The inaugural Santa Catalina Film Festival will be held May 6-8, 2011, in Avalon, Santa Catalina Island. The Santa Catalina Film Festival (SCFF) is a three day festival celebrating independent film with screenings all weekend in addition to discussion panels with top film industry executives.
The world premiere of Cameron Crowe’s documentary The Union will open the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival, presented by American Express. A performance by the film’s subject – Elton John – will follow the free, outdoor screening to kick off the Festival’s 10th edition and thank the New York City community for its ongoing support. The Union will premiere on Wednesday, April 20 at the North Cove at the World Financial Plaza. The 10th annual Tribeca Film Festival will take place from April 20 through May 1, 2011.
Gary Winick, a pioneering producer and director of independent digital films who found mainstream success with such movies as “13 Going on 30” and “Letters to Juliet,” has died. He was 49.
One World International Film Festival running in Prague from March 8 to 17, 2011 will use an “Empty Chair” to draw attention to imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo. The Chinese dissident had been sentenced to 11 years in jail. During the One World festival viewers will come across an empty chair with the poster ofLiu in screening halls.
Tribeca Enterprises announced that Tribeca Film will expand to commercially release 26 films over the next year, more than double the number of titles released in 2010. The comprehensive distribution label for independent film also announced that it acquired U.S. rights to nine new titles to be released across multiple platforms. The curated selection of films includes many genres and features stars including Zach Braff, Vincent Gallo and Zoe Kravitz and filmmakers such as Peter Mullan, Jerzy Skolimowski and Vincent D’Onofrio.
Dirty mouth. Actress Melissa Leo dropped the F-bomb while accepting the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress at the 83rd annual Academy Awards on Sunday night.
“The King’s Speech” was the ‘King’ at the 83rd annual Academy Awards on Sunday night, winning four Oscars: including Best Picture, Directing for director Tom Hooper, Writing – Original Screenplay for David Seidler and Best Actor in a Leading Role for Colin Firth.
Film Independent, the non-profit arts organization that produces the Spirit Awards and the Los Angeles Film Festival, handed out top honors to Black Swan, Winter’s Bone, 127 Hours, and The Kids Are All Right at the 26th Film Independent Spirit Awards. The King’s Speech, Exit Through the Gift Shop, Get Low, Tiny Furniture, and Daddy Longlegs also received awards at the ceremony.
The 13th annual Washington D.C. Independent Film Festival (DCIFF) will take place March 3-13, 2011. DCIFF will showcase more than 100 features, shorts, animations, and documentaries created btalented artists from around the world. Films are grouped by theme into 26 different sessions.
Xavier Beauvois’ “Des hommes et des dieux,” (Of Gods and Men) took the top prize for Best Film but Roman Polanski’s “The Ghost Writer,” lead the Cesar Awards aka the French Oscars with 4 wins including Best Director for Roman Polanski, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Score and Best Editing. “Of Gods and Men,” which was also France’s official entry to 2011 Oscar and “Gainsbourg” tied for 3 awards. “Of Gods and Men took the awards for Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor and Best Cinematography; and “Gainsbourg” received the awards for Best Actor, Best Sound and Best First Film.
The 35th Cleveland International Film Festival, scheduled for March 24 to April 3, 2011, will open with Oren Kaplan’s Hamill, based on Ohio wrestler Matt “The Hammer” Hamill; and close with Sean McNamara’s Soul Surfer.
The Hong Kong International Film Festival Society (HKIFFS) announced Miriam YEUNG as the ambassador of the 35th Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF); and Don’t Go Breaking My Heart, by the Hong Kong film industry’s duo of Johnnie TO and WAI Ka-fai; and Quattro Hong Kong 2, jointly directed by four award-winning filmmakers as the two opening films of this year.