The Week in Fests | AFI Dallas

The latest from the festival scene this week. A link exchange by Variety.com and indieWIRE.

AFI DALLAS GROWS IN SECOND YEAR
Festival builds on auspicious bow

THE TWO LEADS OF AFI DALLAS
Temerlin, Cain work well together

AFI DALLAS | GAINES, KUO, AND THE WELL FED TARGET DOG
Scenes from the fest

More at Variety's Festival Central 
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iW NEWS | Berkshire Fest Announces Lineup, Bacon Tribute

The Berkshire International Film Festival announced 60 US and international feature films, documentaries and shorts that will screen during the 4 day festival in Great Barrington, MA. The opening night film is set with James Marsh's doc "Man on Wire," a Sundance favorite detailing the story of Phillippe Petit's mission to step out on a wire suspended between the World Trade Center twin towers in 1974. Additionally, the festival's slate includes Nanette Burnstein's "American Teen," Tom Kalin's "Savage Grace," Irena Salina's "FLOW: For Love of Water" and Daniel Barnz's "Phoebe in Wonderland." A tribute will also take place to actor-director Kevin Bacon," who will be honored with the festival's Achievement in Film award. The festival runs May 15-18, 2008. For more information, check out the festival's website. [Peter Knegt] 
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LAT: African American filmmakers seek a new star

Spike Lee blazed one trail, Tyler Perry another. Others await, but lately the going has been tricky. For many, it was more than just a low-budget romantic comedy about a sexually liberated woman -- it was the first shot in a cinematic revolution. Greg Braxton reports. 
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AP: Hollywood braces for SAG labor talks

In a Century Plaza Hotel ballroom earlier this week, 600 people gathered to hear Hollywood heavyweights tally the fallout from the writers strike. Lynn Elber reports. 
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HR: Indie producer Here! for gay-themed movies

Not content to just acquire movies, Here! Films, the network's theatrical distribution arm, is launching "Shelter," the first project it has made under a new independent film initiative to fund projects by and for the gay and lesbian community. Gregg Kilday reports. 
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Reuters: Dutch fear Muslim anger as anti-Koran film hits Web

The Netherlands government tried to defuse Muslim anger after the release of a film by a Dutch lawmaker that accuses the Koran of inciting violence and shows an image of the Prophet Mohammad primed to explode. Emma Thomasson reports. 
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SF360: Why skaters heart Spike

Most of the kids you see tooling around the streets on skateboards these days don’t know this, but there was once a time when spotting a professional skateboarder in a movie or on television was about as likely as finding a hundred bucks on the ground...Thank god for Spike Jonze, the patron saint of real skateboarders and the only real "skate director" out there. Justin Juul reports. 
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AFP: Rwandan film festival showcases non-genocide works

Rwanda's first-ever cinema festival opened Thursday, with organisers saying they want to promote young local artists and films focused on issues other than the 1994 genocide. AFP reports. 
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iW NEWS | "Body," "Lonely," Jihad," "Grace," "Filmmaker" and "Winnipeg" Among IFC Center Theatrical Debuts

New York's IFC Center has set a roster of theatrical premieres on its Spring calendar. After Hou Hsiao-hsien's "Flight of the Red Balloon" from IFC on April 4th, Ellen Spiro and Phil Donahue's "Body of War" from The Film Sales Company will debut at the theater on April 9th for a one week run, with the doc filmmakers in attendance on opening night. Also on tap in April are Henry Miller's "Anamorph" and Scott Hicks' "Glass: A Portrait of Philip in Twelve Parts" from Koch Lorber (both on April 18th), as well as Yung Chang's "Up the Yangtze" from Zeitgeist Films (April 25th). May kicks off with IFC's "Mister Lonely" from Harmony Korine on May 2nd, including a mini-retrospective of Korine films on midnights in April. Also on tap are Doug Pray's "Surfwise" from Magnolia Pictures (May 9th), Christopher Zalla's Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner "Sangre de Mi Sangre" (formerly known as "Padre Nuestro") on May 16th, Parvez Sharma's "A Jihad for Love" from First Run Features (May 21st), and IFC's "Savage Grace" from Tom Kalin on May 30th. Nina Davenport's "Operation Filmmaker" from Icarus is set for a June 4th debut, while Guy Maddin's "My Winnipeg" will open on June 13th, followed by the New York Asian Film Festival, June 20th - July 3rd. [Eugene Hernandez]  
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HR: New York subway worker in Hollywood's fast lane

A New York City tollbooth worker in desperate need of a car wrote a crime thriller script titled "Brooklyn's Finest" last year. Now he finds himself rubbing shoulders with some of Hollywood's finest... Borys Kit reports. 
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Reuters: Dutch MP Launches Anti - Koran Film Online

Dutch right-wing lawmaker Geert Wilders posted on the Internet on Thursday a film he said would be critical of the Koran, despite government concerns that it will offend Muslims and cause protests. Reuters reports. 
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iW NEWS | Arts Alliance Gets "Chops"

Arts Alliance America has announced a deal for North American rights to Bruce Broder's "Chops," a documentary about high school jazz students vying in a national competition. The company is planning a theatrical release followed by a DVD debut later this year. "'Chops' fits into that category of film that gets me excited," said Arts Alliance America president Joe Amodei, "When you can release product that entertains and inspires at the same time, then we have reached our goal. This film achieves both in a very big way." Submarine's Josh Braun and CAA brokered the deal with Arts Alliance America. [Eugene Hernandez] 
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AP: NC film festival to honor Pam Grier

Pam Grier will be honored next month during the RiverRun International Film Festival taking place in Winston-Salem, NC April 23 - 28. AP reports. 
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iW NEWS | Tarantino to be Honored at Provincetown Fest

Filmmaker Quentin Tarantino will be honored with the 2008 Filmmaker on the Edge Award at the 10th annual Provincetown International Film Festival, running from June 18 - 22 in Provincetown, MA. Previous award recipients, all of whom have been invited back for the fest's anniversary are John Waters, Christine Vachon, Ted Hope, James Schamus, Gus Van Sant, Todd Haynes, Jim Jarmusch, Mary Harron, Gregg Araki, and Todd Solondz. For more information, please visit the festival website. [Eugene Hernandez] 
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iW NEWS | Verzaubert Fest Set for German Tour

The Verzaubert International Queer Film Festival, the largest queer film festival in Germany -- touring Munich, Frankfurt, Cologne and Berlin -- will kick-off on April 2nd with Tom Kalin's "Savage Grace." The fest's closing night film is Christophe Honore's "Love Songs" (Les Chansons D'Amour) and the director's spotlight selection is Lee Friedlander's "Out At The Wedding." The festival continues through April 23rd in Germany. For more information, please visit the festival website. [Eugene Hernandez] 
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iW NEWS | Indian Film Festival Announces Schedule

The 6th Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA) announced its 2008 programming with 21 features and 12 shorts representing 8 countries, including 4 world premieres and 5 U.S. premieres. IFFLA will open April 22, 2008 at ArcLight Hollywood Cinemas with Richie Mehta's "Amal," and close with the world premiere of "Mumbai Cutting: A City Unfolds," a narrative collaboration of ten prominent Indian directors. Other programmed films include Shivajee Chandrabhushan's "Frozen," Liz Mermin's "Shot in Bombay" and Sarah Singh's "The Sky Below." The festival runs April 22-27, 2008. [Peter Knegt] 
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iW NEWS | MMI to Honor Schamus, Blank

The Museum of the Moving Image will honor Focus Features CEO James Schamus and Showtime Networks CEO Matt Blank at the organization's annual black-tie benefit, to be held on April 30th at The St. Regis Hotel in Manhattan. [Eugene Hernandez]  
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iW NEWS | TLA Erects "Epitaph" for North America

North American rights to South Korean film, "Epitaph" by the Jung Brothers have been acquired by TLA Releasing, the company announced Wednesday. The film is scheduled to screen at New Directors/New Films 2008 in New York and the 17th Philadelphia Film Festival in April with a release in late 2008 through the Danger After Dark label. The company acquired the film at the 2008 Hong Kong International Film & TV Market from South Korea-based sales company Studio2.0, which was represented by Eun-Young Choi, head of international business. VP of acquisitions Jennifer Arndt-Johns represented TLA. The film is described as set in the 1940s when a young psychiatrist and his wife accept a position at a mental hospital after completing their studies in Tokyo. However, Dr. Kim Dong-won and In-yeong are soon plunged into a world of confusion and fear when they discover something evil is lurking the hospital floors. [Brian Brooks] 
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iW NEWS | IFC Gets Eran Riklis' "Lemon Tree"

IFC Entertainment has acquired Eran Riklis' Berlinale Panorama audience award winner "Lemon Tree." The Israeli drama, from the filmmaker of 2004's "Syrian Bride," was co-produced by Bettina Brokemper, Antoine de Clermont-Tonnerre, Michael Eckelt and Riklis. "Eran is a born filmmaker who, through an almost unspoken relationship that develops between two women over a lemon tree orchard, is able to convey more about the state of the Middle East than most newspaper headlines," praised IFC's Jonathan Sehring, in a statement. The company's Arianna Bocco negotiated the deal with Didar Domehri from sales company Films Distribution. [Eugene Hernandez] 
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AFP: Lebanon bans prize-winning cartoon "Persepolis"

The Oscar-nominated film "Persepolis," which has annoyed authorities in Iran for its critical portrayal of the Islamic revolution, has been banned in Lebanon, officials said Wednesday, sparking an outcry. Rana Moussaoui reports. 
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AFP: French film "Bienvenue chez les Ch'tis" takes box office by storm

A French comedy debunking stereotypes about the country's bleak north is breaking box office records, becoming the second biggest all-time hit in cinemas, Pathe film distributors said Tuesday. "Bienvenue chez les Ch'tis" has pulled in 14.6 million viewers since it was released on February 27. AFP reports. 
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iW NEWS | Palm Beach Lines Up Fest Program, A&E Partnership

A&E has announced that the Palm Beach International Film Festival will be the first fest to participate in their new A&E IndieFilms Spotlight campaign. As part of this campaign, select films from PBIFF will be featured in short segments throughout the festival on the network and on their website, with one being chosen to be televised nationally on A&E. "This is such a wonderful opportunity for the festival and especially for the filmmakers who will benefit from the vast A&E audience," said PBIFF Director Randi Emerman. PBIFF announced their 2008 lineup last week, with 141 films screening, including 12 World Premieres and 10 U.S. Premieres. The fest will kick off on April 10, 2008, with Zak Penn's comedy "The Grand," starring Woody Harrelson and David Cross, and will close with Stephen Walker's documentary "Young@Heart." Additionally, Mickey Rooney will receive PBIFF's Legend Award, while Jason Reitman will receive their Visionary Award. The 13th Annual Palm Beach International Film Festival runs April 10-17, 2008. For their full lineup and more information, please visit the festival's website. [Peter Knegt]  
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iW BOT CHART | "B-Boy" Rules Chart

Benson Lee's break-dancing documentary "Planet B-Boy" from Elephant Eye Films is atop the weekly iW BOT box office chart, which was published this afternoon. The film earned $27,778 from 2 theaters over the weekend, for an average of $13,889. More in this week's box office column, which was published last night.  
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iW NEWS | Bermuda Fest Set For March 28

The 11th Bermuda International Film Festival will open on March 28, 2008 with a screening of U.K. comedy "St. Trinian's," starring Rupert Everett and Colin Firth. "Trinian's" is one of 79 films from 32 countries set to screen, including closing night film "The Band's Visit." Special programs include a focus on modern South African cinema, including screenings of John Barker's "Bunny Chow" and Paul Taylor's "We Are Together," and the Reel Music Sidebar, which will feature four music-related films, including Julian Schnabel's "Lou Reed's Berlin" and classical music doc "Five Days In September." The festival takes place from March 28-April 5, 2008. [Peter Knegt] 
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iW NEWS | "Angels" and "Chronic Town" Among Top 10th Method Fest Selections

Twenty-five features and 48 shorts are on tap for the 10th Method Fest Film Festival, taking place March 27 - April 3 in Calabasas, CA. Zackary Adler's "Familiar Strangers" an offbeat story of a family going through the natural process of negotiating the changing relationships between parents and children will screen opening night. Other Method Fest highlights include Tom McCarthy's "The Visitor," his follow up to "The Station Agent," as well as "Then She Found Me," actress Helen Hunt's directorial debut. Both will screen as the festival's centerpieces. Fellow actor turned director Mary Stuart Masterson will screen "The Cake Eaters," described as "a quirky, small-town, ensemble drama that explores the lives of two interconnected families coming to terms with love in the face of loss" is also on tap in addition to Australian director Peter Duncan's "Unfinished Sky." Others in the line up include "The Stone Angel" with Ellen Burstyn, Tom Hines' "Chronic Town," Terry Kinney's "Diminished Capacity" and Eric Nazarian's "The Blue Hour." The U.S. debut of Ed Gass-Donnelly's "This Beautiful City" (Canada), Rossana Foglia's "Corpo" (Brazil) and Greek director Angeliki Antoniou's "Eduart" round out some of Method Fest's international selections. Method Fest, named after the well-known school of acting, styles itself as the only U.S. fest to focus on acting. For more information and a detailed line up, visit the festival's website. [Brian Brooks] 
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iW NEWS | "Redbelt" Added to Tribeca Fest

David Mamet's "Redbelt" has been added as a world premiere at the upcoming Tribeca Film Festival," screening as a gala in the Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival section. The film, produced by Chrisann Verges, will be released in early May by Sony Pictures Classics. 
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INSIDE WORD | Lee Leaving Village Voice

Citing "economic reasons" at The Village Voice, critic Nathan Lee said today that he was laid off by New York's alternative weekly effective immediately, according to The Reeler. The move marks the fourth recent full-time film writer departure at a New York paper, The Reeler's S.T. VanAirsdale noted, citing the recent Newsday announcement that Pat Wiedenkeller, Jan Stuart and Gene Seymour are exiting the daily. "And so I am, as they say, 'looking for work', though presumably not as a staff film critic as such jobs no longer appear to exist," Nathan Lee wrote in Monday's email, according to The Reeler.  
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iW NEWS | "Haditha," "Heaven," "Encounters," "Full Battle," "Berlin" On Film Forum Spring/Summer Slate

New York's Film Forum, a key launching pad for the limited release theatrical runs of independent films and documentaries, has announced its slate of premieres for Spring and Summer 2007. Nick Broomfield's "Battle For Haditha" will open at the theater on May 7th, while Fatih Akin's "The Edge of Heaven" (from Strand Releasing) will debut on May 21st. Set for June are Erik Nelson's "Dreams With Sharp Teeth" (June 4th), Werner Herzog's "Encounters at the End of the World" (June 11th) from ThinkFilm, and Marion Cajori and Amei Wallach's "Louise Bourgeois" (June 25th), while set for July are Tony Gerber & Jesse Moss's "Full Battle Rattle" (July 9th), Julian Schnabel's "Lou Reed's Berlin" from The Weinstein Company (July 18th) and TWC's "Boy A" by John Crowley (July 23rd). Rounding out the Summer roster are Steven Sebring's "Patti Smith: Dream of Life" (August 6th) from Palm Pictures, and Maria Anna Tappeiner's "Richard Serra: Thinking On Your Feet" (August 20th). [Eugene Hernandez] 
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iW NEWS | "Phoebe" to Open 10th RiverRun Fest

Daniel Barnz's "Phoebe in Wonderland" will open the 10th RiverRun International Film Festival, taking place April 23 - 28 in North Carolina. Both Barnz and actor Bill Pullman will attend the opening. Additionally, Pullman will participate in a discussion about his career and receive RiverRun’s Master of Cinema Award at a ceremony on Thursday, April 24. "Phoebe in Wonderland" revolves around nine-year-old Phoebe (Elle Fanning) who struggles with seemingly uncontrollable behavioral issues and keeps landing in trouble at school, much to the frustration of her parents (Pullman and Felicity Huffman). At home, Phoebe's parents have troubles of their own, balancing the demands of work and parenthood and feeling guilty for not having answers to their daughter's problems. [Brian Brooks] 
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iW NEWS | Tribeca All Access Set with 37 New Projects

Thirty-seven new projects are set for the 2008 Tribeca All Access (TAA) program, fostering networking between the film industry and filmmakers from underrepresented communities. Now in its fifth year, TAA will take place for six days -- April 21 - 26, 2008 -- during the upcoming Tribeca Film Festival, in association with the Tribeca Film Institute. Added to the TAA program this year are four narrative projects that come from associations with the UK Film Council, Australian Film Commission and Canadian Film Centre. According to Tribeca stats, in the past four years TAA has supported a total of 117 film projects, 14 of which have been completed, 18 are in production and 43 are in active development. Three TAA projects, all documentaries, are set for the 2008 Tribeca fest, including Makoto Sasa's "Fire Under the Snow," Dawn Valadez and Kristi Guevara-Flanagan's "Going on 13," and Engi Wassef's "Marina of the Zabbaleen." The complete list of TAA projects is available via indieWIRE Insider. [Eugene Hernandez] 
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iW NEWS | Miami Gay & Lesbian Fest Celebrates 10

The 10th Annual Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival unveiled their lineup of gay, lesbian and transgender films to be featured in the 10 day event from April 25-May 4, 2008. In addition, the Miami fest will launch a supplementary Fort Lauderdale Gay & Lesbian Film Festival running May 1-4, 2009. "This year's festival, on the occasion of our 10th anniversary includes 95 films from 22 different countries, with screenings held across ten days at five different venues throughout Miami, South Beach, and Fort Lauderdale with over 100 filmmakers already confirmed to attend," said Festival Director Carol Coombes in a statement. "I am truly grateful to all the filmmakers and distributors who have worked with me to enable us to present a truly fabulous line-up for 2008." The Miami fest will open with Laurie Lynd's "Breakfast with Scot and close with Thomas Gustafson's "Were the World Mine," while the Fort Lauderdale event will bookend with two documentaries, Johnny Symon's "Ask Not" and Scott Bloom's "Call Me Troy." Producer Christine Vachon will be honored with the MGLFF Career Achievement Award, and her latest work, Tom Kalin's "Savage Grace" will have its Florida premiere as part of the festival. For a full schedule, including panels and special events, check out the festival's website. [Peter Knegt]  
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INDUSTRY MOVES | McClellan and Bunnell Upped at Landmark

Mike McClellan has been promoted to senior VP and head film buyer at Landmark Theaters, while Lisa Bunnell has been upped to VP of film, according to Variety. 
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iW NEWS | Weekend Estimates: "Songs," "Moon" Make Impressive Debuts

According to indieWIRE Box Office Tracking (iW BOT) estimates from Rentrak, Christophe Honore's "Love Songs" looks to lead the iW BOT. On 2 screens, the IFC Films release grossed $21,906 in its opening weekend for an average of $10,953. Perhaps even more impressive was Patricia Riggen's "Under The Same Moon," which cracked the overall top 10 in its first weekend out. On 266 screens, the Weinstein Company release averaged $9,782. In total, it grossed $2,602,000 over the weekend and $3,328,710 since it opened on Wednesday. Two comedies, Zak Penn's comedy "The Grand" and Charles Herman-Wurmfeld's "The Hammer," both opened with decent numbers. "Grand" averaged $8,000 on 2 screens for Anchor Bay while "Hammer" averaged $5,352 from 20 screens. Among holdovers, last years's iW BOT winner, David Gordon Green's "Snow Angels," expanded to 15 screens and saw its average drop to $3,533, while Ira Sachs's "Married Life" held steady on 32 screens, averaging $4,870 and bringing its total to $369,646 after 3 weeks. indieWIRE publishes its weekly box office column on Mondays and final weekend numbers for specialty and limited release films on Tuesdays. Get the latest in the indieWIRE Box Office section. [Peter Knegt]  
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