iW NEWS | "Sweet Mud" and "Making Trouble" Bookend 27th SF Jewish Film Fest

The largest and oldest festival of its kind, the 27th San Francisco Jewish Film Festival will run July 19 - 26 at the Castro Theatre, opening with Israeli filmmaker Dror Shaul's "Sweet Mud." The film, according to organizers, "peels back the romantic mythology surrounding communal life on a kibbutz to tell a more personal, poignant story of thwarted love, adolescent awakening and human longings and failings." Rachel Talbot's comedy "Making Trouble" will close the event. The documentary explores six legendary American Jewish women comics whose comedy "defied cultural expectations and changed the rules of humor" including Molly Picon, Fanny Brice, Sophie Tucker, Joan Rivers, Wendy Wasserstein and Gilda Radner. For more information on this year's line up and other Bay Area locations and dates, visit the festival's website. [Brian Brooks] 
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SFC: Frameline31

As Frameline31 irrefutably proves, it's a gay world after all, not to mention lesbian, bisexual and transgender. From a documentary about a twin boy who wants to be a girl to a film about a lesbian couple whose relationship is turned upside down by a teenage stowaway, to African American men living proudly on the down low, the LGBT film festival offers enough variety to spin heads, not to mention attitudes. David Wiegand reports. 
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iW NEWS | Ballots Sent to 95 Countries for Foreign Oscar Consideration

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences mailed Foreign Language Film award entry forms to 95 countries, facilitating their submissions for the 80th Academy Awards. To qualify for the 2007 Awards, a film must be released in the submitting country between October 1, 2006, and September 30, 2007, and be publicly screened in 35mm or 70mm film or in a qualifying digital cinema format for at least seven consecutive days in a commercial motion picture theater. The dialogue track must be predominantly in a language or languages other than English. Accurate English subtitles are required. Entry forms and film prints must be received at the Academy by Monday, October 1, 2007. Only one picture will be accepted from each country. In 2006 the German film “The Lives of Others” won the Oscar. The Academy Awards will be presented on Sunday, February 24, 2008. [Brian Brooks] 
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iW NEWS | IFC First Take to Scare Up "The Last Winter"

All North American rights to Larry Fessenden's eco-horror thriller "The Last Winter" have been acquired by IFC Entertainment under its day and date distribution banner IFC First Take, the company's president Jonathan Sehring has announced. Arianna Bocco, Vice President of Acquisitions and Productions negotiated the acquisition of the film with Sarah Lash from Cinetic Media who represented the filmmakers. The film, which premiered at the 2006 Toronto International Film Festival and will screen at this week's Los Angeles Film Festival, centers on a team of people working to exploit oil resources in Alaska and become tormented by an unseen entity. After one crewmember is found dead, disorientation slowly claims the sanity of the other members of the team as each of them succumbs to an unknown fear. "'The Last Winter' is an exciting, scary and thought provoking thriller that can best be described as John Carpenter's classic horror film 'The Thing' meets Al Gore's 'An Inconvenient Truth,'" stated Sehring in a statement. "Larry is a filmmaker we have long admired and we are thrilled to finally have the opportunity to release one of his films." [Brian Brooks] 
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iW NEWS | Woodstock call for entries

The Woodstock Film Festival, taking place October 10 - 14 is currently accepting submissions in all categories with cash and/or service prizes given in eight categories including best feature and doc. The final deadline is July 12 (postmarked) and entry fees range from $10 - $50. Visit Woodstock's website for further details. [Brian Brooks] 
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NYT: Grown-Up Films Vie for Viewers in Summer

When Gary Palmucci, the general manager of a small New York film distributor, was picking a date to release "Lady Chatterley," a buzzed-about French retelling of the steamy D. H. Lawrence story, he knew he wanted to open the movie in the summer. Sexy movies for grown-ups like "Swimming Pool," "2046" and "Pauline at the Beach" have proven the appetite for eroticism in the sultry weather. David M. Halbfinger reports. 
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iW NEWS | "Hallam Foe" Opening Edinburgh Fest

Set for August 15 - 26, 2007 in Scotland, the Edinburgh International Film Festival will open with David Mackenzie's "Hallam Foe." The film, starring Jamie Bell, is described as the story of "a sweet and old fashioned boy who learns about life at his father's estate through his favorite pastime -- voyeurism. He's convinced that his stepmother is responsible for his mother's suicide. His voyeurism becomes dangerous, but eventually he is redeemed and his pain is assuaged by love." Mackenzie and Ed Whitmore adapted the script from Peter Jinks' Scottish novel of the same name, which is primarily set in Edinburgh. "Hallam Foe" was produced by Gillian Berrie. "The Written Word" is the overall theme of this year's festival. Buena Vista International is releasing the film in the UK, while Magnolia Pictures is handling the movie in the United States. [Eugene Hernandez] 
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iW NEWS | EW to Host "Hairspray," Michael Moore and Buck Henry at LAFF Panels

Entertainment Weekly will host three panel discussions in conjunction with the upcoming Los Angeles Film Festival, taking place June 21 - July 1. Slated to take part are the producers and cast members of "Hairspray" on June 22, followed by Michael Moore on June 25 and writer/actor/director Buck Henry on June 29. About 100 people will attend each event, which will be followed by a Q&A. "We are pleased to continue our longstanding relationship with such an outstanding magazine that is as passionate about filmmakers and filmmaking as we are," said Film Independent Executive Director, Dawn Hudson in a statement. "Our exceptional line-up of discussions is perfectly matched by Entertainment Weekly's accomplished journalists, and we look forward to presenting these engaging panels." Film Independent organizes the annual LAFF. [Brian Brooks] 
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iW NEWS | Anywhere Road and Red Envelope Take U.S. and Canadian Rights to "Antonia"

New San Francisco-based distributor Anywhere Road and Red Envelope Entertainment have acquired U.S. and Canadian rights to writer/director Tata Amaral's Brazilian musical drama "Antonia," Robert Ogden Barnum, president of Anywhere Road and Bahman Naraghi, head of Red Envelope Entertainment announced recently. "Antonia" is described as a "high energy film about four gifted friends who struggle against poverty, violence and male chauvinism to realize their dream of becoming a professional hip-hop R&B band." The film will open in the U.S. on August 17. [Brian Brooks] 
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iW NEWS | "The Poet" to Open Staten Island Film Festival

Damian Lee's "The Poet," starring Daryl Hannah and Roy Scheider will open the Staten Island Film Festival on June 21. The romantic drama is the story of a Rabbi's daughter and a disenchanted German soldier amidst World War II. Separated by massacres in the village, the couple faces obstacles as they struggle on a perilous journey to survive the war and find one another. 114 films will screen at the festival, which concludes June 24. For more information, visit the festival's website. [Brian Brooks] 
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iW NEWS | "Funeral" and "Bible" Take Top Provincetown Fest Prizes

The ninth Provincetown International Film Festival ended over the weekend with Frank Oz's comedy "Death at a Funeral" received the festival's audience best feature prize, while Sundance '07 documentary exploring the intersection between religion and homosexuality in the U.S., "For the Bible Tells Me So" by Daniel Karslake took best doc. "Private Life" by Abbe Robinson took best short. PIFF took place June 13 - 17 in the celebrated Cape Cod resort town. [Brian Brooks] 
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INDUSTRY MOVES | Charlotte Mickie Exiting Dreamachine for Serendipity

Charlotte Mickie is leaving Dreamachine to join Serendipity Films, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The move comes in the wake of a recent merger of Celluloid Dreams and HanWay Films to create Dreamachine, which officially debuted in Cannes this year. 
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iW NEWS | With "Sicko" Opening Sooner Than Expected...Moore Meets the Press

Media coverage of Michael Moore's "Sicko" in recent days has concerned full-length pirated versions of the movie that have appreared on internet video sites like YouTube and Google Video. Asked about the development during a Tuesday news conference in New York, the director wondered aloud who might have a vested interest in hurting the film, but when pressed he refrained from making any public accusations and admitted a general distaste towards tight copyright restrictions. "I am glad that people are able to see my movie," Moore admitted, adding, "I am not a big believer of our copyright laws, I think they are too restrictive." And he added, "As a filmmaker I made this film to be seen on a 40 foot screen...people want to get out of the house and go to the movies...and I hope people do that on opening weekend." After the gathering, The Weinstein Company announced that they will open the film a week early this Friday at a single New York City theater and present public sneak previews in some 40 cities this Saturday night. Apologizing that TWC had overbooked Tuesday's promotional schedule (which included a live national appearance in "The View" earlier in the day), Moore arrived more than 30 minutes late for the press conference, but stayed longer than expected to field questions from journalists. "Sometimes things happen when people will it to happen," Moore said, expressing a hope that the film (which he considers bi-partisan) will connect with audiences and spark a change in the U.S. healthcare system. He said that he also hopes the new movie will entertain Americans who make the trip to theaters, laughing, "I will take you to a place you've bever been before, I will take you on a boat into Guantanamo Bay!" In a recent dispatch, indieWIRE also covered the film last month on the day it premiered in Cannes.[Eugene Hernandez] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Documentary, People ]

SF360 Interview: Michael Winterbottom

Prolific British director Michael Winterbottom, known for a large and eclectic body of work that ranges from the comic ("Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story") to the extremely sobering ("The Road to Guantanamo"), has done something very unusual in the past half decade. He's completed three films in five years that return to one basic theme: The West's relationship with Afghanistan and Pakistan. Winterbottom's latest, "A Mighty Heart," took him back to the same war-torn terrain, but presents another side of the story in its rendering of Mariane Pearl's memoir about the kidnapping and death of her husband, Wall Street Journal South Asia Bureau Chief Daniel Pearl, which began when she was six months pregnant with his child. Winterbottom, in a recent stop through San Francisco, spoke with Michael Guillen for SF360, who took part in a roundtable interview with other journalists. 
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Reuters: "What Would Jesus Buy?" film faces tough sell

The makers of "What Would Jesus Buy?" have a problem--how do you sell a film documenting performance artist Rev. Billy and his Stop Shopping Gospel Choir on a guerrilla U.S. tour against consumerism? They invade shopping malls, megastores and Starbucks coffee shops with a message preached in mock-religious fervor that there is evil--a looming "shopocalypse"--at the heart of U.S. consumer culture. Randall Mikkelsen reports. 
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The Guardian: Spanish cinemas close in protest over quota law

Spanish filmgoers were unable to go to the movies yesterday as nearly all the cinemas in the country closed in protest at a government bill forcing them to show a quota of homegrown productions. The Federation of Spanish Cinemas is protesting over a planned law that would force exhibitors to screen at least one Spanish or European film for every four shown. The organisation claims that "a cinema where a Spanish film is shown is an empty cinema, which means a financial loss for us." The Guardian reports.  
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iW BOX OFFICE | 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. "12:08 East of Bucharest" (Tartan Films) $10,108 wknd ($10,108 per scrn) 2. "La Vie En Rose" (Picturehouse Films) $660,278 wknd ($8,575 per scrn) 3. "Pierrot Le Fou" (Janus Films) $7,254 wknd ($7,254 per scrn) 4. "Jhoom Barabar Jhoom" (Yash Raj Films) $455,257 wknd ($7,226 per scrn) 5. "Eagle Vs Shark" (Miramax) $20,361 wknd ($6,787 per scrn) 6. "Gypsy Caravan" (Shadow Distribution) $13,477 wknd ($6,739 per scrn) 7. "Fido" (Roadside Attractions) $10,203 wknd ($5,102 per scrn) 8. "Once (Fox Searchlight) $543,334 wknd ($4,528 per scrn) 9. "Bamako (New Yorker) $3,937 wknd ($3,937 per scrn) 10. "Czech Dream" (Self Distributed) $3,888 wknd ($3,888 per scrn) 
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iW NEWS | "Vote" Wins Top Prize at SILVERDOCS (Updated)

Weijun Chen's "Please Vote For Me," about the campaign to become third grade class monitor in a Chinese school, won the Sterling Award for Best Feature at the SILVERDOCS: AFI/Discovery Channel Documentary Festival in Silver Spring, MD, while Sam Green's "Lot 63, Grave C" won the Sterling prize for best short film. AJ Schnack's "Kurt Cobain About A Son" won the festival's Cinematic Vision Feature Award, while Erlend Mo's "My Eyes" won the Cinematic Vision Short Award and the music documentary award went to Raul De la Fuente's "Nomadak TX." The Witness Award at SILVERDOCS went to RIcki Stern and Annie Sundberg for "The Devil Came on Houseback" and Michael Jacobs won the Beyond Belief Award for "Audience of One. Doug Pray's "Big Rig" won the SILVERDOCS/American Film Market Award at the festival. In the audience award competition, Shahar Cohen and Halil Efrat's "Souvenirs" (feature) and Yoni Brook's "A Son's Sacrifice" (short) won prizes and Rachel Buchanan and Don Bernier's "The Concrete Jungle" was the ACE (Animal Content in Entertainment) Grant winner. Agnes Varnum offers a dispatch from the festival in an article published earlier today by indieWIRE. [Eugene Hernandez] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Documentary, Honors ]

iW NEWS | Andy Garcia, Aidan Quinn and Kerry Washington Named "Honorary Festival Chairs" at Upcoming LAFF

Film Independent announced today that Andy Garcia, Aidan Quinn, and Kerry Washington will serve as "Honorary Festival Chairs" for the 2007 Los Angeles Film Festival. The Honorary Chair is presented to those who "exemplify outstanding artistic achievement in film." In his role, Andy Garcia will host the Opening Night festivities on Thursday, June 21, including introducing "Talk to Me" director Kasi Lemmons at the film's red-carpet premiere at the Mann Village Theatre. Kerry Washington and Aidan Quinn will announce the winners of the Target Filmmaker Awards for Best Narrative Feature and Best Documentary Feature at the Spirit of Independence event on Thursday, June 28. [Brian Brooks] 
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iW NEWS | Artistic License Picks Up "If I Didn't Care"

Artistic License Films has acquired Benjamin Cummings and Orson Cummings' feature "If I Didn't Care" and plans an August 3rd roll out of the film in select New York City and Long Island theaters followed by a nationwide push, the company announced Monday. The film, which premiered at last year's Hamptons International Film Festival is described as a "Hitchcockian film noir/thriller set in the exclusive resort community of The Hamptons starring Bill Sage ("Flirt")." The story revolves around "trophy husband" David Meyer's ill-fated attempt to produce an heir which leads to infidelity, murder and tragic consequences. "Ben Cummings and Orson Cummings have made a compelling, beautifully acted film that is both stylish and subtle," commented Sande Zeig, president and founder of Artistic License Films in a statement. "As co-writers and directors they have created a unique aesthetic that showcases their great command over the genre." [Brian Brooks] 
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AP: Venice Film Festival to honor Bertolucci

Bernardo Bertolucci will receive an honorary Golden Lion award at this year's Venice Film Festival. Bertolucci, whose movies include "Last Tango in Paris" and "The Last Emperor," will receive the award during the Sept. 8 closing ceremony. The award marks the 75th anniversary of the film festival, the world's oldest. AP reports. 
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Reuters: Moore expects "onslaught" to follow "SiCKO" release

Michael Moore thinks he has made an even-handed movie about health care that should appeal to the civic-mindedness and decency of all Americans. And now he's bracing for the hate mail. The gadfly director, who spoke to reporters at an unusual northern Michigan premiere for his documentary "SiCKO," said he expected the U.S. pharmaceutical and insurance industries to go on the offensive against his call for a sweeping overhaul that would give the United States a national health care system. Kevin Krolicki reports. 
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iW NEWS | Meyer's "Pretty in the Face" Wins Nantucket Prizes

Nate Meyer's "Pretty in the Face" won Showtime's Tony Cox Award for Screenwriting (Best Feature) and the prize for best writer/director at the 2007 Nantucket Film Festival in Massachusetts this weekend, while Marc Arneson won Showtime's Tony Cox Screenplay Competition for "Peck" and Dan Brown won Showtime's Tony Cox Award for Screenwriting (Best Short) for "The Pipe." Annie Sundberg and Ricki Stern won the Adrienne Shelley Excellence in Filmmaking Award for "The Devil Came on Horseback" and Luke Wolbach won the prize for best storytelling in a documentary film. Audience awards went to Joe Greco's "Canvas" (best feature), Katie Van Fleet's "Second Life" (best short) and the Teen View on NFF Award went to Mary Haas' "Caroline By Committee." [Eugene Hernandez] 
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iW NEWS | "Sons" and "Shotgun Stories" Win Top Prizes in Seattle

Eric Richter's "Sons" won the New Director Award from the jury at the 2007 Seattle International Film Festival, while the New American Cinema Award went to Jeff Nichols' "Shotgun Stories" and the prize for best documentary went to Harald Friedl's "Out of Time." John Jeffcoat's "Outsourced" won the 2007 Golden Space Needle Audience Award at the Seattle festival, while Daniel Waters was honored as best director for "Sex & Death 101" and Daniel Karslake's "For The Bible Tells Me So" was awarded the best documentary prize by the audience. The Lena Sharpe Award went to Annie Sundberg & Ricki Stern for "The Devil Came on Horseback." In other audience awards, Daniel Bruhl was named best actor for "Salvador" and Marion Cotillard was honored as best actress for "La Vie En Rose." The audience prize for best short film went to Dan Brown's "Pierre," while jury prizes for shorts went to Timon Moderson's "Wigald" (grand jury prize, narrative short), Don Hertzfeldt's "Everything Will Be OK" (grand jury prize, animated short), and Robin Blotnick's "Chocolate Country" (grand jury prize, documentary short). The Heineken Red Star award went to Kyrill Mikhanovsky for "Fish Dreams." The FutureWave WaveMaker Award for youth filmmaking went to Melinda Tenenzapf's "Jewmacian" and the FutureWave audience award went to Darrow Stettes's "Laundry." [Eugene Hernandez] 
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iW NEWS | Rifkin's "Look" Wins Top Prize at CineVegas

Adam Rifkin's "Look," shot entirely from the perspective of surveillance cameras, won the grand jury prize at the 9th Cinevegas Film Festival (June 6 – 16, 2007) which came to a close this weekend in Nevada. The jury presented special jury awards to two film that tell Korean American stories. Joy Dietrich's "Tie a Yellow Ribbon" received a directing prize and Robert Logevall's "All God’s Children Can Dance" was singled out as a "distinctive visual experience." Sol Tryon’s "The Living Wake" won the Heineken Red Star Award for a films that "push he boundaries of creativity and provide a unique vision and execution," receiving promotional experience from Variety and IFC TV. Simon Bross' "Bad Habits" (Malos Habitos) received the award from he jury for the event's new Mexican cinema xection, La Proxima Ola. Audience awards went to Todd Breau’s "Throwing Stars" (narrative) and Richard Trank’s "I Have Never Forgotten You: The Life and Legacy of Simon Wiesenthal" (documentary). Short film prizes went to Jennifer Aniston & Andrea Buchanan’s "Room 10" (Short Film Jury Prize) and David Schmoeller’s "Spanking Lessons" (Nevada Short Film Jury Prize)." [Eugene Hernandez] 
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