iW NEWS | Janet Pierson Named New Producer of SXSW Film Fest; Dentler Heading to Cinetic

Janet Pierson has been named the new producer of the SXSW Film Festival and Conference, the organization has just announced. Matt Dentler, who has served as producer of the fest since 2004, has accepted a position in New York City to head the marketing and programming operations of Cinetic Media's new digital rights management unit, the festival said in an announcement. Pierson has a long history in the independent film world. In 1986 she and husband John Pierson began producer rep work that eventually lead to the release of groundbreaking work including "Roger and Me," "She's Gotta Have It," "Slacker" and "Clerks." A board member of the Austin Film Society, she was the co-creator of the TV series "Split Screen" on the Independent Film Channel. "I've been a huge fan and supporter of SXSW Film since its inception," commented Pierson in a statement. "I'm thrilled now to take on the challenge of continuing its exciting growth." [Brian Brooks] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Festivals, SXSW ]

iW NEWS | "Throw Down Your Heart" and "Cook County" Win Audience Nods at SXSW

The SXSW Film Conference & Festival announced its final audience award winners, with Sascha Paladino's doc "Throw Down Your Heart" taking the prize in the festival's music themed 24 Beats per Second section and David Pomes' small-town drug drama "Cook County" winning in the Lone Star States section. Jake Mahaffy's "Wellness" and Daniel Junge's "They Killed Sister Dorothy" won the jury awards in the narrative and doc competitions respectively at a ceremony earlier last week in Austin, TX. [Brian Brooks] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Festivals, SXSW ]

AP: Helen Hunt talks filmmaking in Austin

Helen Hunt is an Oscar winner (for "As Good As It Gets") and a four-time Emmy winner (for "Mad About You"). Now she has a new title to add to her esteemed collection: filmmaker. Christy Lemire reports. 
[permalink]   [ filed under Festivals, SXSW ]

LAT: SXSW is Swelling

Judging from the number of high-profile studio films in this year's lineup and listening to movie industry executives here, South By Southwest's Film Festival and Conference finally is coming out from under its reputation as poor cousin to its revered sister music fest. Chris Lee reports. 
[permalink]   [ filed under Festivals, SXSW ]

INSIDE WORD | "Four Eyed" Monsters In The Home Stretch with IFC and DVD Deals

At an indie distribution panel today at SXSW, "Four Eyed Monsters" filmmakers Susan Buice & Arin Crumley revealed that they will sell a DVD of their film, bundled with five brand new video podcast episodes, at Borders stores on April 29th. In a deal with IFC TV, they indicated that they will also broadcast their film on the cable network. Buice and Crumley were joined on the panel by filmmaker Lance Weiler; indieWIRE profiled the trio and their efforts back in August of 2006. [Eugene Hernandez] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Movies, SXSW ]

Variety: SXSW Fest Gets Hot with Directors

Even after 15 years, the South By Southwest Film Festival is no threat to Sundance -- but it is the festival Slamdance always wanted to be. Dana Harris and Michael Jones report. 
[permalink]   [ filed under Festivals, SXSW ]

AP: South by Southwest bets on "21"

Robert Luketic sheepishly says he thinks the South by Southwest Film Festival is taking a gamble on him by showing his Las Vegas thriller, "21," on opening night. Christy Lemire reports. 
[permalink]   [ filed under Festivals, SXSW ]

INSIDE WORD | Secret Screenings Set for SXSW

Sundance Hits in Austin... The cool, windy weather in Austin has swept in a pair of Sundance Film Festival hits for surprise midnight screenings this weekend (via Sony Pictures Classics). Friday night at Midnight a bonus screening of The Duplass Brothers' "Baghead" is on tap for the Alamo South Lamar. According to ads in the local Austin American Statesman, tickets are available to anyone who drops by The Jackalope bar (404 E. 6th Street) between 5 p.m. - 8 p.m. on Thursday and Friday. See the man with a bag on his head. The following night a surprise showing of an unnamed Park City favorite will screen at the Alamo South Lamar. The promo copy (and innuendos) should leave little doubt as to which SPC film will be shown: "Before it rolls into theaters this summer, be one of the first to see this huge (bong) hit from this year's Sundance Film Festival. Where were you in '94? Find out what you missed at this secret (stash) midnight screening Saturday night at the Lamar! Snacks not provided, but strongly encouraged." 
[permalink]   [ filed under Festivals, SXSW ]

iW NEWS | SXSW '08 Adds Films, Panels

Eva Norvind's "Born Without" and Everardo Gonzalez' "The Old Thieves" have been added to the roster for the upcoming SXSW Film Conference and Festival, screening in the event's new "Global Doc Days" section that will showcase programming from various international film organizations. The section will also include docs from Canada, Norway, and China. Also added to the SXSW lineup are panels featuring Billy Bob Thornton & Dwight Yoakam (In conversation on March 11), separate conversations with Helen Hunt and Stanley Nelson (both on March 9th), and an acting workshop with Jeffrey Tambor on the same day. The event is also adding "Drugs, Politics, and Race: A 'Harold & Kumar' Panel" and "What the Writers' Strike Taught Us" on March 8th. SXSW will run from March 7 - 16 in Austin, TX. [Eugene Hernandez] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Festivals, SXSW ]

iW NEWS | "Harold and Kumar," "Seattle," "Crawford," "Mister Lonely" Among SXSW Titles Added

Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg's New Line Cinema release, "Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay," the sequel to "Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle," will join the line up at the upcoming South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Conference & Festival. Suspected of terrorism after they try to sneak on board a plane to Amsterdam, they are forced to run from the law and try to find a way to prove their innocence. Joining the line up as well are: Stuart Townsend's "Battle in Seattle," David Modigliani's "Crawford," Harmony Korine's "Mister Lonely," Steve Conrad's "The Promotion," and "The Toe Tactic" by Emily Hubley. Helen Hunt will join a panel (her directorial effort, "Then She Found Me" is screening), as will sci-fi writer Harlan Ellison and Michael Eisner. For more information, visit the SXSW website. [Brian Brooks] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Festivals, SXSW ]

iW NEWS | Luketic's "21" to Open 15th SXSW Film Festival in March

Robert Luketic's "21" will open the 15th South by Southwest Film Conference & Festival (SXSW) March 7th, the event anounced Wednesday. Written by Peter Steinfeld and Allan Loeb, the Columbia Pictures release is based on Ben Mezrich's book, "Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six M.I.T. Student Who Took Vegas for Millions." The feature stars Jim Sturgess, Kate Bosworth, Kevin Spacey, and Laurence Fishburne and will screen at Austin's Paramount Theater, kicking off the nine day film fest taking place in the Texas capital March 7 - 15. Also joining the partial line up unveiled today along with "21" are Steve James and Peter Gilbert's drama "At the Death House Door," Erik Nelson's doc on author Harlan Ellison "Dreams with Sharp Teeth," Michael Radford's "Flawless" starring Demi Moore, "Run Fatboy Run" by David Schwimmer, and Celia Maysles' doc about her father, filmmaker David Maysles, "Wild Blue Yonder," which iW profiled from IDFA in November. "We're thrilled to have 21 screen as the Opening Night Film of SXSW 2008," commented festival producer Matt Dentler in a statement. "With a great story, as well as fantastic talent in front of and behind the camera, we're willing to bet that audiences will be just as excited." [Brian Brooks] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Festivals, SXSW ]

iW NEWS | Moby and Stanley Nelson on Tap for SXSW '08

Looking ahead to its next edition in March, the South by Southwest Film Conference & Festival (SXSW) have confirmed Moby and documentary filmmaker Stanley Nelson to its slate of speakers, the fest announced over the weekend. Moby will participate in a session entitled "A Conversation with Moby," hosted and moderated by Doreen Ringer-Ross of BMI. The session, scheduled for Tuesday, March 11, will take a look at the musician's relationship with cinema including a look at "moby gratis," the musician's new endeavor to offer some of his music, free-of-charge, to independent filmmakers. Nelson filmmaker ("Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple") will take part in a discussion of his work including highlights from his award-winning career. SXSW also announced the creation of "Global Doc Days," an initiative formed "to create a brighter spotlight on documentary films produced around the world." International film organizations are invited to showcase some of their latest in nonfiction filmmaking, and each participating nation will have an afternoon slot at a SXSW theater, to offer audiences a chance to sample their documentary programming. The 15th festival will take place March 7 - 15 in Austin, TX. [Brian Brooks] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Festivals, SXSW ]

iW NEWS | SXSW Names 'click' Winners; Accepting Submissions for '08

The South by Southwest Film Festival (SXSW) announced the winners of its 4th annual SXSWclick Festival with Dan Brown's "Pierre" taking the grand jury prize as well as the "Animate-It" nod, while "Peterson's Savings and Loan" by Will Elliott won the 'Popularity Contest' with 1,000 online votes in addition to taking the prize in the "Old School Shorts" category. Other winners included "Ubuntu" by David Serota (Really Real Shorts), "Always Near" by Andrea Giacomini (Sound Checks), and "The Timebox Twins" by Tipper Newton (What the F*#!?). In addition to its winners, SXSW is now accepting entries for its 2008 edition next March 7 - 15. The early submission deadline is November 16 and the final deadline is December 7. For more information, visit the festival's website. [Brian Brooks] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Festivals, SXSW ]

iW NEWS | Finalists Named for 4th SXSWclick

Fifteen finalists in five categories have been named for the South by Southwest Film Conference & Festival's four-year-old online Summer short film event, SXSWclick. Selected in the Animate-It category are: AM Peters' "Corporate Whore," Dan Brown's "Pierre," and David Crumley's "Sloths on a Tank"; in the Old School Shorts section: Will Elliott's "Peterson's Savings and Loan," Johnny O'Hara's "Mac's First Time," and Adam Wingard's "1000 Year Sleep"; in the Really Old Shorts category: David Serota's "Ubuntu," Kent Osbourne's "Every Picture I Took Last Year," and Jenny Perlin's "Review"; in the Sounds Shots section: Jonathan Stearns' "Falling Up" by Rickie Lee Jones, Andrea Gianomini's "Always Near" by Socadia, and Aaron Castillo's "Not Until Now" by Mediums; and in the What the F*#! category: Tim Spellman's "Math Bus," Tipper Newtown's "The Timebox Twins," and Naveen Singh's "Orphans." Jurors for the competition include actor Kal Penn, comedian Bob Odenkirk, filmmakers Doug Pray, Michael Tully and AJ Schnack, and bloggers Agnes Varnum and Violet Blue. For more information, visit the SXSWclick website. [Eugene Hernandez] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Festivals, SXSW, Shorts ]

Mumblecorps Trailers at SXSW

Cast and crew from "Hannah Takes The Stairs," including Andrew Bujalski, Kevin Bewersdorf, Mark Duplass, Greta Gerwig, Kent Osborne, Ry Russo-Young, Todd Rohal, and Joe Swanberg starred in a series of trailers they made for the recent SXSW Film Festival. One clip, dubbed "Mc Griddles" features Bujalski, Osborne and Bewersdorf talking about blogs and an apparently popular McDonalds breakfast item. Others, shot on the set of "Hannah" are available online (via YouTube).  
[permalink]   [ filed under Festivals, SXSW ]

"Country" and "Circle" Take Final SXSW Fest Prizes

The South by Southwest Film Festival & Conference announced its final awards, with Joe Pickett and Nick Preuher's "Dirty Country" winning the documentary prize in the festival's "24 Beats Per Second" section, while Marcy Garriott's doc "Inside the Circle" taking the audience nod in the "Lone Star States" section. As previously announced, Jamie Babbit's "Itty Bitty Titty Committee" and Jennifer Venditti's "Billy the Kid" won best narrative and documentary features respectively in the jury prizes. [Brian Brooks] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Festivals, SXSW ]

Magnolia Gets Zobel's "Great Word of Sound"; Fall Release Planned

Magnolia Pictures has announced its acquisition of North American rights to Craig Zobel's "Great World of Sound" which is screening this week in Austin at the SXSW Film Festival and had its world premiere at Sundance in January where Magnolia execs first saw the movie. In the words of an announcement, "Existing at the darkly comic intersection of the 'American Idol' phenomenon, 'Glengarry Glen Ross', and The Maysles Brothers' revered documentary 'Salesman', 'Great World of Sound' stars Patrick Healy and Kene Holliday as Martin and Clarence, two average southern guys who get involed in the excitement of a record industry talent scouting scheme..." The company is planning a Fall release for the film. In a statement, Zobel said Thursday, "Magnolia is one of the most progressive, exciting companies out there--they were at the top of the wish list in my hopes of getting distribution. I feel extremely lucky that they are so passionate about the film. Having this deal happen at SXSW is just tremendous." The deal was negotiated by Magnolia head of acquisitions Tom Quinn and head of business affairs Jason Janego, with Cassian Elwes of William Morris Independent representing the Zobel. "I love 'Great World of Sound'," praised Magnolia owner Mark Cuban in a statement. "It reminded me of all the great sales movies, and the ups and downs anyone who has ever had to close a sale in order to eat has experienced." [Eugene Hernandez] 
[permalink]   [ filed under Acquisitions, SXSW ]

AAS: SXSW Interview: Stephen Kijak, "Scott Walker: 30 Century Man"

Four years in the making, "Scott Walker: 30 Century Man" is and in-depth look at a man who turned his back on fame to follow a very singular and uncompromising artistic path, something all too rare in today's accelerated pop culture. In addition to a rare interview with the reclusive Walker himself, the film features interviews with an impressive roster of his famous fans and collaborators (Bowie, Radiohead, Jarvis Cocker, and legendary arranger Angela Morley, formerly known as Wally Stott) And the filmmakers were granted exclusive access to observe the recording of Walker's latest album "The Drift." Matthew Odam speaks with "Scott Walker" director Stephen Kijak where his doc is having its North American premiere at the SXSW Film Festival, currently underway, in the Austin American Statesman. 
[permalink]   [ filed under People, SXSW ]

iW Video | John Pierson on Michael Moore, "Roger & Me," and "Manufacturing Dissent"

Among the films that have had people talking at SXSW this year is "Manufacturing Dissent," a new documentary critical of Michael Moore. In an iW Video clip (link to YouTube clip), film professor and former film rep John Pierson, who shepherded Moore's breakthrough to wider awareness in 1989, talks about Michael Moore, "Roger & Me" and the new doc, "Manufacturing Dissent." As indieWRE reported in a Dispatch from SXSW earlier this week, among the hot topics is whether Michael Moore actually did conduct an interview with GM chief Roger Smith in "Roger & Me."  
[permalink]   [ filed under SXSW, indieWIRE: VIdeo ]

With SXSW Nearing, Variety Explores '07 Fest

In Variety, Ian Mohr looks at the upcoming SXSW Film Festival, distinguishing it from other U.S. film fests. SXSW fest producer Matt Dentler tells Mohr, "Sundance, bar none, has the best programming of any festival in America. But it is hard to navigate. We have a degree of programming and organization where we want to include the filmmaker, the film industry and the film fan. That's the family tree we want to keep growing without an elitist vibe." Meanwhile, also in Variety, Peter DeBruge offers insights into the integration of the music, film and interactive sections of the upcoming SXSW. And Dentler explains, in a separate interview, "Today, with the way the music and the film businesses operate, they're all intertwined so much that it only makes South by Southwest more vital each year."  
[permalink]   [ filed under Festivals, SXSW ]