Indiewire

Outfest Sets 'Vito' As Opening Film of 30th Edition; John Waters To Receive Achievement Award

Peter Knegt — Wed, 16 May 2012 21:26:17 GMT

Jeffrey Schwarz's "Vito" will open the 30th anniversary edition of Outfest: The Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, it was announced today. In addition, the festival announced that John Waters will receive the 16th annual Achievement Award. The Achievement Award will be presented to Waters prior to the Opening Night Gala screening of “Vito” on Thursday, July 12 at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles. Outfest will run July 12 – 22, 2012. Full press release below, including more programming details. Los Angeles, May 16, 2012 – Outfest – the Los Angeles-based nonprofit organization dedicated to nurturing, showcasing and protecting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) media – announced today that Jeffrey Schwarz’s documentary “Vito” has been selected as the Opening Night gala of the 30th Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Film Festival. “Vito” chronicles the story...

Phase 4 Acquires SXSW Romance 'See Girl Run'

Nigel M Smith — Wed, 16 May 2012 21:19:10 GMT

Phase 4 Films has acquired North American rights to Nate Meyer's romantic drama "See Girl Run," starring Robin Tunney and Adam Scott. The film made its world premiere at this year's SXSW Film Festival and is having its market premiere this week in Cannes. The company plans to release it on VOD and theatrically later this year. In the film, Tunney stars as a 30-something woman who digs deep into her romantic past to invigorate her present. Full release below: PHASE 4 FILMS ACQUIRES NORTH AMERICAN RIGHTS TO NATE MEYER’S SEE GIRL RUN Los Angeles, CA (May 16, 2012) – Berry Meyerowitz, President & CEO of Phase 4 Films, announced today that the company has acquired North American rights to writer-director Nate Meyer’s romance SEE GIRL RUN. The film stars Robin Tunney (The Mentalist) and Adam Scott (Parks and Recreation). Jesse Sweet, Derrick Tseng and Meyer produced the project, with David Gordon Green (PINEAPPLE...

Cannes 2012: A Guide to All The Films

Indiewire Staff — Wed, 16 May 2012 19:14:56 GMT

The 2012 Cannes Film Festival has offered a cinephile's dream of a program, with the likes of David Cronenberg, Jacques Audiard, Wes Anderson, Michael Haneke, Alain Resnais, Abbas Kiarostami, Im Sang-soo, Thomas Vinterberg, Walter Salles, Xavier Dolan, Ken Loach, Carlos Reygadas, Leos Carax, Cristian Mungiu,, Bernardo Bertolucci and Matteo Garrone all screening their latest work. To make things easy for readers, Indiewire is offering up this handy guide to all the films in the various sections of the festival. Below is a day by day guide to the official selection, as well as links to individual film pages for each festival selection, including photos, trailers, clips, and film critic grades as part of our Criticwire survey of fest films. Be sure to check back as the festival continues through next weekend. CANNES OFFICIAL SELECTION COMPETITION; OPENING & CLOSING NIGHT FILMS: Day One: Wednesday, May 16 "Moonrise Kingdom," Wes...

The Depressing Commentary on Stardom in 'Smash'

Alison Willmore — Wed, 16 May 2012 18:21:13 GMT

From the beginning, NBC's "Smash" has set itself up as a show about dichotomy, not just with its two actresses vying for the same lead role, newcomer Karen (Katharine McPhee) and experienced chorus girl Ivy (Megan Hilty), but with its very theme and format. It wants to focus on process, to showcase the effort, rehearsing and fund-gathering that goes into making a Broadway musical, but it also wants to be about backstage conniving and romantic melodramatics. It aims to be a semi-realistic look behind the scenes of the business that is show, but also to be out there in the audience happily basking in a heightened song-and-dance number. And it tries to offer two different ideas about stardom, about whether stars are born or made, via Karen and Ivy and via Marilyn Monroe, the subject of "Bombshell," the musical that they and the other characters of "Smash" are hoping to make into a hit. The series hasn't balanced any of these elements well...

Dustin Lance Black Talks About Recutting 'Virginia' and What He Really Thought of His First Version

Nigel M Smith — Wed, 16 May 2012 17:03:29 GMT

Nobody knew quite what to expect from "What's Wrong With Virginia," Dustin Lance Black's directing debut, when it premiered at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival. But few expected the critical backlash that followed. The Southern-set film, based loosely on his childhood experiences, stars Jennifer Connelly as schizophrenic mother engaged in a long-time affair with Mormon sherrif Richard Tipton (Ed Harris), who's struggling to raise her son who also has the hots for Tipton's daughter (Emma Roberts). That's a heady plot for a newbie director, but Black wasn't just any newcomer. Prior to arriving in Toronto, the California native was fresh off of winning an Oscar for penning the screenplay to "Milk." In the process he became a gay icon and had just completed collaborating with Clint Eastwood on their J. Edgar Hoover biopic. Black was experiencing a career high. That ended with the reviews for "What's Wrong With...

Cannes 2011 Recap: Charting a High-Grossing, Oscar-Bound Crop

Peter Knegt — Wed, 16 May 2012 16:09:09 GMT

A year ago when Woody Allen's "Midnight in Paris" opened the Cannes Film Festival, no one would have ever guessed it was the beginning of a fairly amazing success story. Released in theaters a week later, the film would go on to become Allen's highest grossing film ever, and get him his first Oscar in 25 years. "Midnight in Paris" represents the crown jewel -- at least in terms of box office -- of what turned out to be a pretty remarkable group of Cannes 2011 alums. Three films in official competition -- "Paris," "The Artist" and "Drive" -- ended up grossing north of $35 million in North America, while four ended up with $50 million+ gross worldwide. The year prior, the highest grossing film in official competiton -- in terms of North American release -- ended up being Doug Liman's "Fair Game," which took in just under $10 million Stateside. What's more, Cannes ended up one upping Toronto in...

John Woo to Direct and Produce Yakuza Film 'Day of the Beast'

Jay A. Fernandez — Wed, 16 May 2012 15:45:19 GMT

John Woo is set to direct and produce a remake of the 1963 Yakuza film “Youth of the Beast.” Rob Frisbee wrote the adapted screenplay, titled “Day of the Beast,” which Woo will produce with Lion Rock Prods. partner Terence Chang and Nikkatsu Corporation president Naoki Sato. The English-language “Beast” takes place in a Tokyo where a mysterious Westerner gets sucked into a turf war between the Yakuza and old-school Russian mobsters. Seijun Suzuki directed the original film. “Among Nikkatsu’s 6,000+ film library, this is one of our most revered titles,” said Sato. “We have a tremendous amount of respect for Mr. Woo and are excited he is directing this film for the international market. We think this is a great way to start off the next 100 years of filmmaking history!” Lori Tilkin, Aki Sugihara and Yoko Asakura are executive producers. Lion Rock produced “Paycheck,”...

CANNES INTERVIEW: 10 Things You Should Know About New Directors Fortnight Artistic Director Edouard Waintrop

Eric Kohn — Wed, 16 May 2012 14:59:15 GMT

Many things at Cannes don't change, but leadership at Directors Fortnight is a different story. This year, there's a new team in town, led by artistic director Edouard Waintrop. Formerly in charge of Switzerland's Fribourg Film Festival, the longtime film critic replaced Frederic Boyer, who left Fortnight last fall after only two years following severe backlash from the French press for his programming decisions. (He's now the artistic director of the Tribeca Film Festival.) No stranger to the programming game or the pressures of Cannes, Waintroup sat down with Indiewire on Wednesday afternoon, a day ahead of the festival's opening night, to share some of his thoughts about this year's 21-title lineup -- the result of watching more than 1,400 films. He knows why he got the job. "Once of the challenges was to make people speak of the Quinzaine in a positive way. That was not too much the case last year. Maybe it wasn't only a problem of...

Sony Pictures Classics Nabs Susanne Bier's 'Love Is All You Need'

Nigel M Smith — Wed, 16 May 2012 14:48:24 GMT

Sony Pictures Classics has acquired North American rights to Susanne Bier's romantic comedy "Love Is All You Need," starring Pierce Brosnan. The film marks her follow-up to her Academy Award-winner "In a Better World," which the company also distributed. In an interview with Indiewire following her Oscar-win, Bier said of the project, "I think part of the challenge as an artist is to challenge yourself and do things you haven't done before. I think it's the right time now to do something else." Full release below: SONY PICTURES CLASSICS ACQUIRES SUSANNE BIER’S LATEST FILM LOVE IS ALL YOU NEED NEW YORK, NY (May 16, 2012)– Sony Pictures Classics announced today that they have acquired all North American rights to Academy Award® winning director Susanne Bier’s latest film, LOVE IS ALL YOU NEED from Scandinavian sales company, TrustNordisk. LOVE IS ALL YOU NEED stars Pierce Brosnan, Trine...

'Weekend' Gets the Criterion Stamp of Approval

Nigel M Smith — Wed, 16 May 2012 14:32:00 GMT

Like us, you've probably been wondering why Andrew Haigh's award-winning bittersweet gay love story "Weekend," hasn't come out for purchase on DVD/Blu-ray yet, given that it came out theatrically last September. Well we now have an answer, and we couldn't be happier for Haigh, a relative newcomer with only two features under his belt ("Weekend" and "Greek Pete"). The Criterion Collection has handpicked his sophomore film to join their roster. It will be available to buy in an extras-packed edition on August 21. The film's journey began at the SXSW Film Festival (just like Lena Dunham's second feature "Tiny Furniture," which was also coincidentally released by the label) where it won the Emerging Visions audience award and found a home at Sundance Selects. "Revolving around a brief affair between two young men with vastly different perspectives on life, the film operates on a familiar dynamic; however, it works...

Music Box Films Picks Up Rights to SXSW 2012 Drama 'Starlet'

Jay A. Fernandez — Wed, 16 May 2012 14:10:13 GMT

Music Box Films has acquired all North American rights to Sean Baker’s “Starlet,” which had its premiere in competition at the SXSW Film Festival in March. The indie distributor plans a fall theatrical release. “Starlet” stars Dree Hemingway as a young adult-film actress who befriends an octogenarian after they have a confrontation at a yard sale and she finds a stash of money in an antique. Besedka Johnson, the 85-year old actress who plays the elderly woman, was given a special prize at SXSW for her performance. “Although we didn’t make the connections until after we saw ‘Starlet,’ we’ve enjoyed everything Sean Baker has done from ‘Greg the Bunny’ through ‘Prince of Broadway,’ so in retrospect it’s not surprising we fell for ‘Starlet’,” said Music Box managing director Ed Arentz. “As we branch out into American independent releases it’s exciting to be...

Sundance Channel to Document a Program for the Chronically Unemployed in 'Get to Work'

Alison Willmore — Wed, 16 May 2012 13:55:54 GMT

The Sundance Channel will explore a last-chance program for the chronically unemployed in its new docu-series "Get to Work," announced today and set to premiere in August. An eight-part show with hour-long episodes, "Get to Work" will focus on STRIVE, a four-week program intended to get people into paid jobs quickly by removing barriers to employment by teaching them workplace skills and behavior. It is, according to the Sundance Channel's announcement, a "hardcore boot camp that gives hope to the chronically unemployed: those who have no jobs, no direction, and seemingly no chance. It’s a high-stakes make-or-break moment and, for most of the students, this is their last crack at a real future. But it doesn’t come easy: as they push their students to learn workplace skills that will land them a job, the instructors contend with those who have never learned anything other than bad attitudes and bad behavior. Not everyone makes it...

CANNES: Nanni Moretti, Ewan McGregor and Alexander Payne Survive Pointless Competition Jury Press Conference

Jay A. Fernandez — Wed, 16 May 2012 13:53:30 GMT

The competition jury for this year’s Cannes Film Festival, presided over by Italian director Nanni Moretti, set a new standard for mind-numbing vacuousness at its official press conference Wednesday. The nine jury members, which include Palestinian filmmaker Hiam Abbass, designer Jean-Paul Gaultier and actor Ewan McGregor, expressed endless variations on how they come to the 22 selections in the festival program with “no preconceived notions” and “just want to be surprised” — with asides acknowledging the great honor of having been selected. It’s not really their fault. The whole notion of a press conference with the jury before the festival begins is pointless — a reality Moretti admitted perplexes him. But the annual Palais spectacle makes the Supreme Court nomination hearing process seem like a full-body cavity search. This is one event Cannes could safely ditch. The only potential for mischief was a question directed to...

Project of the Day: Ski Trip Slasher 'Summit'

Indiewire — Wed, 16 May 2012 13:46:25 GMT

Here's your daily dose of an indie film in progress; at the end of the week, you'll have the chance to vote for your favorite. In the meantime: Is this a movie you’d want to see? Tell us in the comments. "Summit" Tweetable Logline: A horror film that also pays homage to the slasher genre; five friends going on a ski trip get lost and things take a gory twist from there. Elevator Pitch: Five friends travel to Vermont for an end of college ski trip. When they end up at the wrong location and can't backtrack because of the intense snow and secluded surroundings, they decide to take shelter in a foreclosed house overnight. But when they wake in the morning, things are suddenly not quite what they seem and it's too late to turn back. They suddenly discover they signed up for much more than a relaxing, snow-filled weekend in the mountains. Production Team: Director/Writer/Producer: Christina Raia ...

TNT and TBS Development Slates Heavy on Crime-Solving and Conan O'Brien

Alison Willmore — Wed, 16 May 2012 13:41:26 GMT

Not every cable network is looking to set the world on fire with programming that pushes the boundaries of serialized storytelling. TNT and TBS unveiled their development slates today ahead of their upfront presentations and Deadline quoted the networks' head of programming Michael Wright as saying that, "whatever the form or genre, we’re using what we call the ‘popcorn mindset’ as the guiding principle behind all our development." For the network (tagline: "Drama, Period."), that seems to mean more potential successors for the soon-ending Kyra Sedgwick hit "The Closer," which is already set with its own spin-off "Major Crimes," launching in August. "King and Maxwell" and "Lew Archer" will both feature unusual private detectives, while the territory for Steven Bochco's solving-a-murder-over-a-season procedural sounds unfortunately close to "The Killing."...

CANNES REVIEW: Why the Delectable 'Moonrise Kingdom' Will Please Diehard Wes Anderson Fans

Eric Kohn — Wed, 16 May 2012 13:24:50 GMT

There are diehard Wes Anderson fans and then there's everyone else. "Moonrise Kingdom," the idiosyncratic auteur's seventh feature, eagerly pitches itself toward that first group of audiences and ignores the rest. But if those open to Anderson quirks will find a rewarding experience littered with warmth and playful humor. Continuing the upbeat, celebratory outlook of his 2009 animated venture "Fantastic Mr. Fox," the new movie displays the director's increasing confidence in his homegrown style. Set (for no discernible reason, other than the excuse to justify the antiquated set design and costumes on the tiny New England island of New Penzance in 1965, "Moonrise Kingdom" focuses on the whimsical young romance shared by orphan 12-year-old Sam (Jared Gilman, a real find, the moodiest American actor this young since the heydays of Haley Joel Osment) and Suzy (Kara Hayward, the new Dakota Fanning to Gilman's Osment), who comes from a...

Samuel Goldwyn Will Release Political Comedy 'Grassroots' Starring Jason Biggs

Indiewire — Wed, 16 May 2012 10:51:27 GMT

Samuel Goldwyn Films has bought U.S. rights to Stephen Gyllenhaal’s "Grassroots" starring Jason Biggs, Lauren Ambrose, Tom Arnold and Cedric The Entertainer. It's the closing-night film of the 2012 Seattle Film Festival, which runs May 17-June 10; the film will open in theaters June 22. Set in 2001 and inspired by true events, "Grassroots" is the story of a political neophyte (Joel David Moore) who wants to take down a Seattle councilman (Cedric the Entertainer) and moves toward victory after he hires a recently fired alt-weekly reporter (Jason Biggs) to run his campaign. Gyllenhaal and Justin Rhodes wrote the script. The film’s producers are Peggy Raiski, Michael Huffington, Matthew R. Brady, Bren Stiefel and Peggy Case. Ian Puente, Goldwyn’s general counsel and VP development, along with senior VP acquisisions Peter Goldwyn, negotiated the deal with Maren Olson of Traction Media and attorney Darin Frank...

CANNES 2012: FilmDistrict Grabs Rights to Horror Flick 'Oculus,' Focus Int'l Selling

Jay A. Fernandez — Wed, 16 May 2012 07:40:22 GMT

FilmDistrict has acquired the horror feature "Oculus," which director Mike Flanagan will expand from his short film. Flanagan (“Absentia”) wrote the script with Jeff Howard. Intrepid Pictures' Trevor Macy and Marc D. Evans are producing and fully financing the project. Anil Kurian of Intrepid will be an executive producer. Focus Features International is repping sales on the film at the Cannes market. In “Oculus,” a terrible accident left two kids orphans and the brother charged with murder. Ten years on, his sister is still trying to prove that a haunted antique mirror was actually responsible. The project is scheduled to begin filming late summer. "When we read the script for 'Oculus' and saw Mike's short, we were excited about his potential to create a film that would deliver real scares to horror fans," said FilmDistrict CEO Peter Schlessel. FilmDistrict next has "Safety Not Guaranteed,"...

Watch: Brothers Behaving Badly in Trailer for the Duplass Bros.' 'The Do-Deca-Pentathlon'

Nigel M Smith — Tue, 15 May 2012 21:52:36 GMT

It's been a long time coming, but Mark and Jay Duplass' long shelved comedy "The Do-Deca-Pentathlon" will finally see the light of day starting July 6 in select theaters nationwide. Shot after their last low-budget effort, "Baghead," and put to rest while the duo worked on "Cyrus" and "Jeff, Who Lives at Home," "The Do-Deca-Pentathlon" is sure to appeal to fans of the brother's brand of indie quirk. Need proof? Check out the just-released and very funny trailer for the Fox Searchlight release. The film concerns a pair of warring siblings (inspired by the directors themselves?) engaged in their own private 25-event Olympics. Here's what Eric Kohn said of the film after catching it at SXSW, where it world premiered: "As a whole, "Do-Deca" stands out in the Duplass oeuvre for the way it captures the intrusion of childhood nostalgia on adult life. Each one of the Duplass brothers' movies...

First Look: Gorgeous Images From LAFF Narrative Competitor 'Dead Man's Burden'

Nigel M Smith — Tue, 15 May 2012 21:30:27 GMT

Producer Jared Moshe ("Silver Tongues," "Corman's World: Exploits of a Hollywood Rebel") makes the leap to the director's chair with his debut feature "Dead Man's Burden." The Western, starring Barlow Jacobs ("Shotgun Stories"), David Call ("Tiny Furniture") and newcomer Clare Bowen, is making its world premiere in the Narrative Competition at the upcoming Los Angeles Film Festival (June 14-24). Below check out two exclusive photos of the film. Here's the official synopsis: The year is 1870, and a fragmented America still strains to pick up the pieces from a savage Civil War. Martha (Bowen) and her husband Heck (Call) are living on a homestead Martha’s father purchased on the rural New Mexico frontier and struggle to make ends meet. When a mining company expresses interest in buying their land, Martha and Heck see their ticket to a better life. Their hopeful plans are soon complicated when...

Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky to be Honored at Silverdocs

Austin Dale — Tue, 15 May 2012 20:15:33 GMT

The 2012 Guggenheim Symposium at AFI-Discover Channel Silverdocs will recognize the work of Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky, best known for the "Paradise Lost" films. Previous honorees include Barbara Kopple, Martin Scorsese, Spike Lee, and Frederick Wiseman. Full press release reprinted below: JOE BERLINGER AND BRUCE SINOFSKY HONORED AT AFI-DISCOVERY CHANNEL SILVERDOCS CHARLES GUGGENHEIM SYMPOSIUM Past Honorees Include Martin Scorsese, Spike Lee, Barbara Kopple Silver Spring, MD, May 14, 2012 – AFI-Discovery Channel Silverdocs Documentary Festival, the American Film Institute’s annual recognition of excellence in documentary film, announced that it will honor Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky on June 19, 2012, at its Charles Guggenheim Symposium for their collective and individual contributions to the documentary genre. The symposium, named after the late, four-time Academy Award winner Charles...

Final Box Office: 'Exotic Hotel' Tops Chart Again; 'Artist' Re-Release Bombs

Peter Knegt — Tue, 15 May 2012 20:02:01 GMT

Each Tuesday, Indiewire publishes a box office chart that sorts the final weekend numbers of all specialty releases by per-theater average. Check out the full chart here, but here's some highlights: Top Per-Theater Average: "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" (Fox Searchlight) Coming off a stunning $70 million (and counting) gross overseas, John Madden's older audience skewing "Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" continued to prove itself one of 2012's first true indie breakouts this weekend. On 178 screens (up from 27), the film -- which stars Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Bill Nighy and Tom Wilkinson as a group of seniors retiring in India -- grossed a fantastic $2,672,140. That gave it a glowing $15,012 per-theater-average, the highest of any film in release save "The Avengers." "Moms love the 'Marigold Hotel' as evidenced by the sold out theatres playing in North America," Fox Searchlight's Sheila...

At Long Last, We'll See All of 'Margaret' on DVD

Austin Dale — Tue, 15 May 2012 19:53:17 GMT

The day has come! Kenneth Lonergan's "Margaret," the most-talked-about least-talked-about film of 2011, will finally be seen in its epic-length director's cut when it is released on DVD and Blu-Ray on July 10th. It was a long time coming. One has no doubt read about the film's long struggles in the editing room, which led to legal disputes and media scrutiny. The film was meant to be a follow-up to Lonergan's indie success "You Can Count On Me," but editing "Margaret" down from its two-hundred page shooting script, delayed the release by a full five years. Believe it or not, the resulting two-and-a-half-hour cut feels cut down from something much, much longer. Finally, we'll be able to unravel the mysteries of "Margaret" with Lonergan's 186-minute director's cut. Fox Searchlight had originally dumped the film into a few theatres last September with no publicity. Next to no one came out for it, despite an...

William Friedkin to Serve As Guest Director for LAFF 2012; Conversations & Screenings Added

Nigel M Smith — Tue, 15 May 2012 19:14:27 GMT

Academy Award-winning director William Friedkin ("The French Connection") will serve as the Guest Director for the upcoming 2012 Los Angeles Film Festival (June 14-24), the event announced today. The filmmaker will be at the festival this year with his latest "Killer Joe," starring Matthew McConaughey and Emile Hirsch. In addition, the festival named composer Danny Elfman, Los Angeles chef Michael Voltaggio and Grammy Award-winner Raphael Saadiq as this year's Artists in Residence. New conversations added include a chat with the talent behind AMC's "Breaking Bad," HBO's upcoming series "The Newsroom," and a series of panels on women in animation. Additional films added to the lineup include the North American premiere of Yuen Sang-ho's "The King of Pigs," "Easy Money" by Daniel Espinosa and "The Do-Deca Pentathlon," directed by Jay and Mark Duplass. Full release below: ...

AMPAS Announces 2012 Student Academy Award Winner

Austin Dale — Tue, 15 May 2012 17:53:40 GMT

Attention, Hollywood! Your next generation has arrived. Ten students from nine U.S. colleges and universities have been selected as winner in the Academy's 39th Annual Student Academy Awards Competition. In the past, winners of the Student Academy Awards have received a total of 46 Oscar nominations, including last year's Live Action Short Film nominees Hallvar Witzo and Max Zahle. The awards ceremony will take place June 9 at the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theatre in Beverly Hills. The complete list of winning films is reprinted below: Alternative "The Reality Clock," Amanda Tasse, University of Southern California* *Only one winner was selected in this category. Animation "Eyrie," David Wolter, California Institute of the Arts "The Jockstrap Raiders," Mark Nelson, University of California, Los Angeles "My Little Friend," Eric Prah, Ringling College of Art and Design Documentary ...