SF360: A Frozen Film Festival five

It's July in San Francisco, and you know the drill: chestnuts roasting by the open fire, Jack Frost popping up on your laptop. The Frozen Film Festival--a small festival that hopes to capitalize on the fact that San Franciscans like to stay indoors in the bone-chilling days of summer--has actually already started heating up. Claire Faggioli and Susan Gerhard report. 
[permalink]   [ filed under Festivals ]

LAT: Outfest to lead a Bible study

"The struggles of queer Christians are uniquely dramatic and a large part of the drama stems from the fact that queer Christians are people that often find themselves ostracized from both their religious communities and the gay community at large," Outfest co-director of programming David Courier tell the LA Times, in a profile about the festival's five-film Queers in Christ, sidebar. Films in the section include Todd Holland's "The Believers," Daniel Karslake's festival centerpiece "For The Bible Tells Me So," David Lewis' "Rock Haven," Robert Cary's opening night film "Save Me," and Robert Nunez' "We're All Angels." The festival opened on Thursday and continues through July 23rd.  
[permalink]   [ filed under Festivals, Queer Cinema ]

iW NEWS | Lionsgate Gets Untitled Larry Charles/Bill Maher Doc

Lionsgate has announced its acquisition of U.S. distribution rights to "Borat" director Larry Charles' untitled documentary about world religion. Produced by Jonah Smith and Palmer West of Thousand Words, the film features Bill Maher in a humorous (and likely controversial) exploration of the world's major religious institutions. The company is planning a Spring '08 release. IM Global, which is handling international sales, screened selections from the film during private showings at their Cannes Market suite in May. The deal was negotiated for Lionsgate by theatrical president Tom Ortenberg, acquisitions VP Eda Kowan and EVP Wendy Jaffe with CAA and attorney Alan Grodin on behalf of Thousand Words and the filmmakers. "It's an honor and a privilege to be working with Larry Charles and Bill Maher, two of the sharpest, funniest minds in show business," said Ortenberg, in a statement. "I can't imagine a better team to tackle the subject of religion in a smart, inventive and unpretentious way. We feel this film can play as broadly as a Michael Moore film, and it's sure to be as provocative, informative and entertaining as any documentary in recent memory." In a statement, Maher added, "Comedically, the topic of religion is hitting the side of a barn -- it's literally hard to miss. This movie will make you laugh so hard you'll pray for it to stop." While Charles said in a statement, "Nietzsche said God is dead, but he didn't see the grosses for 'Passion of the Christ." 
[permalink]   [ filed under Acquisitions, Documentary ]

iW NEWS | Anywhere Road Gets "Black Irish"

San Franciso-based indepedent distribution company Anywhere Road has announced the acquisition of all U.S. distribution rights to Brad Gann's "Black Irish," starring Michael Angarano, Brendan Gleeson, Tom Guiry, Melissa Leo and Emily Van Camp. Gann's directorial debut is described as, " a contemporary Irish-American family drama set in South Boston." The film will be released in theaters this fall. The deal was negotiated by producer J. Todd Harris on behalf of the film with Anywhere Road president Robert Ogden Barnum and EVP Kaiser Wahab. The deal marks the second acquisition for the new company, which also recently acquired the Brazilian musical drama "Antonia" with Netflix's Red Envelope Entertainment. [Eugene Hernandez] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Acquisitions ]

iW NEWS | Turks & Caicos Fest To Honor Shaiman

"Hairspray" composer Marc Shaiman will receive the Sal de Mar Excellence in Composing Award at the 3rd annual Turks & Caicos International Film Festival. The event is set for October 16 - 21 in Providenciales, on the islands. 
[permalink]   [ filed under Festivals ]

iW NEWS | Locarno Sets Fest Slate

The complete lineup for the 60th Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland (August 1 - 11, 2007) has been announced. A total of 19 films will compete for the Golden Leopard at the event, including: Masahiro Kobayashi's "The Rebirth," Noh Dong-seok's "Boys of Tomorrow," Phillipe Ramos' "Capitaine Achab," Bernard Emond's "Contre Toute Esperance," Jim Threapleton's "Extraordinary Rendition," Peter Payer's "Freigesprochen," Ulrike von Ribbeck's "Fruher Oder Spater," Fulvio Bernascni's "Fuori Dalle Corde," Claudio Del Punta's "Haiti Cherie," George Ratliff's "Joshua," Jaime Marques' "Ladrones," Sandra Gugliotta's "Las Vidas Posibles," Roser Aguilar's "Lo Mejor de Mi," Hakkar Amor's "La Maison Jaune," Eugene Green, Pedro Costa and Harun Farocki's "Memories," Jorge Cramez' "O Capacete Dourado," Nae Caranfil's "Restful Tacere," Anthony Hopkins' "Slipstream," and Hiner Saleem's "Sous Les Toits de Paris." The event will open with Fumihiko Sori's "Vexille" and includes nightly double bills at the outdoor Piazza Grande theater. Set for outdoor showings are Paul Greengrass' "Bourne Ultimatum," Adam Shankman's "Hairspray," Kenneth Bi's "The Drummer," and, among others, "Flight of the Red Balloon" by Hou Hsiao-hsien, who will be honored with a special award at the festival. For more information, please visit the Locarno Film Festival website. [Eugene Hernandez] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Festivals ]

iW NEWS | Edinburgh Fest Rounds Out '07 Lineup

Set for August 15 - 26, 2007, the 61st Edinburgh International Film Festival will present 120 feature films. David Mackenzie's "Hallam Foe" will open the festival and organizers announced that the event will close with Julie Delpy's "Two Days in Paris." Cannes titles on tap for the event include Anton Corbijn's "Control", Gus Van Sant's "Paranoid Park," Michael Winterbottom's "A Mighty Heart." Gala screenings will include Stefan Ruzowitzky's "The Counterfeiters" from the Berlinale, Judd Apatow's box office hit "Knocked Up," Ethan Hawke's "The Hottest State," Mike White's "Year of the Dog," Billy Ray's "Breach," Matthew Vaughn's "Stardust" and the documentaries "In The Shadow of the Moon" by David Sington and Paul Taylor's "We Are Together." Other films on tap include Bela Tarr's "The Man From London", Andre Techine's "The Witnesses", Jeffrey Blitz's "Rocket Science", Dan Klores' "Crazy Love" and Mitchell Lichtenstein's "Teeth". Archival screenings will include Fassbinder's "Berlin Alexanderplatz," Shakespeare adaptations directed by and starring Laurence Olivier, and a collaboration with Martin Scorsese's World Cinema Foundation featuring restored screenings of lost classic films. The complete Edinburgh lineup is available on the festival's website. [Eugene Hernandez] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Festivals ]

AMPAS Names New Governors

Eight new governors, four of them serving for the first time, have been elected to represent their branches on the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Six incumbent governors were reelected, the organization has announced. Newcomers to the board are Henry Winkler, Actors Branch; Vilmos Zsigmond, Cinematographers; Richard Pearce, Documentary; and Charles Fox, Music. Returning to the Board after a hiatus are Dede Allen, Film Editors; Curt Behlmer, Sound; Richard Edlund, Visual Effects; and Frank Pierson, Writers. Incumbent governors reelected to another term are Rosemary Brandenburg, Art Directors branch; Curtis Hanson, Directors; Jim Gianopulos, Executives; Hawk Koch, Producers; Marvin Levy, Public Relations Branch; and Carl Bell, Short Films and Feature Animation. [Brian Brooks] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Biz ]

Philadelphia Gay Fest to Fete Barbara Gittings

The Philadelphia International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival will fete LGBT equal rights advocate Barbara Gittings on July 14th, organizers announced. The event marks the announcement of a new award which the Philadelphia Film Society will present annually to a recipient in the entertainment industry who "stands for the gay/lesbian principles to which Gittings dedicated her life." In conjunction with the award, The Philadelphia Film Society will present a check for $1000 to the Barbara Gittings' Collection at the Free Library of Philadelphia, Independence Branch. [Brian Brooks] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Festivals, Queer Cinema ]

INDUSTRY MOVES | Overture Films Hires Love, Cadden and Beebee

Katrina Love, Rachel Cadden, and Zach Beebee have joined Overture Films. Katrina Love is serving as VP of Creative Advertising at the new company, joining Overture from New Line Cinema, while Rachel Cadden in on board as VP of Marketing, joining from Sony Pictures Television International. Zach Beebee has been hired as Director of Exhibitor Relations, also joining from New Line, he also previously worked at Allied Advertising. 
[permalink]   [ filed under Industry Moves ]

INDUSTRY MOVES | Participant Names Aberly VP of Publicity

Rachel Aberly has joined Participant Productions as vice president of publicity, it was announced today by Ricky Strauss, the company's president. Aberly will report directly to Buffy Shutt and Kathy Jones, Participant Productions’ executive vice presidents, marketing. Aberly, who previously served as a publicity consultant for Participant, worked closely with Warner Brothers and Warner Independent, shepherding the publicity campaigns for Participant films, "Good Night and Good Luck," "North Country," and "Syriana." "Rachel has worked in all aspects of publicity, from the studio to the agency to production," said Shutt and Jones in a statement. "Her eclectic experience, unique perspective and enthusiasm are real assets. Moreover, she has a keen interest and passion for the Participant mandate and was a key part of the company's development and publicity during her tenure as a consultant." [Brian Brooks] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Industry Moves ]

SFC: Cheadle Speaks Up as '60 Shock Jock

Don Cheadle is too young to remember the roiling social change and protest movements of the late 1960s, but he says he still feels "a kind of nostalgia for that time when people were standing out--and standing up--for what they believed in." Although the actor, 42, has recently been involved as an activist himself, he says that nostalgia was stirred up during the weeks he spent filming "Talk to Me." Jessica Werner Zack reports. 
[permalink]   [ filed under People ]

The Guardian: Abortion drama to be shown in French schools

"4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days," the Palme d'Or-winning film about an abortion in Ceausescu's Romania is to be screened in French lycees following a u-turn by government officials who had initially vetoed plans to show it. The Guardian reports. 
[permalink]   [ filed under Movies ]

iW NEWS | "Michael Clayton" and "Rendition" and More Added to Toronto Line up

Two Galas and six Special Presentations were announced by the Toronto International Film Festival, adding to the festival's previously announced titles. Galas include writer director Tony Gilroy's "Michael Clayton" (U.S.), described as a legal drama about an in-house "fixer" at one of the largest corporate law firms in New York. Michael Clayton (George Clooney) takes care of Kenner, Bach & Ledeen's dirtiest work at the behest of the firm's co-founder Marty Bach (Sydney Pollack). Though burned out and hardly content with his job, Michael Clayton faces a divorce, a failed business venture and mounting debt, all of which have left him inextricably tied to the firm. "Rendition," by Academy Award-winning "Tsotsi" director Gavin Hood, will also screen as a Gala. Reese Witherspoon plays Isabella El-Ibrahimi, the American wife of Egyptian-born chemical engineer Anwar El-Ibrahimi (Omar Metwally) who disappears on a flight from South Africa to Washington. Isabella desperately tries to track her husband down, while a CIA analyst (Jake Gyllenhaal) at a secret detention facility outside the U.S. is forced to question his assignment as he becomes party to the man's unorthodox interrogation. Special Presentations added for the festival, taking place September 6 - 15, include Santosh Sivan's drama "Before the Rains" (U.S., India); Neil Jordan's thriller "The Brave One" starring Jodie Foster (U.S., Australia); Peter Greenaway's Rembrandt story "Nightwatching" (U.K., Poland, Canada, The Netherlands); Alan Ball's story of sexual awakening, "Nothing is Private" starring Aaron Eckhart, Maria Bello and Academy Award nominee Toni Collette (U.S.); Terry George's drama "Reservation Road" (U.S.); and Cannes '07 best director Julian Schnabel's "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly." [Brian Brooks] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Festivals, Toronto ]

iW News | Anywhere Takes U.S. Rights to "Black Irish"

San Francisco-based Anywhere Road has acquired all U.S. distribution rights to writer-director Brad Gann's film "Black Irish," the company announced Monday. Gann, who wrote the screenplay for the feature film "Invincible," makes his directorial debut with this film, a contemporary Irish-American family drama set in South Boston. Fifteen-year-old Cole (Michael Angarano) is a sweet-natured, baseball-loving, obedient teenager who yearns for the attentions of his emotionally remote father (Brendan Gleeson). Cole is by turns nurtured and abandoned by the rest of his family; his pregnant unmarried sister (Emily Van Camp), a troubled bully for a brother (Tom Guiry) and his deeply religious mother (Melissa Leo) who has been grooming Cole, her youngest son, for a life in the priesthood. As the story unfolds each family member undergoes a personal crisis until circumstances force Cole to take action to prevent a family tragedy. Anywhere Road will release the film theatrically in Autumn 2007. The deal was negotiated by producer J. Todd Harris on behalf of the film along with Robert Ogden Barnum, president and Kaiser Wahab, executive vice president of Anywhere Road. [Brian Brooks] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Acquisitions ]

iW News | Karlovy Vary Winners (The Real Ones)

[Editor's note: The Karlovy Vary winners are being re-published due to discrepancies found in an article linked to another publication.] Icelandic film "Myrin" (Jar City) by Baltasar Kormakur won the Grand Prix Crystal Globe, the highest prize at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival over the weekend, while Australian director Michael James Rowland received a special mention for his film, "Lucky Miles." Norwegian director Bard Breien won best director for his film, "The Art of Negative Thinking," and Spanish actress Elvira Minguez took Best Actress for her role in "Pudor." Best Actor, meanwhile, went to Sergey Puskepalis for his role in "Simple Things." Czech director Lucie Kralova took the best doc prize over 30 minutes for "Lost Holiday," while the prize in the under 30 minutes category went to "Artel" by Russian director Sergey Loznitsa. For more information and a full list of winners, visit the festival's website. [Brian Brooks]  
[permalink]   [ filed under Festivals ]

iW News | Kuo Named Artistic Director at AFI Fest

Film festival programmer, consultant and filmmaker Rose Kuo has been named Artistic Director at AFI Fest, the organization announced Monday. In her new position, Kuo will oversee the programming direction and "overall artistic vision" of the annual festival, taking place this year November 1 - 11 in Los Angeles. A fixture at the Telluride Film Festival for many years, Kuo has also served as a programming consultant specializing in Asian cinema and has worked for the San Francisco, Santa Barbara and Mill Valley Festivals. "Rose has a gift for spotting emerging talent, as well as a deep knowledge and appreciation of world cinema," said AFI Fest Director Christian Gaines in a statement. "Her leadership, along with the considerable programming talents of Shaz Bennett and Lane Kneedler, has combined to create a formidable programming team." [Brian Brooks] 
[permalink]   [ filed under AFI Fest, Industry Moves ]

iW NEWS | GLAAD to Donate Film to Outfest Legacy Project

In celebration of the 25th anniversary of Outfest, the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) will donate its annual film and television collection to the Outfest Legacy Project, a program organized by the L.A.-based film festival and the UCLA Film & Television Archive which works to preserve films with lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender content. "Each year, GLAAD monitors and archives thousands of hours of film and television," said GLAAD President Neil G. Giuliano in a statement. "We are thrilled that this collaboration with Outfest and UCLA ensures all of this important material will be made available to the public for generations to come." [Brian Brooks] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Festivals ]

The Guardian Interview: Maggie Gyllenhaal

Maggie Gyllenhaal loves a challenge, whether it's playing a submissive secretary or an ex-con trying to get her kid back. "When you are in every scene of a movie-which I must say I really much prefer--you have more control over the film that you're making. Because the choices you make as an actor can't help but change what the movie is saying." She tells Jess Cartner-Morley what draws her to difficult roles. 
[permalink]   [ filed under People ]

AP: Film industry blooms in volatile Haiti

Even in hard times, Haitians go to the movies. Now they're also making them in record numbers--about 10 feature films a year--rivaling Cuba as the Caribbean's biggest movie producer and often outselling better-financed imports. The ultimate dream? To transform the impoverished, politically volatile country of 8 million into a cinema powerhouse--Haitiwood--following the lead of India and Nigeria. Stevenson Jacobs reports. 
[permalink]   [ filed under Biz, World Cinema ]

SF360: Stacey Wisnia, talking silent pictures

Stacey Wisnia has been a vibrant fixture in the San Francisco film scene for years now. She recently became the Executive Director of the San Francisco Silent Film Festival, which since 1992 has presented the best restorations and revivals of silent film classics in the Bay Area. SFSFF is coming up (July 13-15), and the program is packed with gems. SF360.org sat down with Wisnia to get the scoop on this year's fest and the direction of the organization. Sean Uyehara reports. 
[permalink]   [ filed under People ]

NYT: A Film Rushes to the Screen, Then Stumbles

While there's no denying that "Factory Girl" was a troubled production, the truth of what happened doesn't break down into the archetype of beleaguered artist and big bad studio head. Instead it's a tale of how tensions between behind-the-scenes financiers and filmmakers, a frantic push for awards glory and the horrendous influence of bad buzz can doom a movie before it even opens. Charles Taylor reports. 
[permalink]   [ filed under Biz ]