Fortissimo Gets Worldwide Rights to Weerasethakul's Latest

Leading sales company Fortissimo Films has announced the acquisition of worldwide rights to Apichatpong Weerasethakul's "Syndromes and A Century," one of seven films commissioned by the New Crowned Hope Festival celebrating Mozart. In an announcement, the film was described as exploring, "how we remember and how our sense of happiness can be acquired by something so insignificant. The film focuses on the memories of two doctors, one male and one female, and is inspired by the filmmaker's parents before they were lovers. The two reminiscences are told over two architectural spaces, one when the filmmaker was young, and the other in contemporary time." New Crowned Hope will run from mid-November through mid-December in Vienna. [Eugene Hernandez]  
[permalink]   [ filed under Acquisitions, World Cinema ]

Troma Invades Cannes Again

Attention all those Cannes bound! The Troma folks will be hitting the Croisette once again this year with their antics. According to a Troma release, this year, Undead Chicken Zombies and Anna Nicole Smith will join the Toxic Avenger, Sgt. Kabukiman N.Y.P.D., the Tromettes and a parade of street performers, as they delight the motion picture professionals and the citizens of Cannes throughout the festival. Troma prez Lloyd Kaufman will be attending the Cannes Film Market to present a product reel of Troma Entertainment's upcoming title "Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead," written, directed and featuring Kaufman. The film is described as "chock-full of sex, blood and rock-n-roll, not to mention a little singing, dancing and fried chicken." [Brian Brooks] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Festivals ]

Reuters: Israeli film on Lebanon pullout flouts military myth

"Just as the sun sets, an explosion rocks a mountain fort close to Israel's heavily guarded border with Lebanon. In years past, such a blast might have sent Israeli soldiers scrambling to fend off attack by Lebanese Hizbollah guerrillas. But this time the commotion is staged, and the only shooting is by film cameras for the last scene of 'Beaufort,' a drama about Israel's whirlwind 2000 withdrawal from southern Lebanon after a 22-year occupation. For director Joseph Cedar, who spent much of his mandatory Israeli army service dodging Hizbollah ambushes in the so-called 'security zone,' making the movie was a catharsis of sorts." Tali Caspi reports. 
[permalink]   [ filed under Movies ]

NY Times: The Ingenuity of Sundance Comes to Brooklyn

"The Sundance Institute, already an alluring brand name for films, is bringing a snapshot of its creative process in an array of disciplines to New York City. A 10-day series of film screenings, musical performances and theater, as well as discussions with filmmakers and other events, begins tomorrow at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. The Sundance Institute at BAM, as the series is called, is a first-time collaboration between the two institutions and comes as the institute celebrates its 25th anniversary. At the heart of the program are 38 screenings of 14 feature and documentary films and 8 shorts, importing the freshest Sundance Film Festival offerings from Utah to Brooklyn, long before most will be widely distributed, if they ever will." Felicia R. Lee reports. 
[permalink]   [ filed under Festivals, Park City ]

Paramount Classics to Donate 5% of "Inconvenient Truth" Grosses

Documentary coverage sponsored by SnagFilms.

Paramount Classics will donate 5% of the domestic theatrical gross of Davis Guggenheim's upcoming doc "An Inconvenient Truth" to the new bipartisan climate effort, Alliance for Climate Protection. With a minimum guarantee of $500,000, the donation will span the full length of the film's domestic release. Production company Participant Productions has already committed to contributing their profits to Alliance, which will use the funds for "a major national education and organizing campaign to mobilize the public on global warming." The film will open on May 24th. [Eugene Hernandez] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Biz, Documentary ]

IFP and Current TV Launch Partnership

The first aspect in a strategic partnership between IFP and Current TV will be a online and on-air competition that is seeking submissions of short, nonfiction viewer-created content through the end of June. Then in August, 10 entries will be named winners of the Current/IFP VC2 Showcase, with at least three chosen to air on the Current TV cable network, with all 10 available online via the Current TV and IFP websites, as well as at the 28th Annual IFP Market. For more information, visit the IFP section of the Current TV site. 
[permalink]   [ filed under Events, Shorts ]

BBC: Cannes police set festival strike

Police in Cannes are to stage a two-hour strike during the town's famous film festival later this month. The walkout could disrupt security arrangements at the 12-day gathering, which is expected to attract stars including Tom Hanks and Kirsten Dunst. Unions are hoping to grab the spotlight on the event's third day, 19 May. They will protest outside the event's headquarters, the Palais de Festivals. BBC reports. 
[permalink]   [ filed under Cannes, Festivals ]

"Made in NY" Tax Credit Up for Extension/Expansion

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg today visited the feature film "The Nanny Diaries" on location in TriBeCa to announce that in the coming weeks his administration will work with the New York City Council on a local law to reauthorize and expand the "Made in NY" tax credit initiative, which will provide $30 million in city financing annually for local film and television productions through 2011. The "Made in NY" tax credit initiative has helped to create jobs and expand the city's $5 billion film and TV sector, which supports employment for more than 100,000 New Yorkers. [Brian Brooks] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Biz ]

Global Film Initiative Announces Spring Grant Recipients

The Global Film Initiative announced today that eight filmmakers have been awarded completion funding for their film projects in the organization's Spring granting cycle. Film projects are selected based on their "artistic excellence, accomplished storytelling, and cultural perspective on daily life around the world." The Spring 2006 recipients are: "Acne," Federico Veiroj (Uruguay) about an akward teenage boy who has lost his virginity, but has never kissed a girl; "Agnus Dei," Lucia Cedron (Argentina). about a young woman's grandfather who is kidnapped and while working with her mother to negotiate his release, discovers details about the disappearance of her father; "Bad Day to Go Fishing," Alvaro Brechner (Uruguay) about an aging wrestler, his manager, and a young shopkeeper who collide in a wrestling match in front of their entire, small Uruguayan town. "Before We Fall in Love," James Lee (Malaysia), centering on an uneasy alliance that develops between a woman's husband and her lover, after she disappears; "Navel of the World," Igor Ivanov (Macedonia) about a runaway circus performer with a severe case of Meniere's disease, a chronic ailment that causes him to see the world spinning. "Three Days Forever," Riri Riza (Indonesia) about two teenage cousins who wake up after a big night out to find they have missed their flight to attend a family wedding. "To Go," Huseyin Karabey (Turkey), about a long-distance video-based romance that's complicated by immigrant policies, national boundaries, and the outbreak of war in Iraq. "The Watercolorist," Daniel Rodriguez (Peru) about "T," who has a dream to leave his commercial life and become an artist, but moves to an apartment building occupied by a disjointed group of busybodies. The Global Film Initiative was created to promote cross-cultural understanding through the universal language of cinema during a time of great change throughout the world. [Brian Brooks] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Biz ]

24 Films Set to Screen in New York's Human Rights Watch Fest

Twenty-four features and documentaries from 19 countries will screen at the New York edition of the Human Rights Watch International Film Festival June 8 - 22 at the Walter Reade Theater. Highlights from the fest include a benefit screening of "The Refugee All Stars" by Zach Niles and Banker White about a group of six Sierra Leonean musicians who, after being displaced by war, form a band while living in a refugee camp in Guinea. Also slated is the story of two Somali families who journey from a refugeee camp to the U.S. in "Rain in a Dry Land." This year's Nestor Almendros Prize for "courage in filmmaking" will be presented to James Longley, director of "Iraq in Fragments," which won three awards at this year's Sundance Film Festival. [Brian Brooks] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Festivals ]

AFP: Da Vinci Code release sparks calls for fatal hunger strikes in India

A Catholic group called on Christians to starve themselves to death in protest at the release of "The Da Vinci Code" at cinemas in India as others burned copies of the novel. The Catholic Secular Forum said it hoped thousand of people would attend a protest Wednesday in Mumbai to burn effigies of Dan Brown, the author of the best-selling novel. The controversial film stars Tom Hanks and is based on Brown's best-selling novel. It explores the idea that Jesus Christ married Mary Magdalene and had children whose descendants are alive today. Agence France Presse reports on the film, which will open the Cannes Film Festival next week. 
[permalink]   [ filed under Cannes, Movies ]

INDUSTRY MOVES: Ptak Leaves CAA for Arsenal

John Ptak is leaving CAA after 15 years to join Philip Elway in forming Arsenal, described (in an announcement) as, "a strategic consultancy that will advise producers, equity funds and distribution companies on the growth of their businesses, as well as the financing and distribution arrangements of their films." Elway previously served as president of VIP Media USA. [Eugene Hernandez] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Industry Moves ]

Focus Goes for "Talk To Me"

Focus Features annouced Monday that it will handle domestic distribution for Kasi Lemmons "Talk To Me," set to begin filming next month. Starring Don Cheadle and Chiwetel Ejiofor, the film is from Sidney Kimmel Entertainment and the Mark Gordon Company. It was written by Michael Genet, with revisions by Rick Famuyiwa and Lemmons (according to Focus). Kimmel International will handle foreign rights to the film at Cannes next week. In an announcement Monday, the film was described as, "the powerful real-life story of Ralph Waldo 'Petey' Green (to be portrayed by Mr. Cheadle), an outspoken ex-con who talked his way into becoming an iconic radio personality in the 1960s, in Washington, D.C." [Eugene Hernandez]  
[permalink]   [ filed under Movies ]

"A Lion in the House" Picked up for U.S. Release by Online Journal, Reverse Shot

Online film journal Reverse Shot has announced its first foray into theatrical distribution with the acquisition of Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert's critically acclaimed documentary "A Lion in the House." Premiering at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival in January, the film has since gone on to share the best documentary prize at the Nashville Film Festival and taken special jury nods at both the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival and the Cleveland International Film Festival in addition to an audience award at the recently completed Hot Docs in Toronto. It will see television broadcast on PBS' "Independent Lens" in late June. The film provides an heart-wrenching look at the struggles with cancer of five young people and their families over a six-year period. The deal was negotiated by Neal Block and Jeff Reichert (who is related to Julia Reichert) of Reverse Shot with the filmmakers and Jan Rofekamp and Diana Holtzberg of Films Transit International, Inc.. Films Transit is selling the film worldwide. "A Lion in the House" is a co-production of the filmmakers and ITVS, the Independent Television Service. The Reverse Shot team has scheduled the film in ten cities prior to the broadcast. (Editors note: Reverse Shot writers provide weekly reviews for indieWIRE.) [Brian Brooks] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Acquisitions ]

The Top Ten So Far...

Each Monday, indieWIRE receives 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. Three day weekend box office data provided by Rentrak as of Monday, 6:00 p.m. EST. 1."Army of Shadows" (Rialto) $13,775 wknd ($13,775 per scrn) 2."Art School Confidential" (Sony Pictures Classics) $135,733 wknd ($11,311 per scrn) 3."The Proposition" (First Look) $33,000 wknd ($11,000 per scrn) 4."Down In The Valley" (ThinkFilm) $22,806 wknd ($7,602 per scrn) 5."The Lost City" (Magnolia Pictures) $172,554 wknd ($7,190 per scrn) 6. "Water" (Fox Searchlight) $174,727 wknd ($4,854 per scrn) 7. "Clean" (Palm Pictures) $9,240 wknd ($4,620 per scrn) 8. "Death of Mr. Lazarescu" (Tartan Films) $8,031 wknd ($4,016 per scrn) 9. "Lady Vengeance" (Tartan Films) $7,402 wknd ($3,701 per scrn) 10. "A Year Without Love" (Strand Releasing) $3,420 wknd ($3,420 per scrn) 
[permalink]   [ filed under Biz ]

Polly Cohen Named New President of Warner Independent Pictures

Polly Cohen has been named president of Warner Independent Pictures, Jeff Robinov, president of production, Warner Bros. Pictures announced Monday afternoon. Cohen, who has served as executive vice president, production at Warner Bros. Pictures, will report directly to Robinov, replacing Mark Gill who left the post May 2nd. Cohen began her career at Jersey Films, and joined Warner Bros. Pictures as a creative executive in 1997 and was promoted to production executive in 1998. In 1999 she became vice president, production and in 2003 she was named senior vice president. She was appointed executive vice president, production in February of this year. During her tenure at Warner Bros., she worked on the upcoming Warner Independent film, "Mama's Boy" as well as several others in development, according to the company. She also led the production teams for upcoming Warner Bros. Pictures releases as "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," "Superman Returns," "License to Wed," "I Am Legend," and "Blood Diamond." [Brian Brooks] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Industry Moves ]

Reuters: New documentary makes case for "The Saint of 9/11"

A new documentary film makes a case for sainthood for Mychal Judge, a New York Fire Department chaplain who died at the World Trade Center in the September 11 attacks. One of the best-known victims of the worst attack on U.S. soil, the Franciscan friar chose to join his men within the North Tower rather than remaining on the sidelines and died at age 68 after giving last rites to a fallen firefighter. Glenn Holsten's film, "The Saint of 9/11," shows Judge moving in often-conflicting social circles: a proud Irish-American; a recovering alcoholic helping others fight addiction; a confidant for tough, gritty firefighters, and a celibate homosexual active in the gay community. Richard Leong profiles Judge and the film, which screened at the Tribeca Film Festival 
[permalink]   [ filed under Movies, New York ]

NY Times: Paul Giamatti, the Unlikely Leading Man

To say that it is not the face of a movie star — thick glasses framing deep, knowing eyes -- is to belabor the manifest, but Paul Giamatti's mug has become an unlikely muse for serious directors. After a career of working the sidelines, he has moved into the middle of the frame to very good effect. David Carr profiles Giamatti who stars in M. Night Shyamalan's "Lady in the Water," which opens in July. 
[permalink]   [ filed under People ]

The Guardian: Dogme director to start new "Fire"

Benicio Del Toro and Halle Berry look set to co-star in a new movie from Dogme filmmaker Susanne Bier. Del Toro, who won a best supporting actor Oscar for his turn in 2000's "Traffic," has already signed up for the drama "Things We Lost in the Fire," while Berry is in talks. The Guaridan reports. 
[permalink]   [ filed under Production ]

AP: Actress Was Ready to Quit Sept. 11 Movie

When Maggie Gyllenhaal caused a stir with comments about the U.S. role in the Sept. 11 attacks, she was particularly concerned about the opinions of two people -- Port Authority Officer William J. Jimeno and his wife, Allison. The 28-year-old actress says she was ready to drop out of Oliver Stone's upcoming "World Trade Center" film if the couple didn't accept her explanation. In April 2005, Gyllenhaal said the United States "is responsible in some way" for the attacks. She later said that she regretted the comment and issued a statement saying that Sept. 11 was "an occasion to be brave enough to ask some serious questions about America's role in the world." AP reports. 
[permalink]   [ filed under People ]

Hopkin's "Sheep" Wins International Prize at Hot Docs '06

Ben Hopkins' "37 Uses For A Dead Sheep" won the best international documentary prize at the 2006 Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival. The film is described by the festival as a "look at members of the once nomadic Kirghiz tribe as their younger generation adjusts to the modern world in Turkey." The prize for best Canadian doc feature went to Shelley Saywell's "Martyr Street" and the first-time director award went Greg Hamilton for "Mystic Ball." Honorable mentions in the international feature doc competition were awarded to Adan Aliaga's "My Grandmother's House" and Nikolaus Geyrhalter's "Our Daily Bread." The festival awarded its annual Outstanding Achievement Award to Werner Herzog. For more information, visit the festival's website. [Eugene Hernandez] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Documentary, Festivals ]

"Blessed by Fire" and "The War Tapes" Among Top Tribeca Film Festival Winners

Two war-inspired films took top honors at the 5th Tribeca Film Festival. "Blessed by Fire" (Iluminados por el Fuego) by Tristan Bauer and U.S. director Deborah Scranton's "The War Tapes" won the Best Narrative Feature prize and Best Documentary Feature prize respectively during an awards dinner this evening (Saturday) in Chinatown in Lower Manhattan. "Fire," (Argentina, Spain) is based on the memoir of a veteran of the Falklands Islands War between Argentina and the U.K. in the early '80s, while present-day Iraq is the backdrop for "War Tapes," which chronicles the stories of several members of a National Guard unit deployed to Iraq sharing their experiences and lives from their point-of-view. Also taking honors this evening were Marwan Hamed for "The Yacoubian Building" for Best New Narrative Filmmaker (Egypt) and Pelin Esmer for "The Play," which took Best New Documentary Filmmaker (Turkey). indieWIRE will publish a full roster of Tribeca '06 winners later this weekend. [Brian Brooks] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Festivals, New York ]