iW NEWS | "4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days", "The Band's Visit" Win Big at European Film Awards

Christian Mungiu's "4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days," from Romania, won the award for best European film and Mungiu won the best director award at the European Film Awards in Berlin tonight. The film, winner of the Palme d'Or in Cannes this spring, is set for an awards qualifying run from IFC Films & Red Envelope Entertainment in the U.S. later this month. Sasson Gabai from "The Band's Visit" won the award for best actor and the film was named European discovery of the year at the ceremony. It will also open for a qualifying run this month. Helen Mirren was honored as best actress for "The Queen." Fatih Akin won the best screenplay award for "The Edge of Heaven" and the festival's FIPRESCI critics prize went to Alain Resnais' "Coeurs." Giuseppe Tornatore's "La Sconosciuta" won the people's choice award at the ceremony. indieWIRE plans to publish a dispatch from the European Film Awards on Sunday. [Eugene Hernandez] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Awards Watch, Honors, World Cinema ]

iW NEWS | "Stranded," "Smiling" Win Top IDFA Prizes

Gonzalo Arijon's "Stranded," the story of the survivors of a 1972 plane crash, won the VPRO Joris Ivens Award, the top prize at the 2007 International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam. The film, reported on earlier this week in indieWIRE, is headed for the 2008 Sundance Film Festival in January. At tonight's ceremony, Tamar Varom's "To See If I'm Smiling," about women in the Israeli army, won both the Silver Wolf competition and the festival's audience award. The Silver Cub for short docs went to Oscar Perez's "The Tailor." The First Appearance Award for new filmmakers went to Robert Nugent for "End of the Rainbow." Nitzan Gilady's "Jerusalem is Proud to Present," about Jerusalem's gay pride parade, won the Movies that Matter Award, Benson Lee's breakdance doc "Planet B-Boy" won the DOC U! prize from a youth jury, Elizabeth Rocha Salgado won the won the Stimuleringsfonds Documentary Award 2007 for her film about obsessions, "Senses, Doors of the Soul" and "Darwin's Nightmare" director Hubert Sauper won a special prize as the best documentary in 20 years of IDFA, as selected by an online audience. [Eugene Hernandez] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Awards Watch, Documentary, Festivals ]

iW NEWS | IPA Announces Satellite Noms

The International Press Academy announced their 12th annual Golden Satellite Award nominations Friday, with many indies among the very eccentric pack. The nominees for best motion picture (drama) were "Away From Her," "Before The Devil Knows You're Dead," "Eastern Promises," "The Lookout," "No Country For Old Men" and "3:10 To Yuma." In the comedy/musical category, "Hairspray," "Juno," "Knocked Up, "Lars and the Real Girl," "Margot at the Wedding" and "Shoot 'Em Up" were the nominees. Some notable independent releases also featured throughout the acting categories, including Tilda Swinton in "Stephanie Daley," Christian Bale in "Rescue Dawn," Frank Langella in "Starting Out In The Evening" and Ben Kingsley in "You Kill Me." The ceremony will be held on December 16, 2007, in Century City. [Peter Knegt] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Awards Watch, Biz ]

iW NEWS | NewFest to Host 8th annual Winter Benefit

New York's NewFest is hosting its 8th annual Winter Benefit next Sunday, December 9 at HK Lounge in Manhattan. The event includes a presentation of the Vito Russo Award to a NYC-based film project currently in production, and featuring a silent auction, including tickets to the Tony Awards, and trips to Spain and Sonoma and more. Proceeds benefit the non-profit mission and year-round programs of NewFest's 20th anniversary year. NewFest, New York LGBT Film Festival takes place in June. For more information, visit their website. [Brian Brooks] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Festivals ]

AFP: Striking Hollywood writers reject new offer

Striking Hollywood writers have rejected a new contract offer from producers, the two sides said Thursday, three weeks into a dispute that has disrupted the film and television industry. AFP reports. 
[permalink]   [ filed under Biz ]

HR: Shhh! Oscar contenders get silent treatment

If you think you've heard every Oscar trick in the book, try this one on: The newest way to promote a movie to voters might be not to promote it at all. Steven Zeitchik reports. 
[permalink]   [ filed under Awards Watch, Biz ]

iW NEWS | WGA & AMPTP Lift News Blackout, Issue Statements

The Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) each issued statements tonight, lifting this week's press blackout. Talks that re-started on Monday have been suspended for the week so that the WGA can consider a new proposal, according to the AMPTP. It referred to presenting today, "a New Economic Partnership to the WGA, which includes groundbreaking moves in several areas of new media, including streaming, content made for new media and programming delivered over digital broadcast channels." They continued, "The entire value of the New Economic Partnership will deliver more than $130 million in additional compensation above and beyond the more than $1.3 billion writers already receive each year." The WGA referred to a proposal yesterday, saying, "It dealt only with streaming and made-for-Internet jurisdiction, and it amounts to a massive rollback" and referring to a new proposal, noted, "they made absolutely no move on the download formula (which they propose to pay at the DVD rate), and continue to assert that they can deem any reuse "promotional," and pay no residual (even if they replay the entire film or TV episode and even if they make money). Referring to its own proposal yesterday, the WGA said, "Our entire package would cost this industry $151 million over three years. That's a little over a 3% increase in writer earnings each year, while company revenues are projected to grow at a rate of 10%." Reiterating that the strike must continue, the WGA said, "The AMPTP's intractability is dispiriting news," while the TV Networks and Hollywood studios said, "We continue to believe that there is common ground to be found between the two sides, and that our proposal for a New Economic Partnership offers the best chance to find it." [Eugene Hernandez] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Biz ]

iW THIS WEEK | In The News: Sundance, Greece, "Heaven" Deal...

The big news this week came from the Sundance Film Festival, which announced is competition and non-competition lineups. 121 features are set for the '08 fest, weighted towards new faces. In Greece, Shangjun Cai's "The Red Awn" won the top prize at the Thessaloniki fest, Rania Richardson reported on the fest in a dispatch this week. Andrew Wagner's "Starting Out In The Evening" topped the iW BOT and Strand announced a deal for Fatih Akin's "The Edge of Heaven," Germany's entry for this year's Academy Awards. [Eugene Hernandez] 
[permalink]   [ filed under iW This Week ]

iW THIS WEEK | New in Theaters: "The Savages," "Diving Bell," Protagonist"

Among this week's specialty releases coming to theaters, Reverse Shot reviewed Julian Schnabel's "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" this week, with Chris Wisniewski saying that the filmmaker has "carved out a niche for himself crafting visually arresting, loosely conventional movies inspired by the lives of noteworthy artists and writers." Meanwhile, Michael Koresky concludes that the film, "makes for an engaging look at how we can lie to ourselves even as we search for an elusive truth." Other films opening in limited release this week include "The Savages" from Fox Searchlight and "Chronicle of an Escape" (Cronica de una fuga) via The Weinstein Company and IFC. 
[permalink]   [ filed under iW This Week ]

iW THIS WEEK | Awards Watch Re-Cap: Spirit Nods and Gotham Awards Officially Kick Off The Season

Looking at happenings on the Awards Watch front... Among this week's news, "I'm Not There," "Juno," "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" and "The Savages" led the 2008 Independent Spirit Award nominations, which will be handed out the day before the Academy Awards in February. "Juno" star Ellen Page was honored as best breakthrough performer at Tuesday night's Gotham Awards, where Sean Penn's "Into The Wild won best film. The British Independent Film Awards, were also handed out, with Anton Corbjin's Ian Curtis biopic, "Control," leading with five laurels. On the blog front, "Atonement" and "No Country For Old Men" remained the top two choices on the Gurus o' Gold, where the 15 pundits (including our own Eugene Hernandez) switched the ranks of the two, placing "No Country" on top of the best picture race for the first time. Here at indieWIRE, check out my latest choices for award frontrunners and underdogs at The Lost Boy, and look out for our coverage of Saturday night's European Film Awards, as well the upcoming critics' awards announcements, which kick off December 5th with the National Board of Review [Peter Knegt] 
[permalink]   [ filed under iW This Week ]

LAT: Eliza Dushku goes from 'Buffy' to group sex

If you make a movie about group sex, you must be prepared to own up to your point of view on the subject. But when actress Eliza Dushku, star of the indie "Sex and Breakfast," which opens in limited release Friday, is asked whether she's pro or con group canoodling, she giggles, before fessing up, she's more of a monogamous kind of gal. Rachel Abramowitz reports. 
[permalink]   [ filed under Movies ]

PARK CITY '08 | Sundance Premieres, Spectrum, Park City at Midnight and New Frontier Lineups Announcement Today

The Premieres, Spectrum, Park City at Midnight and New Frontier lineups for the 2008 Sundance Film Festival are being announced today after 4 p.m. ET here at indieWIRE.com, with comments from festival programming director John Cooper. Yesterday, we published the lineups for Sundance's Documentary Competition, Dramatic Competition, World Cinema Documentary Competition, and World Cinema Dramatic Competition. Get indieWIRE's latest coverage from Park City in our special section here at indieWIRE.com. 
[permalink]   [ filed under Festivals ]

AFP: Godard says he stole money to make movies: report

French New Wave director Jean-Luc Godard has confessed that he stole money to finance his films in an interview with a German newspaper to be published on Thursday. "I had no choice. Or at least it seemed that way to me. I even stole money from my family to give to (fellow French director Jacques) Rivette for his first film. I pinched money to be able to see films and to make films." AFP reports. 
[permalink]   [ filed under People ]

AFP: Freedom icon Gandhi rules India's beachside film festival

An international film festival in the seaside resort of Goa will showcase movies on India's independence and the struggle by freedom icon Mahatma Gandhi. AFP reports. 
[permalink]   [ filed under Festivals ]

iW NEWS | "Control" Leads British Indie Awards

The 10th British Independent Film Awards were given out at London's Roundhouse on Wednesday, with Anton Corbijn's "Control" taking home five awards, including nods for best film, best director, Toby Kebbell's supporting performance and "most promising newcomer" Sam Riley. Other notable winners included best actor Viggo Mortensen for his work in "Eastern Promises," best actress Judi Dench for "Notes on a Scandal," Patrick Marber's screenplay for "Notes," and "Joe Strummer: The Future Is Unwritten" for best documentary. "The Lives of Others" was awarded best foreign independent film, while both Daniel Craig and Ray Winstone picked up previously announced honorary awards. [Peter Knegt] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Awards Watch, Honors ]

iW NEWS | "Juno" and "Grace" Bookend 8th Santa Fe Film Festival

Jason Reitman's "Juno" kicked off the 8th Santa Fe Film Festival Wednesday night in New Mexico, ushering a four day event that will screen 200 features and shorts in a variety of genres, themes and topics in 80 programs. "Grace is Gone" by James C. Strouse will close the event Sunday. Other highlights include Anton Corbijn's "Control," as well as Cannes winners "4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days" by Christian Mungiu and Julian Schnabel's "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly." "New Mexico has been a hot-bed of film production the past few years with the introduction of the state tax incentives and this year we have received more attention than ever from the major studios to offer us amazing titles for our galas," commented festival founder and executive director Jon Bowman in a statement. For more information and a full line up, visit the festival's website. [Brian Brooks] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Festivals ]

iW NEWS | Naomi Harris to Receive Bahamas Fest Honors

Naomie Harris ("28 Days Later" "Pirates of the Caribbean 2&3") will receive the Bahasmas International Film Festival's "Rising Star Tribute," the festival announced Wednesday. Harris will be on hand for the special Chopard Award tribute presentation on Tuesday, December 11th at Aura Nightclub at the Atlantis Hotel & Resort. The Rising Star Tribute is given to an actor or actress whose "early accomplishments have put them on the path for elite stardom in the industry." BIFF along with Ansbacher will also be presenting a $10,000 to an independent Bahamian and Caribbean filmmaker vying for funding through BIFF's Filmmaker Residency Program to be used towards the development and production of the selected recipient's film. BIFF takes place December 6 - 13. [Brian Brooks] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Festivals ]

AP: European writers support US strike

European film and TV writers demonstrated Wednesday in support of their striking U.S. colleagues. Several dozen writers rallied in front of the headquarters of Britain's main union federation holding red-and-black placards saying: "We Support the Writers Guild of America." Jill Lawless reports. 
[permalink]   [ filed under Biz ]

PARK CITY '08 | Sundance Competition Lineup Announcement Today

Park City coverage sponsored by BE KIND REWIND.

The competition lineups for the 2008 Sundance Film Festival are being announced today. indieWIRE plans to publish the complete lineups for Sundance's Documentary Competition, Dramatic Competition, World Cinema Documentary Competition, and World Cinema Dramatic Competition after 4 p.m. ET here at indieWIRE.com, including comments from Sundance Film Festival director Geoff Gilmore. indieWIRE plans to publish the Premieres, Spectrum, New Frontier, and Park City at Midnight lineups tomorrow (Thursday, November 28th) after 4 p.m. ET. 
[permalink]   [ filed under Festivals, Park City ]

iW NEWS | "Coeurs" Takes European Critics Prize

The 20th annual European Film Awards and the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) jointly announced that the 2007 European Film Academy Critics' Award will be given to Alan Resnais' "Coeurs." FIPRESCI said in a statement that Resnais "treats the characters the way an affectionate puppeteer would treat his creatures." The award will be presented during the European Film Awards on December 1, 2007 in Berlin. [Peter Knegt] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Honors ]

iW NEWS | Strand Acquires "Heaven"

Strand Releasing announced that it has acquired all US rights to Fatih Akin's "The Edge of Heaven," Germany's entry for this year's Academy Awards. "Heaven" won the Prix du Scenario Award at this past Cannes Film Festival, and its Akin's fifth feature, following the success of "Head-On." "We're thrilled to have Fatih's latest, and am happy to continue our relationship with such a talented filmmaker," said Jon Gerrans of Strand. "'Head-On' remains one of our most highly acclaimed titles in our library." [Peter Knegt] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Acquisitions ]

iW NEWS | "Avant," "Jihad" Take image+nation Prizes

The 20th edition of Canada's largest and oldest LGBT film festival, image+nation, concluded over the weekend and announced winners in various categories. Jacques Nolot's "Avant que J'Oublie won the jury prize for best feature; Parvez Sharma's look at homosexuality in the Islamic world, "A Jihad For Love," won best documentary; and Dee Rees' "Pariah" won the jury's short film award. The audience award for best feature went to homegrown Laurie Lynd's "Breakfast With Scot." [Peter Knegt] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Festivals, Honors ]

iW BOT UPDATE | "Starting Out" Tops Thanksgiving

Andrew Wagner's "Starting Out In The Evening" led a tight turkey weekend on the iW BOT according to final numbers posted this afternoon at indieWIRE.com. The Frank Langella drama averaged $10,885 from seven locations. With average of just $121 less, Noah Baumbach's "Margot at the Wedding" held on nicely in its expansion, while the 130-screen debut of Todd Haynes' "I'm Not There" shined in New York but started more modestly in other markets, averaging $5,622 for fourth place on the iW BOT. This week's indieWIRE box office article was posted yesterday. [Peter Knegt] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Biz ]

NYT: Laugh Lines in the Hollywood Strike

It turns out, many union members say, that striking in Hollywood -- at least short term -- is not that bad. Brooks Barnes reports. 
[permalink]   [ filed under Biz ]

AFP: Cairo film festival wants to return to Arab spotlight

The 31st Cairo International Film Festival opens on Tuesday amid controversy, seeking to retake its place as the Arab world's international cinematic meeting point after years in the wilderness. Alain Navarro reports. 
[permalink]   [ filed under Festivals ]

HR: Hollywood labor talks set to resume

The first day of talks since movie and TV writers went on strike produced no public updates or word if any progress was made — but it did trigger a promise to meet again. Gary Gentile reports. 
[permalink]   [ filed under Biz ]

iW NEWS | Berlinale to Fete Francesco Rosi

The "Homage" of the 58th Berlin International Film Festival will be dedicated to Italian director Francesco Rosi. The Berlinale, which takes place February 7 - 17, praised Rosi for work that reflects the "political, economic and intellectual developments in Italy." Rosi will receive the Golden Bear for Lifetime Achievement on February 14. "With their explosive power, Rosi's films are still persuasive today," commented Berlinale director Dieter Kosslick in a statement. "His works are classics of politically engaged cinema." [Brian Brooks] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Festivals ]

INSIDE WORD | Sundance, Gothams, Spirits... Coming Soon

Park City coverage sponsored by BE KIND REWIND.

News on tap... A busy week is in the works, with the Film Independent Spirt Awards set to announce their nominations on Tuesday morning. Get the latest in indieWIRE's Awards Watch section around Noon, ET. And on Tuesday night, we'll have the winners of this year's IFP Gotham Awards (list of nominees). On Wednesday afternoon, check out indieWIRE's Park City section after 4 p.m. ET for the announcement of the competition lineups for the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. Then, on Thursday at the same time, Sundance will unveil lineups for the Premieres, Spectrum, Midnight and Frontier sections. Stay tuned at indieWIRE.com.  
[permalink]   [ filed under Awards Watch, Park City, inside word ]

Julian Schnabel and Lou Reed at Apple Store SoHo

Director Julian Schnabel and musician Lou Reed will be at Apple Store SoHo on Wednesday November 28 to screen scenes from and discuss Schnabel's latest movie, "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly," adapted from the Jean-Dominique Bauby memoir. They will talk about the importance of music in filmmaking. Following the discussion, Julian and Lou will take questions from the audience. "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" will open in select theaters on November 30. 
[permalink]   [ filed under Events ]

NYT: African Diaspora Film Festival Underway

Felicia R. Lee discusses the 15th Annual African Diaspora Film Festival in this New York Times article, highlighting the fest's events (which runs 17 days) and reflecting on its past. "The festival has been our kid," said co-founder Diarah N'Daw-Spech. "The kid is an adolescent now. When we started out, we had no experience, no connections. We knew nobody. We got some film festival catalogs and started calling people." 
[permalink]   [ filed under Festivals ]

iW NEWS | Thessaloniki Fest Announces Winners

The awards for the 48th Annual Thessaloniki International Film Festival were announced over the weekend, with Shangjun Cai's "The Red Awn taking the Golden Alexander for best feature film. Spiro Stathoulopoulos' "PVC-1" took the Silver Alexander (or Special Jury Prize), while Estonia's Veiko Ounpuu won best director for "Autumn Ball." Awards were given in a wide variety of categories, including best screenplay, to Thanos Anastopoulos and Vassilis Raissis for "Correction," and acting, which awarded actress Anna Lalasidou for "Elli Makra - 42277 Wuppertal" and actor Alberto Sornoza for "PVC-1." The International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) also announced their awards for the festival, which was led by "PVC-1" for best film in the "International Competition" section. [Peter Knegt] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Festivals ]

iW NEWS | Zhang Yang Takes Reel Asian Prize

The Reel Asian International Film Festival wrapped up in Toronto and announced their awards in various categories. Zhang Yang's "Getting Home" won the NOW Audience Award, for which all feature films at the festival were eligible. David Chung and Matt Dibble took the National Film Board Documentary Award for their "Koryo Saram - The Unreliable People," director Jeff Chiba Stearns" won the Animasian Award for "Yellow Sticky Notes," while Lesley Loksi Chan's "Wanda and Miles" won the Most Innovative Film Production Award. Chan, the festival's spotlight artist, also took the TSV Visionary Award for "I No I No for "daring to speak her truth and making it witty and beautiful and tender," according to jury member Mike Hoolbloom. [Peter Knegt] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Festivals ]

iW NEWS | Weekend Estimates: "Starting," "No Country" Strong; "I'm Not There" Modest

According to Rentrak, Todd Haynes' "I'm Not There" opened in 130 locations over Thanksgiving, averaging a modest $5,826 for a total $757,385 over the three-day weekend. Though certainly not a horrible outcome considering the film's challenging content and rather wide release, it failed to match the averages of Roadside Attractions' well-reviewed "Starting Out In The Evening," which took in $85,596 on 7 screens for a iW BOT topping $12,228 average per location, or the continued expansion of Joel and Ethan Coen's "No Country For Old Men," which held up very nicely on 860 screens, averaging $9,433 for a weekend total of $8,112,000. Expanding more cautiously, "Margot at the Wedding" also continued to impress, with the Noah Baumbach film averaging $10,914 on 35 screens. [Peter Knegt] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Biz ]