Sony Classics to distribute Vera Farmiga’s directorial debut, HIGHER GROUND

Sony Classics to distribute Vera Farmiga’s directorial debut, HIGHER GROUND

Sony Pictures Classics announced that they have acquired the rights in North America, Australia and New Zealand to Vera Farmiga’s directorial debut, HIGHER GROUND.  Academy Award(R) nominee Vera Farmiga also stars in the film, alongside Academy Award(R) nominee John Hawkes, Donna Murphy, and Joshua Leonard.  Carolyn S. Briggs and Tim Metcalfe penned the script based on Briggs’ memoir “This Dark World: A Memoir of Salvation Found and Lost.” HIGHER GROUND was in US dramatic competition […]

Winners of the 8th Annual Irish Film & Television Awards

Winners of the 8th Annual Irish Film & Television Awards

The winners of the 8th Annual Irish Film & Television Awards were announced at a gala ceremony held at Dublin’s Convention Centre Saturday 12th February 2011.  Broadcasting live on Irish television, 37 IFTA Awards were announced in categories across feature film and television. Speaking about the event the winners of IFTA 2011, Áine Moriarty Chief Executive of the Irish Film & Television Academy said: “In what has been a wonderful night of celebration for the […]

RIP: David F. Friedman, Horror Film Pioneer, Dies at 87

RIP: David F. Friedman, Horror Film Pioneer, Dies at 87

David F. Friedman, a film producer who cheerfully and cheesily exploited an audience’s hunger for bare-breasted women and blood-dripping corpses in lucrative low-budget films like “Blood Feast” and “Ilsa: She-Wolf of the S.S.,” died on Monday in Anniston, Ala. He was 87. The cause was heart failure, said Mica Brook Everett, a relative who was also his caretaker. Mr. Friedman had lost his hearing and his eyesight about 10 years ago, she said. Part carnival […]

40th New Directors/New Films (March 23 – April 3) Announces Lineup

40th New Directors/New Films (March 23 – April 3) Announces Lineup

The Museum of Modern Art and the Film Society of Lincoln Center announced the full lineup for the 40th edition of New Directors/New Films (March 23 – April 3). Dedicated to the discovery of new works by emerging and dynamic filmmaking talent, the film festival will screen 28 feature films (24 narrative, 4 documentary) representing 22 countries. The opening night feature is J.C. Chandor’s MARGIN CALL. Screening on Wednesday, March 23, at 7:00PM at MoMA, […]

Music Box Films to release Bobby Fischer Against the World Documentary Film

Music Box Films to release Bobby Fischer Against the World Documentary Film

Music Box Films announced that it has acquired all US Theatrical, DVD, and Digital Rights to Liz Garbus’ film Bobby Fischer Against the World which recently screened at this year’s Sundance Film Festival in the prestigious Documentary Premieres Section. The deal was negotiated by David Koh & Stanley Buchthal of LM Media GmbH on behalf of the Director and Producers along with Ed Arentz & Bill Schopf of Music Box Films. HBO Documentary Films plans […]

IFC Midnight to release Jim Mickle’s Stake Land April 22nd

IFC Midnight to release Jim Mickle’s Stake Land April 22nd

IFC Midnight announced that the company is partnering with MPI Media Group and its subsidiary Dark Sky Films to release director Jim Mickle’s (MULBERRY STREET) STAKE LAND. The critically-acclaimed apocalyptic thriller was produced by Larry Fessenden, Peter Phok, Adam Folk, Brent Kunkle and Derek Curl.  STAKE LAND stars Connor Paolo (“Gossip Girl”), Danielle Harris (HATCHET II), Kelly McGillis (THE ACCUSED), Nick Damici, and Michael Cerveris (FRINGE). Damici and Mickle co-wrote the screenplay, which was the […]

Film Independent Selects 5 Emerging Filmmakers For 2011 Directors Lab

Film Independent Selects 5 Emerging Filmmakers For 2011 Directors Lab

Film Independent, the non-profit arts organization that produces the Spirit Awards and the Los Angeles Film Festival, announced the filmmakers and film projects for its 10th annual Directors Lab, sponsored by Kodak.  Taking place in Los Angeles from now until the end of March, the Directors Lab is an intensive nine-week program designed to assist directors with strong, original voices develop new narrative feature films, improve their craft, and advance their filmmaking careers in a […]

2011 Orange British Academy Film Awards Winners; The King’s Speech named Best Film

2011 Orange British Academy Film Awards Winners; The King’s Speech named Best Film

The King’s Speech was named Best Film at tonight’s Orange British Academy Film Awards, held at London’s Royal Opera House. The film also won six other awards: Outstanding British Film, Original Screenplay and Original Music, as well as a trio of performance awards for Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham Carter and Colin Firth, who wins the Leading Actor BAFTA for the second year running. Natalie Portman was awarded the BAFTA for Leading Actress for her performance […]

Derby City Film Festival Opens Friday February 18th

Derby City Film Festival Opens Friday February 18th

Derby City Film Festival opens this Friday February 18th, 68 films to screen during the three day festival, including 25 international films and 20 from Kentucky filmmakers. The festival will open with a short film screening group from The Bob Rogers Group (BRG), a production company based in Louisville. The BRG film program of 8 short films will be free to attend and begin at 6:00 PM on February 18th. The official opening night film […]

Screen Media Films to release 'FUBAR: Balls to the Wall'

Screen Media Films to release ‘FUBAR: Balls to the Wall’

Screen Media Films has acquired North American rights to FUBAR: BALLS TO THE WALL, Michael Dowse’s hilarious look into the lives of headbangers Dean and Terry that stars Paul J. Spence and David Lawrence, prior to its U.S. premiere at the 2011 SXSW Film Festival.  The deal was announced by the company’s President, Robert Baruc, who plans to release the film on VOD and home video on April 19, 2011. Headbanger relics, Terry (Dave Lawrence) […]

Roadside Attractions to Distribute Sundance Audience Award Winner 'Circumstance'

Roadside Attractions to Distribute Sundance Audience Award Winner ‘Circumstance’

Roadside Attractions will distribute Maryam Keshavarz’s CIRCUMSTANCE, which Participant Media acquired at the Sundance Film Festival. Winner of this year’s Sundance Audience Award, the film is set in contemporary Iran, where a wealthy family struggles to contain a teenager’s growing sexual rebellion and her brother’s dangerous obsession. The film is targeted for a summer 2011 release. Directed by Maryam Keshavarz, the cast includes Nikohl Boosheri, Sarah Kazemy, Reza Sixo Safai, Soheil Parsa, Nasrin Pakkho, Sina […]

SXSW Film Announces 2011 Midnight Feature & Shorts

SXSW Film Announces 2011 Midnight Feature & Shorts

The South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Conference and Festival announced the features in the Midnighters and SXFantastic sections, as well as the complete short films lineup, which will debut at this year’s Festival, which runs from March 11 – 19, 2011 in Austin, Texas. The SXSW Film Festival will open on Friday, March 11, 2011 with Duncan Jones’ Source Code. In addition to nine full days of film screenings, SXSW Film will ultimately feature over […]