Leave it to Johnny Depp, he’s a very smary guy. Back in 2008, ne purchased the rights to Nick Tosche’s book “In The Hand of Dante,” which is about two intersecting stories based upon the legendary Italian writer Dante Alighiei’s masterwork, “The Divine Comedy.” Depp himself will play the Nick Tosches “surrogate” character, rumor has it, in the joint story line. The narrative will swings back and forth between modern-day New York City and 14th […]
Second Annual Portland, Maine Film Festival Accepting Submissions
Announcing its second exciting season, the Portland Maine Film Festival’s call for entries is now open. The PMFF invites international and local filmmakers to submit their films for consideration through August 29, 2011. The Festival, Oct. 6, 7, 8 and 9, 2011, will host four days of diverse film celebrations and screenings of work by independent-minded filmmakers and emerging cinema artists of Maine and across the globe. Details on how to apply may be found […]
Daniel Craig, Sci-Fis and thrillers abound at the upcoming Locarno Film Festival
The Festival del film Locarno once again makes its presence felt as the essential rendez-vous for auteurs, observers and key players in world cinema. The Festival, faithful to its origins and resolutely looking forward, continues its adventurous course, always attentive to changes in cinematography and the emergence of new talent. It continues to strive to limit the number of films selected, in order to guarantee maximum visibility of those selected while offering a range of […]
Sundance Institute to Host a Week of Independent Film Producing Initiatives
Nine Projects Selected for Creative Producing Labs and Fellowships Los Angeles, CA — Sundance Institute today announced the participants for its annual Creative Producing Labs and Creative Producing Summit, both held in the same week at the Sundance Resort in Sundance, Utah. Nine projects have been selected to participate in the Labs (July 18-22) and receive ongoing creative and strategic support throughout the year, as well as direct granting to further development and production. The […]
Martin Scorsese’s “George Harrison: Living in the Material World” to debut on HBO
Martin Scorsese’s new documentary film, ‘George Harrison: Living in the Material World’ will debut in two parts – on October 5 and 6 – exclusively on HBO. GEORGE HARRISON: LIVING IN THE MATERIAL WORLD focuses the imaginative and inspired eye of one of cinema’s most preeminent filmmakers on one of the world’s most influential men. The film takes viewers on the musical and spiritual voyage that was George Harrison’s life, much of it told […]
Star-Studded Lineup For 2011 Hollyshorts Film Festival
From August 12-18, 2011, the 7th HollyShorts is showcasing 300 short form projects including short films, music videos, web series, and commercials. The full lineup has been released and includes the premiere of acclaimed writer Jamie Linden (Dear John, We Are Marshall) short film “The Envelope in the Glovebox” which he used to pitch into the star-studded feature film adaptation Ten Year, that stars Channing Tatum, Kate Mara, Rosario Dawson, Justin Long, Anthony Mackie, […]
LA Shorts Fest 2011 Opening Night Film Program includes shorts from Hollywood Stars, Eva Mendes, Jessica Biel and Rachel Weisz
The 15th LA Shorts Fest running July 21 – 29, 2011 at Laemmle Sunset 5 Hollywood kicks off next Thursday and features a stellar Opening Night Film Program of 6 films, from some big name stars including Eva Mendes, Jessica Biel, newly married Rachel Weisz, Terry Gilliam and the North American Premiere of Pixar’s La Luna. Opening Night Film Program The Wholly FamilyFamily / Italy / 20 min An American couple and their son […]
Ti West’s The Innkeepers to open 2011 Sidewalk Film Festival
The South Eastern premiere of Ti West’s The Innkeepers will serve as the Opening Night Film of the 2011 Sidewalk Film Festival and will screen at the beautiful 2,200 seat Alabama Theatre. Described as one of the most exciting and original filmmakers on the independent scene today, Ti West (The Roost, Trigger Man and The House of the Devil) directs, edits and co-produces his original screenplay about two employees of a soon-to-be-closed hotel, who get […]
Philippine Indie Film Director still drawing flak for comments that he hires theater actors because … you can pay them in cat food
The Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA) is demanding an apology from independent film director Rafael Santos after the comments he made last month in an interview with ANC’s “Cityscape.” In the interview, Santos reportedly said he usually gets theater actors because he “personally find[s] the theater actors are better to work with because they don’t complain.” “You can feed them Skyflakes 3 meals a day and pay them in cat food basically,” he said. “They’re […]
Country singer Chely Wright coming-out Documentary among winners at 2011 San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival
The San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival wrapped up on Sunday, June 26, 2011 and announced the Frameline35 Awards. Frameline35 Outstanding Documentary Feature was presented to Wish Me Away from directors Bobbie Birleffi & Beverly Kopf; the touching film follows the coming-out story of country singer Chely Wright, the first country music star to ever come out as openly gay. Other awards include Frameline35 Outstanding First Feature awarded to the French film The Evening Dress […]
10 Films To Take Top Honors at 2011 Artivist Film Festival
The 2011 Artivist Film Festival announced its 2011 film awards in five categories: Human Rights, Children’s Advocacy, Environmental Preservation, Animal Advocacy and Artivist Spirit. The awards will be presented to the filmmakers at the Closing Night Awards Program of the 2011 Artivist Film Festival in Los Angeles, August 18-20. In a first-of-its-kind program for film festivals, all ten films will be showcased in a series of preview screenings in six U.S. cities, July 8-10: Atlanta, […]
Award-Winning documentary film Fordson: Faith, Fasting, Football to open exclusively at select AMC Theatres
The award-winning documentary film, Fordson: Faith, Fasting, Football, has a release date; the film about high school football and Arab-Americans living in post 9-11 America will open exclusively at select AMC Theatres in 11 cities on Sept. 9, 2011. The 11 cities include Atlanta, Chicago, Dearborn, Mich., Dallas, Houston, Orange County, Calif., Los Angeles, New York, N.Y., Brunswick, N.J., San Jose, Calif., San Francisco, and in the Greater Washington D.C. region, including Gaithersburg, Md., and […]
Great Date Movie! Delhi Belly-opening today
“Delhi Belly” is the hilarious, raunchy and new Bollywood Movie from director Abhinay Deo, starring international dream guy Imran Khan, along with Vir Das and Kunaal Roy Kapur playing his hapless yet sweet roommates. In an almost old Hollywood twist of mistaken identity, and strange, missing bag of something mysterious (Drugs? Money? What?), “Delhi Belly” is really so much fun, like a sweeter, more Eastern version of a deft Judd Apatow film. This is also […]
Azazel Jacobs’ New Film “Terri” Will Win Your Heart
“Terri,” the new film by Azazel Jacobs (“Momma’s Man”) starring John C. Reilly and newcomer Jacob Wysocki, is a wholly new and refreshing coming-of-age film. Wysocki plays the lead character Terri Thompson in “Terri” ( a pretty astonishing star turn), an overweight high school student who is abandoned by his parents to his mentally flagging Uncle James (Creed Bratton of “The Office,” doing a complete and memorable 180 from anything we’ve seen him in) in […]
Paladin takes “The Whale,” narrated by Ryan Reynolds
THE WHALE, a new documentary about a lonely young killer whale who causes upheaval in a small town and amazement around the world when he tries to make friends with humans, will be released theatrically by Paladin, it was announced by company president, Mark Urman. THE WHALE was directed by noted journalist Michael Parfit and veteran producer-cinematographer Suzanne Chisholm, who encountered the young orca whale, nicknamed Luna, at the height of his celebrity and spent […]
Azazel Jacobs Talks About Directing His New Film “Terri” – Opening Today
Hello! Azazel, you’re in town (in NYC) for the BAM Festival?Yeah! It feels really nice. It’s the best way to kind of kind of home. You know, I live in Los Angeles now- so, to come home to New York, where my folks and friends are, where I was raised, and to have a film that’s being well received, it’s been really important to me. And it’s summer here! Everyone is so curious about […]
New York Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender film festival to run July 21-28
Coming on the heels of Gay Pride weekend is the announcement that NewFest, the New York Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender film festival is coming to locations across New York city, July 21-28. The festival will open and close at the Film Society of Lincoln Center and will be headquartered throughout the week at Chelsea’s SVA Theater and Cinema Village. Special satellite screenings will be held at The Museum of the Moving Image in Queens, […]
Brazilian musician Caetano Veloso is Guest Director for 2011 Telluride Film Festival
Telluride Film Festival announced that Caetano Veloso will be the Guest Director of this year’s festival which will run September 2-5, 2011. Caetano Veloso began his professional music career in 1965 in Sao Paulo and has made more than 30 studio albums to date. But with over 100 film and television credits, Veloso is no stranger to the big and small screen. In 2002, Veloso received worldwide recognition for his performance of “Cucurrucucú Paloma” (“Cucurrucucu […]
Russian Film ‘Silent Souls’ to open Sept. 16 in NYC; Releases Controversial Picture
Silent Souls, a film by Russian director, Aleksei Fedorchenko, and an offficial Selection at 2010 New York, Toronto and Venice film festivals, will open at Angelika Film Center in New York on Friday, September 16, and at Laemmle Theaters in Los Angeles at the end of September. Other cities will follow. When Miron’s beloved wife Tanya passes away, he asks his best friend Aist to help him say goodbye to her according to the rituals […]
2011 Frozen Film Festival to feature films on beat-boxing, porn, global warming, animation, and more..
The 5th Frozen Film Festival returns for its annual two day run – July 8th-9th at the Roxie Theater in San Francisco, California showcasing 50 new films. Films include: Beatbox – The Fifth Element Of Hip Hop, examines the art form of “beatbox” and how it’s aided the expansion of hip hop music. The Bellman Equation, a search to solve the mysterious equation of mathematician Richard Bellman. Color Me Obsessed, the first documentary on the […]
The 32nd Durban International Film Festival Full Program Announced
The 32nd Durban International Film Festival kicks off on July 21st with the World Premiere of the South African film Otelo Burning, directed by Sara Blecher. Set during the last days of apartheid, the Durban-shot film tells the story of a group of South African township youngsters who discover surfing as an empowering escape from the political violence of the times. There is drama, romance, rivalry, and tragedy in this convincing fulfillment of local filmmaking […]
False Evacuation at LA Film Festival’s Closing Night Screening of “Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark”- Starring Katie Holmes
Guests at the LA Film Festival’s Closing Night Screening of co-writer/producer’s Guillermo del Toro’s new thriller “Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark,” starring Katie Holmes and Guy Pearce, were scared by more than just the film itself: Festival-goers actually had to actually leave the screening briefly (during a pivotal point on the horror film!) after wailing alarms and a recording told them that it was an “emergency,” and they had to evacuate immediately. Del Toro […]
Dabangg (Fearless) is big winner at 12th International India Film Academy
Dabangg (Fearless) was the big winner at the 12th International India Film Academy (IIFA) awards ceremony held in Toronto, Canada on Saturday night. The Hollywood Reported, reported that Dabangg won for best film and took home three of the four major music awards: best male playback singer for Rahat Ali Fateh Khan for the song “Tere mast mast do nain,” best music director shared by Sajid Wajid and Lalit Pandit, and the best female playback […]
Silverdocs Announces 2011 Award Winners; Sterling Award for Best US Feature goes to OUR SCHOOL
AFI-Discovery Channel Silverdocs Documentary Festival announced its distinguished award winners, culminating the weeklong festival activities that included the screening of 108 films representing 52 countries, a free outdoor screening, live performances and a five-day professional documentary conference. The Festival hosted 27,000 attendees, including more than 1,500 filmmakers, film and television executives and media professionals celebrating the art and business of documentary filmmaking.
This year’s Sterling Award for Best US Feature goes to OUR SCHOOL directed by Mona Nicoara and Miruna Coco-Cozma. Shot over the course of four years, the film follows the attempt to integrate isolated rural Roma (or gypsy) children into the mainstream school system of Romania. Focusing on seven-year-old Alin, 12-year-old Beni and 16-year-old Dana, this fascinating film takes an unflinching look at the challenges of a longstanding tradition of prejudice. The prize is accompanied by a $5,000 cash award.