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  Sign of the Times? Insiders React To Picturehouse, Warner Indie Closures
The tragedy was in plain sight, but nobody thought it would hit this hard. As word spread today that Warner Bros. planned to close its specialty divisions Picturehouse and Warner Independent Pictures, shifting all projects currently in development to the larger studio and its recently absorbed subdivision New Line, a mournful tone took hold of the independent film industry. "It is a sad day when any film company, large or small, bites the dust," said President of THINKfilm Mark Urman. "One had heard and one had even considered that this was a possible scenario. It's still surprising when you see it in print." [ read more in Biz ] [ 2 comments ] [ filed under Companies, Indiewood, Lead Story ] 
 NEWFEST '08 | 20th Anniversary Marked With 250 Films, New Additions
The New York Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Film Festival (NewFest) announced the program of films and events for its 20th annual edition. The line-up features nearly 250 films, representing over 30 countries, and including 49 New York Premieres, 14 U.S. Premieres and 8 World Premieres. "Each year we try to make NewFest bigger and better than the last one," Basil Tsiokos, Artistic Director of NewFest in a statement. Among the new additions is NewDraft Screenplay Competition & Reading Series, which is discovering and fostering LGBT features screenwriters and their screenplays. [ read more in On The Scene ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Festival News, Lineups, Queer Cinema ]  REUTERS | Canadian Finances Film Over Internet
Aspiring Canadian filmmaker Casey Walker launched a website earlier this year to raise C$1 million to finance his film "Free for all.. But you." He's doing so by selling frames of his film over the Internet for C$10 a piece. And as Reuters reports, investors will in return receive a credit in his movie, advertising rights on his site and a cut of the profits if the film makes money. So far Walker has raised C$170,000.  [permalink] [ filed under Biz ] iW NEWS | Costantin Films Sets "Pandorum"
Costantin FIlm and Impact Pictures announced that Dennis Quaid and Ben Foster are in final negotiations to join "Pandorum," a science-fiction thriller set aboard an "abandoned pioneer space vessel." The film, to be directed by Christian Alvart will be financed by Constatin under its joint venture deal with Impact, and will be released in North America by Overture Films. Summit Entertainment is handling foreign sales for Constantin Film and will introduce the project to buyers at the upcoming Cannes Film Festival. [Peter Knegt] [permalink] [ filed under Biz ] iW NEWS | Golden Trailer Awards Announced
Thursday night at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles, the 9th Annual Golden Trailer Awards were handed out in a ceremony hosted by comedian Sinbad. The upcoming "The Dark Knight" won best action trailer, while "Iron Man" won the best overall for summer 2008. "In Bruges" was named the most original, while "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" and "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" won for best music and best voice-over, respectively. "No Country For Old Men" was awarded the best dramatic trailer, "Where In The World Is Osama Bin Laden?" best documentary, and "Day Night Day Night" for best independent. The awards will be televised on May 26, 2008 on MyNetworkTV, which will include the winner of the publicly voted "trailer of the year." All other winners were deciphered by a jury that included Joss Whedon, Jonathan D. Krane, Morgan Spurlock, Eli Roth, Gary Meyet and Claudia Puig. [Peter Knegt] [permalink] [ filed under Awards Watch, Honors ]  * Advertise with indieWIRE During Cannes Reach our specific readership of industry and filmmakers with an indieWIRE web ad (via blogads.com). These eye-catching 150x200 ads run in the right hand column of indieWIRE. PREMIUM AD STANDARD AD For more information and to book, contact: James Israel at james AT indiewire.com
iW NEWS | Warner Bros. Shuts Picturehouse and Warner Independent
Warner Bros. President and COO Alan Horn has announced the closure of studio specialty divisions Picturehouse and Warner Independent Pictures today. The news follows the recent move to severely scale back New Line Cinema and incorporate it into the WB studio apparatus, cutting hundreds of jobs at the company. "With New Line now a key part of Warner Bros., we're able to handle films across the entire spectrum of genres and budgets without overlapping production, marketing and distribution infrastructures, Horn said, continuing, "We're confident that the spirit of independent filmmaking and the opportunity to find and give a voice to new talent will continue to have a presence at Warner Bros." The complete press release from Warner Bros. is available now via indieWIRE Insider. [Eugene Hernandez] [permalink] [ filed under Biz ] iW NEWS | Palm Pictures Croons to "Patti Smith"
North American rights to photographer Steven Sebring's directorial debut, "Patti Smith: Dream of Life," which premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival have been acquired by Palm Pictures. The deal, which encompasses North American theatrical, non-theatrical and home video and VOD distribution rights, was announced by Jan Korbelin, managing partner of Palm Pictures. The agreement was negotiated by Pierre Menahem, on behalf of Celluloid Dreams. Palm is currently planning a late summer 2008 theatrical release, followed by the DVD release in the early 2009. The doc is a portrait of poet, artist, punk pioneer and activist Patti Smith. "Palm Pictures has long been dedicated to bringing audiences the best in music films." commented Korbelin in a statement. "Patti Smith is a cultural pioneer whose energy and powerful vision redefined the world of music." [Brian Brooks] [permalink] [ filed under Acquisitions ]  indieWIRE INTERVIEW | "Battle for Haditha" Director Nick Broomfield
As a documentarian, Nick Broomfield has dissected American pop culture with films like "Biggie & Tupac" and "Kurt & Courtney." With his more recent forays into narrative feature filmmaking, he has broadened his scope to include global issues. "Ghosts" explored the dark world of Chinese migrant workers in the UK, and his latest work, "Battle for Haditha," which opened at Film Forum earlier this week, recreates the infamous 2005 incident where U.S. marines murdered two dozen Iraqi civilians in a small village, driven by rage after encountering a roadside bomb. An attempt by the military to cover up the role of the American soldiers in the slaughter didn't last long. Media scrutiny led to an internal investigation, and the events have now been thoroughly recorded in various reports. [ read more in People ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Interviews ]  Pangea Day '08 | Inaugural World Event Brings Film and Dialog to the Globe
The Tribeca Film Festival turned a spotlight on the pending launch of Pangea Day last week, which can probably be best described as the first "world-wide film festival." For four hours on May 10, twenty-four films "made by the world for the world" will be broadcast live around the globe via the Internet and at organized events around the globe. In a discussion ahead of the event, launching this Saturday, the movers and shakers behind Pangea Day discussed the beginning of a global film experiment. [ read more in On The Scene ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Trends ]  DISPATCH FROM SAN FRANCISCO | America's Oldest Fest Takes on the Future
"Last year we celebrated our past, but tonight we begin our future," commented San Francisco Film Society Executive Director Graham Leggat in his opening night remarks of the 51st San Francisco International Film Festival. Leggat was referring to the Film Society's plans to expand its identity into a more far-reaching and consistently present local force in terms of education outreach and year-round exhibition. But the promises, and more pointedly, the potential perils of what lies ahead in the larger scheme of things, seemed to be on many filmmakers' minds as well. [ read more in On The Scene ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Lead Story, Wrap Ups ] iW NEWS | Oberhausen Shorts Fest Announces Winners
The 54th International Short Film Festival Oberhausen was held May 1-6, 2008 in Oberhausen, Germany, and handed out awards Tuesday night at the Lichtburg Filmpalast. The Grand Prize of the City of Oberhausen, handed out by the international jury and worth 7,500 euros, went to Australian Dennis Tupicoff's "Chainsaw," for "its masterful synthesis of social commentary, formal experimentation, and its exploration of bareback riding both within the rodeo arena and beyond." The two Principal Prizes, worth 3,500 euros each, went to Romanian Radu Jude's "Alexandra" and Russian Alina Rudnitskaya's "Kak stat stervoi" ("Vixen Academy"). The Jury of the Minister President of North Rhine-Westphalia gave its prize for regional work to Belgian director Alexia Bonta's "Parlez-moi d'amou" ("Tell Me About Love"), while the FIPRESCI Prize (International Critic's Prize) went to Russian Pavel Medvedev's "Nezrimoe" ("The Unseen"). [Peter Knegt] [permalink] [ filed under Festivals ] iW NEWS | Cinema Guild Takes "Myths"
The Cinema Guild announced its acquisition of the U.S. distribution rights to Margaret Brown's second feature film, "The Order of Myths." "Myths," a documentary which looks at race in America through the Mardi Gras celebration in Mobile, Alabama, will open in New York and Los Angeles in July and August, followed by a national release. "With 'The Order of Myths,' Margaret has made an incredibly engaging film, a beautifully-composed, thoughtful investigation into our nation's history and its lingering effect on one community," said Ryan Krivoshey, Director of Distrubution for The Cinema Guild. [Peter Knegt] [permalink] [ filed under Acquisitions ] iW NEWS | 24 frames Acquires "Partes Usadas"
Independent distributor 24 frames announced that it has acquired the North American rights to Mexican film "Partes Usadas, which was distributed in Mexico through Canana Films, founded by Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna. The first feature of writer-director Aaron Fernandez, the film follows a 14 year old boy ad his shady uncle who are saving up to illegally immigrate to Chicago. [Peter Knegt] [permalink] [ filed under Acquisitions ] iW NEWS | IFP Minnesota Announces Grant
IFP Minnesota, in partnership with ETS Pictures and Twin Cities-based production community, announced the "Fresh Filmmakers Production Grant," intended to assist new narrative filmmakers in Minnesota and Western Wisconsin. The first of its kind for the region, the grant will facilitate the production of one short narrative film directed by a filmmaker who has been making films for no more than five years. The grant is to honor the memory of Dennis O'Rourke, who was a friend to the regional film community for over thirty years before his death in 2006. The application deadline for the grant is August 19, 2008. [Peter Knegt] [permalink] [ filed under Biz ] iW NEWS | Seattle To Honor Kingsley
Sir Ben Kingsley has been named the recipient of the 2008 Golden Space Needle for Outstanding Achievement in Acting at the 34th Seattle International Film Festival. The award will be given at a tribute event at the Egyptian Theatre in Seattle on May, 25, 2008, and will be followed by the North American premiere of Isabel Coixet's "Elegy," which Kingsley stars in. After the screening, Kingsley will take the stage again for an interview moderated by David Poland. Three other Kingsley films, a special screening of "Sexy Beast" and two Seattle premieres, Jonathan Levine's "The Wackness" and Brad Anderson's "Transsiberian" will also play during the festival, which runs from May 22 through June 15. [Peter Knegt] [permalink] [ filed under Honors ] iW NEWS | Fortissimo Set with "Subaru"
Hong Kong director Lee Chi-Ngai is directing "Dance Subaru," adapted from Masahito Soda's popular Japanese comic book. The producers of the project, which has just completed production and will be introduced at the upcoming Cannes Market, are Bill Kong ("House of Flying Daggers"), Masato Matsuura from Avex Entertainment Inc. and Ryuhei Chiba, co-CEO of Avex. [Eugene Hernandez] [permalink] [ filed under Movies ] iW NEWS | Salmona Wins New Director's Prize in San Francisco
iAt the San Francisco International Film Festival yesterday, Mushon Salmona's "Vasermil" won the New Director's Award, while Yung Chang's "Up The Yangtze" won the prize for best documentary feature. Dawn Logsdon's "Faubourg Treme: The Untold Story of Black New Orleans" won the Bay Area Documentary Feature prize and Todd Herman's "Cabinet" won the Bay Area short prize and the New Visions prize. Christina A. Voros' "The Ladies" won the documentary short prize and Jean-Bernard Marlin & Benoit Rambourg "Thick Skinned" won the narrative short award, Chris Lavis & Maciek Szczerbowski won the animated short film prize for "Madame Tutli-Putli." [Eugene Hernandez] [permalink] [ filed under Festivals ] Home Work People/ Festivals Can't find staff? Need programmers, publicists, and managers Even your business plan sputtering? Denise Kasell, a seasoned pro who spearheaded the growth of The Hamptons International Film Festival and a team of powerhouse specialists bring all the tools you need to keep your film festival running at a high caliber pitch. HWP/Festivals advises on everything from Start-Up to Daily Operations, Programming, Fiscal Management and Sponsorships. We are any film festival's complete Consulting, Staffing and Training resource. Remember to Register with us. Click Questionnaire for Job Seekers
iW NEWS | Cannes Classics Set For Fifth Year
The Cannes Film Festival will spotlight classic films on rediscovered or restored masterworks or films that have been re-released in theaters or DVD with the Cannes Classics 2008 program. Presented at the Palais des Festival, the Cinema de la Plage and the La Licorne Theatre, the program includes a tribute to Manoel de Oliveira for his 100th birthday, featuring a screening of one of his first films, 1931's "Douro, Faina Fluvial," as well as Wong Kar Wai presenting "Ashes of Time Redux." Overall, the program features dozens of films, including a new or restored prints of Marcel Ophuls' 1955 film "Lola Montes," Vijay Anand's 1965 film "Guide," Paul Newman's 1972 film "Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds," Bruce Weber's 1988 film "Let's Get Lost," Alejandro Jodorowsky's 1989 film "Santa Sangre," Jean Cocteau's 1949 film "Orphee," James Toback's 1977 film "Fingers," Lester James Peries' 1965 film "Gamperaliya," and Ben Maddow, Syndey Meyers and Joseph Strick's 1960 collaboration "The Savage Eye." Two new films will also be presented in the Documentaries About Cinema section: James Cressanthis's "No Subtitles Necessary: Laszlo & Vilmos," which follows the journey and friendship of Hungarian directors Laszlo Kovacs and Vilmos Zsigmond, and Richard Schickel's documentary about the history of Warner Brothers, "You Must Remember This," which will be accompanied by 10 screenings of classic Warner films, including a one-off "Looney Tunes." [Peter Knegt] [permalink] [ filed under Cannes, Festivals ]  BIZ | Cablevision Stretches its Rainbow to Sundance Channel
Rainbow Media announced today a plan to purchase the Sundance Channel for $496 million. Confirming reports that the network was seeking a buyer and Rainbow Media was the lead contender, the deal finds Rainbow Media Holdings, LLC, a programming subsidiary of Cablevision Systems Corporation, buying the channel from its current owners NBC Universal, CBS, Showtime Networks and Robert Redford. The Sundance founder, meanwhile, will continue his role as the network's creative director, in addition to recieving just under $50 million from the deal, with the rest of the money divided up between the other owners. [ read more in Biz ] [ 2 comments ] [ filed under Companies, Lead Story ] iW NEWS | Critics Week Takes on "Poverty"
Philippe Diaz's "The End of Poverty?" has been added to Critics Week as part of the fest's "Cinema & Politics" day on May 19. Narrated by Martin Sheen, Diaz's ("Now & Later") doc explores whether the "true causes of povery today" stem from a deliberate orchestration since colonial times in which wealthy nations exploit the poor. Filmed in high definition in countries in Europe, Africa and South America, the film features economists, politicians and people engaged in social movements. Following its screening, Diaz and figures from the film will participate in a panel discussion. [Brian Brooks] [permalink] [ filed under Cannes, Festivals ] iW NEWS | Locarno to Honor Producer Christine Vachon at Fest
Producer Christine Vachon of Killer Films will be awarded the Raimondo Rezzonico Prize at the 61st Locarno International Film Festival, taking place August 6 - 16. Through her production company, founded in 1995, Vachon has helped launch the careers of filmmakers such as Larry Clark ("Kids," 1995) and John Cameron Mitchell ("Hedwig and the Angry Inch," 2001) in addition to working with established directors such as Robert Altman ("The Company," 2003) and John Waters ("A Dirty Shame," 2004). "Locarno is celebrating an exceptional producer, who has made a decisive contribution to independent American cinema over the last fifteen years," commented Locarno's artistic director Frederic Maire in a statement. The award began in 2002 in memory of the man who was president of the Locarno Festival for almost twenty years. [Brian Brooks] [permalink] [ filed under Festivals ]  CineVegas '08 | "Rocker," "Howard" and Debuts Crown 10th CineVegas Fest
The world premiere of Peter Cattaneo's "The Rocker," starring Rainn Wilson as a failed drunmmer who joins his nephew's high school band, will open the 10th annual CineVegas Film Festival, taking place in Las Vegas June 12 - 21. Among this year's debuts are seven world premieres the festival has packaged in its "Jackpot Premieres" section (listed below) in addition to the festival's documentary section (including three world debuts), a sidebar on Mexican films and directors as well as high profile work that have been making the festival rounds and more. Closing the festival is Sean McGinly's "The Great Buck Howard," starring John Malkovich, Colin Hanks, Emily Blunt and Tom Hanks. [ read more in On The Scene ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Lead Story, Lineups ] NYT: Sundance Is Sold to Cablevision for $496 Million
The twelve-year-old channel, available in nearly 30 million homes, is currently a joint venture of NBC Universal, CBS Corporation and Robert Redford. Mr. Redford, the actor, director and producer, will remain with the network. Brian Stelter reports. [permalink] [ filed under Biz ] iW NEWS | Fortissimo Takes Non-North American Rights to Madonna's "I Am"
Director Nathan Rissman's "I Am Because We Are," produced, written and narrated by Madonna, has been acquired by Fortissimo Films. The doc will have its international premiere during Cannes where it will be presented as part of amfAR's annual "Cinema Against AIDS" event. The film spotlights the camera on Malawi an African country of twelve million people ravaged by the AIDS epidemic -- an epidemic that has left more than one million children as orphans. The film also examines global and individual solutions to solve the crisis of this small nation. Fortissimo's SVP, Sales & Acquisitions, Winnie Lau negotiated the deal, which includes all rights outside North America, with Creative Artists Agency (CAA) which represents the film. Madonna will be in Cannes May 22 as a co-chair of "Cinema Against AIDS." "I Am Because We Are" had its world premiere at the recent Tribeca Film Festival. [Brian Brooks] [permalink] [ filed under Acquisitions ] REVIEW | Embedded: Nick Broomfield's "Battle for Haditha"
[An indieWIRE review from Reverse Shot.] "What do you wanna know?" A young Marine casually utters this question at the outset of "Battle for Haditha," and it's a fitting epigraph to Nick Broomfield's blistering, ambitious film. The query prefaces the PFC's offhand account of his service and the conditions of his barracks in Haditha, Iraq, but it could easily be Broomfield's own inquiry to his audience: In a singularly brutal and cloudy episode of the war, a group of Marines is attacked by insurgents and retaliates by unleashing their notion of justice on a small residential enclave, killing some twenty-four people. What do you want to know about these events, and what means do you have to figure them out? [ read more in Movies ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Reviews ] LAT | Independent Picturehouse's fate at Warner Bros. is cloudy
Considering the fate of Picturehouse and Warner Independent, the LA Times' Rachel Abramowitz notes, "For the last few weeks, Warner Bros. has been in talks with Picturehouse head Bob Berney about taking over as co-president with Warner Independent President Polly Cohen of some merged entity, though talks appear to have bogged down over the exact parameters of such a venture, according to various inside sources." [permalink] [ filed under Biz ] VAR | Sony Classics Gets Egoyan's Cannes Entry
Sony Pictures Classics has acquired "domestic and select international rights" to Atom Egoyan's Cannes Film Festival competition entry, "Adoration," according to Variety. [permalink] [ filed under Acquisitions, Cannes ] 15th ANNUAL AUSTIN FILM FESTIVAL Film Competition Categories: Regular Film Deadline: June 5 / Late Deadline: July 5 / Very Late: July 15 Screenplay/Teleplay Competition: You can't afford not to enter. Learn why at www.austinfilmfestival.com
iW BOT UPDATE | "Lonely" at the Top
Harmony Korine's "Mister Lonely" from IFC Films is atop the weekly iW BOT box office chart, which was published this afternoon. The film earned $16,769 on 1 screens over the weekend. More in this week's box office column, which was published last night. [Peter Knegt] [permalink] [ filed under ]  REVIEW | Imagine That: Tarsem Singh's "The Fall"
[An indieWIRE review from Reverse Shot.] Playwright John Guare must have had Indian director Tarsem Singh (or as he's often simply known, Tarsem) in mind when he wrote about the increasing exteriorization of the term "imaginative": "Why has 'imagination' become a synonym for style?" Singh makes films that inspire a bevy of similarly misused adjectives: "sumptuous," "surreal," "eye-popping," "hallucinatory." He specializes in audacious compositions, shoots in exotic locales, fits his actors in unique costumes that appear simultaneously futuristic and old-fashioned, and in only two features, including the new and fifteen years in the making "The Fall," has shown a predilection for stories about, yes, "the power of the imagination." [ read more in Movies ] [ 2 comments ] [ filed under Lead Story, Reviews ] iW NEWS | "Tru Loved" and "World" to Bookend 20th NewFest
Stewart Wade's romantic comedy "Tru Loved" will open the 20th NewFest: The New York Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Film Festival, taking place June 5 - 15. Closing the event is Tom Gustafson's "Were the World Mine." "Especially in a milestone year such as this, we want to bring NYC an even better LGBT film festival than the year before," commented NewFest artistic director Basil Tsiokos in a statement. "Along with an extremely strong lineup of films and panels, we're offering a few brand new special additions to our programming. This year introduces the John Outcalt NewFest Lounge where audiences and filmmakers alike can relax between screenings." The NewFest Lounge will be located at the HK Lounge on Ninth Avenue at 39th Street in Manhattan. [Brian Brooks] [permalink] [ filed under Festivals, Queer Cinema ] SF360: Nights on the Towne: Film Society Awards Night
You know a film festival is beginning to work its way into your brain when, in a landscape of intersecting ideas, you begin to witness the collisions. The diners at S.F. Film Society Awards Night this past Thursday -- including Warren Beatty, Jerry Brown, Willie Brown, Maria Bello, John Burton and Dede Wilsey-- saw a mash-up of two opposing approaches to the art of great filmmaking in awards to Mike Leigh and Robert Towne. Susan Gerhard reports. [permalink] [ filed under Festivals ]  LAFF '08 | Universal Pics "Wanted and "Hellboy II" Bookend Los Angeles Fest in June
Universal Pictures' "Wanted" by Timur Bekmambetov will open the 2008 Los Angeles Film Festival June 19 in Westwood, organizers announced Tuesday. Based upon Mark Millar's graphic novel series the film tells the story of one apathetic nobody's transformation into an unparalleled enforcer of justice. Closing the festival, which is organized by Film Independent, is writer/director Guillermo del Toro's "Hellboy II: The Golden Army" also from Universal on June 29. Sundance 2008 doc "Anvil! The Story of Anvil" will screen as the Centerpiece June 26 at the Ford Amphitheater in a program that will include live musical performances and "special guests." "I am proud of the festival's on-going growth within the community, and pleased that we continue to attract world-class filmmakers like Guillermo Del Toro and Timur Bekmambetov," said festival director Rich Raddon in a statement. "The Los Angeles Film Festival celebrates the best in filmmaking as well as discovering new voices from around the world." [ read more in On The Scene ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Lead Story, Lineups, Los Angeles Film Festival ] iW NEWS | "Heaven," "Chris & Don" Top Miami Gay & Lesbian Winners
The 10th Annual Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival closed for business, announcing a series of juried and audience awards presented at the Gala Closing night party at the Miami Art Space. Fatih Akin's "The Edge of Heaven" won the jury's fiction feature award, while Guido Santi and Tina Mascara's "Chris & Don: A Love Story" won the juried documentary award. Audience awards were handed out to Shamim Sarifis's "The World Unseen" for favorite feature, Scott Bloom's "Call Me Troy" for documentary, and Jesse Peretz's "Who I Am" for short. [Peter Knegt] [permalink] [ filed under Festivals, Honors, Queer Cinema ] iW NEWS | Hamptons To Host Screenwriter's Lab
The Hamptons International Film Festival will host its 8th annual Screenwirters' Lab May 9-11, 2008, in East Hampton. Co-sponsored by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the event will allow emerging screenwriters to work with mentors who will advise them on revising their scripts in preparation for production. "The Screenwriters' Lab consistently provides one of the most exciting and fulfilling aspects of the Hamptons' year-round activities," said Director of Programming David Nugent in a statement. The fest announced the lab's participants: Alex R. Johnson with "La Sobrina," James Ponsoldt with "Refresh, Refresh," Bradford Tatum with "Book of Water," and Avi Weider with "Zeroes and Ones." They will be mentored by Maria Maggneti, Ira Sachs, Jeffrey Sharp and Whit Stillman. [Peter Knegt] [permalink] [ filed under Events ] iW NEWS | Regent Ups Aubry to VP, Theatrical Marketing
Regent Releasing's Jonathon Aubry has been promoted to Vice President, Theatrical Marketing, the Los Angeles-based company announced Tuesday. In his new position, Aubry will report to Mark Reinhart, Gernal Manager, West Coast Operations and Executive Vice President, Distribution and Acquisitions. Aubry will oversee all theatrical and DVD marketing and publicity for both here! Films and Regent Releasing’s other independent theatrical releases. This includes all gay and lesbian titles released under the here! Films banner as well as Regent’s roster of independent and specialized releases. Formerly, Aubry served as Director, Marketing and Corporate Communications. [Brian Brooks] [permalink] [ filed under Industry Moves ] iW NEWS | Woodstock Fest Partners With STF
The Woodstock Film Festival will co-present three screenings as part of the Stranger Than Fiction series at the IFC Center in New York. On consecutive Tuesdays in May, directors Barbara Kopple ("My Generation"), Leon Gast ("When We Were Kings") and Jonathan Demme ("The Agronomist") will present and discuss their films. "We are thrilled to be able to show three amazing films as part of the Stranger Than Fiction film series at the IFC Center, and to offer the community a chance to meet and interact with these great filmmakers," said WFF executive director Meira Blaustein. [Peter Knegt] [permalink] [ filed under Events ] iW NEWS | Visit Gets Safdie's "Robbed" for Cannes
Unveiling its lineup for next week's Cannes Market, Visit Films has announced its acquisition of international rights to Josh Safdie's "The Pleasure of Being Robbed," which will close the Director's Fortnight section this year. Also on Visit's slate are Azazel Jacobs's Sundance hit "Momma's Man," Olaf De Fleur's Berlinale Teddy Award winner "The Amazing Truth About Queen Raquela," Stephen Higgins and Nina Gilden Seavey's "The Matador" from SXSW and Guy Moshe's "Holly." The company recently closed a spate of deals on recent market titles, including a 4 film pact with MovieMobz in Brazil for "Arranged," "Hannah Takes The Stairs," "Choking Man," and "Severed Ways: The Norse Discovery of America." It also licensed "Hannah Takes the Stairs" to ICA Films (UK), "Choking Man" to Soda (UK), and "Severed Ways" to Ascot-Elite (Germany, Austria, Switzerland). [Eugene Hernandez] [permalink] [ filed under Acquisitions, Cannes ] The Week in Fests | Rome, Cairo and Sydney
The latest from the festival scene this week. A link exchange by Variety.com and indieWIRE.
DIRECTORS BACK ROME FILM FESTIVAL
'AAL GAZIRA', 'HEENA' WIN IN CAIRO
LEIGH'S 'HAPPY' TO PLAY IN SYDNEY
More at Variety's Festival Central
15th ANNUAL AUSTIN FILM FESTIVAL Film Competition Categories: Regular Film Deadline: June 5 / Late Deadline: July 5 / Very Late: July 15 Screenplay/Teleplay Competition: You can't afford not to enter. Learn why at www.austinfilmfestival.com
 iW BOT | Chart-Topping 'Mister Lonely' Makes Harmony Korine the Comeback Kid
Box Office coverage presented by Rentrak Theatrical [ read more in Biz ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Box Office, Lead Story ]  TRIBECA '08 | Catching up on 20 Interviews, Critics Notebooks Dispatches and More from the Festival
Tribeca Film Festival coverage sponsored by Stella Artois. [ read more in On The Scene ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Lead Story, New York, Wrap Ups ] HR | Maya Makes "Sleep Dealer" Pact
Maya Entertainment is acquiring all U.S. rights to Alex Rivera's "Sleep Dealer," according to The Hollywood Reporter. The company is planning a theatrical and home video release. [permalink] [ filed under Acquisitions ] iW NEWS | Marche du Film Sees Rise in Attendance
As of April 15th, more than 8,000 professionals from 93 countries already confirmed their participation in the Marche du Film at the Cannes Film Festival, an 8% rise from 2007 and 40% since 2003. In response to a significant screenings demand, 3 new screening rooms will complete the 30 existing ones, with an overall of 12 digital screening rooms. The Marche will be ready to host the 1,600 screenings already booked for the 2008 edition. Additionally, about 300 companies will showcase their productions on more than 6,000 square meters of exhibiting surface. About 120 exhibitors will be present in hotels or flats on the Croisette. [Peter Knegt] [permalink] [ filed under Cannes, Festivals ] iW NEWS | NonStop Takes Nordic Rights For "Cowboys," "Faster"
Sweden-based NonStop Entertainment left the Tribeca Film Festival with two documentaries - Billy Corben's "Cocaine Cowboys 2: Hustin' With The Godmother," and Christopher Bells' "Bigger, Stronger, Faster." NonStop acquired distribution rights from Magnolia PIctures for both films in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, and Iceland. [Peter Knegt] [permalink] [ filed under Acquisitions ]   TRIBECA '08 | The Peeps with the $$
Tribeca Film Festival coverage sponsored by Stella Artois. Tribeca Film Festival founders Jane Rosenthal and Robert DeNiro toward the end of the awards ceremony at the Target Room, which you know... Honestly, was a surprisingly a good show. The awards were fun. And congrats! to Tomas Alfredson for "Let the Right One In" who won the big bucks (even with the shitty dollar-- thanks Bush) who won the Founders Award for Best Narative Feature and to Gini Reticker for "Pray the Devil Back to Hell" taking best doc.... (also big bucks -- $25 Ks all around, not bad!). To check out all the winners and all that, go to this.[ read more in iPOP ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under New York, Tribeca Film Festival ] iW NEWS | Strand Buds a "Blossom"
Doris Doerrie's "Cherry Blossoms-Hanami" has been been picked by Strand Releasing in the U.S. from Bavaria Film International. L.A. based Strand plans an Autumn release for the film. Bavaria is touting sales in over 30 territories, including Hong Kong and Denmark. [Brian Brooks] [permalink] [ filed under Acquisitions ]  TRIBECA '08 | Korine and b
Tribeca Film Festival coverage sponsored by Stella Artois. More from Tribeca '08: Probably the best chance to ever get in the hottest place one earth at the moment with a low ceiling is this joint (and somehow immune from the no smoking law in NYC?) Plus, the clientele is honestly sort of too much... though in a sort of Us kind of way... Though some of that rumor may be just from the chattering classes.... Anyway, we digress... A cool part of last week was hanging (or seeing) "Mr. Lonely" director Harmony Korine with fashion designer Agnes b. (um, Agnes f'n b god damnit!!! And we owe her lots of $$$$ -euros-) at the Beatrice Inn in Greenwich Village in New York. (Go there... 285 W. 12th St. -- you won't believe the warm reception...) A DAMN good party for "Lonely," merci Agnes and ifc. Where's Andy?[ read more in iPOP ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under New York, Tribeca Film Festival ] CALL FOR ENTRIES Submit to the Largest Independent Film Festival in the UK We screen films of all shapes, genres and sizes and have Late Submission Deadline is June 6th To submit your film visit http://www.withoutabox.com/login/1550
iW NEWS | Weekend Estimates: "Mister" Box Office
While "Iron Man" kicked off the summer blockbuster season with an astounding $100.7 million opening weekend, Harmony Korine's "Mister Lonely" impressively led the specialty-focused iW BOT, according to indieWIRE Box Office Tracking (iW BOT) estimates from Rentrak this afternoon. The IFC release took in $19,133 on its one screen, outpacing two other decent openers, David Mamet's "Redbelt" and Garth Jennings' "Son of Rambow." Sony Pictures Classics' "Redbelt" managed $68,646 from 6 screens for an average of $11,441, while Paramount Vantage's "Rambow" was just behind, averaging $10,600 on 5 screens. A less fortunate opener was Jeremy Podeswa's Holocaust drama "Fugitive Pieces," which averaged $3,600 from 30 screens for IDP and Samuel Goldwyn. Among those holdovers reporting, Claude Lelouch's "Roman De Gare," also distributed by IDP and Samuel Goldwyn, saw its average fall only $700 with $12,022, while the continued expansion of Tom McCarthy's "The Visitor" to 130 screens found a decent $663,000, for an average of $5,100 and a cume of almost $1.7 million after 4 weeks. Errol Morris's latest doc, "Standard Operating Procedure," saw its average fall more than 60% in its second weekend, taking in $33,688 from 11 screens. 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] [permalink] [ filed under Biz ] iW NEWS | "War Child" Wins Tribeca Audience Prize
Tribeca Film Festival coverage sponsored by Stella Artois. C. Karim Chrobog's' "War Child" won The Cadillac Award, receiving a $25,000 cash prize after being named the audience favorite at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival. The event, which concludes today in Manhattan, presented jury prizes earlier in the week, naming Tomas Alfredson's "Let the Right One In" (Lat den ratte komma in) the best narrative feature, while Gini Reticker's "Pray the Devil Back to Hell" won best documentary feature prize. Complete coversage of the festival is available in indieWIRE's special section.[permalink] [ filed under Honors, New York ] ADVERTISE with indieWIRE! * indieWIRE: Daily Sponsorship (Over 35,000 subscribers!) Reach our specific readership of industry and filmmakers with an indieWIRE: Daily sponsorship. You can receive the top position text ad as well as a special masthead mention in indieWIRE: Daily. The text ad also runs on indieWIRE.com's front page. Download our RATE CARD http://www.indiewire.com/advertise/indieWIRE_RateSheet.pdf For more information and to book, contact: James Israel at james AT indiewire.com | |
05/05/08 -
