Bernard Herrmann

Legendary film composer Bernard Herrmann was born in New York City on this day in 1911 . His original, innovative scores have brought some of the most important films of our time to life. After writing music for Orson Welles’ radio shows in the 1930s, including the infamous “War of the Worlds” broadcast, Herrmann went on to compose the score for Citizen Kane (1941). Herrmann produced nine scores for Alfred Hithcock, including The Birds (1963), Psycho (1960), North by Northwest (1959) and Vertigo. In 1942 he won the Academy Award for Best Music for The Devil and Daniel Webster. He died just hours after recording the score for Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver (1976), for which he received an Oscar nomination.

Factoid: Bernard Herrmann’s posthumous Oscar nomination for Taxi Driver was not his final nod. He received a second nod in the same year for Brian De Palma’s Obsession but ultimately lost out to Jerry Goldsmith for his ominous Omen score.

June 29th, 2007 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

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Tribeca 798 Film Festival Beijing

2007’s Tribeca 798 Film Festival Beijing will take place on July 10th and 11th in Beijing, China. Tribeca Enterprises, the William Morris Agency and China Interactive Media Group have all come together to present this special two-day independent film event, which will have an opening reception, free outdoor screenings and a block party on opening night set to take place in the 798 district, a neighborhood said to resemble the
artsy feel of New York’s Tribeca neighborhood. John Patricof, COO of Tribeca Enterprises, explains that the convergence of independent Chinese cinema and the Tribeca Film Festival “helps further the Tribeca Film Festival’s mission to expand the audience for independent film and to provide artists with unique platforms to reach new audiences.” The festival is featuring Wong Kar-Wai’s 2046, Benson Lee’s Planet B-Boy and Stephen Chow’s Shaolin Soccer as well as 13 other features and shorts.

June 27th, 2007 | Category: Happenings | By MovieMaker Staff

Comments: 2

Krzysztof Kieslowski

Influential Polish writer-director Krzysztof Kieslowski was born on this day in Warsaw in 1941. His career started out by accident, when he dropped out of firemen’s training school at 16 after just three months. With no clear direction in life he entered the College for Theatre Technicians in Warsaw in 1957 because it was run by a relative. To avoid military service, Kieslowski briefly became an art student. After several months of successfully avoiding the draft, he was accepted to the Lodz Film Academy on his third attempt, the same school that produced Roman Polanski and Andrzej Wajda. Although he wasn’t overtly political, Kieslowski’s documentaries, like Workers ‘71, caused him much conflict with Polish authorities. Most famous are his foreign made films such as The Double Life of Veronique (1991) and his Trois Couleurs trilogy. In 1994 he was nominated for two Academy Awards for Three Colors: Red . Kieslowski died on March 13, 1996, at the age of 54, during open-heart surgery following a heart attack.

Factoid: Kieslowski was considered part of the “Cinema of Moral Anxiety,” a loose movement which grouped together several Polish directors, including Andrzej Wajda, who aimed to depict the conditions of Poles under communism.

June 26th, 2007 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

Comments: 1

Paul Thomas Anderson

Writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson was born on this day in Studio City, California in 1970. He briefly attended Emerson College and NYU, but both stints were short-lived. Instead of a traditional education, Anderson chose the school of real life--working as a production assistant on TV movies, videos and game shows. Anderson’s first film, Cigarettes & Coffee, was a hit at the 1993 Sundance Film Festival. Anderson is best known for his large casts and complex independent film inspirations with interweaving storylines. His breakout film, Boogie Nights (1997), was critically acclaimed as the best film of the year by many film critics and one of the finest examinations of the porn industry. Later, his ensemble piece Magnolia (1999) received three Academy Award nominations, including Best Original Screenplay. In 2002 Anderson wrote and directed Punch-Drunk Love, starring Adam Sandler in his first serious role. His newest film, There Will Be Blood, an adaptation of the Upton Sinclair novel Oil!, is scheduled for release this fall.

Factoid: Boogie Nights was based on a 30-minute mockumentary which Anderson produced in high school. It was inspired by an article he had read on porn star John Holmes.

June 25th, 2007 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

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Top of the Box Office

1. Evan Almighty
Universal
Weekend Gross: $32,111,640
Total Gross: $32,111,640

2. 1408
Miramax/Dimension
Weekend Gross: $20,175,000
Total Gross: $20,175,000

3. Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
20th Century Fox
Weekend Gross: $20,150,000
Total Gross: $97,603,559

4. Ocean’s Thirteen
Warner Bros.
Weekend Gross: $11,345,000
Total Gross: $91,013,000

5. Knocked Up
Universal
Weekend Gross: $10,635,625
Total Gross: $108,981,875

Totals courtesy of www.the-numbers.com.

June 24th, 2007 | Category: Top of the Box Office | By MovieMaker Staff

Comments: 2

8 1/2

On this day in 1963, Italian director Federico Fellini released his classic film 8 1/2 in the United States. Considered by film critics to be one of the greatest cinematic achievements of all time, 8 1/2 was nominated for five Academy Awards, and won two: Best Foreign Language Film and Best Costume Design. Fellini’s semi-autobiographical film, starring Marcello Mastroianni, tells the story of a film director who, lacking inspiration for his next movie, retracts into his dreams, bemusing over his past and the women he has loved and lost. The film was shot in black and white by influential and innovative cinematographer Gianni Di Venanzo and features a soundtrack by Nino Rota.

Factoid: The broadway musical Nine, with music and lyrics by Maury Yeston, is based on Fellini’s 8 1/2.

June 24th, 2007 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

Comments: 4

Indie Memphis Film Festival

The South is not like anywhere else. According to longtime MM contributor Jason Mann, this fact has been recognized many times over in literature and music, but rarely in film. So the Indie Memphis Soul of Southern Film Festival was created to right that injustice, focusing on films that showcase that local flavor.

The fest accepts films in four categories: Narrative Feature, Narrative Short (less than 30 minutes), Documentary and Experimental/Animation. Films made in Shelby County, home of the Indie Memphis Film Festival, are eligible for a second set of awards, aptly called the Hometowner Awards.

But what does the South have to offer the moviemaking community at large? “The South has a great tradition of storytelling,” says Tracy Lauritzen Wright, executive director of Delta Axis, the organization behind Indie Memphis. “The rich history and culture of the region lend themselves to great imagery, music and stories. Indie Memphis seeks to introduce the national moviemaking community to a new generation of filmmakers who draw inspiration from the people and landscape of the South. We are particularly committed to the local community of filmmakers, and provide many Memphis filmmakers with their first screening opportunities,”

Think you’ve got what it takes to make it at this year’s event? The 2007 Indie Memphis Film Festival will run from October 19–25. The final deadline for submissions is July 16. For more information visit www.indiememphis.com.

June 24th, 2007 | Category: Festival of the Week | By MovieMaker Staff

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Michael Moore

He has been an elected official (at the budding age of 18 no less), executive editor of Mother Jones magazine and a would-be priest. Now, as a video journalist and moviemaker, Michael Moore is conquering his next mountain: The U.S. healthcare system. In SiCKO, out in early release from The Weinstein Company on June 22, Moore documents the drawbacks and inconsistencies in the privatized system while promoting an elimination of private health insurance and a regulation of pharmaceutical companies. “One thing I said to my coworkers when we started was that we donâ€(tm)t need to spend a lot of time in the film telling the audience how bad the system is, because they already know,” Moore says. “That would be like making a movie now and pointing out that Bush is a lousy president.” Wait, didnâ€(tm)t he already do that?

In 2004 the moviemaker caused a worldwide stir when his scathing critique on the Bush administration, Fahrenheit 9/11, hit theaters sans support of its Disney distribution label. With the mouse house out of the picture, the Weinstein brothers, Lionsgate and IFC Films stepped up to promote and distribute what became the highest grossing documentary in box office history.

Moore, no stranger to controversy, has become synonymous with sociopolitical calls to action since first raising a popular ruckus with the release of 1989â€(tm)s Roger & Me. His attempts at meeting with General Motors CEO Roger Smith raised many an eye to the economic fate of Mooreâ€(tm)s hometown of Flint, Michigan. His next documentary, the Academy Award-winning Bowling for Columbine, expanded its scope to the nationâ€(tm)s gun control laws (or, rather, leniency) after the shooting rampage at Columbine High School. Its screening at Cannes marked the first documentary to be shown at the festival in 46 years and came home with the 55th Anniversary Prize.

“Ignorance is never a healthy thing,” Moore observes. “You canâ€(tm)t make the best decisions without having all of the information. Thatâ€(tm)s true in our daily life, and thatâ€(tm)s true in our political life.” Which is probably why we look to this passionate moviemaker to challenge us every few years.

Sound Off: Michael Moore confronts issues in his movies often by revealing only one side of the argument, explaining that the other side is what the public is bombarded with day in and day out. Some people find this deceitful while others find it necessary. What’s your view? Tell us what you think in our comments section!

June 24th, 2007 | Category: Moviemaker of the Week | By MovieMaker Staff

Comments: 18

In Theaters Now

Evan Almighty
directed by Tom Shadyac
Steve Carell is back in the sequel to the hit comedy Bruce Almighty, dishing out biblical lessons through family-oriented humor. Evan, a newly selected congressman, is hoping to serve his country, but when called upon by God (Morgan Freeman, of course) to build an ark that will serve all humanity, he realizes his calling is greater than he could’ve imagined. Carell is always entertaining, and jokes played off religion are an easy laugh, but can the film maintain its entertainment factor for its 90-minute running time? God willing, you’ll leave with a few good chuckles and maybe some moral gain. Say Amen, somebody.

1408
directed by Mikael Hafstrom
It seems that as the horror market grows, even actors better known for their comedic turns like Jim Carrey and now John Cusack are trying their hand at fright (and, well, we all remember how well The Number 23 was received… or more likely don’t remember it at all). A far cry from romantic comedies like High Fidelity or Say Anything, this Stephen King thriller, about a paranormal investigative writer who takes his chances by staying in an allegedly haunted hotel room, claims to terrify audiences. Any hopes that the deadly room is a myth are quickly debunked. It’s a little hard to take 1408 seriously though when images of a lovesick teen holding a boom box over his head get in the way.

A Mighty Heart
directed by Michael Winterbottom
Oscar alert! Angelina Jolie lands a dream role, her chance for a shot at Best Lead Actress (to match her Best Supporting Actress statue for Girl, Interrupted), playing Mariane Pearl in the harrowing, true story of a woman struggling to save her husband, Daniel (Dan Futterman), the American reporter who was brutally murdered by a Pakistani militant group in 2002. Although Mrs. Pearl is of mixed race, Jolie manages to look uncannily like her, and apparently it was Mrs. Pearl’s request that Jolie have the part (though Brad Pitt did produce the film...). A Mighty Heart promises to be the most heart-wrenching film of summer. Bring tissues and a loved one.

You Kill Me
directed by John Dahl
Oh, another Hollywood contribution to women’s rights where the on-screen couple involves a young hot woman with a male partner who could be her father. In You Kill Me, Ben Kingsley is a hit man whose drinking has gotten the best of him, so he’s sent away by his Polish mob family to sober up in San Francisco. Working at a mortuary he befriends the “tart-tongued” Laurel (Téa Leoni) and the two form an unlikely partnership. Luke Wilson and Dennis Farina also star in this black comedy.

--Nina Boutsikaris

June 21st, 2007 | Category: In Theaters Now | By MovieMaker Staff

Comments: 1

Graham Greene

Today in 1952 actor Graham Greene was born on the Six Nations Reserve in Ontario, Canada. A graduate of The Centre for Indigenous Theatre’s Native Theatre School program, Greene went on to become a well recognized face, taking on projects that concerned the harsh realities and difficult issues concerning indigenous people. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his performance in Dances with Wolves (1990), and he received the Best Actor Award in 2002 at the Tokyo International Film Festival for Skins, a tale about the relationship between two Sioux Indian brothers living on the Pine Ridge Indian reservation.

Factoid: Along with his film and TV work, Greene also provides the recorded narration for “Tecumseh!” an outdoor drama presented each summer at the Sugarloaf Mountain Amphitheatre in Chillicothe, Ohio. Audiences witness a reenactment of the legendary Shawnee leader as he struggles to defend his sacred homelands in Ohio country during the late 1700s.

June 21st, 2007 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

Comments: 2

Sunshine State

John Sayles’ Sunshine State was released in American theaters on this day in 2002. The indie film, starring Angela Bassett and Edie Falco, was critically acclaimed for the insightful examination of Florida’s historic past and uncertain future. Bassett plays a newly married woman who returns to her hometown in coastal northern Florida, only to deal with family, business and the impending real estate development that threatens to take over the once familiar land.
Quotable: “I won’t try to second-guess what a Hollywood studio would like to see in a low-budget film so that they will hire me the next time around. I know I will always do better work if I do projects in which I really believe. And if I never get to direct again, I will have made some movies I can feel proud of.”

June 20th, 2007 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

Comments: 9

Martin Landau

On this day in 1931 American actor Martin Landau was born in Brooklyn, NY. At age 17 he worked as a cartoonist and illustrator for the New York Daily News. Landau attended Lee Strasberg’s Actors Studio in 1955 and eventually went on to coach modern stars like Jack Nicholson and Anjelica Houston. At age 28 he made his major film debut in Alfred Hitchcock’s North by Northwest (1959), alongside actors Cary Grant, Eva Saint Marie and James Mason. A few years later Landau landed the role of “Rollin Hand” on the hit television show “Mission: Impossible.” Landau has been nominated for several Oscars, including a win for Best Actor in 1994 for his role as Bela Lugosi, the original Dracula, in Tim Burton’s Ed Wood.

Factoid: Martin Landau has his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

June 19th, 2007 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

Comments: 1

Kathleen Turner

The famously husky-voiced actress Kathleen Turner was born on this day in 1954 in Springfield, Missouri. The daughter of career diplomats, Turner lived in four foreign countries while growing up (Canada, Cuba, Venezuela and the U.K.). As a young woman she was known for her stunning looks and deep, sexy voice and was often compared to 1940s Hollywood sex symbol Lauren Bacall. Throughout her career, Turner has received numerous award nominations, including five Golden Globes nominations plus an Oscar nod for 1986’s Peggy Sue Got Married. Turner received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Savannah College of Art and Design at the Savannah Film Festival in October 2004 and was also a member of the jury at the Cannes Film Festival in 2004.

Factoid: Turner has opted to do her own stunts in many of her films, including 1991’s VI Warshawski, where she broke her nose while filming.

June 18th, 2007 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

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Chris Cooper in Breach

Chris Cooper is much more than the stereotypical cowpoke from Missouri. Because, while he started his career designing and building sets there, the young actor found his first acting roles in New York City and soon crossed the pond to play opposite Lauren Bacall in “Sweet Bird of Youth” on the London stage in 1985. Cooper’s career has since been founded on the small but significant supporting characters in films such as This Boy’s Life, A Time to Kill (1996), The Horse Whisperer (1998) and Alfonso Cuarón’s Great Expectations (1998). His portrayal of a stern (and complex, sexually-confused) military man in Sam Mendes’ American Beauty earned him a supporting actor nomination from SAG--the first of three in four years, he was also nominated in that category for 2002â€(tm)s Adaptation and 2003â€(tm)s Seabiscuit. In fact, it was his performance as an orchid expert in Adaptation that brought Cooper gold in the form of an Academy Award statuette, plus subsequent roles as KBI agent Alvin Dewey in Capote and Robert Hanssen in Breach, his first as a leading man. Next up he reprises his role opposite Matt Damon in The Bourne Ultimatum and acts against Patricia Clarkson in both Hurricane Mary and Married Life.

Connections: Chris Cooperâ€(tm)s first feature film role came courtesy of John Sayles in 1987â€(tm)s Matewan. Since then the men have worked on City of Hope (1991), Lone Star (1996) and Silver City (2004).

June 18th, 2007 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

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Great American Pitchfest

The Great American Pitchfest is like speed dating for the Hollywood business crowd. It’s where writers with ideas meet people with resources and an impressive number of love affairs have blossomed. “For many writers, gaining access to industry insiders is very difficult, even if they live right in Los Angeles,” explains Bob Schultz, a Pitchfest organizer. “As the only pitching event created by screenwriters for screenwriters, we take tremendous pride in opening those doors for aspiring writers.”
The annual event was founded by moviemaker Signe Olynyk after becoming frustrated by other unorganized festivals of this type—especially after they yielded few results. Her solution, the Great American Pitchfest, ensures each attendee five minutes with each company and the opportunity for additional time if the company desires. The low ratio of industry reps to attendees keeps the event fairly intimate and the odds of success higher. Additionally, registered guests are guaranteed seating to free on-site classes sponsored by The Writers Store, Learning Annex and Writers Guild of America.
Besides sitting in on classes and sweet-talking the industry insiders, Schultz says there are three vital elements to setting yourself apart and succeeding at the Great American Pitchfest. First, is strategy: Have things planned ahead of time. Second, energy: “Channeling your nervousness, excitement or fear into an enthusiastic (but focused) pitch makes all the difference.” Finally, knowledge: Knowing every detail about your script and about the company you are pitching to. With all that, you just might find a lifelong companion.

See what the Great American Pitchfest can do for you when it hits the Sheraton Hotel in Universal Studios, California, June 23-24. Head over to www.pitchfest.com for more details.

Sound Off: The Great American Pitchfest pairs prospective talent with the people who can propel that talent forward. What is the best story of an unknown becoming a hit through a chance meeting?

June 18th, 2007 | Category: Festival of the Week | By MovieMaker Staff

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Wordplay

The documentary Wordplay was released in theaters on this day in 2006. Recognized by the Broadcast Film Critics Association, Chicago Critics Association Award, Satellite Award and Sundance Film Festival, the film takes a look at the historical and modern day forces behind the New York Times crossword puzzle and the fascinating world of puzzle addicts. Director Patrick Creadon follows five brilliant minds as they prepare for and compete in the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament. “The Daily Show” host Jon Stewart, documentarian Ken Burns and former President Bill Clinton are just a few of the celebrity interviewees, who share their own experiences and love of the famous puzzle.

Factoid: Twentysomething Tyler Hinman, who won the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament for the first time when Wordplay was shot in 2005, has won every year since!

June 17th, 2007 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

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Top of the Box Office

1. Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
20th Century Fox
Weekend Gross: $57,400,000
Total Gross: $57,400,000

2. Ocean’s Thirteen
Warner Bros.
Weekend Gross: $19,105,000
Total Gross: $69,810,000

3. Knocked Up
Universal
Weekend Gross: $14,535,000
Total Gross: $90,481,815

4. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End
Buena Vista
Weekend Gross: $12,024,000
Total Gross: $273,757,000

5. Surf’s Up
Sony Pictures
Weekend Gross: $9,300,000
Total Gross: $34,671,000

Totals courtesy of www.the-numbers.com.

June 17th, 2007 | Category: Top of the Box Office | By MovieMaker Staff

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India

While India has long had its own thriving film community in Bollywood, it is often equally appealing to foreign productions looking to set up shop throughout the country. Most recently A Mighty Heart made use of the Asian land in bringing to life the true story of slain journalist Daniel Pearl.

Based on the book of the same name by Pearl’s wife, Mariane, the movie delves into the lives of the Pearls (played by Oscar winner Angelina Jolie and nominee Dan Futterman), leading up to and following the capture and subsequent murder of the former South Asian Bureau chief for The Wall Street Journal. Filmed throughout India and Pakistan, director Michael Winterbottom squeezed every last drop from his inspired setting and followed the storyline through streets of police raids and processions to landmarks such as the Gateway of India and Churchgate Station. Plus, a marked amount of extras and crew were farmed from the local talent pool and sometimes even right off the street. “If a guy on the street looked right for the part, we grabbed him,” explains casting director Wendy Brazington, who also called on well-known Indian faces Irfan Khan and Archie Panjabi for weighty supporting roles.

With borders along the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal and inlands made of sandy deserts, India’s landscape provides the variety needed for productions of many a setting and experience. Through the National Film Development Corporation Limited, productions of any size can submit to receive partial funding and production assistance in the form of photographers, art directors, Steadicams, mikes and booms, computer graphics and lodging, among other filming necessities. Plus, the task of dealing with customs and local/national government falls on the shoulders of the NFDC, leaving moviemakers free to storyboard and dare to dream.

Wondering how you can experience India on film if you haven’t caught many Bollywood movies? Watch the following:
Armageddon
The Bourne Supremacy
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Monsoon Wedding
Passage to India
Salaam Bombay!

For more information on A Mighty Heart, released domestically by Paramount Vantage on June 22, visit www.amightheartmovie.com.

For more information on India and filming in the country, check out www.incredibleindia.org and the National Film Development Corporation Ltd. at www.nfdcindia.com.

SOUND OFF: In the past few years alone there have been at least two biopics per year. Which is your favorite of all time? Sound off in our comments section!

June 17th, 2007 | Category: Location of the Week | By MovieMaker Staff

Comments: 1

Susan Minot

She may have only written two screenplays, but Susan Minot is an experienced writer, with six popular books to her name. The first, Monkeys, received the Prix Femina Etranger in France in 1987 and established her writing abilities early on. From there came fans that included Bernardo Bertolucci, who personally invited her to develop a script based on his own story. The result: 1994â€(tm)s Stealing Beauty. Now in cooperation with fellow novelist/screenwriter Michael Cunningham (The Hours), Minot presents her audience with another aspect of family dynamics in Evening, out from Focus Features on June 29.

Making use of some of cinemaâ€(tm)s living lady legends, Evening depicts Ann Grant (played in two time periods by Claire Danes and Vanessa Redgrave), a dying older woman, reliving the memorable moments of her lifeâ€"particularly one Maine vacation when attending her friendâ€(tm)s wedding. “In the 1950s, Ann Grant has her moment,” explains director Lajos Koltai. “Itâ€(tm)s something that she keeps with her always, though her perspective on it has changed over the course of her life and changes for good during the course of the story, as it applies to her daughters.”

Like many of Minot’s stories, Evening takes note of the special relationships between women and the strong roles they play in each otherâ€(tm)s life. Thankfully for many, this translated on screen as well. “The casting process on Evening was the most exciting experience of my career,” gushes producer Jeff Sharp. “There were a number of wonderful roles, especially for actresses, but all the parts had been scripted with great detail and love.”

Drawing in talent like Meryl Streep, Glenn Close, Toni Collette and Natasha Richardson, Evening is one more momentous notch on this New Englanderâ€(tm)s belt.

Read more about Minot and her Evening cast and crew at www.focusfeatures.com/evening.

SOUND OFF: Eveningâ€(tm)s list of accomplished actresses and actors is long. What is the best ensemble of actresses and/or actors seen on screen thus far in cinema history?

June 17th, 2007 | Category: Screenwriter of the Week | By MovieMaker Staff

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Wolf Creek

On this day in 2004, Australian director George McLean began shooting Wolf Creek. He wrote the film (which he also produced), inspired by the infamous exploits of the Backpack Killer in the 1990s. The film debuted in Australia at number one before performing impressively in the UK and U.S. as well.
Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez were two notable supporters of the film, but the critical reception was polarized. Many objected to the graphic scenes of sadistic torture while others commended their effectiveness. Reaching U.S. theaters around the same time as the Tarantino-presented and similarly themed Hostel, Wolf Creek heralded the arrival of a new type of horror film inspired by the works of Japanese thrillmaster Takashi Miike.

Factoid: Takashi Miike makes a cameo as a patron at the torture chamber in Eli Roth’s Hostel.

June 14th, 2007 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

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Steve Broidy

Steve Broidy was born on this day in 1905 in Malden, Massachusetts. Broidy worked in sales for an independent production company before stretches at Universal Studios and Warner Bros. studios. In 1933 he joined Monogram, a production company best known for pumping out B movies, and rose through the ranks until he was named president in 1945. In an attempt to create a new image for the company, Broidy presided over the transformation of Monogram into Allied Artists. The new label’s intention was to deliver more prestigious pictures with bigger budgets, but Allied Artists soon reverted to the type of tripe for which its preceding company was known. Broidy held the position of president until 1965, when he left to produce movies independently. His solo projects include The Fox, 80 Steps to Jonah and The Poseidon Adventure.

Factoid: Broidy was a celebrated philanthropist and Founding Life Chairman at Cedar-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles.

June 13th, 2007 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

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Charles Burnett/Killer of Sheep at IFC Center

In celebration of Charles Burnett’s classic Killer of Sheep’s 12th and final week in New York City (where it has become the city’s highest-grossing—and best reviewed—indie film this year, Milestone Film & Video and the IFC Center will feature Charles Burnett in person on Monday, June 18th to present the evening screenings and answer questions afterwards. In addition, a rare restored short by the legendary African-American director will be screened, posters will given away to the first 100 attendees of each show and several other surprises will be in store! Visit http://www.ifccenter.com for more information or to purchase tickets!

June 13th, 2007 | Category: Happenings | By MovieMaker Staff

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Basil Rathbone

Basil Rathbone was born on this day in 1892 in Johannesburg, South Africa. His family moved to England when he was a toddler and he became interested in theater at a very young age. He became an accomplished stage actor and remained exclusively as such until the 1930s, when he eventually crossed over to film.
In many of his early roles, Rathbone was typecast as the villainous rake, a trend that continued throughout his career until he found his signature role as Sherlock Holmes in 1939’s The Hound of the Baskervilles. He played the famous sleuth in 16 films and over 200 radio broadcasts. By 1946, Rathbone was so tired of the role that he quit his Sherlock Holmes film series to go back to the stage. In the years after, his career found new life in television and he continued to act and do voice work until his death in 1967.

Factoid: Basil Rathbone is regarded as one of the most skilled swordsmen in the history of Hollywood, but only once was he allowed to win a swordfight on-screen.

June 12th, 2007 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

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Sex and Lucía

Sex and Lucía opened in New York City and Los Angeles on this day in 2002. Written and directed by Julio Medem (The Lovers of the Arctic Circle), the film introduced Paz Vega, who would later go on to star in Spanglish and 10 Items or Less, to American audiences. Originally conceived as two separate stories, Medem wove the two narratives together to present a powerful study of love and personal relationships that is reminiscent of the work of Guillermo Arriaga (Amores Perros, Babel) and created one of the most artfully erotic films of the decade. Both Medem and Vega received awards for their work, including a Best Actress Goya for the then-26-year-old actress. Julio Medem is currently in post-production on his next effort, Chaotic Ana.

Quotable: “During the rehearsals, I try to get to the center of the character with the actor, and once I feel we have captured the character, I get out and look at it from the outside. It’s a very intense process during which things start to change.”
--Julio Medem, discussing his his notoriously long rehearsal periods.

June 11th, 2007 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

Comments: 1

Film Independent

From the Los Angeles Film Festival to the Spirit Awards, some of the biggest events on the independent film scene are spearheaded by one organization: Film Independent.

Formerly the Los Angeles chapter of the Independent Feature Project (IFP), Film Independent (FIND) broke off into its own organization in May 2005, taking its signature events--including the aforementioned Spirit Awards and LAFF--and a membership of more than 6,300 (and growing) with it.

From June 21 - July 1, 2007, FIND will once again present one of Hollywoodâ€(tm)s biggest film events, the Los Angeles Film Festival. Proving that this is truly a festival for the people, this yearâ€(tm)s event will kick off with the premiere of Michael Bayâ€(tm)s hotly anticipated Transformers, which will screen simultaneously in four theaters to an audience of 4,000 and be followed by a massive block party for everyone in attendance. “Fans have been waiting for this movie for years,” says LAFF director Rich Raddon. “Iâ€(tm)m excited that, through the festival, the public can be a part of this anticipated premiere--not to mention the after-party that will take place in the streets of Westwood.”

Want to be a part of it all? Become a FIND member at www.filmindependent.org or log onto www.lafilmfest.com for information on the LAFF.

June 11th, 2007 | Category: Association of the Week | By MovieMaker Staff

Comments: 4

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