BBC: Casablanca to get Indian remake

Classic Hollywood romance "Casablanca" is to be remade--in an Indian setting. The new version, entitled "Ezham Mudra," will relocate the Humphrey Bogart film to contemporary south India. Actor Suresh Gopi will play a restaurant owner who helps his lover, a Tamil separatist rebel fighting the Sri Lankan government, escape from India. BBC reports. 
[permalink]   [ filed under Production ]

iW NEWS | San Sebastian Fest to Showcase a Wave of Nordic Cinema

Thirty-eight films will screen during a recent retrospective of Nordic cinema set for the 55th San Sebastian Film Festival (September 20 - 29, 2007). Dubbed, "Cold Fever - The New Nordic Cinema," the program will feature work dating back to 1995, including the famous Dogme 95 movement. Films from Denmark will include a pair from Lars Von Trier ("Breaking the Waves", "The Idiots") as well as films from Thomas Vinterberg ("The Celebration") and Lone Scherfig ("Italian for Beginners"), among others, while from Sweden, work from Moodysson ("Fucking Amal", "A Hole in My Heart"), and Bergman ("Saraband") are on tap. From Norway, the fest will screen work by Bent Hamer ("Eggs", "Kitchen Stories") and Hans Petter Moland ("Zero Kelvin"), while from Finland a pair of Kaurismaki films ("Drifting Clouds", "The Man Without a Past") are among the titles on tap, and from Iceland, Fridrik Thor Fridriksson's "Cold Fever" will join a roster of more recent films. The complete list of films set for the retrospective are available on the festival's website. [Eugene Hernandez] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Festivals, World Cinema ]

AP: Fire damages Rome's famed film studios

A fire on the set of the completed HBO series "Rome" has destroyed part of the famed Cinecitta film studios. No one was reported injured. The fire didn't affect the historic part of the 70-year-old studio that houses the sets of classics such as "Ben-Hur," Francesco Carducci Artenisio, head of the studios' holding company, told the ANSA news agency. AP reports. 
[permalink]   [ filed under Biz ]

iW NEWS | IFC First Take Croons to "Joe Strummer: The Future is Unwritten" in North America

North American theatrical and television rights to to Julien Temple's documentary "Joe Strummer: The Future is Unwritten" have been acquired by IFC Entertainment from Sony BMG Music Entertainment. The film will be released under the distributor's day and date banner IFC First Take, IFC Entertainment president Jonathan Sehring announced Thursday. The film, which premiered at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival, takes an in-depth look into the myth behind teh front man of seminal British punk band The Clash. Using footage of the late Strummer himself and those who knew him well, the doc chronicles the transformation of John Mellor into an anti-establishment icon known to the world as Joe Strummer, revealing a complex man who used his music as a bullhorn for his conscience as well as a means to educate others about the injustices of the world. Sehring and Arianna Bocco, VP of acquisitions and productions negotiated the acquisition with Cinetic Media which represented Sony BMG Music Entertainment. The film is slated for a November 2 release. "Julien Temple has created compelling work which provides a rare glimpse into one of rock and roll's most influential and provocative figures...," commented Sehring in a statement. "Julien's documentary reveals a flawed, idealistic man who many only know as the lead singer of one of the most influential bands in rock and roll." [Brian Brooks] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Acquisitions ]

iW NEWS | Keshavarz First Recipient of Adrienne Shelly and Sundance Institute Grant

The annual Adrienne Shelly Foundation Women Filmmakers Grant has been awarded to Sundance Lab alumni, Maryam Keshavarz, the Sundance Institute and The Adrienne Shelly Foundation announced Thursday. Kesharvarz's first film, "The Color of Love" screened at international film festivals including Full Frame, and the Montreal World Film Festival as well as New York's MoMA and others, winning top prizes. In her current project, "Circumstance," she explores the charged climate of today's Iran through the eyes of two girls in the midst of turbulent adolescence. As they navigate and rebel against the strict rules of their culture and environment, the two girls must also grapple with their intense and complex relationship with each other. Established in memory of the late Adrienne Shelly, whose final film "Waitress" premiered at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival, the foundation provides a $5,000 grant to be awarded by the Sundance Institute each July to a filmmaker coming out of the Feature Film Progam's June Director's Lab. "Circumstance" participated in both the Screenwriting Lab in January in addition to the Director's and Screenwriting Labs earlier this Summer. [Brian Brooks] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Honors ]

Reuters: Tom Hanks sues over "Big Fat Greek Wedding"

Actor Tom Hanks and his wife have joined the star and screenwriter of "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" in suing a film company behind the 2002 low-budget comedy hit for a share of profits they claim have gone unpaid. Reuters reports. 
[permalink]   [ filed under Biz ]

AP: Writer-director Mel Shavelson dies at 90

Melville "Mel" Shavelson, who wrote, directed and produced dozens of films with such stars as Lucille Ball, Jimmy Cagney and Frank Sinatra and was twice nominated for Academy Awards, died Wednesday at age 90. John Rogers reports. 
[permalink]   [ filed under People ]

iW NEWS | FIND Looking for Spirit Submissions

Film Independent announced the call for entries for the 2008 Spirit Awards, set for Saturday, February 23, 2008 in Santa Monica, CA (with a live TV broadcast on IFC). In the words of an announcement, "The Spirit Awards is a celebration of independent filmmakers who bring a unique vision and a spirit of independence to filmmaking." Budgets for nominees are capped at $20 million, according to FIND, with other criteria including: "1. Uniqueness of vision; 2. Original, provocative subject matter; 3. Economy of means (with particular attention paid to total production cost and individual compensation); 4. Percentage of financing from independent sources." Eligible films must receive a theatrical release in 2007 or screen at on of the Los Angeles, New Directors/New Films, New York, Sundance, Telluride, or Toronto film festivals. The early deadline for submissions is Septmber 17, 2007 and the final deadline is October 9th. Nominations, which are chosen by committees, will be announced on November 27, 2007. For more information, please visit the Film Independent website. [Eugene Hernandez] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Awards Watch, Honors ]

iW NEWS | Ten Titles Mark Global Film Initiative's '08 Roster

Ten narrative films from around the world will screen in the 2008 Global Film Initiative line up, which will premiere at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York in January before traveling to over thirty cities throughout the United States over the year. Films slated include: "All for Free," directed by Antonio Nuic (Croatia); "The Bet Collector," directed by Jeffrey Jeturian (Philippines); "Bunny Chow," directed by John Barker (South Africa); "The Custodian," directed by Rodrigo Moreno (Argentina); "The Fish Fall in Love," directed by Ali Raffi (Iran); "Kept & Dreamless," directed by Vera Fogwill and Martin Desalvo (Argentina); "The Kite," directed by Randa Chahal Sabbag (Lebanon); "Let the Wind Blow," directed by Partho Sen Gupta (India); "Luxury Car," directed by Wang Chao (China); "Opera Jawa," directed by Garin Nugroho (Indonesia). "The films selected for Global Lens 2008 are beautiful, powerful stories that represent the best of cinema from around the world--they must be seen and experienced," commented Susan Weeks Coulter, Board Chair of GFI about this year's roster in a statement. The Global Film Initiative was founded in 2002 to promote "cross-cultural understanding through cinema." For more information including descriptions, visit their website. [Brian Brooks 
[permalink]   [ filed under Events ]

INDUSTRY MOVES | Quinn and Reichert Upped at Magnolia

Magnolia Pictures veterans Tom Quinn and Jeff Reichert have each been promoted to Senior Vice Presidents at the company, jointly sharing the major responsibilities overseeing the company's release of all acquisitions and in-house productions, according to the announcement. With a slate that incudes as many as 25 films per year, Magnolia now has a staff of more than 30. Quinn previously oversaw Magnolia acquisitions and Reichert guided releases. Quinn joined Magnolia three years ago from Samuel Goldwyn Films, while Reichert began with the company in 2002 from Cowboy Pictures and Shooting Gallery.He is also a co-founder and editor the film journal Reverse Shot. [Eugene Hernandez] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Industry Moves ]

SF360: Jeffrey Blitz and Reece Thompson on the art behind "Rocket Science"

"Rocket Science"--the first feature of Oscar-nominated Jeffrey Blitz ("Spellbound")--screened at this year's San Francisco International Film Festival freshly laureled from Sundance, where it won the Best Directing Award. Thus when I met director Jeffrey Blitz and his lead actor Reece Thompson at the Mark Hopkins Hotel, they were both in high confident spirits. The film, at that stage, was about midway through its festival circuit but is now just about to open theatrically. Michael Guillen speaks with Blitz and Thompson in SF360. 
[permalink]   [ filed under People ]

iW NEWS | Mid East Fest Rounds Out Team; Collet & Kharoubi On Board as Programmers

The staff for the inaugural Middle East International Film Festival (MEIFF), launching October 14-19, 2007, is taking shape. Festival director Jon Fitzgerald and executive director Nashway Al Ruwaini have announced additions to their team. Claudia Durgnat from the Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland is on board as managing director, while producer Adrienne Briggs has been tapped as conference director. Programmers include former AFI FEST programming director Nancy Collet and Alice Kharoubi, a former programmer for the Barcelona Film Festival and the Short Film Corner in Cannes. Rob Aft is serving as a consultant for the event's financing conference. In addition to official and short film competitiont, the festival will include a showcase of Middle Eastern cinema, as well as a spotlight on Bollywood. Ian Birnie, Director of the Film Department at LACMA, is on board as the jury president for this year's festival. For more information, please visit the festival's website. [Eugene Hernandez] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Festivals ]

NYT: Hollywood Starts Making Bollywood Films in India

An Indian woman in a flowing beaded gown glides through a pond. A mosquito net brushes over her lover. And to insistent drumbeats of the Indian heartland, a dancing phalanx of tunic-clad women twirls. These images appear in the trailer of a forthcoming movie, "Saawariya." The melodramatic film, whose Hindi title means "beloved," has an Indian director and cast. Its characters speak Hindi and burst into eight song-and-dance numbers. It is, in other words, vintage Bollywood--but for one thing. It is brought to you by Hollywood. Anand Giridharadas reports. 
[permalink]   [ filed under Biz ]

iW NEWS | Sony Classics Takes North and South American Rights to "Brick Lane"

North and South American rights to Sarah Gavron's ("This Little Life") first feature film, "Brick Lane" have been acquired by Sony Pictures Classics, the company announced Tuesday. The film is based on the 2003 novel by Monica Ali about a Bangladeshi family living in the UK, and explores the British immigrant experience. Young Bangladeshi woman, Nazneen (Tannishtha Chatterjee), arrives in 1980s London, leaving behind her beloved sister and home, for an arranged marriage and a new life. Trapped within the four walls of her flat in East London, and in a loveless marriage with the middle aged Chanu (Satish Kaushik), she fears her soul is quietly dying. Her sister Hasina (Zafreen Virdi), meanwhile, continues to live a carefree life back in Bangladesh. Nazneen struggles to accept her lifestyle, and keeps her head down in spite of life's blows, but she soon discovers that life cannot be avoided--and is forced to confront it the day that the hotheaded young Karim (Christopher Simpson) comes knocking at her door. Joy Wong of The Works International negotiated the sale with SPC's Michael Barker, Tom Bernard and Dylan Leiner. "We could not be more pleased about being in business with these producers and this director," commented Sony Classics in a joint statement. "We have been following with great interest Sarah Gavron for some time. The screenplay is a terrific adaptation of a truly formidable novel. And in the current marketplace, a large audience is out there hungering for satisfying romantic dramas centering on political and intercultural family turmoil. We are confident this is one of those pictures." [Brian Brooks] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Acquisitions ]

iW NEWS | Toronto Adds 13 to its Visions Section

Thirteen titles have been added to the Toronto International Film Festival's Visions program during the festival running September 6 - 15. Select major work in this section is eligible for TIFF's Artistic Innovation Award, which will be presented at an awards cocktail on Saturday, September 15. The films join a line up of seven films already announced for a total of 20. The newly announced films screening in Visions are: "Buddha Collapsed Out of Shame," directed by Hana Makhmalbaf (Afghanistan); "Dans La Ville de Sylvia," directed by Jose Luis Gueran (Spain); "Death in the Land of Encantos," directed by Lav Diaz (Philippines); "Encarnacia," directed by Anahi Berneri (Argentina); "M," directed by Lee Myung-se (South Korea); "Mange, Ceci Est Mon Corps," directed by Michelange Quay (France); "Night," directed by Lawrence Johnston (Australia); "Pink," directed by Alexander Voulgaris (Greece); "Silent Resident," directed by Christian Frosch (Austria, Germany, Luxembourg, Hungary); "Sous les Toits de Paris," directed by Hiner Saleem (France); "Those Three," directed by Naqi Nemati (Iran); "Time to Die," directed by Dorota Kadzierzawska (Poland). [Brian Brooks] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Festivals, Toronto ]

AFP: Cronenberg film to open Spain's San Sebastian Film Festival

Canadian director David Cronenberg's crime thriller "Eastern Promises" will open the 55th annual San Sebastian Film Festival next month, organisers said Tuesday. The San Sebastian Film Festival, the oldest and most prestigious in the Spanish-speaking world, runs this year from September 20 to 29. British jewel heist film "Flawless," directed by Michael Radford and starring Michael Caine and Demi Moore, will close the festival but unlike "Eastern Promises" it is not in competition. AFP reports. 
[permalink]   [ filed under Festivals ]

NYT: New DVDs, Brigitte Bardot

It's suggestive that Lionsgate has packaged this collection of five lesser-known films of Brigitte Bardot in the kind of squishy plastic case usually used for children's films. Like Ms. Bardot in her late-1950s and early-'60s prime, the case is inviting and delightful. The films in this Lionsgate collection are not among Ms. Bardot's most celebrated or successful works, but represent instead the kind of day-in, day-out work that movie stars were once obliged to pursue to keep their names before the public. If Americans know Ms. Bardot chiefly for "Contempt," Jean-Luc Godard's modernist masterpiece of 1963, the sad truth is that few of her other films are worth a second look. Dave Kehr reports. 
[permalink]   [ filed under Movies ]

iW NEWS | Edinburgh Fest Moves to June for '08 Edition

In a significant shift for the Edinburgh International Film Festival, the event announced it will leave its traditional August slot and will host its 62nd edition in June. Next year's fest will take place June 18 - 29. EIFF describes the move as a "main catalyst for change for the festival's next 60 years, driving forward an invigorated strategy for future growth." The new time slot is also viewed as an opportunity to "raise the profile of both the festival itself and the films showcased." "Logistically, a June event is better placed in the ever-crowded international film festival calendar," commented EIFF artistic director Hannah McGill in a statement. "Of course our own sources for program content will shift accordingly, but that in itself provides an exciting opportunity for the programming team to explore new hunting grounds. Moreover, in the less crowded context of our new June dates, we will be better placed to attract the maximum status and publicity for the films that we show." This year's Edinburgh Film Fest takes place in the Scottish capital August 15 - 26. [Brian Brooks] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Festivals ]

iW NEWS | Weinstein Company Launches $285 Million Fund for Asian Film

The Weinstein Company has launced a $285 million fund to finance the development, production, acquisition, marketing and distribution of what it describes as "a large slate of Asian films" over the next six years, Bob and Harvey Weinstein announced Monday. Worldwide distribution for all films under the deal will be controlled by The Weinstein Company and will include DVD distribution in the United States under TWC's agreement with Genius Products. The fund will include a diverse mix of theatrical and direct-to-video titles, which will mostly be filmed in Asia and will explore, according to a TWC release, "the region's unique culture and showcase the talents of leading Asian filmmakers." TWC anticipates producing or acquiring a total of 21 theatrical titles and 10 direct-to-video titles during the term for the fund. The fund, structured and placed by Goldman, Sachs & Co., will provide up to $285 million in capital over the next six years. A team of investors will manage the fund, with TWC serving as the Managing Member with authority over all film-related activities including development, creative, marketing, and distribution. "Bob and I are thrilled to share the immense talent and beautiful stories of Asian cinema with audiences around the world," commented Harvey Weinstein in a statement. "We have been planning to launch an Asian Film Fund and increase our Asian film business since the early planning stages of The Weinstein Company and are really excited to be able to start working on all the exciting projects we have planned. The film world has become increasingly global and through this fund, we will be able to work on daring projects with the region's most creative filmmakers and movie stars and partner with some of Asia's most dynamic talent--both behind and in front of the camera." [Brian Brooks] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Biz, World Cinema ]

INDUSTRY MOVES | Schwartz Exiting New Line

Russell Schwartz is leaving New Line Cinema after more than six years at the company. New Line's President of Domestic Theatrical Marketing, Schwartz will be announcing his new plans shortly, according to an announcement on Monday. "Russell has been a friend and colleague at New Line during stints over 30 years," said New Line Co-Chairman and Co-CEO Bob Shaye in a statement, "He is a superb marketing executive, and I sincerely regret our parting. He will continue to succeed." Schwartz will remain at the company until the end of August and will be available to the company as a consultant thereafter, Monday's announcement said. 
[permalink]   [ filed under Industry Moves ]

iW NEWS | Sarandos to Receive Woodstock Fest's Trailblazer Award

Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos will receive this year's Trailblazer Award at the Woodstock Film Festival, taking place October 10 - 14 in Woodstock, NY. The 2007 Trailblazer Award will be presented to Sarandos on Saturday, October 13. Sarandos has worked in the film industry since 1983 and named chief content officer at Netflix in 2000. "We are so excited to be including Ted Sarandos in our wonderful group of industry professionals," commented Meira Blaustein, co-founder and executive director of the festival in a statement. "We created the award with the intention of honoring those in the film community who have taken an innovative approach to the industry, and Ted certainly meets and exceeds those expectations." Past Trailblazer recipients include Jonathan Sehring of IFC Entertainment and John Sloss of Cinetic Media. [Brian Brooks] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Festivals ]

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. "Becoming Jane" (Miramax) $972,066 wknd ($9,721 per scrn) 2. "This Is England" (IFC First Take) $19,000 wknd ($9,500 per scrn) 3. "Blame It On Fidel" (Koch Lorber Films) $9,004 wknd ($9,004 per scrn) 4. "No End In Sight" (Magnolia Pictures) $44,057 wknd ($7,343 per scrn) 5. "The Willow Tree" (New Yorker) $6,048 wknd ($6,048 per scrn) 6. "El Cantante" (Picturehouse Films) $3,202,035 wknd ($5,908 per scrn) 7. "Summer '04" (Cinema Guild) $5,302 wknd ($5,302 per scrn) 8. "The Devil Came on Horseback" (International Film Circuit) $4,885 wknd ($4,885 per scrn) 9. "The Ten" (ThinkFilm) $121,374 wknd ($4,855 per scrn) 10. "Killer of Sheep" (Milestone) $14,278 wknd ($4,759 per scrn) [To be included in the indieWIRE Box Office Chart, distributors must submit information about their films to Rentrak at studiogrosses@rentrak.com by the end of the day each Monday.] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Biz ]

SF360: Bruce Fletcher, Dead Channels and the Living

After 6 years as Director of Programming for SF Indie Fest and co-founder of its offshoot Another Hole in the Head, Bruce Fletcher decided that well, maybe San Francisco does need yet another film festival--despite the tongue-in-cheek ixnay on that issue he embedded in Hole Head's name. Dennis Harvey reports. 
[permalink]   [ filed under Festivals ]