iW NEWS | Aspell Receives IDA Pioneer Award

Paula S. Aspell will receive the International Documentary Association Pioneer Award in recognition of her significant contributions to advancing both the art and future of nonfiction filmmaking. She will be honored during the 23rd Annual IDA Distinguished Documentary Achievement Awards Gala Benefit at the Directors Guild of America Theatre in Los Angeles on December 7, 2007. [Peter Knegt] 
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iW NEWS | Apatow, Brooks and Gelbart Come Together For Academy

Judd Apatow, James L. Brooks and Larry Gelbart will join forces during the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' "Three Masters of Comedy" event on Friday, November 9, 2007 at 7:30pm at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills. They will participate in a roundtable discussion about influences, styles and other comedic niceties. The event is presented under the banner of the Academy's Jack Oakie Celebration of Comedy in Film. [Peter Knegt] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Events ]

indieWIRE ANNOUNCEMENT: "Southland Tales" Director Richard Kelly @ 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: Friday, October 19th, 6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m
WHERE: Apple Store - SoHo, 103 Prince Street, NYC
COST: Free, No RSVP required. Seats are first come, first serve. Seating is limited.

"Donnie Darko" Director Richard Kelly will participate in a discussion and show scenes from his latest film, "Southland Tales," which features a large ensemble cast of characters, including Dwayne Johnson, Sarah Michelle Gellar and Roland Taverner. "Southland Tales" is set over the course of three days that culminate in a massive 4th of July celebration as a city stands on the brink of social, economic and environmental disaster. Samuel Goldwyn Films will release the film theatrically on November 14th. The event will be moderated by indieWIRE contributor and film critic Dennis Lim. 
[permalink]   [ filed under Events ]

iW NEWS | Mill Valley Announces Awards

The 30th annual Mill Valley Film Festival came to a close last Sunday (see our dispatch) after a largely successful ten days of cinematic celebration. Audience awards were announced in various categories shortly thereafter, and winners included Gavin Hood's "Rendition" for best narrative feature, Tricia Regan's "Autism: The Musical" for best documentary feature and Don McBrearty's "Luna: The Spirit of the Whale" for best children's film. [Peter Knegt] . 
[permalink]   [ filed under Festivals ]

iW NEWS | Wind Dancer Moving WIth "Mistral"

Wind Dancer Films has moved forward on "Mistral", with Matt Williams ("Where The Heart Is" attached to direct the script by Brett Hershey and Matt Tilker. "I have been wanting to direct an adult love story for quite some time and 'Mistral' is the perfect project," said Williams. [Peter Knegt]  
[permalink]   [ filed under Biz ]

INDUSTRY MOVES | Allen and Menahem Join Celluloid

Bobby Allen has been named VP of Acquisitions, Production and Sales at Celluloid Dreams, while Pierre Menahem has rejoined the company as the Director of International Sales, the company announced on Thursday. Allen is the former head of production for MTV Films and has also worked for PolyGram Film International, Lions Gate Films and Mayfair Entertainment. Menahem spent seven years at Celluloid, before leaving in 2004 to create the international sales company, Scalpel Films, which will continue without Menahem. "I am thrilled to start again at CD and I'm looking forward to working with such a great team and handling some of the most exciting films on the marketplace," Menahem said in a statement. "The company has evolved so much lately that it is going to be a new start rather than a comeback." [Eugene Hernandez] 
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iW NEWS | Northwest Film & Video Festival Kicks Off November 9th

The Northwest Film Center's annual showcase of new work by regional media artists will take place November 9th through 17th, 2007 in Portland, Oregon. The fest will show 44 feature, short and documentary films made by artists in Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, Montana and Idaho. The full schedule will be available online on October 23rd. [Peter Knegt] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Festivals ]

iW NEWS | John Sayles' "Honeydripper" Among Virginia Fest's 20th Anniversary Line up

The Virginia Film Festival has dubbed its 20th edition, taking place November 1 - 4 in Charlottesville a "family gathering" with a line up that includes exploration of family life from "every possible angle and for every possible audience." John Sayles, Maggie Renzi and Sean Patrick Thomas will be on hand to present "Honeydripper." In addition the fest will fete John Turturro and sixty additional festival guests with over ninety films. On tap are Tamara Jenkins' "The Savages," Sidney Lumet's "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead," Cannes animated favorite "Persepolis," and Julian Schnabel's "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" and "Starting Out in the Evening" from Roadside Attractions. Joining the doc section is HBO Films' "The Musical," Tricia Regan's "Hoop Reality" as well as "For the Bible Tells Me So," "The Last Jews of Libya," and "Joe Strummer: The Future is Written." For more information including a full line up, visit the festival's website. [Brian Brooks] 
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iW NEWS | Slamdance Screenplay Winners Announced

The winners of the 12th Annual Slamdance Screenplay Competition have been announced, with Anthony Meindl's screenplay, "The Wonder Girls," taking the top honor. The script, about the German women's Olympic swim team, was given a $7,000 cash prize for best feature-length screenplay. "Ezzy Fish," by Tamar Halpren, "An Entire Body", by Bryan Wizemann, "Child in the Dark", by Damian Lahey and Ian Ogden and "The Falling Sky" by Greg Weed rounded out the top five of the announced top ten finalists. The winners were announced last week at a special awards reception at the Writers Guild of America, West. Attendees included Slamdance alumni and members of the WGAw Independent Writers Caucus. Slamdance received more than 2,000 submissions for the Screenplay Competition, which strives to bring attention to talented new and emerging screenwriters and introduce them to the industry. [Peter Knegt]  
[permalink]   [ filed under Honors ]

iW NEWS | Outfest's Gutwillig To Step Down

Outfest Executive Director Stephen Gutwillig will step down from his position at the 2007, after 8 years . "I am enormously proud of Outfest and all the growth and change I've been privileged to lead," said Gutwillig. In addition to the announcement of Gutwillig's departure, the Board of Directors unanimously voted to elevate, Senior Director of Programming and Operations Kirsten Schaffer to the post of Co-Executive Director, effective immediately. Upon Gutwillig's departure at year's end, she will serve as Interim Executive Director while the Board of Directors executes a national search for Gutwillig's successor. [Peter Knegt]  
[permalink]   [ filed under Festivals ]

AFP: Young film-makers in Jordan strive for stardom

When Hollywood's Brian de Palma won the best director award at the Venice International Film Festival for "Redacted," the cheers rang loud in Jordan, the small nation where the entire film was shot. The movie industry has blossomed in Jordan, where six feature-length films have been shot, including "Redacted" and a seventh movie is in the making. AFP reports. 
[permalink]   [ filed under Biz ]

AFP: RomeFilmFest to mix populism with star power for second year

The second annual Rome FilmFest opens Thursday with 14 films in competition, 15 world premieres and major stars such as Australia's Cate Blanchett and US director Robert Redford on the menu. A French gangster film, "Le Deuxieme Souffle" (Second Wind) by Alain Corneau, kicks off the festivities, unveiling Italian star Monica Bellucci as a blonde, co-starring with Daniel Auteuil. AFP reports. 
[permalink]   [ filed under Festivals ]

iW BOT UPDATE | "Control" Tops BOT in Final Weekend Numbers

Anton Corbijn's feature debut, "Control" was securely atop the iW BOT, according to final numbers posted this afternoon at indieWIRE.com. The film, released by The Weinstein Company, earned $27,674 at New York's Film Forum, topping Craig Gillespie's "Lars and the Real Girl," which made $90,418 on seven screens, for a $12,917 per screen average. This week's indieWIRE box office article was posted yesterday. 
[permalink]   [ filed under Biz ]

iW NEWS | Angelina Jolie To Receive SBIFF Award

Angelina Jolie will be honored on February 2, 2008 at the 23rd annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival with the Outstanding Performance of the Year Award for her work in Michael Winterbottom's "A Mighty Heart." Recent recipients include Kate Winslet, Heath Ledger and Helen Mirren for last year's "The Queen." The festival runs January 24 through February 3, 2008. [Peter Knegt] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Honors ]

iW NEWS | Rithy Panh's "Paper" Wins EFA Doc Prize

Director Rithy Panh has been awarded the European Film Academy Documentary Award ("Prix ARTE") for his film "Paper Cannot Wrap Up Embers." The jury's statement regarding the film began: "Carefully balancing observational cinema with very well made scenes the winning film depicts the lives of a group of Cambodian prostitutes and their closest surroundings. With infinite respect and great warmth, a near 'Brechtian' documentary unfolds, a work of great humanity and impressive artistic competence." The jury included Switzerland's Francine Brucher, Israel's David Fisher and Germany's Philip Groning. The award will be presented during the 20th European Film Awards in Berlin on December 1, 2007. [Peter Knegt] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Honors ]

AP: Lincoln Center to honor Meryl Streep

Meryl Streep is about to collect another yet honor, this one from the Film Society of Lincoln Center. The Film Society announced its gala retrospective Sunday evening at the closing night festivities of the 45th annual New York Film Festival. The 58-year-old actress will be honored April 14 at Lincoln Center for the Film Society's 35th annual Gala Tribute. AP reports. 
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iW NEWS | Israel Film Festival Announces Lineup

The 22nd Annual Israel Film Festival announced its line-up of 30 international feature films. With 9 U.S. Premieres and 17 East Coast Premieres, the festival will have more than 25 independent film directors from Israel in attendance. The opening night presentation will be the U.S. premiere of Ayelet Menahemi's "Noodle," winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the 2007 Montreal World Film Festival. The film depicts a widowed flight attendant who takes on a young Chinese boy whose mother has been deported to Israel. The festival will also feature Real to Real: Jewish Identity Through Israeli Films, a program which will kick off October 28 with Tomer Heymann's "Black On White" and followed by a performance by Idan Raiche. Other films in the series include Chanoch Ze'evi's "Nadia's Friends," Ron Ninio's "A Touch Away," Chana Zalis' "The Unkosher Truth," Ido Bahat's "Did Herzl Really Say That?," Schlomo Hazan's "Film Fanatic" and Rochel Rosenberg's "The Modern Ones." Outside of that program, additional screenings include Arik Henic's "Rabin-Peres: Everything is Personal, a documentary about the relationship between Israeli leaders Yitzhak Rabin and Shimon Peres, which will screen on the anniversary of Rabin's assassination, and Shemi Zarhin's "Aviva My Love." The largest showcase of Israeli films in the United States, the festival runs October 23-November 8, 2007 in New York City. For complete listings, please visit the festival's website. [Peter Knegt] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Festivals ]

iW NEWS | Rogue Pictures Moves Operations to Universal Parent

Distribution and marketing operations for Focus Features' genre label Rogue Pictures are moving to the company's corporate parent, Universal, beginning in 2008, the company's CEO James Schamus announced Monday. Rogue co-presidents Andrew Karpen and Andrew Rona will continue to run Rogue Pictures and coordinate the Rogue slate for domestic release with Universal Pictures, and Karpen will also continue as president of Focus Features. Also unveiled were new hires in what the specialty distributor described as an "expansion in the scope and scale of its production and distribution slate." Joining the Focus production team are director of development Samantha Taylor Pickett and creative executive Michael Pruss, both of whom will be based in the company's West Coast offices and report to Focus SVP, production Kahli Small. Pickett and Pruss were previously at Paramount Vantage where they served as manager of production & acquisitions and story editor respectively. "We saw this as the smartest and most efficient way to grow both our businesses," commented Schamus in a statement. "We plan to increase the number of in-house Focus productions that we make each year, and we are already benefiting from working closely with Universal's new international production venture, what with our production of Cary Fukunaga's immigrant thriller 'Sin Nombre' going before the cameras in a few weeks in Mexico." [Brian Brooks] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Biz ]

iW NEWS | Schnabel Wins Hamptons' Sloan Prize

Julian Schnabel's "The Diving Bell & The Butterfly" has been named the winner of the Hamptons International Film Festival's $25,000 Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Feature Film Prize. The prize is awarded to a feature film that, "explores science and technology themes in fresh, innovative ways and depicts scientists and engineers in a realistic and compelling fashion." The festival kicks off on Wednesday on Long Island in New York. [Eugene Hernandez] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Festivals, New York ]

IW NEWS | IFP to Honor NYC's Mayor Bloomberg at Gotham Awards

The Independent Feature Project (IFP) will honor New York's Mayor, Michael Bloomberg at the 2007 Gotham Awards. The Mayor will be saluted for for his work supporting film production in New York City. "The Bloomberg administration understands that independent production is the lifeblood of New York's film community, and its connection to the next generation of film and digital media makers," said IFP board chair Ira Deutchman, in a statement. The Gothams will take place on November 27th at Steiner Studios in Brooklyn. [Eugene Hernandez] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Awards Watch, Honors ]

iW NEWS | Weekend Estimates: High "Control," Good "Girl," Modest "Sleuth"

Estimates for the box office for the weekend of October 12-14, 2007 suggest The Weinstein Company's Ian Curtis docudrama, "Control," may lead the iW BOT with $27,000 from its 1 screen, bringing its cume to $35,200 since opening last Wednesday. Also opening, MGM's Ryan Gosling dramedy "Lars and the Real Girl" brought a respectable average of $12,000 from its 7 locations. The other notable opener did not fare as well, with Kenneth Branagh's Michael Caine-Jude Law remake, "Sleuth" averaging less than half of "Lars" with $5,566 on its 9 screens for Sony Pictures Classics. Many films also expanded over the weekend, with both Wes Anderson's "The Darjeeling Limited" and Ang Lee's "Lust, Caution" continuing to impress. "Limited" took in $1,125,000 from 95 locations, averaging $11,842 in its third weekend. "Caution"'s expansion was a little less successful, though this is understandable considering its NC-17 rating and less marketable subject matter. Ang Lee's film took $606,091 from 77 screens, averaging $7,871. [Peter Knegt]  
[permalink]   [ filed under Biz ]

iW NEWS | "History" and "My Life Inside" Win in Morelia

Nicolas Pereda's "Where Are Their Histories?" (Donde estan sus historias?) won the jury prize in the first competition for Mexican feature films at the Morelia International Film Festival in Mexico, which wraps up tonight (Sunday). Lucia Gaja's "My Life Inside" (Mi Vida Dentro) won the jury prize for best documentary at the 5th annual festival in the state capital of Michoacan. Francisco Franco Alba's "Quemar Las Naves" won the narrative audience award and Paul Grivas & Eugene Zapata's "Angahuan" won the documentary audience award. A festival dispatch will coming soon from indieWIRE and the full list of winners is available via indieWIRE Insider. 
[permalink]   [ filed under Festivals ]

iW NEWS | "August Evening," "Cool School" Win in Woodstock

Chris Eska's "August Evening" and Morgan Neville's "The Cool School" won the top narrative and documentary jury prizes respectively at this weekend's Woodstock Film Festival in Upstate New York. Killer Films' Christine Vachon was presented the Maverick Award for her work as a producer, while Ted Sarandos of Netflix received the festival's Trailblazer Award on Saturday night. The complete list of winners is avaiable via indieWIRE Insider and a festival dispatch will be coming this week. [Eugene Hernandez] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Festivals ]