Advertisement
A&E to “Spotlight” the Palm Beach International Film Festival
For the first installment of the new “A&E IndieFilms Spotlight” campaign, the cable network has chosen to feature the Palm Beach International Film Festival (PBIFF). During the upcoming festival, which runs from April 10 - 17, A&E will run brief segments highlighting several yet-to-be-determined PBIFF films on both their cable network and Website. Eventually, and more importantly, one film from the festival will be selected and televised nationally on A&E.
March 27th, 2008 | Category: News/Commentary | By Andrew Gnerre
Advertisement
' . $phpAds_raw['html'] . ''; } ?>Starz Airs Grindhouse March 31 As It Was Meant to Be Seen
Grindhouse, last spring’s double bill from directors Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez, may have disappeared faster than expected from theaters after surprisingly meager box office returns. But fans will have the chance to watch the anthology film as the directors intended it to be seen, as Starz plans to air Grindhouse in its all schlocky, exploitation glory on March 31st at 9 p.m.
March 26th, 2008 | Category: News/Commentary | By Carla Pisarro
Canadian Film Centre Sends Moviemakers to Tribeca Film Festival
The Canadian Film Centre (CFC) will send two Canadian production teams to New York next month to participate in Tribeca All Access (TAA), a six-day event hosted by the Tribeca Film Festival. This year will be the first that TAA has included international delegates in the event, with representatives from the UK Film Council and the Australian Film Commission to attend in addition to the CFC’s participants.
TAA, to take place this year from April 21-26, provides workshops and networking opportunities for moviemakers from traditionally underrepresented communities. With 37 new projects showing, this year’s TAA showcase will be the festival’s largest ever.
March 25th, 2008 | Category: News/Commentary | By Carla Pisarro
Meet the Browns Charity Auction Raises Funds for Pediatric AIDS
Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns opens today with a special charitable opportunity for fans of the movie’s cast: Lionsgate is auctioning posters signed by the film’s stars on eBay. The posters feature autographs from Perry along with stars Angela Bassett, Rick Fox, Sofia Vergara, Jennifer Lewis, David Mann, Tamela Mann and Lance Gross. Proceeds from the auction will go towards the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, a pioneer in raising funds for pediatric AIDS research.
March 21st, 2008 | Category: News/Commentary | By Carla Pisarro
Advertisement
' . $phpAds_raw['html'] . ''; } ?>PRISM award nominations announced
Everyone knows that art has the power to entertain, but sometimes it also has the ability to educate simply by showing real life. Since 1997 the PRISM awards have honored entertainment that provides realistic depictions of substance abuse, addiction and mental health issues. On February 27, 2008 the Entertainment Industries Council, the organization which hosts the awards, announced the 2008 nominees.
March 21st, 2008 | Category: | By Melissa Rose Kimbler
Steven Spielberg Supports Roy Scheider Scholarship Fund
Steven Spielberg will honor his Jaws star Roy Scheider by helping to support a scholarship fund in the late actor’s name. Spielberg has pledged a $50,000 challenge grant to help fund the Roy Scheider Scholarship Endowment Fund, which will provide scholarships for inner-city students to study at the renowned Stella Adler Studio of Acting. Spielberg will join Scheider’s widow, Brenda Siemer Scheider, in sending a fundraising letter for the scholarship to entertainment industry leaders. Scheider, who also starred in Bob Fosse’s All That Jazz, passed away on February 10th at age 75. The Stella Adler Studio announced the scholarship at their March 18th Stella by Starlight gala benefit.
March 19th, 2008 | Category: News/Commentary | By Carla Pisarro
Doug Liman To Give NAB Show Keynote Address
Jumper director Doug Liman will give the keynote address at this year’s NAB Show, the world’s largest electronic media conference devoted to developing innovative content. Titled “Redefining Must See TV,” Liman’s keynote address will cover the current state of network television programming and what it might take to create the first Internet-based hit show. Liman’s talk will take place in Las Vegas on Monday, April 14.
March 18th, 2008 | Category: News/Commentary | By Carla Pisarro
Advertisement
' . $phpAds_raw['html'] . ''; } ?>Cinema Eye Honors Nonfiction Moviemakers
Hollywood’s awards season may have been underwhelming this year, what with the cancellation of the Golden Globes and Academy Awards telecast receiving its lowest ratings ever. Recognizing the value of a celebration of moviemaking, IndiePixFilms.com has launched the Cinema Eye awards expressly to reward one of film’s more traditionally underrated genres—the documentary.
March 14th, 2008 | Category: News/Commentary | By Carla Pisarro
Michael Haneke Signs on for Così fan tutte with New York City Opera
Just days before his English-language remake of his arthouse hit, Funny Games, hits theaters, moviemaker Michael Haneke has signed on to stage Così fan tutte for the New York City Opera's 2012 season. The collaboration will mark Haneke's second collaboration with New York City Opera general manager designate Gerard Mortier—as well as his second opera production (Haneke previously staged Mozart's Don Giovanni for the Paris Opera).
March 13th, 2008 | Category: News/Commentary | By Jennifer M. Wood
Cineric To Preserve Gems From Nederlands Filmmuseum Collection
The Nederlands Filmmuseum has chosen Cineric, Inc.—a New York-based post-production and film restoration facility—to help preserve 24 historic films as part of the Dutch government's Images for the Future project. The Nederlands Filmmuseum is home to the Netherlands' largest and most important film library, with pieces dating back to the silent era and running through today.
March 12th, 2008 | Category: News/Commentary | By Jennifer M. Wood
Advertisement
' . $phpAds_raw['html'] . ''; } ?>Hollywood Lands Its Own Film Office
Even though there are 15 film commissions to aid independent moviemakers in Los Angeles County, Hollywood itself has never had its own film office…until now. Finally, on February 27, 2008, the Hollywood Film Office announced the official opening of its doors in the Mecca of movie history.
March 6th, 2008 | Category: News/Commentary | By Melissa Rose Kimbler
Producer Jeremy Thomas to Receive Coolidge Award
It's all about producing at Coolidge Corner Theatre this year, as the Cambridge, Massachusetts-based institution announced Oscar-winning producer Jeremy Thomas as this year's Coolidge Award recipient. First awarded to director Zhang Yimou (Hero, The House of Flying Daggers, Raise the Red Lantern) in 2004, the Coolidge Award recognizes one moviemaker annually whose work "advances the spirit of original and challenging cinema." The theater has proven democratic in choosing its recipients, bestowing the accolade on moviemakers of all stripes, including cinematographer Vittorio Storaro, editor Thelma Schoonmaker and actress Meryl Streep.
March 5th, 2008 | Category: News/Commentary | By Jennifer M. Wood
Atom Egoyan Awarded $1 Million Dan David Prize
On February 11, 2008 the winners of the annual Dan David Prize were announced. In addition to Al Gore and Tom Stoppard, this year’s group of prize laureates who have had “an outstanding scientific, technological, cultural or social impact on our world” included moviemaker Atom Egoyan. Writer-director Egoyan shares the $1 million “Past” award with Stoppard and author Amos Oz.
The Dan David Prize has been awarded annually since 2000 by businessman and philanthropist Dan David. Each year specific fields are chosen within the temporal categories of Past, Present and Future.
Born in Egypt to Egyptian-Armenian parents, Egoyan has been making movies for more than 25 years. His most widely recognized film, The Sweet Hereafter starring Ian Holm and Sarah Polley, garnered him two Academy Award nominations for Best Director and Best Orignal Screenplay.
March 3rd, 2008 | Category: News/Commentary | By Andrew Gnerre
Advertisement
' . $phpAds_raw['html'] . ''; } ?>Writers Guild Foundation Hosts Second “Anatomy of a Script” Series
The Writers Guild Foundation has announced that it will hold its second “Anatomy of a Script” seminar/case study series this spring featuring an all-star lineup of film and television writers.
The series, moderated by writer-producers Winnie Holzman ("My So-Called Life") and Robin Schiff (Romy & Michele’s High School Reunion), will be held on six successive Tuesdays at the Writers Guild of America building in Los Angeles in March and April. Scheduled seminars include:
Tuesday March 11, 7:30 pm: Traffic, with writer Stephen Gaghan (Syriana)
March 18, 7:30 pm: Lars and the Real Girl with writer Nancy Oliver ("Six Feet Under")
March 25, 7:30 pm: Friday Night Lights with writer-producer Jason Katims ("Boston Public")
April 1, 7:30 pm: Ghost with writer Bruce Joel Rubin (Jacob’s Ladder)
April 8, 7:30 pm: “The Bernie Mac Show” with writer-producer Larry Wilmore ("The Office")
April 15, 7:30 pm: “Grey’s Anatomy” with writer-producer Shonda Rhimes ("Private Practice")
Tickets are $50 to the general public ($210 for the whole series), $40 for WGA member and full-time faculty ($180 for the whole series) and $30 for full-time students with a valid student ID ($150 for the whole series).
Visit http://www.wgfoundation.org for more information.
February 27th, 2008 | Category: | By Jennifer M. Wood
TracFone Puts You in Control of the Oscars
“The cell phone that puts you in control” is offering you the chance to contribute to an important part of the Oscar experience: The commercials. Tracfone, the largest prepaid cell phone company in the U.S. with over 10 million users, is teaming with Contest Factory to create an ad competition that allows its customers to choose which Tracfone commercial should be aired during the Academy Awards on February 24.
February 22nd, 2008 | Category: | By Melissa Rose Kimbler
The Hackademy Awards honor Tobacco-Free Entertainment
It might be a little weird for Jessica Alba to get higher praise than Jodie Foster, but the Hackademy Awards judge more than acting talent; they recognize stars and films that encourage young people not to smoke.
For the 13th year, the Hackademy Awards, which took place on February 13th in Sacramento, CA, featured a project called “Thumbs Up! Thumbs Down!”(TUTD) to draw attention to tobacco use in films that appeal to kids. Live Free or Die Hard took home top honors for eliminating main character John McClane’s smoking habit. Rated PG-13, the film was a major box office draw for teenagers who might be influenced by the actions of the film’s characters.
February 21st, 2008 | Category: | By Melissa Rose Kimbler
Advertisement
' . $phpAds_raw['html'] . ''; } ?>Monterey Screenplay Competition Announces Winners
The Monterey County Film Commission of Monterey, CA has awarded prizes to the winning entries in its annual Screenplay Competition, which drew 183 submissions this year. Grand prize winner Barbara Palmer of Whitefish, MT took home $2,000 for her screenplay Robin’s Boys, the story of a black teenager wanted for kidnapping when he rescues a mentally disabled white boy. Runner-up Kevin Leonard won $1,000 for his script Rickenbacker, based on the life of American WWII hero Eddie Rickenbacker. The competition distinguished Tom Schlegel of Salinas, CA with an honorable mention for his screenplay Crossroaders. The competition’s corporate sponsor, NESTech Management Group, Inc. of Salinas, optioned Palmer’s and Leonard’s winning screenplays.
February 20th, 2008 | Category: News/Commentary | By Carla Pisarro
Kairos Prize Awards Spiritual Cinema
Winners of the 2008 Kairos Prize for Spiritually Uplifting Screenplays were announced at the 16th annual Movieguide Faith and Values Awards Gala, which took place in Beverly Hills on February 12th. Each year the Kairos Prize awards screenplays that seek to spread Christian moral values throughout the entertainment industry.
February 18th, 2008 | Category: News/Commentary | By Melissa Rose Kimbler
Lucasfilm to Release Star Wars: The Clone Wars
It was announced this past week that Warner Bros. Pictures will partner with Lucasfilm Ltd. to release a new, feature-length animated Star Wars film to theaters on August 15, 2008. That’s right, this summer will see a brand new entry in the Star Wars canon released on the big screen. The computer-animated film, titled Star Wars: The Clone Wars, will preclude a television series of the same name set to premiere this fall on Cartoon Network, with subsequent airings on TNT.
February 14th, 2008 | Category: News/Commentary | By Andrew Gnerre
Advertisement
' . $phpAds_raw['html'] . ''; } ?>Sundance Institute Awards Bob Byington Annenberg Film Fellowship Grant
The Sundance Institute, long heralded for supporting budding moviemakers, has awarded its Annenberg Film Fellowship to Austin-based writer-director Bob Byington. The fellowship grant will help finance Byington’s upcoming film Harmony and Me, to start shooting in Austin later this year. The Sundance Institute also provided mentoring sessions with veteran screenwriters Joan Tewkesbury (Nashville), Jim Taylor (Sideways) and John Gatins (Dreamer: Inspired By a True Story) to guide Byington in fine-tuning his script.
February 13th, 2008 | Category: News/Commentary | By Jennifer M. Wood
Sell Your TV Concept Now, Inc. Offers Student Scholarships for Hit Makers Summit
Have an idea for a TV show that you think has commercial prospects? Now you can find out: Sell Your TV Concept Now, Inc. encourages students with ideas for viable TV series to apply for their Hit Makers Summit Scholarship. The scholarship, open to students who have been enrolled in television or film production programs, includes the registration fee for the March 2008 Hit Makers Summit. Need more convincing to apply? The Summit will be held at Universal Studios theme park in Orlando, Florida.
February 12th, 2008 | Category: News/Commentary | By Carla Pisarro
Roy Scheider: 1932 - 2008
"You're gonna need a bigger boat!" Delivering that single, splendidly spot-on line of dialogue—in Jaws, of course—was more than enough to eternally ensure for Roy Scheider a warm spot in the hearts of movie buffs everywhere. (Of course, it didn't hurt that he also said, in the very same movie, "Smile, you son of a bitch!")
But for some of us, the lean and leathery actor with the bluntly chiseled profile will remain most fondly remembered not for his engaging turn as a small-town sheriff battling a Buick-sized shark, but rather for his drop-dead brilliance as Bob Fosse's stressed-for-success, razzle-dazzling autobiographical alter ego in All That Jazz, the go-for-broke, shoot-the-moon musical fantasia that deserves honorable mention on anyone's list of the greatest and most audacious movies of the 1970s. I am not ashamed to admit that, the first time I saw this masterwork in 1979, the gut-punch impact of Scheider's final exit (which, I swear, I most certainly did not see coming) caused me to burst into tears. Bye-bye, life, indeed. Jeez, I can still hear the sound of that damn zipper...
February 11th, 2008 | Category: MM Remembers | By Joe Leydon
Advertisement
' . $phpAds_raw['html'] . ''; } ?>Danny Glover, Michael Keaton to Receive Cinequest Maverick Spirit Awards
Actors Danny Glover and Michael Keaton will receive Maverick Spirit Awards from film institute Cinequest next month. Batman star Keaton will receive his award on March 1; producer-actress Jennifer Siebel will then moderate a discussion with the actor. Glover will receive his award on March 8, to be followed by a screening of a film of Glover’s choice and conversation with the Lethal Weapon star. All events will take place in San Jose, California.
February 6th, 2008 | Category: News/Commentary | By Carla Pisarro
Meet the Oscars in New York and Los Angeles
Got a terminal case of Oscar fever? Well, if you live in New York or Los Angeles there might be a cure yet. Beginning Friday, February 1 at the Hollywood and Highland Center in Hollywood, California and February 15 at the Times Square Studios in NYC’s tourist mecca, 50 genuine Oscar Statuettes will on display to the public. The small gold men being shown off in Hollywood will be given out at this year’s awards show, while those in New York are set to doled out at a future ceremony.
Most exciting, though, is the fact that at both branches of this bicoastal event, charmingly dubbed “Meet the Oscars,” attendees will be able to hold an actual Academy Award. Visit this free exhibit now and find out what eight and a half pounds of gold-plated Britannium really feels like before both locations close on February 23, one day before the real event.
For complete event information visit http://www3.oscars.org/80academyawards/meet_the_oscars.
February 2nd, 2008 | Category: | By Andrew Gnerre
Get Infected by Warner Bros.
What would you look like if your body got snatched? Probably not as glamorous as Nicole Kidman or Daniel Craig—but don't take my word for it. See for yourself what you would look like if you infected with a mysterious alien illness like the characters in The Invasion, on DVD now, by visiting http://theinvasionmovie.warnerbros.com/infected/.
February 1st, 2008 | Category: News/Commentary | By Jennifer M. Wood
Advertisement
' . $phpAds_raw['html'] . ''; } ?>
Categories
Adventures in Self-ReleasingJames Gunn: Behind the Screams
Moviemaking Contest
Cinema Law
Association of the Week
Awards Watch
Exhibitor of the Week
Festival of the Week
Film School of the Week
Grassroots Moviemaker
Happenings
In Theaters Now
Marlett & Me
Location of the Week
MM First Look
MM In The News
MM Remembers
Moviemaker of the Week
News/Commentary
Notebook
Notes From Movieland
Notes from Overboard
Rus Thompson's Short Takes
Screenwriter of the Week
This Day in Indie History
Top of the Box Office
Video Views Pick
Website of the Week
Monthly Archives
July 2009June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
March 2009
February 2009
January 2009
December 2008
November 2008
October 2008
September 2008
August 2008
July 2008
June 2008
May 2008
April 2008
March 2008
February 2008
January 2008
December 2007
November 2007
October 2007
September 2007
August 2007
July 2007
June 2007
May 2007
April 2007
March 2007
February 2007
January 2007
December 2006
November 2006
October 2006
September 2006
June 2006
SITE DELIVERY OPTIONS
Advertisement
