Writers Guild Names 2007 Doc Screeenplay Award Nominees

The Writers Guild of America, West (WGAW) and the Writers of America, East (WGAE) have announced nominations for outstanding achievement in documentary writing for the screen during the 2006 season, including "Deliver Us From Evil," written by Amy Berg; "The Heart of the Game" written by Ward Serrill; "Once in a Lifetime: The Extraordinary Story of the New York Cosmos," story by Mark Monroe and John Dower, screenplay by Mark Monroe; "Who Killed the Electric Car?" written by Chris Paine; "Why We Fight," written by Eugene Jarecki. [Brian Brooks] 
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Frears to Head Cannes Jury

Stephen Frears, currently in the spotlight as the director of "The Queen," will head the jury at the 60th Festival de Cannes, set for May 16 - 27, 2007 in France. His 1987 film "Prick Up Your Ears" was in the official selection in Cannes. In a statement, Frears said, ""Of course, it's an honour but it's also a treat, to be able to watch terrific films from all over the world in such heady surroundings. God Save Cannes! (as well as the Queen)." While festival president Gilles Jacob said in a statement, "I am particularly delighted that Stephen Frears accepted my proposal this year. We thus pay tribute to this great, inspired filmmaker, endowed with freedom of mind and love of making films. The 60th Festival will henceforth take place under a lucky star, that of intelligence, wit and a dash of impertinence." [Eugene Hernandez] 
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ASC Names Nominees

The American Society of Cinematographers have announced the nominees for their annual outstanding achievement awards. Selected for top honors in the feature film category are Emmanuel Lubezki for "Children of Men", Dick Pope for "The Illusionist", Robert Richardson for "The Good Shepherd," Dean Semler for "Apocalypto," and Vilmos Zsigmond for "The Black Dahlia." The winner will be announced at an awards gala on February 18 at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles. [Eugene Hernandez]  
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Nominees Announced for WGA Awards

Nominees for the Writers Guild Awards have been announced by The Writers Guild of America, West (WGAW) and The Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE). Nominated for original screenplay are: "Babel," written by Guillermo Arriaga, "Little Miss Sunshine," written by Michael Arndt, "The Queen," written by Peter Morgan, "Stranger Than Fiction," written by Zach Helm, and "United 93," written by Paul Greengrass. While in the adapted screenplay category, the nominees are: "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan," screenplay by Sacha Baron Cohen & Anthony Hines & Peter Baynham & Dan Mazer, story by Sacha Baron Cohen & Peter Baynham & Anthony Hines & Todd Phillips, based on a character created by Sacha Baron Cohen; "The Departed," screenplay by William Monahan, based on the motion picture "Infernal Affairs," written by Alan Mak and Felix Chong; "The Devil Wears Prada," screenplay by Aline Brosh McKenna, based on the novel by Lauren Weisberger; "Little Children," screenplay by Todd Field & Tom Perrotta, based on the novel by Tom Perrotta; "Thank You for Smoking," screenplay by Jason Reitman, based on the Novel by Christopher Buckley. The Writers Guild Awards will be held Sunday, February 11, 2007, in Los Angeles at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel and simultaneously in New York at the Hudson Theatre at the Millennium Broadway Hotel. [Eugene Hernandez] 
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E Online: Alan Cumming and Grant Shaffer Exchange Vows in UK

The host of "The Anniversary Party" now has his own milestone to celebrate. Alan Cumming and graphic artist Grant Shaffer tied the knot Saturday in a civil ceremony at the Old Royal Naval College near London. The couple walked down the aisle to the theme song from 1994's "Circle of Friends," Cumming's first big film, and then took guests to a nearby rented ice rink for a newlywed skate to the tune of Queen's "You're My Best Friend." "Not only are we so happy to be able to celebrate our love for each other, but also to be able to do it in a country that properly recognizes the rights of same-sex couples," Cumming, who shares a New York apartment with the American-born Shaffer, said in a statement. "As residents of America we would have loved to marry there, but we hope that soon the civil rights that we have been afforded in the U.K. will be available to all gay Americans, and we look forward to celebrating not only our marriage, but the end of prejudice." Natalie Finn reports. 
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Berlinale Reveals Initial Panorama Line up and Fest Jury

Seventeen titles have been unveiled to take part in the 22nd edition of the Panorama of the Berlinale. Titles screening in the Panorama main program and Panorama special are: "La Leon" by Santiago Otheguy (Argentina/France), "A casa de Alice" by Chico Teixeira (Brazil), "Ferien" (Vacation) by Thomas Arslan (Germany), "Fay Grim" by Hal Hartley (Germany/USA), "Anna M" by Michel Spinosa (France), "Lady Chatterley" by Pascale Ferran (France/Belgium), "Deux jours a Paris" (Two Days in Paris) by Julie Delpy (France/Germany), "The Bubble" by Eytan Fox (Israel), "Dasepo Naughty Girls" by E. J-Youg (South Korea), "Woman on the Beach" by Hong Sangsoo (South Korea), "No Regret" by Leesong Hee-il (South Korea), "When Darkness Falls" by Anders Nilsson (Sweden/Germany), "El Camino de los Ingleses" (Summer Rain) by Antonio Banderas (Spain/UK), "Ci-Qing" (Spider Lillies) by Zero Chou, "Takva" (Takva-A Man's Fear of God) by Ozer Kizitan (Turkey/Germany), "Teeth" by Michell Lichtenstein (USA), "Interview" by Steve Buscemi (USA/Netherlands). The Panorama's mission is to present films of the coming "arthouse season in Europe and provide the market with inspiration." In other Berlinale '07 news, the festival revealed its seven jurors who will decide this year's Golden Bear and Silver Bear awards. Serving with jury president Paul Schrader are: Palestinian actress Hiam Abbass ("Red Satin"), German cinema expert Mario Adorf, actor Gael Garcia Bernal, Willem Dafoe, Hong Kong producer Nansun Shi ("Infernal Affairs") and Danish editor Molly Malene Stensgaard ("Dancer in the Dark"). [Brian Brooks] 
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INDUSTRY MOVES: Smith Upped at Roadside

Dustin Smith has been promoted at Roadside Attractions, upped to the position of Director of Acquisitions. He will continue to work closely with company co-presidents Howard Cohen and Eric d'Arbeloff, focued on (in the words of an announcement), identifying new projects for the company. Prior to joining Roadside, Smith served as a film critic for the Dayton Daily News and programmed an independent art-house theater, joining Roadside in 2005 as a college intern from the University of Cincinnati.  
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NY Times: President of Paramount to Leave After Brief Term

After a brief reign of two years, Gail Berman will be leaving her job as the president of Viacom's Paramount Pictures unit, according to a film executive at the studio. The move comes as Paramount continues its struggle to find a stable path. The studio has veered unsteadily through internal tumult since Brad Grey took over as the chairman of the studio in early 2005. Mr. Grey named Ms. Berman to be his chief creative decision-maker in hopes of reversing a decline in the studio's fortunes under his predecessor, Sherry Lansing. Sharon Waxman reports 
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Oscar Nomination Ballots Due January 13

The 5,830 voting members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences must return their completed Oscar nominations ballots to PricewaterhouseCoopers no later than 5 p.m. on Saturday, January 13. Ballots received after that date will not be counted, according to an AMPAS release. The accounting firm will tabulate the ballots using the preferential voting system, and nominations for the 79th Academy Awards will be announced on Tuesday, January 23, 2007, at 5:30 a.m. PST. The Academy Awards ceremony will be held Sunday, February 25, 2007. [Brian Brooks] 
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Chaiken and Dungan Launch 72 Productions with Four Projects

Producers Jennifer Chaiken ("My Flesh and Blood") and Sebastian Dungan ("Transamerica") have launched their new Los Angeles based company, 72 Productions with a private equity fund dedicated to the "acquisition and development of feature film projects," the pair announced Wednesday. 72 Productions' current production slate includes "The Perfect Hour" written by Deborah Quinn and Derek Simonds, who will direct the drama based on the recent discovery of Edith Wharton's letters (produced in association with Ross Katz--"Lost in Translation"); "Venom," described as a "modern-day 'Rebel Without a Cause' based on the upcoming book by Chris Krovatin; "Minnow," a psychological horror film written by Josh Miller and Mark Fortin; and "420," a comedy written by Dungan and Jesse Knight about a 'screw-up' who misplaces his stash of pot meant for an anticipated annual smoke-fest. "Jen and I have known one another for years and realized that we always seem to be championing similar kinds of projects," commented Dungan in a statement. "We're both interested in working with filmmakers that have original voices that reach broad audiences." [Brian Brooks] 
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"La Vie en Rose" to Open Berlinale

The 2007 Berlin International Film Festival will open with Olivier Dahan's "La Vie en Rose," the story of famed singer Edith Piaf. The fest will kick off on Fabruary 8th in the German capital and the film, playing in competition, features a star-studded cast, including Marion Cotillard as Piaf, along with Gerard Depardieu, Sylvie Testud, Pascal Greggory, Jean-Paul Rouve and Emmanuelle Seigner. The film, to be released by Picturehouse in the U.S., will open in France on February 14 from TFM Distribution and Constantin Film will release the movie in Germany on February 22nd. It was produced by Alain Goldman (1492: Conquest of Paradise, Casino, Vatel, Crimson Rivers I & II) and Legende, TF1 International, TF1 Films Production, Okko Production and Songbird Pictures Limited in cooperation with Canal+ and TPS Star. [Eugene Hernandez] 
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New Directors/New Films Extends Entry Deadline

The submissions deadline for the 2007 New Directors/New Films series has been extended until January 12. The series, presented by The Film Society of Lincoln Center and the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) will take place in New York March 21 - April 1. For more details, visit the Film Society's website. [Brian Brooks] 
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MoMA to Present "Feedback" Spotlighting Video Art and Artist Interviews

The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York will present "Feedback: The Video Data Bank, Video Art and Artist Interviews," an exhibition of video art and interviews with female visual and moving-image artists drawn from the Chicago-based Video Data Bank (VDB), taking place January 25-31. Eleven programs of short and longer-form works are included, including interviews with artists such as Lee Krasner and Louise Bourgeois, as well as with critics, academics, and other commentators. For more information on the program and a schedule, visit the MoMA website. [Brian Brooks] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Events ]

U.S. Comedy Arts Fest Releases Highlights of 13th Event in Aspen

Initial details were unveiled for the 13th U.S. Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen, HBO and the organization announced Tuesday. Highlights for this year's event, taking place February 28 - March 4 include a screening of John Landis' doc "The Rickles Project," spotlighting Don Rickles, who will be in Aspen to pick up the event's first "USCAF Pinnacle Award." Also on tap is "Entourage: Behind the Scenes" with castmembers from the popular HBO series and creator Doug Ellin and executivbe producer Stephen Levinson, in addition to panels, and "The Gaggle," a comic opinion showcase tackling sports, politics and pop culture. The festival will open with George Carlin, celebrating his 50th year in comedy, Steven Wright and Katt Williams. For more information, visit the USCAF's website. [Brian Brooks] 
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DGA Unveils Award Nominees

Bill Condon ("Dreamgirls"), Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris ("Little Miss Sunshine"), Stephen Frears ("The Queen"), Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu ("Babel") and Martin Scorsese ("The Departed") have been nominated for the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film for 2006, Directors Guild of America president Michael Apted announced this morning in Los Angeles. The winner will be announced at the 59th Annual DGA Awards Dinner on Saturday, February 3, 2007 in Los Angeles.  
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A Second Life for "Four Eyed Monsters" and Sundance Channel

Tonight (Tuesday, January 9th) at 8 p.m. ET, moviewatchers can catch a free online screening of "Four Eyed Monsters" on Sundance Channel's new Second Life screening room. The virtual theater is part of the popular online community and marks the virtual premiere for the acclaimed film from Arin Crumley and Susan Buice (the film recently won the Sundance Channel Audience Award for the indieWIRE: Undiscovered Gems Film Series). The new online screening room allows SL members to log into a screening environment that enables user interaction via individual avatars controlled by the user. Members can chat online and download audio and video content inside the closed community and Sundance plans to host a series of screenings and events inside the new online social space. For more information on attending the screening and entering Second Life, check out the recent "Four Eyed Monsters" podcast and Second Life info page or visit the Sundance Channel's Second Life blog. [Eugene Hernandez] 
[permalink]   [ filed under New Media & Technology ]

A Weekend with Whitaker

The Film Society of Lincoln Center will host a two-day event at its Walter Reade Theater later this month saluting acclaimed actor Forest Whitaker, who has been in the spotlight recently for this latest film, "The Last King of Scotland." The likely Oscar nominee will be saluted at Lincoln Center just days before the nominations are announced and will sit down for an on-stage conversation after a screening of the film. Jim Jarmusch's "Ghost Dog" and Clint Eastwood's "Bird" will also be screened next weekend as part of the program. For more information and tickets, please visit the Film Society website. 
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NY Critics Toast the Best of '06

The New York Film Critics Circle saluted their favorite films of the year during their annual awards event, this year a cocktail party and dessert affair at The Supper Club in Midtown. indieWIRE was on hand for the festivities, capturing a couple of indieWIRE: Video clips, including "Half Nelson" filmmaker Ryan Fleck receiving his prize from star Ryan Gosling (clip via YouTube, linked below) and "The Departed" director Martin Scorsese accepting his best director award from Leonardo DiCaprio (clip via YouTube, linked below). indieWIRE's Eugene Hernandez offers some personal highlights and thoughts on his personal blog, while Stu VanAirsdale reports on the event on The Reeler, and David Carr weighs in with some words on his New York Times blog, The Carpetbagger. Also, we have a couple of images on iPOP. 
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Reuters: Online film critics pick "United 93" as best movie

"United 93," a tense drama set aboard one of four airliners seized by the September 11 hijackers, gathered more pre-Oscar momentum on Monday as it was named last year's best film by online critics. The Online Film Critics Society, an international association of Internet-based cinema journalists, also named Martin Scorsese as the best director of 2006 for his work on crime drama "The Departed." The society's top acting awards went to Forest Whitaker for his portrayal of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in "The Last King of Scotland" and to Helen Mirren for her role as Britain's Queen Elizabeth II in "The Queen." Steve Gorman reports. 
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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. "Pan's Labyrinth" (Sony Pictures Classics) $763,795 wknd ($17,359 per scrn) 2. "Notes On A Scandal" (Fox Searchlight) $1,125,281 wknd ($12,100 per scrn) 3. "Comedy of Power" (Koch Lorber Films) $10,061 wknd ($10,061 per scrn) 4. "Venus" (Miramax) $27,195 wknd ($9,065 per scrn) 5. "The Painted Veil" (Warner Independent) $486,699 wknd ($6,760 per scrn) 6. "Curse of The Golden Flower" (Sony Pictures Classics) $335,759 wknd ($6,105 per scrn) 7. "Volver" (Sony Pictures Classics) $596,869 wknd ($5,476 per scrn) 8. "La Petit Lieutenant" (Cinema Guild) $4,306 wknd ($4,306 per scrn) 9. "Little Children" (New Line Cinema) $385,217 wknd ($3,740 per scrn) 10. "The Queen" (Miramax) $1,048,232 wknd ($3,245 per scrn) 
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INDUSTRY MOVES: Shutt & Jones Join Participant

Professional partners for decades, Buffy Shutt and Kathy Jones have joined Participant Productions as EVPs of marketing at the company. First up for the pair is Brett Morgen's doc, "Chicago 10," which will open the Sundance Film Festival next week. Shutt and Jones have served in tandem atop studio PR and/or marketing operations at Paramount Pictures, TriStar Pictures, Universal Pictures and they also once worked together at Shutt-Jones Communications. 
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Helen Hill: 1970 - 2007

Independent filmmaker Helen Hill (36) was shot and killed on Thursday (January 4, 2007) in New Orleans, LA where she lived. Hill, and her husband Dr. Paul Gailiunas, were both shot at their home in the city. Gailiunas survived the attack, as did their young son. An obituary was published Sunday in South Carolina, where Hill will be buried this week. In a Renew Media bio, Hill is described as an animator whose work has screened at numerous festivals, including the Ann Arbor, Vancouver, and Atlantic festivals. She was a founding member of the New Orleans Film Collective and a regular instructor. A lengthy bio online noted that she graduated from Harvard in 1992, later receiving a Masters in Fine Arts from Cal Arts and teaching animation techniques to inner-city children in Los Angeles. She was an organizer of the Reel Vision Festival for female filmmakers in Nova Scotia. Her work is described as standing out for its, "eclectic use of materials, employing everything from cut-outs and puppets to a square mile of cotton candy." Her 1999 film "Mouseholes" received considerable acclaim at festivals, while in 2004 she received a Rockefeller Media Arts Fellowship Grant for the animated film, "The Florestine Collection." For more information, please visit the memorial website that has been created, including photos, videos, memories and other details. 
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