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 September 6, 2008 iW NEWS | Venice's "Birdwatchers" Takes Europe and Australia
Venice competition entry "Birdwatchers" by Marco Bechis has sold to various European territories by Paris-based Celluloid Dreams, including the U.K. (Artificial Eye), Germany (Pandora) and the Benelux countries (Cinemien). The film also sold to Australia's Hopscotch on the first day of the Toronto International Film Festival. Other Celluloid titles include "Youssou Ndour: I Bring What I Love" and animated film "Mia and the Migoo." [Brian Brooks]  [permalink] [ filed under Acquisitions ] TORONTO '08 | Day Three Roundup
indieWIRE offers a select take of Toronto 2008 news around the world.
TIFF Elitist?
More Fun, Less Politics
Infinitely Lukewarm
Indie Finance Worries at TIFF
Tidbits
Asian Invasion
Get the latest from the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival in indieWIRE's special section. September 5, 2008iW NEWS | Jordan Joins Oscar Race With "Raed"
For the first time, the country fo Jordan is officially joining the race for the Academy Awards with the submission of Amin Matalqa's "Captain Abu Raed." An independent submission committee, recently constituted by the Royal Film Commission - Jordan according to the rules set by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, convened on August 31, 2008 and selected the "Raed" to represent Jordan at the 81st Annual Academy Awards, due to be held on February 22, 2009. "These are exciting times. The mere fact that a Jordanian film will be submitted for the first time is an indication that the film industry in Jordan has matured," said Munir Nassar, Chairman of the Oscar Submission Committee for Jordan in a statement. "Raed" won Dramatic World Cinema Audience Award at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival [Peter Knegt] [permalink] [ filed under Awards Watch, Honors ] TORONTO '08 | Day Two Roundup
TORONTO '08 | Day Two Roundup indieWIRE offers a snapshot of Toronto '08 news from around the world.
You Won't Have to Wrestle Through This
"Che" Finds a U.S. Home?
Toronto Readies For "Rachel," "Wrestler"
Lots of Pre-Fest Buys in Toronto
Canadian Government Skips TIFF Speech
Real-time mobile reports from TIFF
More coverage of the Toronto International Film Festival in indieWIRE's special section.
iW NEWS | Participant and Public Affairs To Collaborate
Participant Media, the entertainment company responsible for "The Visitor" and "Syriana, and book publisher PublicAffairs, are joining forces for a series of books, published by PublicAffairs, based on Participant's narrative and documentary films. Their first collaboration will be a paperback original that expands on the ideas presented in doc "Food, Inc.," which is currently screening at the Toronto International Film Festival. Each book in the series will provide context and background about the film’s themes and content, from both the makers of the movies as well as outside experts in the field, and resources offering various ways for people to become actively involved in the issues raised by the film. [Peter Knegt] [permalink] [ filed under Biz ] iW NEWS | Lee Launches 2nd Babelgum
The Babelgum Online Film Festival, a free, independent Web TV platform, has announced a second edition. The announcement will be made today by Spike Lee during a press conference at the Toronto International Film Festival, where Babelgum will also be premiering the trailer of its first original film production "Downstream", focusing on the controversy over the development of Alberta's oil sands. "The results from the 1st Babelgum Online Film Festival proved that audiences from all over the world are eager for new content and that independent filmmakers are excited to have found a new place to showcase their work," Spike Lee said in a statement. "I feel privileged to be part of the Babelgum Online Film Festival and excited that it has the potential to reach more audiences than any other film festival in the world because of the Internet's global reach." The 2nd Edition of the Babelgum Online Film Festival will be open to all short and mediumform content produced professionally or by enrolled film school students. Babelgum has decided to narrow the number of categories down from seven to four including "short," "animation," "mini-masterpiece" and "documentary." [Peter Knegt] [permalink] [ filed under Festivals ] iW NEWS | Image Entertainment Takes "$5 a Day"
Image Entertainment announced today at the Toronto International Film Festival that it has acquired from all North American rights (except theatrical) to the comedy "$5 a Day" from Capitol Films, Ltd. The film stars Amanda Peet, Sharon Stone, Christopher Walken and Alessandro Nivola, and will screen in Toronto on Sept. 6, 7 and 12. "This film is certain to be an audience-pleaser with it all-star cast and funny storyline," said Bill Bromiley, Chief Acquisitions Officer of Image Entertainment, in a statement. "Amanda Peet, Sharon Stone and Christopher Walken are all hilarious in this tale of a crazy father and his not-so-crazy son." [Peter Knegt] [permalink] [ filed under Acquisitions, Toronto ] September 4, 2008iW NEWS | Moore to Offer a "Slacker Uprising" Free Online
Michael Moore's film, "Slacker Uprising" will be available for download free of charge as a thank you to "his many fans." The free download will take place on the Internet in lieu of a theatrical release or DVD release (for now) and prior to other outlets such as television or streaming video, according to a release. "Slacker Uprising" traces Michael Moore’s 62-city tour of the swing states during the 2004 U.S. Presidential election and "records the thrilling -- and frightening -- response he received across the country." The high resolution 97 minute film is free download to any North American resident beginning on September 23. "Slacker Uprising" first appeared at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival as "Captain Mike Across America." [Brian Brooks] [permalink] [ filed under People ] iW NEWS | Merilees Takes CFTPA Award at TIFF
The Canadian Film and Television Production Association announced that Rob Merilees is the recipient of the third annual CFTPA Producer's Award. The Award was presented at the 5th Elementt Restaurant at the opening of the Toronto International Film Festival earlier today. Merilees produced TIFF's Closing Night Gala film, "Stone of Destiny." [Peter Knegt] [permalink] [ filed under Honors, Toronto ] iW NEWS | "Of Time and City" For Strand
Strand Releasing has acquired all US rights to Terence Davies' "Of Time and City" from Hurricane Films in the UK. The deal was done via sales agent Hanway Films. The film is a "poetic ode to Liverpool" which is constructed with archival footage and narrated by Davies himself. It had its World Premiere at this year's Cannes Film Festival and has its North American Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival this Sunday. "We're thrilled to be working with Terence again, his loveletter to Liverpool is a true artistic inspiration to filmmaking," said Marcus Hu, Co-President of Strand Releasing, in a statement. The deal was concluded by Strand Releasing's Jon Gerrans and Hanway's Thorsten Schumacher. Strand Releasing is planning for a January 2009 release. [Peter Knegt] [permalink] [ filed under Acquisitions, Toronto ] iW NEWS | Cinema Guild Takes "24 City"
The Cinema Guild announced today at the Toronto International Film Festival the acquisition of U.S. distribution rights to Jia Zhangke's "24 City," which documents the conversion of an old munitions factory into a sprawling complex of luxury high-rise apartments. The deal was negotiated by Ryan Krivoshey, Director of Distribution for The Cinema Guild with Matthieu Giblin of MK2. "24 City" will receive its North American premiere on Sunday, September 7, 2008 in Toronto and will screen later this month as part of the New York Film Festival. It will open theatrically in early 2009. [Peter Knegt] [permalink] [ filed under Acquisitions, Toronto ] iW NEWS | European Film Awards Announce 44 Finalists
The European Film Academy and EFA Productions gGmbH have announced the titles of the 44 films on this year's selection list, the list of films recommended for a nomination for the 2008 European Film Awards. Twenty-seven countries are represented on the list. Films include Joe Wright's "Atonement," Dany Boon's "Bienvenue Chez Les Ch'tis," Arnaud Desplechin's "Un Conte de Noel," Paolo Sorrentino's "Il Divo," Laurent Cantet's "The Class," Matteo Garrone's "Gomorra," Mike Leigh's "Happy-Go-Lucky," Steve McQueen's "Hunger," Sergei Bodrov's "Mongol," Bent Hamer's "O'Horten" and Ari Folman's "Waltz With Bashir." Check out the full list here. In the next few weeks, the 1,800 members of the European Film Academy will vote for the nominations in the different award categories. The nominations will then be announced on November 8, 2008 at the Sevilla European Film Festival in Spain. The awards will take place on December 6, 2008 in Copenhagen. [Peter Knegt] [permalink] [ filed under Awards Watch, Honors ] iW NEWS | Samuel Goldwyn Travels Down "Dark Streets" for the U.S.
Samuel Goldwyn Films has picked up U.S. rights to Rachel Samuels' "Dark Streets," for a planned release in the fourth quarter of the year. Peter Goldwyn, vice president of acquisitions negotiated the deal with Shaun Redick at The Collective on behalf of the filmmakers. Set in the 1930s, the film is the story of a "dashing but naive playboy who owns the hottest nightclub in town. Surrounded by the blues music he adores, and caught in a love triangle between two beautiful singers, he is the envy of every man; until, his charmed life starts to spiral out of control. As he is drawn deeper into a web of lies and betrayal, he no longer knows who to trust and who to fear." "We're excited to release a film in which stunning blues musical production numbers are an integral part; propelling the mood and pacing of the story," commented Samuel Goldwyn president Meyer Gottlieb in a statement. "Audiences will be simply blown away by the soundtrack which is sure to be an Awards' contender with the caliber of artists involved." [Brian Brooks] [permalink] [ filed under Acquisitions ] TORONTO '08 | Day One Roundup
TORONTO '08 | Day One Roundup indieWIRE offers a snapshot of Toronto '08 news from around the world.
Toronto Film Festival Opens Amid Cautious Industry Climate
Toronto looks to lure the buy-curious
Award Hopefuls Road Test in Toronto
A Nostalgia for New York, by Way of the Toronto Film Festival
The Film Paris Hilton Doesn't Want You To See
More coverage of the Toronto International Film Festival in indieWIRE's special section.
iW NEWS | Regent Makes North American "Serbis" Deal
In a deal with Fortissimo Films, North American rights to Brillante Mendoza's "Serbis." have been acquired by Regent Releasing. The company is planning a limited winter release for the film, from the competition at this year's Cannes fest. It is now screening at the Toronto fest and is on tap for the upcoming New York Film Festival. Set in the Filipino city of Angeles, the film follows a family dealing with -- in the words of an announcement -- "bigamy, unwanted pregnancy, possible incest and bothersome skin irritations." [Eugene Hernandez] [permalink] [ filed under Acquisitions, World Cinema ] iW NEWS | Santa Barbara To Honor Harris
In recognition of his contributions to the world of film, the Santa Barbara International Film Festival has announced that they will present the third annual Kirk Douglas Award For Excellence in Film to actor-director Ed Harris. "Ed Harris is an actor's actor," commented Roger Durling, SBIFF Executive Director, in a statement. "His already legendary performances are passionate, thoughtful and so committed - qualities that he shares with Kirk Douglas. What an evening this is going to be!" The award's namesake, Kirk Douglas, will present the award to Harris on Thursday, October 2. [Peter Knegt] [permalink] [ filed under Honors ] iW NEWS | "Slumdog" Closing London Fest
Danny Boyle's "Slumdog Millionaire," which garnered great buzz this weekend in Telluride and is headed to the upcoming Toronto International Film Festival, will close the 2008 London Film Festival on October 30, 2008. The story of a Mumbai orphan who strives for greatness on the Indian version of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire," the film was adapted by Simon Beaufoy from the novel "Q and A" by Vikas Swarup. It was produced by Christian Colson and will be released by Fox Searchlight on November 28th in the U.S. The London fest opens on October 15th and the full lineup will be announced next week. [Eugene Hernandez] [permalink] [ filed under Festivals ] iW NEWS | Coombes Joins TLAvideo.com, Philadelphia Fest
TLAvideo.com has announced that the creative force behind the Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, Carol Coombes, will be joining TLAvideo.com as a Managing Editor. Coombes will be working to develop and nurture TLAvideo's lesbian catalogue. Her position begins in early October, 2008. Additionally, Coombes will serve as the Associate Artistic Director of the Philadelphia Film Festival, presented by the Philadelphia Film Society. "I am delighted to be joining TLAvideo.com as Manager Editor of Lesbian content," said Coombes in a statement. "I am looking forward to working with the terrifically dedicated team at TLAvideo.com." [Peter Knegt] [permalink] [ filed under Biz, Queer Cinema ] September 3, 2008iW NEWS | Arthouse Builds "Architect" for English and French Territories
English-speaking territories and French rights to Markus Heidingsfelder and Min Tesch's doc on renowned architect "Rem Koolhaas - A Kind of Architect" has been acquired by Arthouse Films. The deal was negotiated by David Koh and Lilly Bright on behalf of Arthouse Films and Curiously Bright Entertainment along with John Flahive of Wavelength Pictures in the UK on behalf of the filmmakers and producers of the German production. Arthouse Films plans a release later this year or early next year. "This is a fascinating portrait of one of the world's most renowned figures in modern architecture," commented David Koh and Lilly Bright in a joint statement. "The commercial audience and market and interest for art, architecture, and design is rapidly growing and maturing around the world." [Brian Brooks] [permalink] [ filed under Acquisitions ] iW NEWS | "Columbine," "Desert" Among Announced AFI Titles
AFI FEST 2008 announced a group of films that will screen at this year's festival. They include the World Premiere of Danny Ledonne's "Playing Columbine, the North American Premieres of Rodrigo Pla's "The Desert Within," Margarita Jimeno's "Gogol Bordello Non-Stop," and Fernando Eimbcke's "Lake Tahoe," and ten others that are playing at the Toronto International Film Festival and having their LA Premieres at AFI: Paul Schrader's "Adam Resurrected," Arnaud Desplechin's "A Christmas Tale," Matteo Garrone's "Gomorrah," Kim Kee Woon's "The Good, The Bad and the Ugly," Pablo Trapero's "Lion's Den," Lisandro Alonso's "Liverpool," Yulene Olaizola's "Shakespeare and Victor Hugo's Intimacies," Anthony Fabian's "Skin," Ari Folman's "Waltz With Bashir" and Kelly Reichardt's "Wendy and Lucy." The festival runs October 30-November 9, 2008. [Peter Knegt] [permalink] [ filed under Festivals ] iW BOT UPDATE | "Sukiyaki" At The Top
Box Office coverage presented by Rentrak Theatrical Takashi Miike's "Sukiyaki Western Django" is atop the weekly iW BOT box office chart, which was published this afternoon. The film earned $12,172 on 1 run. Rounding out the top of the iW BOT were "I Served The King of England," "Another Gay Sequel: Gays Gone Wild" and "Trouble The Water"[permalink] [ filed under Box Office ] iW NEWS | "Together" To Open Nouveau's Focus Section
The Festival du Nouveau Cinema in Montreal announced that the feature-length documentary "All Together Now," directed by Adrian Wills will open the Focus section on October 9th. Immediately preceding it will be the World Premiere of the animation short "Spare Change," the late Ryan Larkin's final film about his life as an artist begging on St-Laurent Boulevard in Montreal. "All Together Now" is the story of the partnership between The Beatles and the Cirque du Soleil, and features interviews with Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Yoko Ono Lennon and Olivia Harrison. The complete program for the 37th annual Festival du Nouveau Cinema will be announced at a press conference on Tuesday, September 23. [Peter Knegt] [permalink] [ filed under Festivals ] September 2, 2008iW NEWS | Woodstock Unveils Lineup
The Woodstock Film Festival unveiled the programming for its 9th edition, with a collection of 150 "fiercely independent" films, panels, concerts and special events to run from October 1-5, 2008. The festival will present 10 world premieres and 4 North American premieres. Opening night will offer three films, Gavin O'Connor's "Pride and Glory," Mike Leigh's "Happy-Go-Lucky" and Marc Abraham's "Flash of Genius," while the fest will close with two, the East Coast Premieres of Kevin Smith's "Zack and Miri Make a Porno" and Sean McGinly's "The Great Buck Howard." Other films screening at Woodstock include Kelly Reichardt's "Wendy and Lucy," the U.S. Premiere of Erick Zonca's "Julia," Larry Charles' "Religulous," Joo-ho Bong, Leos Carax and Michel Gondry's "Tokyo!," Barry Jenkins' "Medicine For Melancholy," Joe Swanberg and Greta Gerwig's "Nights and Weekends," Tom Gustafson's "Were The World Mine," PJ Raval and Jay Hodges' "Trinidad," and Wendy Key's "Milton Glaser: To Inform and Delight." "Each year brings with it a new crop of extraordinarily talented filmmakers who offer fresh and exciting approaches to filmmaking," said WFF Executive Director Meira Blaustein in a statement. "We are proud to celebrate the work of those who take on issues that effect our lives as they try to illuminate, in their own singular way, what lies in the dark, and what is hidden from our eyes and our hearts." The festival takes place in the arts colony of Woodstock, New York, and the neighboring towns of Rhinebeck and Rosendale. For the complete lineup, please visit the festival's website. [Peter Knegt] [permalink] [ filed under Festivals ] iW NEWS | Hollywood Festival Announces Craft Honorees
The 12th Annual Hollywood Film Festival and Hollywood Awards announced their craft honorees for this year's Hollywood Awards. Composer Danny Elfman will be given the "Hollywood Composer of the Year Award," Cinematographer Mandy Walker will receive the "Hollywood Cinematographer of the Year Award," editors Daniel P. Hanley and Mike Hill will be honored with the "Hollywood Editor of the Year Award," production designer Sarah Greenwood will receive the "Hollywood Production Designer of the Year Award" and costume designer Deborah Hopper will be honored with the "Hollywood Costume Designer of the Year Award." The gala ceremony will take place at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills on October 27, 2008. [Peter Knegt] [permalink] [ filed under Honors ] iW NEWS | TIFF Announces Free Screening of People's Choice
The Toronto International Film Festival has announced a new addition to the screening schedule. The Cadillac People's Choice Award winner will now screen for free on the closing night of the festival. "This is a gift back to the city of Toronto ," said Festival Co-Director, Cameron Bailey in a statement. "It's a big thank you to our audiences for their ongoing support and commitment to our Festival, which has made it one of the best in the world." The winner will be announced on the afternoon of September 13, with the screening occurring that night at the Visa Screening Room at the Elgin Theatre. Previous winners include "Eastern Promises," "Bella," "Tsotsi" and "Hotel Rwanda." [Peter Knegt] [permalink] [ filed under Festivals, Toronto ] CNN | "In a world" voiceover master dies at 68
Don LaFontaine, the voiceover king whose "In a world ..." phrase on movie trailers was much copied -- and much parodied -- has died, according to media reports. He was 68. CNN reports. [permalink] [ filed under People ] Recent On The Scene indieWIRE coverage:
The latest from iW: TELLURIDE: Lineup & Interview | Dearth of American Films | Doom & Gloom v. Optimism & Ingenuity | Telluride iPOP (2005 - present) VENICE: The Fest and the Coens | Confounding Competition MONTREAL: Fest Misses Mark AFP | Brazilian Indians in spotlight at Venice film festival
Fiction and fantasy gave way to harsh reality on Monday at the Venice film festival, with "BirdWatchers" exposing the plight of Brazil's Guarani Indians in the face of the biofuels boom. Gina Doggett reports. [permalink] [ filed under Festivals ] Reuters | Ethiopian film explores nation's recent violent past
"Teza" by Ethiopian director Haile Gerima, is one of 21 movies in competition at the Venice Film Festival, and warm applause after a press screening suggested it would be a contender for prizes at the closing ceremony on Saturday. Mike Collett-White reports. [permalink] [ filed under Festivals ] AFP | Rare Marilyn Monroe footage surfaces in Australia
Rare behind-the-scenes footage of screen goddess Marilyn Monroe, taken while she was filming her iconic 1959 hit "Some Like it Hot," has been found in Australia, an auction house said Tuesday. AFP reports. [permalink] [ filed under People ] September 1, 2008iW NEWS | Sony Classics Embraces New Almodovar Film
Continuing their relationship with Pedro Almodovar, Sony Pictures Classics has announced the acquisition of Pedro Almodovar's "Broken Embraces." The film, starring Penelope Cruz, Lluis Homar, and Blanca Portilla, is currently shooting in Madrid and the Canary Islands. The company describes the film as "a four-way tale of amour-fou, shot in the style of '50s American film noir at its most hard-boiled, and will mix references to works like Nicholas Ray's 'In A Lonely Place' and Vincente Minnelli's 'The Bad And The Beautiful', with signature Almodovar themes such as Fate, the mystery of creation, guilt, unscrupulous power, the eternal search of fathers for sons, and sons for fathers." In a statement, the company said, "'Broken Embraces' promises to be Almodovar's richest work to date. He has surpassed himself here by providing Penelope Cruz with TWO great roles for her to play! Every new Almodovar film presents us with fresh opportunities to expand his audience. To watch him grow as an artist and help him gain the popularity he deserves has been very fulfilling for us. Our adventures with Agustin and Pedro Almodovar have been enduring and it is a relationship that is the lifeblood of Sony Pictures Classics." [Eugene Hernandez] [permalink] [ filed under Acquisitions, World Cinema ] iW NEWS | 4-Day Weekend Estimates: "Django," "England" Open, "Hamlet 2" Fails
Box Office coverage presented by Rentrak Theatrical According to indieWIRE Box Office Tracking (iW BOT) estimates from Rentrak this afternoon, First Look's "Sukiyaki Western Django" led the reporting specialty films in the four-day Labor Day weekend, grossing $13,106 on one screen. Also opening was Sony Pictures Classics's "I Served The King of England," which grossed a decent $67,906 on 8 screens for a $8,488 average. Andrew Fleming's "Hamlet 2" was a large disappointment in its first weekend of wide release. Expanding to 1,597 screens, the Focus Featurespurchase grossed just $2.12 million, averaging a dismal $1,330. To put that in perspective, that is less than half the per theatre average of the eighth weekend of "Journey To The Center Of The Earth." Successful holdovers included "Elegy," which grossed $792,054 on 139 screens, "Vicky Cristina Barcelona," which grossed $3.53 million on 692 screens, "Frozen River," which grossed $347,369 on 69 screens, and "Tell No One," which added another $456,682 in its ninth weekend, taking its very impressive total to $4.37 million. indieWIRE will publish its weekly box office column Tuesday night. Get the latest in the indieWIRE Box Office section. [Peter Knegt][permalink] [ filed under Box Office ] August 31, 2008iW NEWS | 3-Day Weekend Estimates: "Django" Leads, "Hamlet" Tanks
Box Office coverage presented by Rentrak Theatrical According to indieWIRE Box Office Tracking (iW BOT) estimates from Rentrak this afternoon, First Look's "Sukiyaki Western Django" led the reporting specialty films in the three-day portion of Labor Day weekend, grossing $10,236 on one screen. Behind it was the opening of Sony Pictures Classics's "I Served The King of England," which grossed $53,554 on 8 screens for a $6,694 average. The real winners of the the rather slow weekend, though, were a pair of Penelope Cruz holdovers. Woody Allen's "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" remained on 692 screens and fell just one tenth of a percent from last weekend, grossing $3.00 million and taking its total to $12.78 million. Isabel Coixet's "Elegy" went from 92 to 139 screens and grossed $647,000, taking its total to $1.57 million. Courtney Hunt's "Frozen River" also continued to shine. Now on 69 screens, the Sony Pictures Classics hit and Sundance winner grossed $287,000 to bring its total to $779,000. Meanwhile, Andrew Fleming's "Hamlet 2" became an official failure this weekend, joining the ranks of the most unfortunate Sundance purchases. Expanding to 1,597 screens, the Focus Features flick grossed just $1.68 million, averaging $1,051. To put that in perspective, thats $500 less per theatre than the fifth week of "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor." indieWIRE will publish four-day estimates Monday and its weekly box office column Tuesday night. Get the latest in the indieWIRE Box Office section. [Peter Knegt][permalink] [ filed under Box Office ]
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