http://www.indiewire.com/ indieWIRE: filmmakers. biz. fans. en Copyright 2009 2009-11-07T17:38:48+00:00 http://www.indiewire.com/article/box_office_precious_soars_on_opening_night_averages_32k/ http://www.indiewire.com/article/box_office_precious_soars_on_opening_night_averages_32k/#When:17:38:48Z Anyone skeptical of the box office power of Lee Daniels’ “Precious: Based on the novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” should brace themselves.  Last night, on 18 theaters in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Atlanta, the film took in $585,000, finding a first day average of $32,500, according to distributor Lionsgate. The film sold out most of its shows, having to add prints to make up for the demand.  Even with a … News, Box Office 2009-11-07T17:38:48+00:00 http://www.indiewire.com/article/audiards_a_prophet_leads_european_film_award_noms/ http://www.indiewire.com/article/audiards_a_prophet_leads_european_film_award_noms/#When:16:41:27Z Six films are vying for the prize for best European Film of 2009 at the European Film Awards. Competing for the prize are Andrea Arnold’s “Fish Tank,” Tomas Alfredson’s “Let the Right One in,” Jacques Audiard’s “The Prophet,” Stephen Daldry’s “The Reader,” Danny Boyle’s “Slumdog Millionaire,” and Michael Haneke’s “The White Ribbon.” Jacques Audiard’s “The Prophet” lead the EFA’s with six nominations, including best European Film, best director (Jacques Audiard), best … Awards Watch, News 2009-11-07T16:41:27+00:00 http://www.indiewire.com/article/collapse_director_chris_smith/ http://www.indiewire.com/article/collapse_director_chris_smith/#When:20:23:06Z Chris Smith’s “Collapse” is a feature-length interview with conspiracy theorist Michael Ruppert, a man whose ideas are often as scary as they are true.  For many, Ruppert is saying what the rest of us are too afraid to think about.  From the financial crisis, to international politics and global warming, Ruppert is candid about his apocalyptic view on humanity and the world.  The film became an instant water cooler hit at … Features, Interviews 2009-11-06T20:23:06+00:00 http://www.indiewire.com/article/cinemadaily_precious_polarizes/ http://www.indiewire.com/article/cinemadaily_precious_polarizes/#When:18:48:37Z “‘Precious’ is a hybrid, a mash-up that might have been ungainly, but that manages to be graceful instead,” writes the New York Times’ A.O. Scott. “It’s partly a bootstrap drama of resilience and redemption, complete with a hardworking teacher wrangling a classroom full of disadvantaged girls. It’s also the nearly Gothic story of a child tormented by the cruelty of adults, as lurid as a Victorian potboiler or a modern-day tell-all … Features, cinemadaily 2009-11-06T18:48:37+00:00 http://www.indiewire.com/article/b.o._of_the_00s_the_top_grossing_sundance_films/ http://www.indiewire.com/article/b.o._of_the_00s_the_top_grossing_sundance_films/#When:16:12:31Z With the 2010s fast approaching - 55 days and counting - indieWIRE has decided to start a weekly Friday chart devoted to glancing back at the past ten years.  With a film opening that weekend as a starting point, we’ll be charting various sub-categories of 2000s film with regard to their box office.  This week, with Lee Daniels’s “Precious: Based on the novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” opening in 18 theaters today, … News, Box Office 2009-11-06T16:12:31+00:00 http://www.indiewire.com/article/all_fall_down_chris_smiths_collapse/ http://www.indiewire.com/article/all_fall_down_chris_smiths_collapse/#When:14:42:37Z At the turns of decades and centuries, it’s fairly common for sky-is-falling prognostication to spike wildly. This angst often finds expression in popular entertainments, such as the appearance, as if on cue, of the clunky misfire “Knowing” and the upcoming sure-to-be tedious “2012.”  What these kinds of spectacles provide is something like diversionary exorcism—the world outside may seem bad, but there’s some comfort in recognizing that visual effects artists can always … Documentary, Reviews, In Theaters 2009-11-06T14:42:37+00:00 http://www.indiewire.com/article/fish_tank_and_woman_share_afi_fest_top_prize/ http://www.indiewire.com/article/fish_tank_and_woman_share_afi_fest_top_prize/#When:02:13:55Z Andrea Arnold’s “Fish Tank” and Javier Rebello’s “Woman Without Piano” are the joint winners of the AFI Fest New Lights Competition. The event hosted its awards ceremony Thursday night at the historic Roosevelt Hotel on Hollywood Blvd. following the closing night U.S. premiere of Tom Ford’s “A Single Man” at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre. The film’s stars including Colin Firth, Ginnifer Goodwin, Nicholas Hoult, Matthew Goode, and Ryan Simpkins attended the screening … Festivals, AFI Fest, News 2009-11-06T02:13:55+00:00 http://www.indiewire.com/article/the_cove_leads_cinema_eye_honors_nominees/ http://www.indiewire.com/article/the_cove_leads_cinema_eye_honors_nominees/#When:22:00:54Z Louie Psihoyos’ “The Cove,” received a record-tying seven Cinema Eye Honors nominations today when they were announced at the Sheffield International Documentary Festival in the UK. The film - about dolphin hunts in Japan - won dozens of prizes on the festival circuit this year, include Sundance’s Audience Award. The Cinema Eye Honors followed suit handing “The Cove” nods for Production, Cinematography, Editing, Original Score, Debut Feature and the top prize, … Awards Watch, Documentary, News 2009-11-05T22:00:54+00:00 http://www.indiewire.com/article/for_your_consideration_assessing_the_major_oscar_categories/ http://www.indiewire.com/article/for_your_consideration_assessing_the_major_oscar_categories/#When:19:47:10Z What’s been a slow awards season build since Toronto and Venice kicked things off two months ago is about to become an accelerated horserace. With Fox Searchlight’s announcement yesterday that they were bumping up awards bait “Crazy Heart” for 2009 Oscar consideration, it’s reasonable to believe that the final piece of this year’s candidate roster is complete.  And while there are still a few major question marks remaining - namely Rob … Awards Watch, Academy Awards, Features 2009-11-05T19:47:10+00:00 http://www.indiewire.com/article/cinemadaily_will_us_audiences_stare_at_goats/ http://www.indiewire.com/article/cinemadaily_will_us_audiences_stare_at_goats/#When:19:43:35Z Grant Heslov’s “The Men Who Stare at Goats” is the first of three chances for George Clooney to prove himself this November.  Clooney, who produced the film, stars as a US soldier, stationed in Kuwait, who attempts to win the war with mental combat.  Jeff Bridges plays the leader of this motley crew.  His character was, in fact, a peacenik who tried to change the world through “Kumbaya"s until he discovered … Features, cinemadaily 2009-11-05T19:43:35+00:00 http://www.indiewire.com/article/magnolia_has_a_good_heart/ http://www.indiewire.com/article/magnolia_has_a_good_heart/#When:19:02:39Z Another day, another late Toronto Film Festival pick-up. Magnolia Pictures has announced that it acquired US rights to Dagur Kari’s “The Good Heart,” which stars an “L.I.E.” reunion in Brian Cox and Paul Dano.  Cox as Jacques, the curmudgeonly owner of a gritty New York dive bar that serves as home to a motley assortment of professional drinkers. Jacques is determinedly drinking and smoking himself to death when he meets Lucas … News, Acquisitions 2009-11-05T19:02:39+00:00 http://www.indiewire.com/article/that_evening_sun_director_scott_teems_my_kids_say_i_look_like_jesus/ http://www.indiewire.com/article/that_evening_sun_director_scott_teems_my_kids_say_i_look_like_jesus/#When:14:33:32Z EDITOR’S NOTE: This interview was originally published as part of indieWIRE’s coverage of the 2009 SXSW Film Festival. Scott Teems’ “That Evening Sun” premiered at this year’s SXSW Film Festival, where it won both the audience award and a special jury prize for its ensemble cast.  Since, its gone on to win awards around the U.S. festival circuit, from Atlanta to Newport to Nashville to Sarasota.  Freestyle Releasing is releasing the … Features, Interviews 2009-11-05T14:33:32+00:00 http://www.indiewire.com/article/scorsese_on_the_red_shoes_its_cinema_as_music/ http://www.indiewire.com/article/scorsese_on_the_red_shoes_its_cinema_as_music/#When:13:25:40Z Nearly ten years ago, at the turn of the millenium, Martin Scorsese selected “The Red Shoes,” co-directed by his closest collaborator Thelma Schoonmaker’s late husband, Michael Powell, to be the first movie he’d project in his private screening in the year 2000. Scorsese, Schoonmaker and a few company colleagues watched the movie together. And then they had a two-hour conversation about it. “This film is music,” Martin Scorsese said on Tuesday … Features 2009-11-05T13:25:40+00:00 http://www.indiewire.com/article/afi_fest_tapping_in_the_power_of_free/ http://www.indiewire.com/article/afi_fest_tapping_in_the_power_of_free/#When:20:48:00Z The 2009 edition of AFI Fest, which opened last Friday in Hollywood with the North American premiere of Wes Anderson’s “Fantastic Mr. Fox,” reflects radical changes made in the past year to the basic DNA of the American Film Institute’s annual fall event. The festival’s central venue has shifted from the art-credible Arclight to the Mann’s Chinese, embedded within the tourist trap shopping complex on Hollywood and Highland that also hosts … Features, Festival Dispatch, Festivals, AFI Fest 2009-11-04T20:48:00+00:00 http://www.indiewire.com/article/roadside_keeps_up_with_joneses/ http://www.indiewire.com/article/roadside_keeps_up_with_joneses/#When:19:19:01Z The second major Toronto Film Festival-related acquisition this week comes with Roadside Attractions nabbing the U.S. rights to Derrick Borte’s social satire “The Joneses.”  The film - starring Demi Moore and Duchovny as a couple moving into a upscale gated community - premiered in Toronto this past September, and follows Sony Classics’ pick up of TIFF title “Mother and Child” on Monday.  Plans for ancillary distribution are still being finalized with … News, Acquisitions 2009-11-04T19:19:01+00:00