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“Anvil” Leads Ida Winners
4 December 2009 7:57 PM, PST
Sacha Gervasi’s “Anvil! The Story of Anvil” led the winners of International Documentary Association’s 2009 Ida Documentary Awards. The story of the band hailed as the “demi-gods of Canadian metal,” which was received snubbed by the Academy’s shortlist, received Ida’s awards for both overall feature documentary and music documentary. On hand to accept the awards with director Gervasi were Anvil’s Steve “Lips” Kudlow and Robb Reiner. Also announced in the ceremony, … »
Jess, David and Karina Do “Twilight”
4 December 2009 2:06 PM, PST
Filmmaker Steven Bognar (“A Lion in the House”) sent indieWIRE a guest iPOP he created in Amsterdam recently during Idfa, clearly referencing a popular film that has legions of fans swooning the world over. In place of Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner, welcome some vets of the documentary crafting a personal touch to the vampire series. Robert = producer/Brit Doc Jess Search, True/False co-founder David Wilson and Hot Docs … »
Academy Sets Live Action Short Shortlst
4 December 2009 1:05 PM, PST
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that 10 live action short films will advance in the voting process for the 82nd Academy Awards. Seventy-one pictures had originally qualified in the category. The Short Films and Feature Animation Branch Reviewing Committee viewed all the eligible entries for the preliminary round of voting in screenings held in New York and Los Angeles. Short Films and Feature Animation Branch members … »
“Perfection” Named Adrienne Shelly Grant Recipient
4 December 2009 1:02 PM, PST
Director Christina Beck’s project, “Perfection” has been named the recipient of the Adrienne Shelly Directors Grant. Given in memory of actor and filmmaker Adrienne Shelly, the grant is a competitive award that provides a $5,000 unrestricted grant to a female director alumnus of Ifp’s Independent Filmmaker Labs. Funding is provided by the Adrienne Shelly Foundation. The 2009 grant recipient was announced Thursday night at the U.S. Premiere of “Serious Moonlight” in … »
Decade: Christopher Nolan on “Memento”
4 December 2009 12:55 PM, PST
Editor’S Note: Every day for the next month, indieWIRE will be republishing profiles and interviews from the past ten years (in their original, retro format) with some of the people that have defined independent cinema in the first decade of this century. Today, we’ll step back to 2001 with an interview indieWIRE’s Anthony Kaufman had with Christopher Nolan upon the release of “Memento,” which would go on to nab him a … »
B.O. of the ‘00s: The Top Grossing Female Helmed Films
4 December 2009 9:03 AM, PST
The 2010s are fast approaching - 26 days and counting - and indieWIRE is continuing this weekly Friday chart devoted to glancing back at the past ten years. With a film opening each weekend as a starting point, we’re charting various sub-categories of 2000s film, focusing on their North American box office performance. This week, with Cheryl Hines-directed, Adrienne Shelly-written “Serious Moonlight” opening in theaters, iW decided to look back at … »
cinemadaily | The Invisible Auteur
4 December 2009 7:52 AM, PST
The forgotten films of British director James Whale, remembered today for his groundbreaking Hollywood horror films, including “Frankenstein,” “The Invisible Man,” and “Bride of Frankenstein,” as well as Ian McKellen’s portrayal of him in “Gods and Monsters,” will be on display at New York City’s Film Forum during a one-week, 15-film retrospective starting today. In a New York Times piece titled “Voluptuary Stuck in a Box,” Terrence Rafferty describes the paradox … »
“Everyone Else” Set for U.S. Theatrical
4 December 2009 7:26 AM, PST
Cinema Guld has snapped up U.S. rights to Maren Ade’s “Everyone Else,” its Chairman Philip Hobel said Friday. The company’s Director of Distribution, Ryan Krivoshey negotiated the deal with Stefanie Zeitler for Bavaria Film International, and the film is set for a theatrical release sometime next year. The film centers on Chris and Gitti, a perfectly happy couple enjoying their Mediterranean vacation. But beneath their playful romps, secret rituals and silly … »
criticWIRE This Week: “Up In The Air” Leads December’s First Batch (Updated)
4 December 2009 7:07 AM, PST
Jason Reitman’s “Up In The Air,” Jim Sheridan’s “Brothers,” Michael Hoffman’s “The Last Station,” Cheryl Hines’ “Serious Moonlight,” Kirk Jones’ “Everybody’s Fine” and Marie-Hélène Cousineau and Madeline Ivalu’s “Before Tomorrow” mark December 2009’s first five releases, an eclectic group that features some considerable Oscar contenders and an impressive bevy of star power. indieWIRE’s new criticWIRE, which features hundreds of grades for new and recent films from dozens of film critics and … »
Jon Reiss: “It is up to us as filmmakers to embrace these new changes”
4 December 2009 7:02 AM, PST
This has been a big week for independent film, with the Spirit Award nominations, the Gotham Awards, and of course the announcement of the Sundance Film Festival lineup. In honor of this kickoff to the Winter/Spring festival circuit (Sundance, Slamdance, Rotterdam, Berlin, SXSW, Cannes, Tribeca etc.), I am publishing another chapter of my book Think Outside the Box Office: The Ultimate Guide to Film Distribution and Marketing for Independent Filmmakers here … »
Anna Kendrick on Clooney, Reitman and Heading “Up In The Air”
3 December 2009 4:26 PM, PST
“I can’t tell you how terrified I was knowing I was going into this,” “Up In The Air” actress Anna Kendrick told indieWIRE during the Toronto International Film Festival. “I had something like a month after I was cast before we started filming. And the fear was building up inside me… I was really nervous about having to go toe to toe with George Clooney. Because if he wasn’t really game, … »
Sundance 2010: New Frontier
3 December 2009 1:00 PM, PST
This program highlights work that explores the limits of traditional aesthetics and the narrative structures of filmmaking. All My Friends Are Funeral Singers / USA (Director and screenwriter: Tim Rutili)—A fortune teller lives and works in an old house crowded with ghosts. When a mysterious light appears in the woods, the ghosts realize they are trapped and begin to rebel. Cast: Angela Bettis. World Premiere Double Take/Germany, Netherlands (Director: Johan Grimonprez)—Director … »
Sundance 2010: Next
3 December 2009 1:00 PM, PST
From the Sundance Institute: “A new section composed of eight American films selected for their innovative and original work in low-and no-budget filmmaking.” Armless (Director: Habib Azar; Screenwriter: Kyle Jarrow)—In this off-kilter comedy, a woman comes to terms with her husband’s strange secret. Cast: Daniel London, Janel Moloney, Keith Powell, Laurie Kennedy, Matt Walton. World Premiere Bass Ackwards (Director and screenwriter: Linas Philips)—After ending a disastrous affair with a married woman, … »
Sundance 2010: Park City at Midnight
3 December 2009 1:00 PM, PST
From the Sundance Institute: “Home to horror films and crazy comedies, “Black Dynamite,” “The Blair Witch Project” and “Saw” are among the films that have screened here.” Buried/Spain,USA (Director: Rodrigo Cortes; Screenwriter: Chris Sparling)—A U.S. contractor working in Iraq awakes to find he is buried alive inside a coffin. With only a lighter and a cell phone it’s a race against time to escape this claustrophobic death trap. Cast: Ryan Reynolds. … »
Sundance 2010: Premieres
3 December 2009 1:00 PM, PST
From the Sundance Institute: “To showcase the diversity to contemporary independent cinema, the Sundance Film Festival Premieres section offers the latest work from American and international directors as well as world premieres of highly anticipated films. Presented by Entertainment Weekly.” Abel/Mexico (Director: Diego Luna; Screenwriters: Diego Luna and Agusto Mendoza)—A peculiar young boy, blurring reality and fantasy, assumes the responsibilities of a family man in his father’s absence. Cast: José María … »
Sundance 2010: Spotlight
3 December 2009 1:00 PM, PST
From the Sundance Institute: “New for 2010, the Spotlight section is a tribute to the cinema we love. Regardless of where these impressive films have played throughout the world, the Sundance Film Festival is thrilled to light a marquee for them.” Narrative Bran Nue Dae/Australia (Director: Rachel Perkins; Screenwriters: Reg Cribb, Rachel Perkins and Jimmy Chi)—In the summer of 1965, a young man is filled with the life of the idyllic … »
Sundance ‘10: Low Budget Next Section, High Profile Premieres and More Round Out Fest Roster
3 December 2009 12:55 PM, PST
The remainder of the 2010 Sundance Film Festival feature film lineup is being announced today, including the roster of eight films that will screen in the new Next section for low and no budget films. Also unveiled today are the lineups for the Premeries section for higher profile files, the Spotlight section for films from other fests, the Park City at Midnight section and the previously announced Frontier section. The new … »
cinemadaily | “The Last Station” Stops Off in Us
3 December 2009 9:02 AM, PST
Telluride and Toronto standout and Indie Spirit nomination leader “The Last Station” is coming to the Us this weekend in limited release. Critics are torn over Michael Hoffman’s film, a look at the last days of Leo Tolstoy, which stars Christopher Plummer and Helen Mirren as Mr. and Mrs. Tolstoy. Time Out New York‘s Nick Schager says in his less-than-enthusiastic review, “Prone to slipping into corny comedy and, worse, confusion over … »
“Up In The Air” Leads Nbr Winners; “Precious” Snubbed
3 December 2009 9:02 AM, PST
The National Board of Review - arguably the first major Oscar precursor of the season - have handed out their 2009 awards, with Jason Reitman’s “Up In The Air” leading a surprising batch of honors, taking best picture, best actor (George Clooney, in a tie with “Invictus”‘s Morgan Freeman), best supporting actress (Anna Kendrick, profiled on indieWIRE today), and best adapted screenplay (Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner). Additional major winners included … »
Review | Gag Order: Cheryl Hines’s “Serious Moonlight”
3 December 2009 8:53 AM, PST
The enormous groundswell of sympathy and support surrounding the release of Adrienne Shelly’s “Waitress” blinded most viewers to its clear deficiencies. It might be unfair to conjecture what the critical reception for the good-natured if contrived and shabbily visualized romantic comedy might have been if actress-turned-director Shelly hadn’t been horrifically murdered before its release, but it’s safe to assume the processed-cheesy Keri Russell vehicle wouldn’t have been the subject of quite … »
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