The Guardian: Bollywood heads for Yorkshire as Sheffield outshines New York

The world's largest film industry's awards weekend will involve a four-day extravaganza in five cities. Rome wanted it. So did Hong Kong and New York. But Yorkshire saw them all off and the Bollywood Oscars, a glittering celebration of celluloid romance, song and dance, will come to the white rose county next year. The awards or, more properly, the International Indian Film Awards, were launched at the Millennium Dome in 2000 and have since travelled to cities including Amsterdam, Dubai, Singapore, and London. David Ward reports. 
[permalink]   [ filed under Awards Watch, Events ]

NY Times: The Elusive Realism of Rossellini

"One can't live without Rossellini," a character declares in Bernardo Bertolucci's 1964 film "Before the Revolution." Yet, almost three decades after Roberto Rossellini's death in 1977, most moviegoers in America manage to live without the Italian director, though perhaps not as happily as they might. With the vast majority of his films unavailable for home rental, the father of Italian neo-realism and Isabella Rossellini has been reduced to little more than a cinephile cult figure, a faded saint on an art house fresco. Manohla Dargis reports. 
[permalink]   [ filed under Events ]

AP: Oscar-winning actor Jack Palance dies

Jack Palance, the craggy-faced menace in "Shane," "Sudden Fear" and other films who turned successfully to comedy in his 70s with his Oscar-winning self-parody in "City Slickers," died Friday. Palance died of natural causes at his home in Montecito, Calif., surrounded by family, said spokesman Dick Guttman. He was 87. AP reports. 
[permalink]   [ filed under People ]

AP: Humiliated frat boys sue "Borat"

Two fraternity members from a South Carolina university are suing over their appearance in the hit movie "Borat," saying they were duped into making racist and sexist remarks. The legal action filed Thursday on their behalf claims they were tricked into appearing in the spoof documentary "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan." Meg Kinnard reports. 
[permalink]   [ filed under Movies ]

Weinsteins Buy Wong's "Blueberry"

The Weinstein Company has nabbed all U.S., Australian and New Zealand rights to Wong Kar Wai's "My Blueberry Nights," described as a romantic comedy in a TWC announcement. The filmmaker's English language debut stars Norah Jones, Jude Law, David Strathairn, Rachel Weisz and Natalie Portman, was written by Wong Kar Wai and Lawrence Block, and produced by Wong, Jean Louis Piel, Jacky Pang and Wang Wei. In the words of the announcement:

In 'My Blueberry Nights', a young woman (Jones) takes a soul-searching journey across America to resolve her questions about love while encountering a series of memorable characters along the way.

 
[permalink]   [ filed under Acquisitions ]

Gothams to Honor Robbins, Kuras

At this month's Independent Feature Project Gotham Awards, Tim Robbins will receive the inaugural Gotham Awards Humanitarian Tribute and D.P. Ellen Kuras will receive the re-instated "below the line" tribute to an individual working behind the camera, according to an IFP announcement today. The organization, which announced competitive nominees last month, also unveiled event partnerships with The Museum of Modern Art, The New York Times, IFILM.COM, and Revver. The Gotham Awards, to be hosted this year by David Cross, will be held on November 29th. Programs on tap include a "Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You" screening series at MoMA from November 24 - 27, featuring showings of the films nominated for the undistirbuted film prize, a TimesTalks Panel with Alfonso Cuaron, Guillermo del Toro and Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, and online video segments and clips via IFILM and Revver. [Eugene Hernandez] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Awards Watch, Honors ]

AFI Fest Invites Audience Feedback

In a partnership with Audience by Withoutabox (a new online social network), AFI Fest is inviting its festival attendees to rate films, post comments, and review films after event screenings. Visitors can visit the new interactive website and keep blogs or access the social software via the on-site "Blog Bar" inside the box office at the fest's Arclight Cinemas Rooftop Village. The festival continues through November 12th. In a statement, festivals director Christian Gaines said:

Our audiences are discoverers and tastemakers. It's wonderful for us to know what they think of the films we program, and for our filmmakers to get broader feedback. Withoutabox has done it again with Audience.

 
[permalink]   [ filed under AFI Fest, Festivals ]

"The Queen" and "Private Fears" to Bookend 47th Thessaloniki Fest

Stephen Frears' "The Queen" and Alain Resnai's "Private Fears in Public Places" will bookend the 47th Thessaloniki International Film Festival, taking place November 17 - 26 in Greece. This year, the festival will host an Homage to Brazilian Cinema in addition to new cinema from China. Additionally, the fest will spotlight the work of directors Jan Svankmajer, Abderrahmane Sissako and Jim McKay. indieWIRE will publish a Thessaloniki line up story later this month. [Brian Brooks] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Festivals ]

Starz Denver International Film Festival Readies for 29th Edition

Two hundred films, including two world, five North American and eight U.S. premieres are on tap for the 29th Starz Denver International Film Festival taking place November 9 - 19 in the mile high city. The fest will open with Anthony Minghella's "Breaking and Entering" and close with Werner Herzog's "Rescue Dawn." Minghella as well as actor Tim Robbins, and filmmaker George Kuchar will be feted by the fest, and the event will spotlight Canadian film. "We are very excited to announce the lineup for the 29th Starz Denver Film Festival," commented festival director Ron Henderson in a statement. "This year's program is notable for its geographic diversity enhanced by a 15-film salute to Canadian cinema, and illuminated by more than 140 visiting film artists from around the world, including directors Anthony Minghella, Allan King, and Wu Tianming, and actors Tim Robbins, David Strathairn, and Scott Wilson." For more information, visit the festival's website. [Brian Brooks] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Festivals ]

SF360: Cinema, new Italian style

Politics, philosophy, and Catholicism are the Holy Trinity of Italian cultural life, or so one gathers from practically every movie produced since the breakthrough of neo-realism in the mid-1940s. The relationship between intellectualism and passion is a distinctly Italian concern, and it propels this year's edition of New Italian Cinema, the weeklong showcase of first and second-time directors presented Nov. 12-19 by the Istituto Italiano di Cultura and the San Francisco Film Society. Michael Fox reports. 
[permalink]   [ filed under Events ]

Slamdance and Angel Baby to Produce Screenplay Competition Winner

Slamdance has joined forces with Angel Baby Entertainment and executive producer Michael Malagiero to annually produce a feature film based on the winning screenplay from the newly created Slamdance Horror Screenplay Competition, Peter Baxter of Slamdance and Gregory Segal, a partner at Angel Baby jointly announced Thursday. In addition to having their screenplay guaranteed to be made into a feature motion picture, the winning writer will receive an upfront payment of $10,000 against 5% of the film's budget, plus net profits participation on the movie and payments for any sequels made of the motion picture. Production of the completed script will occur during the ensuing months, with a planned world premiere set for the follow year's Slamdance Film Festival. Entries for the Horror Screenplay Competition has been extended to December 11. For more information, visit their website. [Brian Brooks] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Festivals ]

LAFF Call for Entries

Los Angeles Film Festival organizers, Film Independent, announced the festival's dates for '07 will be June 21 - July 1. The event is accepting entries for next year's edition, with short films and music videos accepted through February 9, while the deadline for feature-length (50 minutes or more) narrative and documentary films is March 1, 2007. Discounted entry fees are available for submission received by January 12, 2007. For more information, visit their website. [Brian Brooks] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Festivals ]

AFP: Film on deportation of Jews to Auschwitz opens amid row

A film about the last trainload of Jews from Berlin to Auschwitz has its premiere on Thursday amid controversy over the German rail operator's refusal to allow exhibitions in stations about its role in transporting the Nazis' victims to their deaths. The rail operator, Deutsche Bahn, has financed "Der letze Zug" (The Last Train), which portrays the journey in April 1943 of 688 Jews from the German capital to the infamous death camp in Poland where 1.1 million people were put to death. AFP reports. 
[permalink]   [ filed under Movies ]

SF Chronicle: American Indians find voices in film

When the American Indian Film Festival opens Friday in San Francisco, it will be 31 autumns old. And like the season it is celebrated in, the festival showcases films that fall from a world warm with history while facing an industry that can be cold and cynical. Opening this year's festival will be "The Velvet Devil," showing at the Lumiere Theatre along with two other films: "Teachings of the Tree People," and "The Battle of Peter LeFarge." Delfin Vigil reports. 
[permalink]   [ filed under Festivals ]

SF360: Case studies in indie distribution at Digimart

The resounding refrain at Digimart, held for the second year in Montreal, was that the traditional model of independent film and video distribution was dying. Digimart is not so much a "market" as a series of strategy sessions for developing ideas and partnerships in the domain of digital film and video distribution. The main focus in the conference this year was on how nimble completed digital media work can be due to the Internet, mobile content providers, and iTunes. Sean Uyehara reports. 
[permalink]   [ filed under Biz ]

Sundance Unveils Global Short Film Project

Park City coverage sponsored by BE KIND REWIND.

Sundance Institute announced today a plan to join forces with the GSM Association to create the Sundance Film Festival: Global Short Film Project. The pilot program will develop short films for mobile users worldwide, starting with work from Sundance fest alums who have been tapped to launch the initiative. Five new short films will be created by Sundance vets Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Faris ("Little Miss Sunshine"), Justin Lin ("Better Luck Tomorrow"), Maria Maggenti ("Puccini For Beginners"), Cory McAbee ("The American Astronaut") and Jody Hill ("The Foot Fist Way"). The shorts will debut at the 3GSM World Congress event in Barcelona in February 2007. In a statement, Sundance Institute president and founder Robert Redford said today:

Cell phones are fast becoming the 'fourth screen' medium, after television, cinema and computers. We feel this experiment embodies fully, our quarter-century dedication to exploring new platforms to support wider distribution of independent voices in filmmaking. We are excited about bringing this opportunity to independent filmmakers and more excited to see what they will do with it.

 
[permalink]   [ filed under Festivals, Park City ]

"Solo Dios Sabe" Set at Palm

Palm Pictures has acquired North American and Caribbean rights to Carlos Bolado's "Solo Dios Sabe," which debuted earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival. "The film follows the relationship of Mexican journalist Damian, played by Diego Luna and Brazilian student Dolores, played by Alice Braga. The company is planning an early 2007 theatrical release of the film. The deal was negotiated by David Koh, head of acquisitions & production for Palm Pictures, and Rosanne Korenberg on behalf of the filmmakers. "Palm Pictures really works with directors and thinks like them," said filmmaker Bolado, in a statement. "I love their catalog! We're thrilled to partner with Palm on the release of the film." [Eugene Hernandez] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Acquisitions ]

First Independent Goes "Green"

First Independent Pictures has acquired US, Australian, New Zealand, and South African rights to Paul Fox's "Everything's Gone Green," written by Douglas Coupland. The company is planning a Spring 2007 theatrical release in a deal brokered by Shoreline Entertainment. The film debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival and was produced by Radke Films and True West Films. It was partly financed by Telefilm Canada and the Harold Greenberg Fund. The company is planing a soundtrack from Lakeshore Records and coordinating the Spring release date with ThinkFilm, the film's distributor in Canada.[Eugene Hernandez] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Acquisitions ]

Sarah Silverman Returns as MC of the 2007 Film Independent's Spirit Awards

Sarah Silverman will return as Master of Ceremonies for the 2007 Spirit Awards Film Independent announced Tuesday. Nominations for the 2007 Film Independent's Spirit Awards will be announced on Tuesday, November 28 at 8:00 am PST, and the ceremony will take place will in a tent on the beach in Santa Monica on Saturday, February 24, 2007. "Sarah embodies everything Film Independent stands for: she's original, provocative, unique, and very independent," commented Dawn Hudson, executive director of Film Independent in a statement. "The Spirit Awards have their perfect host." [Brian Brooks] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Awards Watch, Honors ]

LA Weekly: Film Critics' Picks at AFI Fest

"Directed by John Ford," "Family Law," "Full Grown Men," "The Host," "Inland Empire," "Ten Canoes," "12:08 East of Bucharest," and "Who Loves the Sun" among the critics' picks at the LA Weekly. The films are currently screening at the AFI Los Angeles International Film Festival, which continues through Sunday. 
[permalink]   [ filed under AFI Fest, Festivals ]

NY Times: Oscar Town East

Films may be produced and made in Hollywood, but come October and November the center of gravity shifts, and they are remade in the crucible of New York. With just 600 members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in New York, compared with about 4,000 in Los Angeles, the city might seem to play big for its size, but it is home to the culture-and-celebrity media, where momentum or certain death can be bestowed with a few keystrokes. David Carr reports. 
[permalink]   [ filed under Biz ]

LA Times: A film fest for the right

This weekend Michael Moore followers will have to take a backseat to Michael Medved fans, thanks to the third annual Liberty Film Festival, which opens Friday at the Pacific Design Center. The festival is the brainchild of Jason Apuzzo and Govindini Murty, husband-and-wife film devotees who are on a mission to establish a conservative beachhead of cultural influence in the movie business. Patrick Goldstein reports. 
[permalink]   [ filed under Festivals ]

Gore, Whitaker and Guggenheim to Receive Santa Barbara Fest Honors

Actor Forest Whitaker will be honored with the American Riviera Award, while former Vice President Al Gore and "An Inconvenient Truth" director Davis Guggenheim will be the recipients of the Attenborough Award for Excellence in Nature Filmmaking at the 22nd annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival, taking place January 25th - February 4th. As previously announced, Will Smith will be the recipient of the Modern Master Award. "Whitaker is one of the most consummate actors working in Cinema today, and we are ecstatic to be able to celebrate his entire career," commented SBIFF director Roger Durling in a statement. "As far as Gore and Guggenheim, they have given us the most important documentary of 2006 - a wake up call to all of us." [Brian Brooks] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Festivals ]

SF360: Re-opening "Pandora's Box"

Many stars are forgotten for a while, then "rediscovered" and newly appreciated by a later generation. But the case of Louise Brooks is somewhat unique--she was, really, only a "star" in retrospect. Her Hollywood profile was headed that-a-way when she foolishly (according to the industry) abandoned it to make a couple European movies. When she returned, her moment had passed. Dennis Harvey reports. 
[permalink]   [ filed under People ]

Strand Gets "Syndromes" and "Sleep" From Fortissimo

Strand Releasing closed a pair of pacts with Fortissimo at the American Film Market in Los Angeles, acquiring Apichatpong Weerasethakul's "Syndromes of the Century" and Tsai Ming-liang's "I Don't Want to Sleep Alone." Both movies were commissioned as part of the City of Vienna's New Crowned Hope series celebrating the 250th birthday of Mozart (running November 14 - December 11, 2006) in Austria. The deal was negotiated by Strand Releasing's co-presidents Marcus Hu and Jon Gerrans and Fortissimo co-chairman Wouter Barendrecht. Both films will be released next year. [Eugene Hernandez] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Acquisitions ]

Magnolia and Shorts International Set Oscar Shorts Release

Magnolia Pictures and leading short film company Shorts International will again partner to bring Academy Award nominated live action and animated short films to U.S. theatres prior to the February 25, 2007 Oscar ceremony. The films will later be available through Magnolia's Home Entertainment division and across other platforms that include ShortsTV on mobile phones. In a statement, Magnolia president Eamonnn Bowles said in a statement:

We were extremely excited with how the Academy Shorts performed for us last year. Making them available before the actual ceremony made all of the difference. If you want to get a leg up on your office pool, then we're here to help.

A 20 city release is set for February 16, 2007. The pact was negotiated by Magnolia's head of acquisitions Tom Quinn, head of business affairs and Bowles with Carter Pilcher, Susan Petersen, Simon Young, and Linda Olszewski from Shorts International. [Eugene Hernandez] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Acquisitions, Shorts ]

Construction Worker Arrested for Murder of Indie Actress/Filmmaker Adrienne Shelly

A nineteen-year old Brooklyn construction worker has been arrested for the murder of forty-year old Adrienne Shelly, the actress and director who made her name starring in Hal Hartley's "Trust" and "The Unbelievable Truth" and directed the indie features "Sudden Manhattan" and "I'll Take You There." Shelly passed away last week and her death was originally speculated to be a suicide. WCBS-TV reports. 
[permalink]   [ filed under People ]

The Top Ten So Far...

Each week, indieWIRE receives the final weekend numbers for specialty releases in theaters. This is our top ten for the three day 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. Weekend box office data provided by Rentrak as of Monday, 6:00 p.m. EST. 1. "Volver" (Sony Pictures Classics) $197,703 wknd ($39,541 per scrn) 2. "Babel (Paramount Vantage) $919,235 wknd ($26,264 per scrn) 3. "Shut Up & Sing" (The Weinstein Company) $76,194 wknd ($8,466 per scrn) 4. "The Queen" (Miramax) $2,909,966 wknd ($7,519 per scrn) 5. "Little Children" (New Line Cinema) $173,049 wknd ($5,408 per scrn) 6. "Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple" (Seventh Art Releasing) $17,578 wknd ($4,394 per scrn) 7. "La Moustache" (Cinema Guild) $7,731 wknd ($3,866 per scrn) 8. "Climates" (Zeitgeist) $7,146 wknd ($3,573 per scrn) 9. "The Last King of Scotland" (Fox Searchlight) $268,855 wknd ($3,492 per scrn) 10. "Romantico" (Kino International) $2,808 wknd ($2,808 per scrn) 
[permalink]   [ filed under Biz ]

The Guardian Interview: Guillermo del Toro

For sheer imaginative brio, "Pan's Labyrinth" is one of the films of the year. But the dark fable was a labour of love for director Guillermo del Toro, who says that violence in his native Mexico is key to his extraordinary vision. 'A maze is a place where you get lost," he explains. "But a labyrinth is essentially a place of transit, an ethical, moral transit to one inevitable centre. You think of the transit of Spanish society from the 1940s to the incredible explosion of the post-Franco period. The 1980s in Spain were like the 1960s in the rest of the world." Mark Kermode reports. 
[permalink]   [ filed under People ]

AP: Nordisk Film marks 100th anniversary

Nordisk Film, one of the world's oldest film production companies, celebrated its 100th anniversary Monday at the Copenhagen studios where it started making silent movies at the dawn of the film industry. Danish Queen Margrethe was to tour the facilities in the Valby neighborhood where thousands of films and TV shows have been produced since theater operator Ole Olsen founded the company on Nov. 6, 1906. Jan M. Olsen reports. 
[permalink]   [ filed under Biz ]

First Independent Pictures Acquires Rights to "Everything's Gone Green"

First Independent Pictures has acquired the US, Australian, New Zealand and South African distribution rights for the indie comedy "Everything's Gone Green" by Paul Fox from Shoreline Entertainment, with a theatrical release set for Spring 2007, the company announced Monday. The film stars Paulo Costanzo ("Road Trip") as an underachiever tempted into a money-laundering scheme who struggles morally with his ill-gotten gains. The film, which had its world premiere in September at the Toronto International Film Festival, was written by Douglas Coupland, the author credited with coining the term 'Generation X.' "Douglas Coupland's work is renowned and his first effort in features is no exception," commented First Independent president Gary Rubin in a statement. "This is also a terrific opportunity for our first foray into acquiring foreign territories." First Independent Pictures recently released the David Mamet-scripted "Edmond." [Brian Brooks] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Acquisitions ]

Strand Takes US Rights to Bosnia Herzegovina Oscar Entry "Grbavica: The Land of My Dreams"

US rights to Jasmila Zbanic's "Grbavica: The Land of My Dreams" have been picked up by Strand Releasing from Match Factory Films, the Los Angeles-based distributor announced Monday. The film, which won the Golden Bear at the Berlinale in February, is Bosnia and Herzegovina's official entry for the 2006 Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award. The deal was negotiated by Strand's Jon Gerrans and Match Factory's Michael Weber at the American Film Market (AFM), currently underway in Santa Monica, CA. The film screens Tuesday night at AFI Fest, also underway in Los Angeles. Set in a contemporary Sarajevo still reeling from the aftermath of war, the film, according to Strand, is "a textured and authentic testament to the innate drive to triumph over conflict." Esma (Mirjana Karanovic) is a single mother who lives with her rebellious twelve-year-old daughter, Sara (Luna Mijovic), in the Grbavica district of Sarajevo, a neighborhood used as an internment camp during the conflict in the nineties. Unable to survive on government aid and hoping to provide some "extras" for her daughter, Esma takes a day job in a shoe factory and a night job as a nightclub waitress in order to pay for her daughter's school trip, and along the way, Sara discovers a dark secret. [Brian Brooks]  
[permalink]   [ filed under AFI Fest, Acquisitions ]

"Lonelygirl15" Creators and Richard Linklater on Tap for SXSW '07

The three creators of online sensation "Lonelygirl15," Miles Beckett, Mesh Flinders, and Greg Goodfried are among the panelists slated to take part in the SXSW Film Festival & Conference, taking place March 9-17 in Austin, TX. Also on tap for the '07 event is a conversation with director Richard Linklater, who will be interviewed by John Pierson of Grainy Pictures, who helped shepherd Linklater's first feature, "Slacker," to international acclaim. "The 'Lonelygirl15' creators are an exciting example of old-fashioned filmmaking ingenuity combined with new media technology," commented SXSW Festival producer Matt Dentler in a statement. "We're just as eager as our attendees to hear the story of how they did what they did and what it has produced for their filmmaking futures." [Brian Brooks]  
[permalink]   [ filed under Festivals ]

Regent Releasing Takes Worldwide Rights to "Freshman Orientation"

Regent Releasing has acquired the worldwide rights to Ryan Shiraki's comedy "Freshman Orientation," with Regent Worldwide Sales handling international sales at this year's American Film Market (AFM). The film, produced by Element Films, will be released in Spring 2007. The film centers on a typical Midwestern 18-year-old freshman (Sam Huntington) at a large state university eager to begin his wild college party life, but he instead discovers that school is not the beer-driven, sexual fantasy of his imagination. Determined to do anything to win over a beautiful sorority girl, he decides to pose as gay in order to entrench himself in her life. "Regent Releasing is thrilled to be working with the talented Ryan Shiraki and the creative forces at Element Films to bring 'Freshman Orientation' to theatres nationwide," commented Mark Reinhart, Regent's EVP of distribution and acquisitions in a statement. "This sharp and witty comedy is a welcome addition to our growing 2007 slate of quality film projects." [Brian Brooks] 
[permalink]   [ filed under AFI Fest, Acquisitions ]

Weinsteins Get Macdonald's "My Enemy's Enemy"

"My Enemy's Enemy," a new doc by "The Last King of Scotland" director Kevin Macdonald has been acquired by The Weinstein Company (TWC), in a deal with Wild Bunch. The company has secured U.S. and Canadian rights to the movie, described in an announcement, "an uncompromising, troubling and provocative journey into the history of Klaus Barbie, also known as 'The Butcher of Lyon'. the former Gestapo commander who terrorized Lyon and the surrounding region from November 1942 to August 1944." The film is being produced by Rita Dagher ("Fahrenheit 9/11") through her production company Yalla Films. Laine Kline, SVP of business and legal affairs, and TWC EVP of acquisitions Maeva Gatineau negotiated the deal on behalf of The Weinstein Company with Vincent Maravel representing Wild Bunch. In a statement, Macdonald said:

"What I wanted to do in 'My Enemy's Enemy' was to reveal an alternate history of the post-war world. This is a version of history where, in contrast to what we were all told, fascist ideology prevailed. The story of Klaus Barbie - Nazi torturer, American spy, tool of repressive right-wing regimes - is symbolic of the real relationship that the 'Western' governments had with fascism and makes us see the world as it is today - and the politicians who inhabit it - in a different way."

 
[permalink]   [ filed under Acquisitions ]

Palm, Arthouse and Bright Plan Peter Beard Doc Release

Palm Pictures, Arthouse Films and Curiously Bright Entertainment have jointly acquired worldwide rights to Jean-Claude Luyat & Guillaume Bond's "Peter Beard: Scrapbooks from Africa & Beyond." An early 2007 theatrical release is planned for the film, described as the "definitive portrait of the world's greatest adventurer photographer." Both Taschen Books and Empire Editions are prepping books for publication near the time of the release. David Koh, head of acquisitions & production for Palm Pictures & Arthouse Films and Lilly Bright of Curiously Bright Entertainment negotiated along with James Crump of James Crump Productions on behalf of the producers which include Fabrice Coat and Program 33 and the directors. [Eugene Hernandez] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Acquisitions ]

Swicord's "The Jane Austen Book Club" In Production in L.A.

Currently in production in Los Angeles through December is Robin Swicord's "The Jane Austen Book Club," new film adapted from Karen Joy Fowler's best-selling novel. Sony Pictures Classics has worldwide rights to the movie. The cast includes Kathy Baker, Maria Bello, Marc Blucas, Emily Blunt, Amy Brenneman, Hugh Dancy, Maggie Grace, Lynn Redgrave, Jimmy Smits and Kevin Zegers. The film is written and directed by Swicord (screenwriter of 'Little Women' and 'Memoirs of a Geisha'); Producers are John Calley, Julie Lynn and Diana Napper. Sony Pictures Classics has the worldwide rights on the film. In the words of an announcement, "As five women and one enigmatic man meet to discuss the works of Jane Austen, they find their love lives playing out in a 21st century version of her novels." [Eugene Hernandez] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Production ]

Darren Aronofsky @ Apple Store Soho

indieWIRE continues its monthly series with Apple Store - SoHo that presents indie film professionals discussing various aspects of the filmmaking process. On Monday, November 13th (7:00pm - 8:30pm), Filmmaker Darren Aronofsky ("Requiem for a Dream") will discuss his upcoming film, "The Fountain," which is "an odyssey about one man's thousand-year struggle to save the woman he loves. As a 16th century Conquistador, a modern-day scientist, and a 26th century astronaut, he searches for the secret to eternal life." Starring Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz, "The Fountain" is being released by Warner Brothers Pictures November 22. The event will be moderated by indieWIRE blogger and Sarasota Film Festival Director of Programming Tom Hall. For more information, visit indieWIRE Calendar. 
[permalink]   [ filed under Events ]

BOX OFFICE: Early Weekend Estimates

Pedro Almodovar's "Volver" opened with big numbers this weekend, earning an estimated 202,243 on 5 screens, for an estimated per screen average of 40,449, according to Sony Pictures Classics. Meanwhile, from Paramount Vantage, "Babel" expanded to 13 markets and earned an estimated $918,464 at 35 theaters, for an estimated per screen average of $26,242 and an estimated total of nearly $1.5 million so far, according to Paramount Vantage. Finally, "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan," from big Fox, debuted much higher than expected, with more than $26 million for the weekend. [Eugene Hernandez] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Biz ]