screen. And Hollywood's much-maligned system of rating movies stars in its own film. AP reports. 
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"Puffy Chair" Finds a Home

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Roadside Attractions and Netflix have announced a joint venture deal for Jay and Mark Duplass' 2005 Sundance entry, The Puffy Chair. The film will be released this Spring. [indieWIRE will publish a complete story later today.] 
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AP: Golden Globes Boosts Last Year's Ratings

The evasive move to Monday by NBC's "63rd annual Golden Globes Awards" may have given it a slight boost in the ratings over last year's telecast, which battled ABC's "Desperate Housewives"-led Sunday-night juggernaut. The Globes broadcast drew 26.8 million viewers. AP reports. 
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Werner Herzog to Receive Hot Docs Honor

Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival announced Tuesday that director Werner Herzog will attend the 13th annual festival, April 28 - May 7, to be presented with the Hot Docs Outstanding Achievement Award. Mr. Herzog will receive his award at the Hot Docs Awards presentation at the Isabel Bader Theatre on Friday, May 5th. As part of the honor, Hot Docs has partnered with Cinematheque Ontario, a division of the Toronto International Film Festival Group, to co-present "An Evening with Werner Herzog," an onstage discussion with Mr. Herzog, at the Isabel Bader Theatre on Saturday, May 6th. The two organizations will also present complementary retrospectives of Mr. Herzog's films, with Hot Docs screening a selection of his documentary works throughout the festival and Cinematheque Ontario presenting a program of his fiction titles from April 29 to May 6. [Brian Brooks] 
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New York International Sephardic Jewish Film Festival Celebrates 10th edition

The New York International Sephardic Jewish Film Festival, the first festival dedicated to showcasing international films with distinctly Sephardic themes, celebrates ten years of cinematic explorations of Sephardic Jewry presented in a weeklong series of screenings, panel discussions, and events. The festival, co-sponsored by the Yeshiva University Museum and the Manhattan JCC, will take place from February 2 to 8 with screenings at the Center for Jewish History and one screening at the Manhattan JCC. The opening night screening and reception will feature the award-winning film "Live and Become" by Radu Mihaileanu (Hebrew, French, and Amharic with English subtitles) about an Ethiopian boy airlifted from a Sudanese refugee camp during 1984's Operation Moses. Adopted by a Moroccan family in Israel, the film follows Schlomo's conflicted journey into adulthood as he struggles with survival, a secret identity, and love. For more information, call (917) 606-8200. [Brian Brooks] 
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IFC Gets Matthew Barney's "Drawing Restraint 9"

IFC Films has acquired U.S. theatrical rights to Matthew Barney's "Drawing Restraint 9," starring the artist and Bjork. It debuted at the Venice Film Festival and is described by the company as follows: "A love story as only two such remarkable minds could conceive, the film stars the artist and his longtime partner Bjork as two occidental guests who board a Japanese whaling ship in Nagasaki Bay. The film has almost no dialogue but is marked by the fantastic theatricality that Barney fans expect. It includes a tanker truck filled with liquid petroleum jelly; a parade of animals; a tea ceremony in which Barney and Bjork wear costumes inspired by Shinto marriage rites; the creation of an ocean-like sculpture of petroleum jelly; Japanese pearl-diving girls; and a climax of alarming and fantastic transformations." IFC will open the movie on March 29th at the IFC Center before taking it out to other cities. [Eugene Hernandez] 
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"Violence" Wins Online Prize

David Cronenberg's "A History of Violence" won the best picture award from the Online Film Critics Society. The 138-member group presented their 9th annual awards, awarding "Violence" two other awards: best director for Cronenberg and Maria Bello, best supporting actress. Philip Seymour Hoffman won the best actress prize for "Capote," while Reese Witherspoon won best actress for "Walk the Line." "Downfall" from Germany won the best foreign-language film prize and Werner Herzog's "Grizzly Man" won best documentary. [Eugene Hernandez] 
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The 'Other' Munich Film

As the Wall Street Journal reports, those who have seen "Munich" may find familiar the story of "an Israeli agent named Avner who faces a crisis of conscience after helping assassinate Palestinians believed to be behind the Munich slayings." While thats the plot summary of Steven Spielberg's new film "Munich," it is apparently also a description of the 20 year old cable movie "Sword of Gideon". According to WSJ, both movies are based on George Jonas's 1984 book, "Vengeance." Active Canadian indie producer Robert Lantos, who produced "Sword" told the Journal, "It's a testament to the cunning and foresight of Spielberg's publicity machine that 'Sword of Gideon' has not made it onto anyone's radar." 
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Sundance Announces '06 Fest Jurors

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Sundance Film Festival organizers have named the jurors for the upcoming festival, which starts this week in Park City, UT. On the Independent Film Competition dramatic jury are filmmakers Miguel Arteta, Alan Rudolph, and Audrey Wells, actor Terrence Howard, and cinematographer Nancy Schreiber. On the Independent Film Competition doc Jury are filmmakers Joe Bini, Zana Briski, Andrew Briski, Alexander Payne, and Heather Rae. In the World Cinema competitions, the dramtic jurors are Locarno festival director Irene Bignardi, Chinese filmmaker Lu Chan, and Danish filmmaker Thomas Vinterberg, while on the doc jury are filmmakers Jean-Xavier de Lestrade and Rachel Perkins, and editor Kate Amend. On this year's short film jury are filmmaker Georgia Lee, sales agent Sydney Neter, and IFC Center VP & GM John Vanco. Award winners will be announced on January 28th at the festval's awards ceremony. [Eugene Hernandez] 
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ThinkFilm Gets "Valley"

ThinkFilm has acquired North American rights to David Jacobson's "Down in the Valley," starring Edward Norton, Evan Rachel Wood, David Morse, Rory Culkin, and Bruce Dern. The film will be released this Spring. The film was produced by Norton's Class 5 Films, in partnership with Holly Wiersma and Element Films' Adam Rosenfelt. Set outside Los Angeles, it is described as "the story of a bored teenager, Tobe (Wood), whose aimless existence is turned upside down by a chance encounter with Harlan Carruthers (Norton), a charismatic cowboy who seems as if he would be much more at home in Monument Valley than in the San Fernando Valley." ThinkFilm EVP of Acquisitions and Business Affairs Randy Manis negotiated the deal with COO Marc Schaberg on behalf of Element Films. [Eugene Hernandez] 
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