July 7, 2008

iW BOT | Audiences High on Sony Classics' 'Wackness'

Box Office coverage presented by Rentrak Theatrical

by Steve Ramos (July 7, 2008)

Filmmaker Jonathan Levine enjoyed sophomore success thanks to a sky-high response to his '90s nostalgia tale "The Wackness." Featuring Josh Peck as a high school grad and Ben Kingsley as his crazy Manhattan psychiatrist, "Wackness" earned $172,179 for Sony Pictures Classics from six debut runs since opening July 3. "Tell No One," French director Guillaume Canet's thriller about a grieving husband who believes his murdered wife may be alive, debuted in the second spot on the iWBOT top five, which ranks films by per-screen average. "Tell No One" earned $169,707 from eight runs for Music Box Films and $220,679 since July 2. Rounding out the iWBOT top five were "Elsa & Fred," Argentine director Marcos Carnevale's seniors romance for Mitropoulos Films; "Kabluey," actor/director Scott Prendergast's screwball family comedy for Regent Releasing and Magnolia Pictures' "Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson," director Alex Gibney's documentary about the larger-than-life journalist.
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July 3, 2008

"Ballast" Steadies Course Alone: Sundance Winner Chooses Self-Distribution

by Anthony Kaufman (July 3, 2008)

Lance Hammer is going solo, of sorts, with his 2008 Sundance stunner "Ballast." The producer-director-writer, whose powerful debut wowed critics at January's prestigious Park City festival and won prizes for best director and cinematography, pulled out of a distribution deal with IFC Films in order to retain rights to the movie himself. Now the film's production entity, Alluvial Film Company, along with Steven Raphael's Required Viewing, will release "Ballast" at New York's Film Forum on October 1, followed by a national rollout.
[ read more in Biz ] [ 6 comments ] [ filed under Lead Story, Trends ]

July 2, 2008

LAFF '08 INTERVIEW | "I'll Come Running" Director Spencer Parsons and "HottieBoombaLottie" Director Seth Packard

Los Angeles Film Festival coverage sponsored by Stella Artois.

by indieWIRE (June 25, 2008)

[EDITOR'S NOTE: indieWIRE is profiling the Narrative and Documentary Competition filmmakers who are screening their films at the Los Angeles Film Festival as world premieres.] In this installment spotlighting emerging filmmakers from the Los Angeles Film Festival, indieWIRE received remarks from "I'll Come Running" director Spencer Parsons, about is narrative feature detailing the ramifications of a Danish tourist's one night stand in Austin, Texas, and "HottieBoombaLottie" writer-director-star Seth Packard's comedy about a peculiar teenager.
[ read more in People ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Interviews, Los Angeles Film Festival ]

June 30, 2008

iW BOT | Kit Kittredge' Keeps Picturehouse On Top; 'Last Mistress' Seduces NY

Box Office coverage presented by Rentrak Theatrical

by Steve Ramos (June 30, 2008)

Veteran French filmmaker Catherine Breillat enjoyed her strongest U.S. debut thanks to a lusty response from New York audiences to "The Last Mistress," a period drama featuring Asia Argento as a woman jealous of her younger lover's plans to marry. "Last Mistress" earned a sizzling $33,554 for IFC Films from two debut runs in New York. "Trumbo," director Peter Askin's documentary about blacklisted screenwriter Dalton Trumbo, also debuted in the iWBOT top five, which ranks films by per-screen average. "Trumbo" earned $28,125 from three runs for Samuel Goldwyn Films. Picturehouse continued to rack up sky-high grosses for its family movie "Kit Kittredge: An American Girl;" earning $107,019 at five locations. Rounding out the iWBOT top five were "Encounters At The End Of The World," director Werner Herzog's Antarctica documentary for ThinkFilm and Zeitgeist Films' "Chris & Don: A Love Story," about the longstanding relationship between British writer Christopher Isherwood and American portraitist Don Bachardy.
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indieWIRE INTERVIEW | "Tell No One" Director Guillaume Canet

by Erica Abeel (June 30, 2008)

It's not exactly clear when the trend started, but French filmmakers are currently making the best old-style Hollywood thrillers. The caffeinated pace, requisite chase scenes, intricate plots are all there. But Gallic filmmakers bring something more to the party: distinctive camera work along with a social critique and complex characters who resonate with the over-thirteen crowd. Claude Lelouche's recent thriller "Roman de Gare" plumbed the darker corners of the fame game and a writer's ego. Now comes "Tell No One" from actor-turned-director Guillaume Canet, a major hit in France and winner of two Cesars. Adapted from the novel by Harlan Coben - six million copies sold, translated in twenty-seven languages - "Tell No One" essentially hangs an action thriller and police procedural on a story of romantic obsession.
[ read more in People ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Interviews, Lead Story, World Cinema ]

June 28, 2008

LAFF '08 INTERVIEW | "Must Read After My Death" Director Morgan Dews

Los Angeles Film Festival coverage sponsored by Stella Artois.

by indieWIRE (June 28, 2008)

[EDITOR'S NOTE: indieWIRE is profiling the Narrative and Documentary Competition filmmakers who are screening their films at the Los Angeles Film Festival as world premieres.] Screening in the Documentary Competition of the Los Angeles Film Festival, Morgan Dews' "Must Read After My Death details the lives of Dew's grandparents, Allis and Charley. From a mass of recorded audio diaries, Dictaphone letters, photographs, and home movies, Dews recalls two independent thinkers raising a family of four in 1960s Connecticut. indieWIRE talked to Dews about the film, and is expectations for LAFF.
[ read more in People ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Documentary, Interviews, Los Angeles Film Festival ]

June 27, 2008

LAFF '08 INTERVIEW | "Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater Story" Director Stefan Forbes

Los Angeles Film Festival coverage sponsored by Stella Artois.

by indieWIRE (June 27, 2008)

[EDITOR'S NOTE: indieWIRE is profiling the Narrative and Documentary Competition filmmakers who are screening their films at the Los Angeles Film Festival as world premieres.] Screening in the Documentary Competition of the Los Angeles Film Festival, Stefan Forbes's "Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater Story" tells the story of the late iconoclast Lee Atwater Atwater was the man behind successful campaigns for Reagan and the Bush Dynasty, pioneering the art of campaigning. Featuring Ed Rollins, Michael Dukakis, Tucker Eskew, Howard Fineman, Mary Matalin, and Sam Donaldson, "Boogie Man" depicts Atwater's role in the G.O.P.'s hold on America. indieWIRE talked to Forbes about the film, and his hopes for LAFF.
[ read more in People ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Documentary, Interviews, Los Angeles Film Festival ]

LAFF '08 INTERVIEW | "Thing With No Name" Director Sarah Friedland

Los Angeles Film Festival coverage sponsored by Stella Artois.

by indieWIRE (June 27, 2008)

[EDITOR'S NOTE: indieWIRE is profiling the Narrative and Documentary Competition filmmakers who are screening their films at the Los Angeles Film Festival as world premieres.] Screening in the Documentary Competition at the Los Angeles Film Festival, Sarah Friedland's "Thing With No Name" zeroes in on problems in post-apartheid South Africa, where a disease has a hold on a vanishing population. In Kwazulu Natal, the rate of infection in women is twice that of men, and one out of every six people is HIV-positive. Friedland follows two Zulu women as they begin antiretroviral drug therapy. She talked to indieWIRE about the experience and her hopes for LAFF.
[ read more in People ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Documentary, Interviews, Los Angeles Film Festival ]

June 26, 2008

DISPATCH FROM LOS ANGELES: Insiders, Observers, and Many Others Wonder: Is the Sky Really Falling?

Los Angeles Film Festival coverage sponsored by Stella Artois.

by Eugene Hernandez (June 26, 2008)

"Attached. Locked," Mark Gill said in a brief email to PR reps late Tuesday, June 17th. He was sending a final PDF version of "Yes, The Sky Really Is Falling," a keynote speech he would deliver in a few days at Film Independent's Film Financing Conference during the Los Angeles Film Festival. "Let's talk about what to do in terms of publicity," he noted in the short message, time stamped near midnight. By Sunday, 24 hours after the speech, numerous people were buzzing about his remarks, but on Monday, as insiders began forwarding online links to the transcript speech, the reaction intensified. "I've already received it nine or ten times," an industry insider told Gill, "I am going to scream, please make it stop!" In the past four days -- as of late morning local time today (Thursday) -- the article had been read on indieWIRE more than 99,100 times, a whopping immediate response.
[ read more in Biz ] [ 2 comments ] [ filed under Lead Story, Los Angeles Film Festival, Trends ]

LAFF '08 INTERVIEW | "Trinidad" Co-Directors Jay Hodges and PJ Raval

Los Angeles Film Festival coverage sponsored by Stella Artois.

by indieWIRE (June 26, 2008)

[EDITOR'S NOTE: indieWIRE is profiling the Narrative and Documentary Competition filmmakers who are screening their films at the Los Angeles Film Festival as world premieres.] Screening in the Documentary Competition at the Los Angeles Film Festival, PJ Raval and Jay Hodges' "Trinidad" follows Dr. Marci Bowers, a former patient of Dr. Stanley Biber, who had begun conducting genital-reassignment surgeries in Trinidad, Colorado in 1969. Bowers took over Biber's practice after his death, enhancing the procedure to "near perfection." "Trinidad" details Bowers and two of her patients, both at different stages of their sexual transformation from male to female. indieWIRE talked to both Hodges and Raval about the film, and their hopes for LAFF.
[ read more in People ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Documentary, Interviews, Los Angeles Film Festival ]

LAFF '08 INTERVIEW | "Loot" Director Darius Marder

Los Angeles Film Festival coverage sponsored by Stella Artois.

by indieWIRE (June 26, 2008)

[EDITOR'S NOTE: indieWIRE is profiling the Narrative and Documentary Competition filmmakers who are screening their films at the Los Angeles Film Festival as world premieres.] Screening in the Documentary Competition at the Los Angeles Film Festival, Darius Marder's "Loot" follows Lance Larson, a second generation treasure hunter. His current project is two World War II veterans who buried treasure after the war, one in Austria and the other in the Philippines. Larson is determined to find the riches. Marder's debut film parallels this search with revelations from the past, showing a quest for closure. The director talked to indieWIRE about "Loot" and his hopes for LAFF.
[ read more in People ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Documentary, Interviews, Los Angeles Film Festival ]

LAFF '08 INTERVIEW | "Prince of Broadway" Director Sean Baker

Los Angeles Film Festival coverage sponsored by Stella Artois.

by indieWIRE (June 26, 2008)

[EDITOR'S NOTE: indieWIRE is profiling the Narrative and Documentary Competition filmmakers who are screening their films at the Los Angeles Film Festival as world premieres.] Screening in the Narrative Competition at the Los Angeles Film Festival, Sean Baker's "Prince of Broadway" follows Lucky, a New York merchandise hustler and Ghanaian immigrant who unexpectedly becomes a single father. Co-written by Darren Dean, the film stars Prince Adu, Karren Karaguilian and Aiden Noesi. indieWIRE talked to Baker about the film and its premiere at LAFF.
[ read more in People ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Interviews, Los Angeles Film Festival ]

June 25, 2008

Zeitgeist Films at 20 Years: Building a Boutique Brand

by Eugene Hernandez (June 25, 2008)

"One thing we didn't have was a business plan, per se," recalled Zeitgeist Films co-president Emily Russo, "or deep pockets." Last week, she was seated alongside co-president Nancy Gerstman on a small sofa inside the compact but quite comfortable Lower Manhattan office where the two women have run the successful film distribution company together. Back in 1991, Gerstman and Russo moved to their Centre St. location -- into a space with large desks facing each other -- from a Waverly Place spot, and they've been there ever since. Zeitgeist's full-time staff, made up mostly of women, includes another eight people who handle the five or so films that the company releases each year. Most are documentaries these days, some are foreign language films, and a few additional titles are acquired each year for their home video label.
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indieWIRE INTERVIEW | "All In This Tea" Directors Les Blank and Gina Leibrecht

by indieWIRE (June 25, 2008)

Co-directors Les Blank and Gina Leibrecht have collaborated on the documentary "All In This Tea." The film follows David Lee Hoffman, a man more passionate about tea than any other. Travelling with him to the most remote regions of China, Blank and Leibrecht detail Hoffman's search for the best handmade teas in the world. The film had its world premiere Berlin International Film Festival last year. "Tea" opens on Friday, June 27 at Cinema Village in New York.
[ read more in People ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Documentary, Interviews ]

LAFF '08 INTERVIEW | "Largo" Co-Director Andrew van Baal

Los Angeles Film Festival coverage sponsored by Stella Artois.

by indieWIRE (June 25, 2008)

[EDITOR'S NOTE: indieWIRE is profiling the Narrative and Documentary Competition filmmakers who are screening their films at the Los Angeles Film Festival as world premieres.] Screening in the Documentary Competition at the Los Angeles Film Festival, Andrew van Baal and Mark Flanagan's "Largo" looks at the Hollywood club of the same name, which had a reputation among both performers and fans as "a place where what's on stage truly matters." Featuring interviews with Aimee Mann, Fiona Apple, Sarah Silverman, E from the Eels, Patton Oswalt, Zach Galifianakis, and Jon Brion, "Largo" takes an intimate look at a club and its performers. Co-director van Baal talked to indieWIRE about the film and its premiere at LAFF.
[ read more in People ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Documentary, Interviews, Los Angeles Film Festival ]

LAFF '08 INTERVIEW | "Finishing Heaven" Director Mark Mann, "Big City Heart" Director Ben Rodkin, and "The Poker House" Director Lori Petty

Los Angeles Film Festival coverage sponsored by Stella Artois.

by indieWIRE (June 25, 2008)

[EDITOR'S NOTE: indieWIRE is profiling the Narrative and Documentary Competition filmmakers who are screening their films at the Los Angeles Film Festival as world premieres.] In this installment spotlighting emerging filmmakers from the Los Angeles Film Festival, indieWIRE received remarks from "Finishing Heaven" director Mark Mann, about his documentary that focuses on Robert Feinberg and Ruby Lynn Renyner 's quest to finish Feinberg's 1970 student film, Ben Rodkin, whose narrative film, "Big City Heart" is about an a recent parloee in industrial Los Angeles, and Lori Petty, director of "The Poker House," about a teenager girl facing grim circumstances.
[ read more in People ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Interviews, Los Angeles Film Festival ]

June 24, 2008

indieWIRE INTERVIEW | "Full Grown Men" Director David Munro

by Eric Kohn (June 24, 2008)

The arrival of "Full Grown Men" in limited release this week marks a belated emergence for a film not unlike the delayed maturity of the film's downtrodden protagonist. Directed by David Munro, "Full Grown Men" (the winner of this year's indieWIRE: Undiscovered Gems audience award, sponsored by Sundance Channel and presented by The New York Times and Emerging Pictures) tracks the psychological progress of Alby (Matt McGrath), a thirty-year-old stargazer woefully nostalgic for his salad days. Abandoning his wife before the opening credits, Alby finds his old childhood pal Elias (Judah Friedlander of "30 Rock") and together they take a road trip that allows both to work through their various neuroses.
[ read more in People ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Interviews, Lead Story ]

LAFF '08 INTERVIEW | "Pressure Cooker" Directors Jennifer Grausman and Mark Becker

Los Angeles Film Festival coverage sponsored by Stella Artois.

by indieWIRE (June 24, 2008)

[EDITOR'S NOTE: indieWIRE is profiling the Narrative and Documentary Competition filmmakers who are screening their films at the Los Angeles Film Festival as world premieres.] Screening in the Documentary Competition at the Los Angeles FIlm Festival, Jennifer Grausman and Mark Becker's "Pressure Cooker" follows three inner-city seniors at Philadelphia's Frankford High School as they take on Wilma Stephenson's Culinary Arts class. With her assistance, the students prepare for a citywide cooking competition for scholarships to some of the country's top culinary arts institutions. Both directors talked to indieWIRE about their experience and the film's screening at LAFF.
[ read more in People ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Documentary, Interviews, Los Angeles Film Festival ]

LAFF '08 INTERVIEW | "Dirty Hands: The Art & Crimes of David Choe" Director Harry Kim

Los Angeles Film Festival coverage sponsored by Stella Artois.

by indieWIRE (June 24, 2008)

[EDITOR'S NOTE: indieWIRE is profiling the Narrative and Documentary Competition filmmakers who are screening their films at the Los Angeles Film Festival as world premieres.] Director Harry Kim's "Dirty Hands: The Art & Crimes of David Choe" is premiering in the Documentary Competition of the Los Angeles Film Festival. The film details Los Angeles-based artist Choe from 2000 to 2007, a period of "adventure and excess" that captivated close friend Kim, as well as the time that Choe rose to fame and fortune in the art world. Kim captures everything from jail sentences to an addiction to shoplifting to a journey to wrestle pygmies in the heart of the Congo. He talked to indieWIRE about their experience and the film's screening at LAFF.
[ read more in People ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Documentary, Interviews, Los Angeles Film Festival ]

June 23, 2008

iW BOT | Picturehouse On Fire Thanks to "Kit Kittredge" and "Mongol"

Box Office coverage presented by Rentrak Theatrical

by Steve Ramos (June 23, 2008)

The Warner Bros. specialty shingle Picturehouse continued to be on fire thanks to a strong expansion of its Genghis Khan epic "Mongol" and a rare excursion into the family movie biz, with its limited debut of "Kit Kittredge: An American Girl." In its third week and on 94 screens, "Mongol" averaged $8,287 as the top foreign-language drama on the iWBOT, which ranks films by per-screen average. "Kit Kittredge," directed by veteran indie filmmaker Patricia Rozema and starring Abigail Breslin, earned an impressive $220,297 from five runs; far ahead its competitors for the top of the specialty charts. Rounding out the iWBOT top five were "Encounters At The End Of The World," director Werner Herzog's Antarctica documentary for ThinkFilm; "Brick Lane," director Sarah Gavron's melodrama for Sony Pictures Classics and "The Grocer's Son," French filmmaker Eric Guirado's drama about a grown son returning to his rural hometown for Film Movement.
[ read more in Biz ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Box Office ]

LAFF '08 INTERVIEW | "Paper or Plastic?" Co-Directors Justine Jacob and Alex D. da Silva

Los Angeles Film Festival coverage sponsored by Stella Artois.

by indieWIRE (June 23, 2008)

[EDITOR'S NOTE: indieWIRE is profiling the Narrative and Documentary Competition filmmakers who are screening their films at the Los Angeles Film Festival as world premieres.] Screening in the Documentary Competition at the Los Angeles Film Festival, directors Justine Jacob and Alex D. da Silva's "Paper or Plastic?" follows eight state champions heading to the National Grocers Association's annual bagging competition in Las Vegas. The contestants, ranging from rural housewives to ambitious immigrants to awkward teens, each have significant motivations to claim the "Best Bagger" title. Both of the film's directors talked to indieWIRE about their experience and the film's screening at LAFF.
[ read more in People ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Documentary, Interviews, Los Angeles Film Festival ]

Alex Gibney v. ThinkFilm: Claiming Botched "Taxi" Release, Oscar Winning Filmmaker Seeking $1 Million From Distributor

by Eugene Hernandez (June 23, 2008)

Documentary filmmaker Alex Gibney is seeking more than $1 million in damages from ThinkFilm, distributor of his recent Oscar-winning film, "Taxi to the Dark Side." Late last week X-Ray Productions, producers of Gibney's film, charged that ThinkFilm fradulently hid the fact that it could not properly release the film in theaters, in a complaint filed with the Independent Film & Television Alliance (IFTA), the organization agreed upon by both sides to arbitrate any dispute. Responding to Gibney's claims and the request for arbitration, ThinkFilm president Mark Urman this weekend defended his company and its work on the film and sharply criticized Gibney.
[ read more in Biz ] [ 7 comments ] [ filed under Companies, Documentary, Lead Story ]

June 22, 2008

FIRST PERSON | Film Department's Mark Gill: "Yes, The Sky Really Is Falling."

Los Angeles Film Festival coverage sponsored by Stella Artois.

by Mark Gill (June 22, 2008)

On Saturday in Los Angeles, Mark Gill declared provocatively, "Yes, The Sky Really Is Falling." Speaking at the L.A. Film Festival's Financing Conference, the CEO of The Film Department (and former President of Miramax Films) detailed a litany of challenges currently facing independent film, yet offered his audience a happy ending. His complete prepared remarks are included below.
[ read more in Biz ] [ 6 comments ] [ filed under Lead Story, Los Angeles Film Festival, Trends ]

June 19, 2008

As ThinkFilm's Cash Crunch Continues, Urman and Company Try to Keep Filmmakers, Creditors at Bay

by Anthony Kaufman (June 19, 2008)

"May you be in heaven a full half hour before the devil knows you're dead." The Irish saying, which inspired the title of ThinkFilm's highest-grossing release "Before the Devil Knows Your Dead" is an apt one for the specialized distributor, which is currently facing the worst financial crisis of its seven-year history. If last year's release of the acclaimed Sidney Lumet drama marked the heavenly highpoint of the company's career, now Lucifer appears to be breathing down its neck.
[ read more in Biz ] [ 4 comments ] [ filed under Companies, Lead Story ]

June 18, 2008

indieWIRE INTERVIEW | "Brick Lane" Director Sarah Gavron

by Erica Abeel (June 18, 2008)

The theme of the immigrant experience has become a burgeoning sub-genre in both cinema and literature. The latest such film on tap is "Brick Lane," a debut feature helmed by Sarah Gavron, who previously had mainly a BAFTA-winning TV movie to her credit. The project presented multiple challenges. Writers Laura Jones and Abi Morgan had to compress the acclaimed 500 page novel by Monica Ali (short listed for Britain's Man Booker Prize for Fiction in 2003). Gavron needed to devise a visual equivalent for the rich inner life of a notably silent heroine. The filmmakers scoured the world in search of actors to play the Bangladeshi characters. Add to that, Gavron, who's Caucasian, was making a movie about Bangladeshis.
[ read more in People ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Interviews, Lead Story, World Cinema ]

June 16, 2008

iW BOT | "Mongol" Continues Its Summer Invasion

Box Office coverage presented by Rentrak Theatrical

by Steve Ramos (June 16, 2008)

Sophomore-week moviegoers continued to storm the five venues showing "Mongol," Russian filmmaker Sergei Bodrov's blockbuster adventure about the boy who grows up to become Mongol Empire founder Genghis Khan. For the second week, "Mongol" led the iWBOT, which ranks films by per-screen average; with a $22,442 per-screen average for the Warner Bros. specialty shingle Picturehouse. "Encounters At The End Of The World," German director Werner Herzog's Antarctica documentary, debuted in the iWBOT top five with $17,730 for ThinkFilm from an exclusive debut at New York's Film Forum. Rounding out the iWBOT top five were "My Winnipeg," avant-garde filmmaker Guy Maddin's autobiographical documentary for IFC Films; Zeitgeist Films' "Chris & Don: A Love Story," about the longstanding relationship between British writer Christopher Isherwood and American portraitist Don Bachardy; and "The Grocer's Son," French filmmaker Eric Guirado's family drama for Film Movement.
[ read more in Biz ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Box Office, Lead Story ]

June 11, 2008

indieWIRE INTERVIEW | "Kicking It" Director Susan Koch

by indieWIRE (June 11, 2008)

Director Susan Koch's Sundance '08 doc "Kicking It" (co-directed by Jeff Werner) centers on the Homeless World Cup that was established in 2001 with the idea to give homeless people the opportunity to better their lives through sports. In the five years since its creation, 20,000 people have competed on street teams. The film captures the 2006 Homeless World Cup in which 500 players representing 48 countries traveled to Cape Town, South Africa. Seven players are profiled... Liberation Films opens the film in limited release Friday, June 13.
[ read more in People ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Documentary, Interviews, Lead Story ]

June 10, 2008

iW PROFILE | "My Winnipeg" Director Guy Maddin

by Peter Knegt (June 10, 2008)

"I was going in the direction that all indie directors go," said filmmaker Guy Maddin, reflecting on his career. "It was fun to do a U-turn and go in the opposite direction. Ironically, if I go to Hollywood, I'd be happier going this way. I'll get there on my own strengths, if I get there at all." Maddin, talking to a moderator Dennis Lim in front of a crowd that gathered at the Apple Store SoHo during the Tribeca Film Festival, is referring to the primitive nature of his recent films, most particularly "My Winnipeg," which is being released by IFC Films at the IFC Center and Lincoln Cinemas in New York this Friday, June 13. [EDITOR'S NOTE: This profile was originally published as part of indieWIRE's coverage of the 7th Tribeca Film Festival.]
[ read more in People ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Documentary, Lead Story, Profiles ]

June 9, 2008

iW BOT | Crowds Storm To Arthouses For "Mongol"

Box Office coverage presented by Rentrak Theatrical

by Steve Ramos (June 9, 2008)

"Mongol," Russian filmmaker Sergei Bodrov's epic drama about the boy, who rises up and becomes Mongol Empire founder Genghis Khan, stormed past all specialty releases with a sky-high $27,065 per-screen average from five runs. The Picturehouse release earned $135,326 in weekend box office, granting the soon-to-be-shuttered, Warner Bros. specialty shingle the first blockbuster specialty debut of the summer. "The Grocer's Son," French filmmaker Eric Guirado' drama about a son who returns to his Provence hometown to manage the family grocery store, also debuted in the iWBOT top five, which ranks films by per-screen average. "Grocer's Son" earned $10,587 for Film Movement from an exclusive debut at New York's Lincoln Plaza Cinemas. Rounding out the iWBOT top five were "Take Out," co-directors Sean Baker and Shih-Ching Tsou's immigrant drama for CAVU Pictures; "The Promotion," writer/director Steven Conrad's workplace comedy for Third Rail Releasing and Sony Pictures Classics' father/son drama "When Did You Last See Your Father?"
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indieWIRE INTERVIEW | "On the Rumba River" Director Jacques Sarasin

by indieWIRE (June 9, 2008)

Director Jacques Sarasin's music doc "On the Rumba River" is described as a "tribute to the Congolese people... In the face of staggering poverty, a history of oppression and a long-time civil war that has claimed the lives of four million people, people continue to find solace in music. The film focuses on Antoine Kolosoy, whose music was banned by the Belgian colonia authorities who feared his joyful rhythms would cuase unrest. In the '60s, his songs expressed the hopes of the newly independent country that believed in its future... This is the second directing project for Sarasin following his 2001 drama "Je chanterai pur toi" (I'll Sing for You). The film is currently in limited release from First Run Features.
[ read more in People ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Interviews ]