iW NEWS | NYFF Sets Sidebars

Festival coverage sponsored by Stella Artois.

Three festival sidebars are set for the 45th New York Film Festival, running Sept. 29 - Oct. 16 in Manhattan. The event announced today that it would present Tropical Analysis: The Films of Joaquim Pedro de Andrade, alongside the 11th annual Views from the Avant-Garde, and also Chinese Modern: A Tribute to Cathay Studios. For more information, visit the NYFF website. [Eugene Hernandez] 
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iW NEWS | Schamus: "Lee has crafted a masterpiece about and for grown-ups"

Reacting to the NC-17 rating given to Ang Lee's new film, "Lust, Caution," Focus Features CEO James Schamus said in a statement yesterday, "As with so many of his previous films, Oscar-winning director Ang Lee has crafted a masterpiece about and for grown-ups. Focus Features accepts the MPAA's NC-17 rating without protest and 'Lust, Caution' will be released this fall as previously announced." The film is described by Focus as, "a startling erotic espionage thriller about the fate of an ordinary woman's heart." The new film is based on the short story by Eileen Chang, and stars Tony Leung and newcomer Tang Wei. [Eugene Hernandez] 
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NYT: Cue the Film Awards Season and Strike a Somber Note

Festival coverage sponsored by Stella Artois.

Given the signals preceding next month's bellwether Toronto International Film Festival, party planners might want pick to up some black crepe to go with those red carpets in the movie awards season to come. A list of 20 gala presentations--announced Wednesday at a Toronto news conference introducing this year's lineup of 349 films--showed a skew toward markedly somber topics among Hollywood's offerings at the festival, which begins on Sept. 6. Michael Cieply reports. 
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Reuters: Vedder to perform at movie premiere in Toronto

Festival coverage sponsored by Stella Artois.

Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder will perform at the world premiere of the documentary "Body of War" at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 11. "Body of War," directed by talk show legend Phil Donahue and Ellen Spiro, chronicles the travails of Tomas Young, who was paralyzed by a bullet during his first week of military service in Iraq. Jonathan Cohen reported for Billboard appearing in Reuters. 
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iW NEWS | Sundance Institute Again Partners with Local Art House Cinemas for Film Program

Sundance Institute will once again partner with local art house cinemas across the country to creat specialized screening programs of Sundance films for local audiences. The Sundance Institute's program pairs the institute with art house theaters in 12 cities as a way for the institute to "pay tribute to art houses committed to building audiences for independent film at the local level." As part of the project, film curators from these theatres are invited to attend the Sundance Film Festival and select the films to bring to their local audiences. This year, the local programs will include a specially-selected series of short films from the 2007 Sundance Film Festival including: "Death to the Tinman" (directed by Ray Tintori), "Peace Talk" (directed by Jennifer Malmqvist), "King" (directed by Caran Hartsfield), "Salt Kiss" (directed by Fellpe Gamarano Barbosa), "God Provides" (directed by Brian Cassidy, Melanie Shatzsky), "Everything Will Be OK" (directed by Don Hertzfeldt) and "Happiness" (directed by Sophie Barthes). For more information visit the Sundance Institute's website. [Brian Brooks] 
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HR: Three at fest headed to IFC

IFC Films has nabbed three features that have North American premieres at next month's Toronto International Film Festival: Harmony Korine's pop-culture fantasia "Mister Lonely," starring Diego Luna and Samantha Morton; Jacques Rivette's French period romance "The Duchess of Langeais," starring Guillaume Depardieu; and, in partnership with Netflix's Red Envelope Entertainment, Christophe Honore's French musical drama "Love Songs." Gregg Goldstein reports for The Hollywood Reporter. 
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NYT: Passion for Film Spurs New Festivals, but Grueling Work Keeps Them Going

Festival coverage sponsored by Stella Artois.

Lunch hours were the first casualty of Tom O'Malley's ambition. He sacrificed his afternoon breaks sometime last November as he pushed ahead with plans for the inaugural American Cinematic Experience Film Festival. His living room went next, overtaken by piles of paperwork and plastic tubs stuffed with DVD submissions for the event. Then his bank account took a hit. Such is the price of starting a film festival in New York. While hundreds of new independent festivals commence every year around the United States--some as economic boons for their communities, others as the equivalent of art-house substitutes in small markets--New York is saturated, with niche events often carved inside other niches. S.T. Vanairsdale reports. 
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First Independent and Magnolia Set "McAllister" Date

Opening on September 14th from First Independent Pictures, with a DVD deal from Magnolia Home Entertainment, is Ben Gourley's "Moving McAllister." The comedy stars the filmmaker as a law firm intern dreaming of becoming parter someday. Co-stars include Mila Kunis and Jon Heder. [Eugene Hernandez] 
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SF360: "From the Tsars to the Stars: A Journey Through Russian Fantastik Cinema"

If ever an empire benefited from keeping its citizens eyes glued hopefully on the horizon, it was the USSR. Hence, Soviet sci-fi was a popular genre in all media. San Francisco's Pacific Film Archive's "From the Tsars to the Stars: A Journey Through Russian Fantastik Cinema" offers a wonderful three-week sampling of its cinematic aspect (Russian sci-fi lit is a whole other area worth scrutiny), stretching from the silent era to the end of Communism. Dennis Harvey reports. 
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AP: Senator and filmmaker take on Fox News

Condemning the Fox News Channel as a warmonger that's agitating for a U.S. attack on Iran, documentary filmmaker Robert Greenwald and independent U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders announced an "online viral video campaign" Wednesday calling on television news organizations "not to follow Fox down the road to war again." John Curran reports. 
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SF Chronicle Interview: "The 11th Hours'" Leila Conners Petersen and Nadia Conners

Leila Conners Petersen steps out in search of water from the Ritz-Carlton suite where she and her sister Nadia Conners are conducting interviews about their new call-to-action environmental documentary "The 11th Hour." There are several bottles of Fiji water on a sideboard, but she asks for a pitcher of tap water. "I love Fiji water," she confesses, but she doesn't drink bottled water anymore because of the terrible impact of all of those empty bottles on the environment. If "The 11th Hour" is meant to inspire people to change their behavior, it has already started with the filmmakers. Pam Grady reports. 
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Reuters: New wave director Yang to be awarded in Pusan

Festival coverage sponsored by Stella Artois.

Director Edward Yang, who helped build Taiwan's new wave cinema of the 1980s, will be honored posthumously with the Asian Filmmaker of the Year Award at South Korea's Pusan film festival, organizers said on Wednesday. Reuters reports. 
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iW NEWS | Italian and French to Take Korean Cinema Prize in Pusan

Festival coverage sponsored by Stella Artois.

Italy's Sabrina Baracetti and Jean-François Rauger from France will receive this year's Korean Cinema Award, the Pusan International Film Festival announced Wednesday. Baracetti is being honored as te head of te Udine Far East Film Festival which just completed its ninth edition, while Rauger has championed Korean cinema as head programmer of the Cinematheque Francaise in Paris. PIFF will take place in Pusan, South Korea Ocotber 4 - 12. [Brian Brooks] 
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iW BOT *UPDATE* | 11th Hour Atop iW Bot Chart

The indieWIRE Box Office Tracking chart has been posted at indieWIRE.com with complete figures for this past weeekend (August 17 - 19), as reported to Rentrak. The weekly box office article was posted late Monday: Hot in Theaters: Audiences Sweat It Out for Environmental doc '11th Hour'; 'Manda Bala" is Number Two with a Bullet. 
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Palm Gets Hockey Film

Palm Pictures has announced a deal for all U.S. rights to Charles Biname's "The Rocket: The Legend of Rocket Richard." The film, winner of nine 2007 Genie Awards, is a biographical sports film about the famed Canadian hockey player, played by Roy Dupuis. Company head of theatrical distribution Ed Arentz made the deal with Emmanuelle Dessureault from Montreal-based FunFilm Distribution. Palm will distribute the movie in theaters later this year, followed by DVD release next year. [Eugene Hernandez] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Acquisitions ]

NYT | Dylan Movie to Open Like a Rolling Premiere

The New York Times reports on the upcoming limited release of Todd Haynes' "I'm Not There." And with the article, the industry sees an unexpected early opening of awards season. The film, starring Cate Blanchett, Richard Gere, Christian Bale, and Heath Ledger all as Bob Dylan, will open on November 21, 2007 from The Weinstein Company. "I may be jumping the gun," company chief Harvey Weinstein boldly tells the NY Times, "but if Cate Blanchett doesn't get nominated, I'll shoot myself." 
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INDUSTRY MOVES | Jones Joins Variety

Variety has announced the appointment of Mike Jones to the newly created position of managing editor, film festivals. He will report from international festivals and write a fest blog for Variety.com. Recently an editor at indieWIRE and an active screenwriter, Jones also previously worked with indieWIRE on IFC Rant and was also an editor of Filmmaker Magazine. 
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VAR | SPC Gets Demme's Carter Doc

Sony Pictures Classics has nabbed North American rights to Jonathan Demme's "Jimmy Carter: Man from Plains," from Participant Productions, according to Variety. The trade reports the the film will debut at the Venice Film Festival before screening in Toronto next month.  
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VAR | Strand Gets Hopkins Film

Strand Releasing has acauired Anthony Hopkins "Slipstream," reports Variety. Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions Group's Peter Schlessel nabbed DVD rights, according to the trade paper. 
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SF360: Drinking up "Coffy" and other tales of female revenge

Thank god for the movies and their ability to exploit some of our ugliest fears and desires, turning forbidden fruits like revenge into horrifying, yet cathartic experiences. While one may not partake in it during one's own lifetime, many viewers will happily pay nine plus dollars to see it contained on screen. Some of the most compelling examples are those that feature women, characters so tired of being pushed around that they finally unhinge and let loose on those actually or seemingly responsible for their plights. Claire Faggioli reports. 
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The Guardian: Jet Li calls for Chinese censors to relax grip

One of China's biggest stars, Jet Li, has spoken out against the heavy film censorship in his homeland which means many Hollywood films never make it into cinemas. Li, who started making films in Hong Kong before moving to Hollywood, hit out on his blog. He said the need for realism, insisted on by censors, left "only the ancient Chinese stories to be produced". 
[permalink]   [ filed under People ]

Guardian Interview: Jamie Bell

Jamie Bell was 13 when he shot to fame as "Billy Elliot." Since then, he's been living out of a suitcase, making movies with Clint Eastwood and Peter Jackson--and reading instruction manuals for fun. "It seems like the boyish era is coming to an end," he says, with the weird distance of one who has been reading about himself in newspapers since childhood. He is 21 and no longer suitable for what he calls the "kid-becoming-a-man kind of role." Emma Brockes meets the former child-star as he takes on a risky, romantic role. 
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NYT | A Generation Finds Its Mumble

In the New York Times Sunday Arts & Leisure section today, Dennis Lim looks at the so-called mumblecore films that comprise the upcoming Generation DIY series at IFC Center. He writes: "More a loose collective or even a state of mind than an actual aesthetic movement, mumblecore concerns itself with the mundane vacillations of postcollegiate existence. It can seem like these movies, which star nonprofessional actors and feature quasi-improvised dialogue, seldom deal with matters more pressing than whether to return a phone call. When the heroine of "Funny Ha Ha" (2002), the film that kicked off the mumblecore wave, writes out a to-do list, the items include "Learn to play chess?" and "Fitness initiative!!" But what these films understand all too well is that the tentative drift of the in-between years masks quietly seismic shifts that are apparent only in hindsight. Mumblecore narratives hinge less on plot points than on the tipping points in interpersonal relationships. A favorite setting is the party that goes subtly but disastrously astray. Events are often set in motion by an impulsive, ill-judged act of intimacy." 
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iW ANNOUNCEMENT | An Evening with Generation DIY (Swanberg, Gerwig, Katz and Hillis) @ Apple Store SoHo

indieWIRE continues its monthly series with Apple Store - SoHo that presents indie film professionals discussing various aspects of the filmmaking process.

WHEN: Thursday, August 23th, 7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m WHERE: Apple Store - SoHo, 103 Prince Street, NYC COST: Free, No RSVP required. Seats are first come, first serve. Seating is limited.

Sometimes coined "mumblecore," a new group of young filmmakers has emerged on the film festival circuit in the past few years. Embracing intimate stories, low budget shooting techniques, improvised dialogue, and untrained actors, these films fall far outside the studio system and instead rely on a core group of collaborators to tell achingly real stories about twenty-somethings and their work, love and play.

To coincide with the IFC Center's film series "The New Talkies: Generation DIY," Wednesday, August 22 -Tuesday, September 4, indieWIRE is pleased to present: Joe Swanberg (Hannah Takes the Stairs, LOL), Aaron Katz, ("Dance Party USA, Quiet City), Greta Gerwig, (Hannah Takes The Stairs), and Aaron Hillis (Fish Kill Flea) , who will participate in amoderated discussion about filmmaking, their similar styles and differences, and the definition of "independent."

The event will be moderated by indieWIRE Editor in Chief Eugene Hernandez. 
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