IFC Films has acquired rights to “Shoah.” Directed by Claude Lanzmann, the nine-and-a-half hour documentary received almost universal critical acclaim for its look at Holocaust survivors when it premiered in 1985. For the film’s 25th Anniversary, IFC plans to rerelease “Shoah” in New York City on Dec.10 at Lincoln Plaza Cinemas, and on Dec. 24 at IFC Center. A national rollout will follow in 2011. Twelve years in the making, “Shoah” features interviews with survivors, […]
The documentary Reel Injun, by Canadian filmmaker Neil Diamond, won the Canada Award for best documentary at the first of two 2010 Gemini Awards Industry Galas. Diamond’s documentary “Reel Injun,” an examination of Hollywood’s treatment of Native Americans through the years, also airs as a PBS “Independent Lens” selection. In it, he draws on many of the films from Hollywood antiquity he watched while coming of age in “Reel Injun” basically covers a century of […]
“Box Elder,” a movie about “dudes being dudes” and highlighting Columbia college is headed to video-on-demand, which is an excellent thing for an independent film. Starting Monday, the film will be available for at least 90 days on cable and satellite Video On Demand throughout the U.S. and Canada. The number of people who view the film during its 90-day trial will determine how long it will remain available on cable and satellite Video On […]
Three-time Academy Award nominee Annette Bening, who has received critical acclaim this year for her performances in The Kids Are All Right and Mother and Child, will be honored with the American Riviera Award at the 2011 Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF). I fell in love with Annette Bening the moment I saw her on Broadway in Coastal Disturbances in 1987, commented SBIFF Executive Director Roger Durling. “It was one of those ‘a star […]
“Intimate Grammar” was the big winner at the 2010 Tokyo International Film Festival. Tokyo Sakura Grand Prix was given to Intimate Grammar directed by Nir Bergman. Sarah’s Key directed by Gilles Paquet-Brenner received double Awards; Award for Best Director and Audience Award, and POST CARD directed by Kaneto Shindo was awarded the Special Jury Prize! The complete list of winners include:
Select programming from the PBS Emmy® Award-winning weekly documentary series “Independent Lens” are nowl be available for purchase on iTunes. “The Parking Lot Movie,” directed by Meghan Eckman, will be the first film available from the 2010 Fall season of Independent Lens for purchase. Droll and quirky, “The Parking Lot Movie” — a brainy Slacker for the post-new millennium — follows a unique rite of passage as a select group of over-educated attendants use their […]
This probably won’t help the majority of true independent films, but The Weinstein Company announced on Monday that they are partnering with Icon UK Group to launch a new film finance and production fund to buy or produce films with budgets between $5 million and $20 million. The Weinstein Co., run by brothers Bob and Harvey Weinstein, will handle U.S. distribution, while Icon UK will handle distribution in Britain. Other territories would be split between […]
The nominations and jury members for the thirteenth annual Moët British Independent Film Awards were announced today, Monday 1st November at St Martins Lane, London by Jared Harris. Joint Directors, The Moët British Independent Film Awards Johanna von Fischer & Tessa Collinson said: “This year’s nominations truly reflect the scope of independent filmmaking in the UK and regardless of budget each category showcases the wealth and variety of talent committed to making quality British films.” […]
The opening ceremony of the Rome Film Festival was marred by a protest over the Italian government’s drastic cuts to funds for cultural events, with some 800 people storming the red carpet. Keira Knightley and Eva Mendes, whose film “Last Night,” opened the festival, were whisked into the theater alongside the rest of the film’s cast, surrounded by bodyguards. The film, which also casts “Avatar” star Sam Worthington and French actor Guillaume Canet, opened the […]
The 13th annual Savannah Film Festival, hosted by SCAD, presented Miles Teller with the “Discovery Award” on October 31. Teller admitted to being humbled by the honor. “This is my first film award – my very first one,” he said upon accepting the award. “The Discovery Award has a certain amount of pressure to it,” he quipped. “I have to live up to the expectation and also prove that SCAD made the right choice.” Teller, […]
George Hickenlooper, director of Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse, Dogtown, Mayor of Sunset Strip and Factory Girl, died suddenly in Denver on Saturday at the age of 47. Hickenlooper was in Denver to promote his latest film, Casino Jack, at the Starz Denver Film Festival. The 33rd Starz Denver Film Festival will be devoted to director George Hickenlooper, the Denver Film Society announced Saturday night. source: Deadbolt
Screenwriter Will Rokos, who earned an Academy Award nomination for “Monster’s Ball” was in critical but stable condition after he was clipped in the head by a train while leaning over a subway platform in New York City. The NY Post reports, that cops said Rokos was waiting for a train Saturday afternoon when he leaned over to peer down the tunnel. The train barreled into the station striking Rokos in the head. The impact […]