The Red Sea International Film Festival’s first edition, held at the moment of the onset of the Omicron Version of Covid was an all-out success. The graciousness of the people, the optimism of the youth who in five years have witnessed the doors of freedom opening to them, and beauty of the location and of the cross-cultural melange of filmmakers from around the world but most particularly from the Middle East and Africa were a delight to all who participated in the event.
More than 115 films from 65 countries include the competition focused on films from Asia, Africa and the Arab world. There are seven features from Saudi Arabia, and 27 Saudi films in total including the shorts. Of the Saudi short films, eight of 18 are by women, and in the Saudi feature film lineup , three of seven of the features are by female directors. The industry has a lot to uncover.Shivani Pandya
Shivani Pandya, the head of the festival who previously so successfully headed the Dubai Film Festival for its 14 year lifetime points out, “the Saudi market is growing and has huge promise. There is a population of more than 33 million people, and more than 2,400 screens are planned in the next few years alone. [There are also a growing number of international film projects shooting in the country, including horror movie Cello starring Jeremy Irons and upcoming Gerard Butler action pic Kandahar].”
I would like to add that 70 of the population in the Middle East is under 30 and in Africa 70 is under 25. This gives a very optimistic view of the future as the youth is eager to engage with the international world.
Watch from afar…
Aside from the Festival, there was the Souk (Market) with works in progress and pitching works yet to be begun. Although most of the American delegates slated to appear on some of the 10 panels designed by Paul Federbush opted out because of Omicron’s sudden unpredictable appearance, the French were there “en force” and the embassies of UK, Germany, Italy and France held opulent receptions for visitors to the festival.
Well, the British reception was not actually opulent. A busload of those who attended the festival was delivered to a heavily barbed-wire, concrete enclosed tennis court which resembled a prison yard where we were able to get alcoholic drinks and finger food from 7pm to 10pm when they closed it down and shepherded us all out. The next night the Germans invited us to a beautifully manicured lawn, poolside with delicious food and beer and wine and the following night the Italians invited us to an even more sumptuos feast in the compound for foreign visitors, with a gigantic grounds, food-laden tables offering pastas, desserts including gelatos, wine and no closing time. There the filmmakers whose films were shown at the festival to full houses or as works in progress in the Red Sea Souk for the film industry invitees met and mixed with the industry and Saudi citizens after the day’s back-to-back meetings. Congratulations were extended to the winners.
Red Sea Souk Winners
Red Sea Souk featured four days of industry talks, workshops, an active project market and networking sessions. All films in the Red Sea Souk were eligible for awards and were deliberated on by two separate juries for the Project Market and the Works-in-Progress to grant the Red Sea Souk Awards.
The market venue next to the main festival hub in Jeddah’s old quarter of Al Balad, hosting works in progress, one on one meettings and round table networking sessions was followed by the festival’s two-day Talent Days event. Running December 12 and 13, in partnership with the Mbc Group, the aim is to foster the next generation of Saudi film professionals. Yours truly gave the kick-off presentation introducing the audience to the international film circuit with pointers about how to get into the business of film pitching, marketing, buying and selling. Each participant received an online reproducton of the presentation with live links taking them where they will need to go as they embark upon their film careers.
“It’s specifically for amateur filmmakers,” says Red Souk manager Zain Zedan. ”We wanted to create a program to open doors for them, to create opportunities. It’s like a series of smaller souk events — talks, workshops, masterclasses, and so on,”
”There’s a lot of interest. The pool is huge here in Saudi and the Gulf area. There’s a lot of talent,” she adds.
Although a handful of educational institutions across Saudi, such as Effat University, have started to offer filmmaking related courses there is no official film school in the country as yet, making events like Talent Days all the more important for youngsters wanting to go into film.
The event assumes a relatively low knowledge base with a trio of workshops tackling how the international film industry works; film criticism, covering both how to critique a film and how to receive criticism, and post-production.
More than 115 films from 65 countries include the competition focused on films from Asia, Africa and the Arab world. There are seven features from Saudi Arabia, and 27 Saudi films in total including the shorts. Of the Saudi short films, eight of 18 are by women, and in the Saudi feature film lineup , three of seven of the features are by female directors. The industry has a lot to uncover.Shivani Pandya
Shivani Pandya, the head of the festival who previously so successfully headed the Dubai Film Festival for its 14 year lifetime points out, “the Saudi market is growing and has huge promise. There is a population of more than 33 million people, and more than 2,400 screens are planned in the next few years alone. [There are also a growing number of international film projects shooting in the country, including horror movie Cello starring Jeremy Irons and upcoming Gerard Butler action pic Kandahar].”
I would like to add that 70 of the population in the Middle East is under 30 and in Africa 70 is under 25. This gives a very optimistic view of the future as the youth is eager to engage with the international world.
Watch from afar…
Aside from the Festival, there was the Souk (Market) with works in progress and pitching works yet to be begun. Although most of the American delegates slated to appear on some of the 10 panels designed by Paul Federbush opted out because of Omicron’s sudden unpredictable appearance, the French were there “en force” and the embassies of UK, Germany, Italy and France held opulent receptions for visitors to the festival.
Well, the British reception was not actually opulent. A busload of those who attended the festival was delivered to a heavily barbed-wire, concrete enclosed tennis court which resembled a prison yard where we were able to get alcoholic drinks and finger food from 7pm to 10pm when they closed it down and shepherded us all out. The next night the Germans invited us to a beautifully manicured lawn, poolside with delicious food and beer and wine and the following night the Italians invited us to an even more sumptuos feast in the compound for foreign visitors, with a gigantic grounds, food-laden tables offering pastas, desserts including gelatos, wine and no closing time. There the filmmakers whose films were shown at the festival to full houses or as works in progress in the Red Sea Souk for the film industry invitees met and mixed with the industry and Saudi citizens after the day’s back-to-back meetings. Congratulations were extended to the winners.
Red Sea Souk Winners
Red Sea Souk featured four days of industry talks, workshops, an active project market and networking sessions. All films in the Red Sea Souk were eligible for awards and were deliberated on by two separate juries for the Project Market and the Works-in-Progress to grant the Red Sea Souk Awards.
The market venue next to the main festival hub in Jeddah’s old quarter of Al Balad, hosting works in progress, one on one meettings and round table networking sessions was followed by the festival’s two-day Talent Days event. Running December 12 and 13, in partnership with the Mbc Group, the aim is to foster the next generation of Saudi film professionals. Yours truly gave the kick-off presentation introducing the audience to the international film circuit with pointers about how to get into the business of film pitching, marketing, buying and selling. Each participant received an online reproducton of the presentation with live links taking them where they will need to go as they embark upon their film careers.
“It’s specifically for amateur filmmakers,” says Red Souk manager Zain Zedan. ”We wanted to create a program to open doors for them, to create opportunities. It’s like a series of smaller souk events — talks, workshops, masterclasses, and so on,”
”There’s a lot of interest. The pool is huge here in Saudi and the Gulf area. There’s a lot of talent,” she adds.
Although a handful of educational institutions across Saudi, such as Effat University, have started to offer filmmaking related courses there is no official film school in the country as yet, making events like Talent Days all the more important for youngsters wanting to go into film.
The event assumes a relatively low knowledge base with a trio of workshops tackling how the international film industry works; film criticism, covering both how to critique a film and how to receive criticism, and post-production.
- 5/8/2022
- by Sydney
- Sydney's Buzz
U.S.-Iran tensions have put Iranian director Massoud Bakhshi whose daring drama “Yalda, a Night for Forgiveness,” is set to premiere at Sundance, in a tough spot.
The film’s production and sales companies issued a joint statement on Tuesday announcing that Bakhshi will not personally be attending Sundance due to the current U.S.-Iran crisis. But they also denied recent Iranian media reports claiming that the director had pulled “Yalda” from the festival.
“Massoud Bakhshi is proud that his film has been selected for the Sundance Film Festival and happy that it will be screened in public there,” the statement said. “He never thought of asking that it be pulled. On the contrary,” it added.
The statement went on to note that Bakhshi’s “position is delicate, given the current tensions between the two countries.”
“Besides the difficulties of obtaining a Visa, traveling to the U.S.
The film’s production and sales companies issued a joint statement on Tuesday announcing that Bakhshi will not personally be attending Sundance due to the current U.S.-Iran crisis. But they also denied recent Iranian media reports claiming that the director had pulled “Yalda” from the festival.
“Massoud Bakhshi is proud that his film has been selected for the Sundance Film Festival and happy that it will be screened in public there,” the statement said. “He never thought of asking that it be pulled. On the contrary,” it added.
The statement went on to note that Bakhshi’s “position is delicate, given the current tensions between the two countries.”
“Besides the difficulties of obtaining a Visa, traveling to the U.S.
- 1/14/2020
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Director will not attend festival due to flare-up in tensions between Us and Iran.
Iranian drama Yalda, A Night For Forgiveness will premiere in Sundance as planned even if director Massoud Bakhshi will not attend due to the flare-up in tensions between the Us and Iran, its French producers and sales agent have confirmed.
“Massoud Bakhshi is proud the film was selected by Sundance and is happy for it to be screened in public there,” Paris-based Jba Production company and sales company Pyramide International said in a statement. “He has never considered asking for it to be withdrawn, on the contrary,...
Iranian drama Yalda, A Night For Forgiveness will premiere in Sundance as planned even if director Massoud Bakhshi will not attend due to the flare-up in tensions between the Us and Iran, its French producers and sales agent have confirmed.
“Massoud Bakhshi is proud the film was selected by Sundance and is happy for it to be screened in public there,” Paris-based Jba Production company and sales company Pyramide International said in a statement. “He has never considered asking for it to be withdrawn, on the contrary,...
- 1/14/2020
- by 1100388¦Melanie Goodfellow¦0¦
- ScreenDaily
Films from Africa and the Middle East have enjoyed significant festival presence this year – such as Mati Diop’s French-Senegalese pic “Atlantics,” which won the Grand Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival. “In 2019 we saw a new generation of filmmakers emerging on the scene,” says Rémi Bonhomme program manager of Critics’ Week in Cannes and the coordinator of the Atlas Workshops, which run Dec. 3-6 at the Marrakech Film Festival.
At Cannes, in addition to Diop’s prize, Palestinian filmmaker Elia Suleiman won a Jury Special Mention award for his satire “It Must Be Heaven,” and seven African and Arab films screened in the different competitive sections. At Locarno, Senegalese writer-director Mamadou Dia’s won best first feature for “Nafi’s Father” and Algerian helmer Hassen Ferhani won best emerging director award for his documentary “143 Rue du Désert,” which won a postproduction prize at the 2018 Atlas Workshops. At Venice,...
At Cannes, in addition to Diop’s prize, Palestinian filmmaker Elia Suleiman won a Jury Special Mention award for his satire “It Must Be Heaven,” and seven African and Arab films screened in the different competitive sections. At Locarno, Senegalese writer-director Mamadou Dia’s won best first feature for “Nafi’s Father” and Algerian helmer Hassen Ferhani won best emerging director award for his documentary “143 Rue du Désert,” which won a postproduction prize at the 2018 Atlas Workshops. At Venice,...
- 11/25/2019
- by Martin Dale
- Variety Film + TV
For the first time in its history, the Morelia Film Festival will open with a European film, Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne’s drama “Le Jeune Ahmed” (“Young Ahmed”), which garnered a best director prize for the Belgian siblings at Cannes last May. Luc Dardenne will be on hand to present the drama, described by Variety critic Peter Debruge as an “instantly recognizable” Dardenne film for having a “deceptively ‘rough’ quality as the directors’ earlier work, a carryover from their documentary background.”
Helmer-scribe James Ivory, who won a best adapted screenplay Oscar last year for his first-love gay drama “Call Me By Your Name” is also making his first visit to Morelia, which will honor him with a retrospective of his films.
“Five continents will be represented in Morelia this year, but most important are the 100-plus Mexican filmmakers participating in this edition,” said Morelia artistic director Daniela Michel.
The festival,...
Helmer-scribe James Ivory, who won a best adapted screenplay Oscar last year for his first-love gay drama “Call Me By Your Name” is also making his first visit to Morelia, which will honor him with a retrospective of his films.
“Five continents will be represented in Morelia this year, but most important are the 100-plus Mexican filmmakers participating in this edition,” said Morelia artistic director Daniela Michel.
The festival,...
- 9/30/2019
- by Anna Marie de la Fuente
- Variety Film + TV
In its continuing push to swell the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences membership ranks, 842 artists and executives from 59 countries have been invited to join this year. The branches have increasingly actively sought eligible people to become Academy members, but the Board of Governors makes the final call.
People of color (29 percent) and women (50 percent) are among the many invites, as the Academy continues to address its long-term white-male dominance. As always, actors make up the largest branch of the Academy, but many new members also come from overseas.
In 2018, the Academy invited 928 new members.
Twenty-one Oscar winners are among the new invited members, including Guy Nattiv (“Skin”), filmmaker Jimmy Chin (“Free Solo”), Phil Lord, and Chris Miller (“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse”), and 82 Oscar nominees (including newbies like Lady Gaga and “Roma” breakout Marina de Tavira). Ten of the 17 branches invited more women than men. The percentage of women...
People of color (29 percent) and women (50 percent) are among the many invites, as the Academy continues to address its long-term white-male dominance. As always, actors make up the largest branch of the Academy, but many new members also come from overseas.
In 2018, the Academy invited 928 new members.
Twenty-one Oscar winners are among the new invited members, including Guy Nattiv (“Skin”), filmmaker Jimmy Chin (“Free Solo”), Phil Lord, and Chris Miller (“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse”), and 82 Oscar nominees (including newbies like Lady Gaga and “Roma” breakout Marina de Tavira). Ten of the 17 branches invited more women than men. The percentage of women...
- 7/1/2019
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
In its continuing push to swell the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences membership ranks, 842 artists and executives from 59 countries have been invited to join this year. The branches have increasingly actively sought eligible people to become Academy members, but the Board of Governors makes the final call.
People of color (29 percent) and women (50 percent) are among the many invites, as the Academy continues to address its long-term white-male dominance. As always, actors make up the largest branch of the Academy, but many new members also come from overseas.
In 2018, the Academy invited 928 new members.
Twenty-one Oscar winners are among the new invited members, including Guy Nattiv (“Skin”), filmmaker Jimmy Chin (“Free Solo”), Phil Lord, and Chris Miller (“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse”), and 82 Oscar nominees (including newbies like Lady Gaga and “Roma” breakout Marina de Tavira). Ten of the 17 branches invited more women than men. The percentage of women...
People of color (29 percent) and women (50 percent) are among the many invites, as the Academy continues to address its long-term white-male dominance. As always, actors make up the largest branch of the Academy, but many new members also come from overseas.
In 2018, the Academy invited 928 new members.
Twenty-one Oscar winners are among the new invited members, including Guy Nattiv (“Skin”), filmmaker Jimmy Chin (“Free Solo”), Phil Lord, and Chris Miller (“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse”), and 82 Oscar nominees (including newbies like Lady Gaga and “Roma” breakout Marina de Tavira). Ten of the 17 branches invited more women than men. The percentage of women...
- 7/1/2019
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Ken Loach, Jessica Hausner, Asif Kapadia all to give talent talks.
Talent talks from directors Ken Loach, Jessica Hausner and Asif Kapadia all feature on the UK Film Centre’s programme of industry events at this year’s Cannes Film Festival (May 14-25).
Each will discuss their respective films, which are having world premieres at the festival.
Loach will be joined by screenwriter Paul Laverty and producer Rebecca O’Brien on Friday, May 17 to discuss Competition title Sorry We Missed You, hosted by Screen’s Wendy Mitchell.
Hausner will talk alongside co-writer Geraldine Bajard and producers Geradine O’Flynn and...
Talent talks from directors Ken Loach, Jessica Hausner and Asif Kapadia all feature on the UK Film Centre’s programme of industry events at this year’s Cannes Film Festival (May 14-25).
Each will discuss their respective films, which are having world premieres at the festival.
Loach will be joined by screenwriter Paul Laverty and producer Rebecca O’Brien on Friday, May 17 to discuss Competition title Sorry We Missed You, hosted by Screen’s Wendy Mitchell.
Hausner will talk alongside co-writer Geraldine Bajard and producers Geradine O’Flynn and...
- 5/10/2019
- by Screen staff
- ScreenDaily
“There are sometimes when it is the best time to be a creative and a content creator, but it’s also terrifyingly difficult.”
The level of local-language content championed by Netflix bodes well for content creators around the world at a time when streaming platforms are about to explode, an audience of young content creators heard at the Panama International Film Festival (Iff Panama) at the weekend.
“There are 44 Spanish-language shows on Netflix. The good news is language is no longer a barrier,” producer and Sundance Productions co-founder Laura Michalchyshyn said during a Saturday evening (6) conversation with Sundance Institute’s...
The level of local-language content championed by Netflix bodes well for content creators around the world at a time when streaming platforms are about to explode, an audience of young content creators heard at the Panama International Film Festival (Iff Panama) at the weekend.
“There are 44 Spanish-language shows on Netflix. The good news is language is no longer a barrier,” producer and Sundance Productions co-founder Laura Michalchyshyn said during a Saturday evening (6) conversation with Sundance Institute’s...
- 4/8/2019
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
“There are sometimes when it is the best time to be a creative and a content creator, but it’s also terrifyingly difficult.”
The level of local-language content championed by Netflix bodes well for content creators around the world at a time when streaming platforms are about to explode, an audience of young content creators heard at the Panama International Film Festival (Iff Panama) at the weekend.
“There are 44 Spanish-language shows on Netflix. The good news is language is no longer a barrier,” producer and Sundance Productions co-founder Laura Michalchyshyn said during a Saturday evening (6) conversation with Sundance Institute’s...
The level of local-language content championed by Netflix bodes well for content creators around the world at a time when streaming platforms are about to explode, an audience of young content creators heard at the Panama International Film Festival (Iff Panama) at the weekend.
“There are 44 Spanish-language shows on Netflix. The good news is language is no longer a barrier,” producer and Sundance Productions co-founder Laura Michalchyshyn said during a Saturday evening (6) conversation with Sundance Institute’s...
- 4/8/2019
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Panama City — Paul Federbush, international director, Sundance Feature Film Program, andLaura Michalchyshyn, at Sundance Productions, delivered a presentation at Iff Panama, moderated by Diana Sanchez, focusing on how the changing media landscape has created new opportunities for filmmakers, in particular in regions such as Latin America.
“I’m very interested in this part of the world and the talent here,” said Michalchyshyn.
The rise of streaming platforms such as Netflix, Amazon and Hulu, and new entrants such as Disney Plus and WarnerMedia has radically transformed the business, with a shift of the center of gravity from movies to TV series and with increasing potential for non-u.S. content to circulate internationally.
Federbush explained that this new environment was one of the factors that stimulated the Sundance Institute to reinforce its international strategy.
Both Federbush and Michalchyshyn underlined the potential of the Latin American market and Spanish-language films and series in particular,...
“I’m very interested in this part of the world and the talent here,” said Michalchyshyn.
The rise of streaming platforms such as Netflix, Amazon and Hulu, and new entrants such as Disney Plus and WarnerMedia has radically transformed the business, with a shift of the center of gravity from movies to TV series and with increasing potential for non-u.S. content to circulate internationally.
Federbush explained that this new environment was one of the factors that stimulated the Sundance Institute to reinforce its international strategy.
Both Federbush and Michalchyshyn underlined the potential of the Latin American market and Spanish-language films and series in particular,...
- 4/7/2019
- by Martin Dale
- Variety Film + TV
Panama City — The 8th Iff Panama has further reinforced its industry dimension, with a record number of submissions to the Primera Mirada pix-in-post sidebar and more sales agents and festival programmers attending the event, which this year includes the Locarno Industry Academy and a new Fipresci Award for the 12-pic Stories from Central America and the Caribbean competition.
2019 boasts a record number of guests and, according to the organizers, advance ticket sales are higher than ever.
23 films were submitted to Primera Mirada, covering different genres from Costa Rica, Guatemala, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, and Panama.
“The selection is powerful and has strong voices,” says Karla Quintero, co-ordinator of Iff Panama’s Industry and Educational Programs. “The films have a consolidated discourse and pay testimony to incredibly sensitive filmmakers in whose films the region’s identity definitely shines through.
She added: “These are exactly the voices this award is meant to amplify and empower.
2019 boasts a record number of guests and, according to the organizers, advance ticket sales are higher than ever.
23 films were submitted to Primera Mirada, covering different genres from Costa Rica, Guatemala, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, and Panama.
“The selection is powerful and has strong voices,” says Karla Quintero, co-ordinator of Iff Panama’s Industry and Educational Programs. “The films have a consolidated discourse and pay testimony to incredibly sensitive filmmakers in whose films the region’s identity definitely shines through.
She added: “These are exactly the voices this award is meant to amplify and empower.
- 4/5/2019
- by Martin Dale
- Variety Film + TV
You see “Iran” and think certain things. You go to Iran and see the people, the shops, street activity, the environment, its museums and you forget the two things about it which shape your emotional reaction to it: politics and history. Being one of two Americans attending the Fajr International Film Festival makes me feel responsible for sharing my best moments with a broader public.
The Fajr International Film Festival is a gala affair, small enough to meet and share time with the many participants, both filmmakers and invitees from countries as diverse as Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Armenia, Turkey, Japan, Mongolia and Korea (and more!). I can only think of one other film event which offered such a luxurious array of experiences to go along with film watching (when Rosskino of Russia invited 25 U.S.distributors and us to Moscow and St. Petersburg and then repeated the event for Brics countries...
The Fajr International Film Festival is a gala affair, small enough to meet and share time with the many participants, both filmmakers and invitees from countries as diverse as Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Armenia, Turkey, Japan, Mongolia and Korea (and more!). I can only think of one other film event which offered such a luxurious array of experiences to go along with film watching (when Rosskino of Russia invited 25 U.S.distributors and us to Moscow and St. Petersburg and then repeated the event for Brics countries...
- 5/1/2017
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Paul Federbush, International Director, Feature Film Program at Sundance Institute detailed the Institute’s comprehensive support for emerging filmmakers .
Founded in 1981 by Robert Redford, Sundance Institute is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the discovery and development of independent artists and audiences. Through its programs, the Institute seeks to discover, support, and inspire independent film and theatre artists from the United States and around the world, and to introduce audiences to their new work.
The entry point to support from the Feature Film Program is its Screenwriting Labs — the Institute’s first artist program — held twice a year at the Sundance Resort in Utah each January and June.The Screenwriters Lab is a five-day writer’s workshop that gives independent screenwriters the opportunity to work intensively on their feature film scripts with the support of established writers in an environment that encourages innovation and creative risk-taking. Through one-on-one story sessions with Creative Advisors,...
Founded in 1981 by Robert Redford, Sundance Institute is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the discovery and development of independent artists and audiences. Through its programs, the Institute seeks to discover, support, and inspire independent film and theatre artists from the United States and around the world, and to introduce audiences to their new work.
The entry point to support from the Feature Film Program is its Screenwriting Labs — the Institute’s first artist program — held twice a year at the Sundance Resort in Utah each January and June.The Screenwriters Lab is a five-day writer’s workshop that gives independent screenwriters the opportunity to work intensively on their feature film scripts with the support of established writers in an environment that encourages innovation and creative risk-taking. Through one-on-one story sessions with Creative Advisors,...
- 1/6/2017
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
A Panel on Screenwriting: Features vs. TV Series
There has been an explosion in TV series over the last five years which has opened more opportunities worldwide to writers, directors and producers than feature film writing.
Paul Federbush, International Director, Feature Film Programs for Sundance Institute moderated a riveting panel of such TV/ feature writers as D.V. DeVincentes who wrote three episodes of the limited TV series (and exec produced five), “The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story” which won two Primetime Emmys and the feature “High Fidelity”; Erik Jendresen who won a Primetime Emmy for the miniseries “Band of Brothers” and is now working on a limited series which may go from four segments to eight; Naomi Foner who created “The Electric Company” aimed at children ages 7 to 10 to teach basic reading concepts to its young viewers. She won the Golden Globe for the screenplay and...
There has been an explosion in TV series over the last five years which has opened more opportunities worldwide to writers, directors and producers than feature film writing.
Paul Federbush, International Director, Feature Film Programs for Sundance Institute moderated a riveting panel of such TV/ feature writers as D.V. DeVincentes who wrote three episodes of the limited TV series (and exec produced five), “The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story” which won two Primetime Emmys and the feature “High Fidelity”; Erik Jendresen who won a Primetime Emmy for the miniseries “Band of Brothers” and is now working on a limited series which may go from four segments to eight; Naomi Foner who created “The Electric Company” aimed at children ages 7 to 10 to teach basic reading concepts to its young viewers. She won the Golden Globe for the screenplay and...
- 1/6/2017
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Could there be a more perfect moment than this? Sitting in the garden behind the Hotel Nacional, looking at the Cuban flag so proudly waving over the Straits of Florida and the Gulf of Mexico. The same site where the defense was built during the Cuban Missile Crisis, this moment of time marks a particularly precarious balance between peaceful coexistence and military aggression as we contemplate the recent death of Castro and election of Trump, wondering how it will play out in 2017.Hotel Nacional, Headquarters of Festival de Cine Nuevo Iberoamericano, Havana, Cuba
Cuba, ten days after the death of Fidel Castro, head of state for 52 years,may be a bit more subdued, but life here goes on, even with the influx of American tourists (other tourists have always been here); there is a sense of harmony. And in spite of the scarcity of luxuries for its people, the people...
Cuba, ten days after the death of Fidel Castro, head of state for 52 years,may be a bit more subdued, but life here goes on, even with the influx of American tourists (other tourists have always been here); there is a sense of harmony. And in spite of the scarcity of luxuries for its people, the people...
- 12/29/2016
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Selection committee also announced for Southeast Asian projects lab.
Southeast Asia Fiction Film Lab (Seafic), the script development initiative that launched earlier this year, has joined forces with France’s Produire au Sud producer training workshop.
The move will merge Seafic’s nine-month script development programme with Produire au Sud’s long-running producers’ workshop in Bangkok.
Titled Seafic x Pas, the pact will consolidate both programme’s calls for entries.
The five projects eventually selected for Seafic will be automatically be enrolled in Produire au Sud’s Southeast Asia workshop.
The directors and screenwriter will also attend Seafic’s script development lab, while in parallel the producers of those same projects shall attend Produire au Sud, held at he Festival des 3 Continents in Nantes, France.
Previously held annually in Bangkok in November, Produire au Sud’s Southeast Asia lab will now move to Chiang Mai, Thailand and will run concurrently with Seafic’s first session (Oct 23-...
Southeast Asia Fiction Film Lab (Seafic), the script development initiative that launched earlier this year, has joined forces with France’s Produire au Sud producer training workshop.
The move will merge Seafic’s nine-month script development programme with Produire au Sud’s long-running producers’ workshop in Bangkok.
Titled Seafic x Pas, the pact will consolidate both programme’s calls for entries.
The five projects eventually selected for Seafic will be automatically be enrolled in Produire au Sud’s Southeast Asia workshop.
The directors and screenwriter will also attend Seafic’s script development lab, while in parallel the producers of those same projects shall attend Produire au Sud, held at he Festival des 3 Continents in Nantes, France.
Previously held annually in Bangkok in November, Produire au Sud’s Southeast Asia lab will now move to Chiang Mai, Thailand and will run concurrently with Seafic’s first session (Oct 23-...
- 7/7/2016
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
My major discovery -- though it may yet win the Audience Prize at Sundance in the World Dramatic Competition, is the new “Divorce, Italian Style”. Or as my friend Gary Meyer said, maybe it’s more like the great Norman Lear’s “Divorce, American Style”. “Divorce, Sharia Style” is actually entitled “Halal Love (and Sex)” and depicts four tragi-comic interconnected stories about devout Muslim men and women as they try to manage their love lives and desires without breaking any of their religion’s rules.
“Halal Love (and Sex)” is hilarious and eye-opening, culturally open and sharing, and God knows, we all need a good laugh about what we spend 90% of our mental life wishing for…good sex.
The film opens in an elementary school classroom as the teacher begins to explain to the young girls how babies are made.
In Beirut, Awatef is recruiting a second wife to help her satisfy her overly loving husband. The jealous Mokhtar needs to find his ex-wife another man to be able to marry her again, for the 4th time. Lubna, freshly divorced, can finally marry her true love, but on a short-term contract only. Everyone tries to live and love, by the rules of Islam.
This is a sophisticated, bourgeous comedy, somewhat French in character but most likely 100% Lebanese in its warm humor and its depiction of love and sex in civilized society today. Assad Fouadkar, the writer and director and the two Razor Film producers Roman Paul and Gerhard Meixner are all fully educated in the U.S. as well as their own respective countries of Lebanon, Australia and Germany and their understanding the meaning of cross-cultural brings special veritas to this comedy of manners.
Assad Fouladkar was born in Lebanon where he taught at the Lebanese American University before going to study filmmaking at Boston University. His thesis short, “God Have Mercy” was a finalist at the Student Academy Awards. Fouladkar’s debut feature, “When Maryam Spoke Out” won major awards worldwide and was selected as Lebanon’s official submission for the Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award. Recently he has also directed the sitcom “Ragel W Sit Sitat”.
He originally took the treatment of his idea to Locarno Film Festival’s Open Doors and while it attracted interest, no company came aboard definitively until the script was developed.
Roman Paul says, "We met Assad via the commissioning editor of 'Wadjda', Layaly Badr. Then we teamed up with Sundance to further develop the script."
That development took place with the Sundance Institute’s own Paul Federbush who felt it merited his personal efforts outside of any Lab. Assad was already an alumnus of the Sundance Institute. Being head of the international labs however, Paul had the protection of a firewall between the lab and the festival, so its ultimate selection for this year’s festival was not a result of his involvement or the lab’s involvement. The film was accepted on its own merits. The Guardian gave it four out of five stars. Assad will be interviewed by Newsweek Magazine; the BBC has taken note of the film and U.K. is now awakening to the film’s attractive merits. And I was not alone in my surprise at encountering such a fun film here in Sundance; I have heard many others buzzing about it too.
Producers Roman Paul and Gerhard Meixner have been focused on international feature film production for worldwide distribution since forming Razor Film Produktion in 2002. Their movies have premiered and been awarded at major festivals all over the world. They have won two Golden Gloves and one Emmy, were nominated twice for an Academy Award and received the Bernd-Eichinger Award for Outstanding Achievements in Production at the German Film Awards in 2014. They have been codirectors of the International Productions Masterclass “Atelier Ludwigsburg-Paris” at Filmakademie Ludwigsburg and La Femis Paris. Roman Paul studied at the Goethe University in Frankfurt and in Paris, the U.S., and Japan. He holds a Masters Degree in Theater, Film and Media Studies and American and German Literature. He started his career in the film business as an assistant of acquisitions for the arthouse distributor Prokino in Munich which is, I think, where I met him one year at the Hof Film Festival. In 1999 he took over as head of international acquisitions at Senator Film Distribution in Berlin and Los Angeles. He is a member of the European and the German Film Academy and Ace (Atelier du Cinema Europeen) initiated by the late Claudie Cheval.
Gerhard Meixner originally trained in economics before working in marketing. He went on to study film production and media studies at the Hochschule fur Fernsehen and Film in Munich and at UCLA in Los Angeles. He worked for MGM/ United Artists. After graduating, he worked as a freelance story editor and script reader for various companies in film and TV. He began working as a producer for Senator Films in Berlin before setting up Razor Film. He too is a member of the German and European Film Academy.
Razor’s past films, the Uruguayan coproduction "Mr. Kaplan" 2014, the groundbreaking "Wadjda" 2012, the sleeper of Tiff 2012 "The Patience Stone" (coprod), "The Future" 2011, "Goodbye First Love" 2011 (coprod), "Womb" 2010 (coprod), "Paradise Now" 2005, the debut film they coproduced, "The Wind Journeys" by Cirro Guerro (current nominee for Oscar Award Best Foreign Language Film "Embrace of the Serpent") 2009 prove that Roman and Gerhard have a sharp eye for talent and good material as well as the broad cross-cultural understanding which makes for international film successes.
"Halal Love" was not produced by Razor alone however. Sabbah Media is the Lebanese production company, a company established in the 1950s. Aside from producing they distribute for Dreamworks, Warner Bros., BBC and others and have two other media companies. Sadek and Ali Sabbah currently lead and manage the full line of the whole business, to preserve a leading market position and carry on their ancestors' dear mission: honoring the past and promoting the future.
It is refreshing to see a comedy from the region and particularly one that bucks traditional stereotypes and depicts strong women in control of their own lives within their respective relationships.
“Halal Love (and Sex)” is edgy but it just skirts the far edge of propriety and never oversteps what is halacha or kosher. I think Americans and other citizens of the world will get great enjoyment out of these human stories and it will soften the hard edges of mistrust growing around religious factions today much to the rest of our collective distress. Laughter is the best medicine and this provides plenty of laughs.
Sundance 2016 – World Cinema Dramatic Competition
Rt: 94min
International Premiere
Lebanon
Director: Assad Fouladkar
Writer(s): Assad Fouladkar
Producer: Roman Paul, Gerhard Meixner, Sadek Sabbah
Starring: Darine Hamze, Rodrigue Sleiman, Mirna Moukarzel, Ali Sammoury, Zeinab Khadra, Hussein Mokadem, Fadia Abi Chahine
International sales agent: Films Distribution.
“Halal Love (and Sex)” is hilarious and eye-opening, culturally open and sharing, and God knows, we all need a good laugh about what we spend 90% of our mental life wishing for…good sex.
The film opens in an elementary school classroom as the teacher begins to explain to the young girls how babies are made.
In Beirut, Awatef is recruiting a second wife to help her satisfy her overly loving husband. The jealous Mokhtar needs to find his ex-wife another man to be able to marry her again, for the 4th time. Lubna, freshly divorced, can finally marry her true love, but on a short-term contract only. Everyone tries to live and love, by the rules of Islam.
This is a sophisticated, bourgeous comedy, somewhat French in character but most likely 100% Lebanese in its warm humor and its depiction of love and sex in civilized society today. Assad Fouadkar, the writer and director and the two Razor Film producers Roman Paul and Gerhard Meixner are all fully educated in the U.S. as well as their own respective countries of Lebanon, Australia and Germany and their understanding the meaning of cross-cultural brings special veritas to this comedy of manners.
Assad Fouladkar was born in Lebanon where he taught at the Lebanese American University before going to study filmmaking at Boston University. His thesis short, “God Have Mercy” was a finalist at the Student Academy Awards. Fouladkar’s debut feature, “When Maryam Spoke Out” won major awards worldwide and was selected as Lebanon’s official submission for the Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award. Recently he has also directed the sitcom “Ragel W Sit Sitat”.
He originally took the treatment of his idea to Locarno Film Festival’s Open Doors and while it attracted interest, no company came aboard definitively until the script was developed.
Roman Paul says, "We met Assad via the commissioning editor of 'Wadjda', Layaly Badr. Then we teamed up with Sundance to further develop the script."
That development took place with the Sundance Institute’s own Paul Federbush who felt it merited his personal efforts outside of any Lab. Assad was already an alumnus of the Sundance Institute. Being head of the international labs however, Paul had the protection of a firewall between the lab and the festival, so its ultimate selection for this year’s festival was not a result of his involvement or the lab’s involvement. The film was accepted on its own merits. The Guardian gave it four out of five stars. Assad will be interviewed by Newsweek Magazine; the BBC has taken note of the film and U.K. is now awakening to the film’s attractive merits. And I was not alone in my surprise at encountering such a fun film here in Sundance; I have heard many others buzzing about it too.
Producers Roman Paul and Gerhard Meixner have been focused on international feature film production for worldwide distribution since forming Razor Film Produktion in 2002. Their movies have premiered and been awarded at major festivals all over the world. They have won two Golden Gloves and one Emmy, were nominated twice for an Academy Award and received the Bernd-Eichinger Award for Outstanding Achievements in Production at the German Film Awards in 2014. They have been codirectors of the International Productions Masterclass “Atelier Ludwigsburg-Paris” at Filmakademie Ludwigsburg and La Femis Paris. Roman Paul studied at the Goethe University in Frankfurt and in Paris, the U.S., and Japan. He holds a Masters Degree in Theater, Film and Media Studies and American and German Literature. He started his career in the film business as an assistant of acquisitions for the arthouse distributor Prokino in Munich which is, I think, where I met him one year at the Hof Film Festival. In 1999 he took over as head of international acquisitions at Senator Film Distribution in Berlin and Los Angeles. He is a member of the European and the German Film Academy and Ace (Atelier du Cinema Europeen) initiated by the late Claudie Cheval.
Gerhard Meixner originally trained in economics before working in marketing. He went on to study film production and media studies at the Hochschule fur Fernsehen and Film in Munich and at UCLA in Los Angeles. He worked for MGM/ United Artists. After graduating, he worked as a freelance story editor and script reader for various companies in film and TV. He began working as a producer for Senator Films in Berlin before setting up Razor Film. He too is a member of the German and European Film Academy.
Razor’s past films, the Uruguayan coproduction "Mr. Kaplan" 2014, the groundbreaking "Wadjda" 2012, the sleeper of Tiff 2012 "The Patience Stone" (coprod), "The Future" 2011, "Goodbye First Love" 2011 (coprod), "Womb" 2010 (coprod), "Paradise Now" 2005, the debut film they coproduced, "The Wind Journeys" by Cirro Guerro (current nominee for Oscar Award Best Foreign Language Film "Embrace of the Serpent") 2009 prove that Roman and Gerhard have a sharp eye for talent and good material as well as the broad cross-cultural understanding which makes for international film successes.
"Halal Love" was not produced by Razor alone however. Sabbah Media is the Lebanese production company, a company established in the 1950s. Aside from producing they distribute for Dreamworks, Warner Bros., BBC and others and have two other media companies. Sadek and Ali Sabbah currently lead and manage the full line of the whole business, to preserve a leading market position and carry on their ancestors' dear mission: honoring the past and promoting the future.
It is refreshing to see a comedy from the region and particularly one that bucks traditional stereotypes and depicts strong women in control of their own lives within their respective relationships.
“Halal Love (and Sex)” is edgy but it just skirts the far edge of propriety and never oversteps what is halacha or kosher. I think Americans and other citizens of the world will get great enjoyment out of these human stories and it will soften the hard edges of mistrust growing around religious factions today much to the rest of our collective distress. Laughter is the best medicine and this provides plenty of laughs.
Sundance 2016 – World Cinema Dramatic Competition
Rt: 94min
International Premiere
Lebanon
Director: Assad Fouladkar
Writer(s): Assad Fouladkar
Producer: Roman Paul, Gerhard Meixner, Sadek Sabbah
Starring: Darine Hamze, Rodrigue Sleiman, Mirna Moukarzel, Ali Sammoury, Zeinab Khadra, Hussein Mokadem, Fadia Abi Chahine
International sales agent: Films Distribution.
- 1/28/2016
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Legende and Parts & Labor scripts among development projects at Mia market.
Projects from producer Alain Goldman and directors Hana Makhmalbaf and Sally Potter are among scripts being presented in Rome as part of the Mia’s New Cinema Network (Ncn) and Make It With Italy co-production strands.
In the Ncn strand, La Vie En Rose producer Goldman of Paris-based Legende is in development on English-language Us-set drama Mustang from actress and writer-director Laure de Clermont-Tonnere (Girafada), director of well-received shorts Rabbit and Atlantic Avenue.
Mustang charts the story of an inmate serving an 11-year prison sentence who is given the chance to participate in an unusual therapy programme.
Legende, currently in pre-production on buzzed-about thriller Hhhh, is also supporting Romanian drama 237 Years from first-time filmmaker Iona Mischie.
Paris-based Incognito Films is in development on English-language drama Mobile Homes while English-language fracking romance 50 Miles From Boomtown teams Swiss outfit Turnus Film with Love Is Strange producers Parts & Labor...
Projects from producer Alain Goldman and directors Hana Makhmalbaf and Sally Potter are among scripts being presented in Rome as part of the Mia’s New Cinema Network (Ncn) and Make It With Italy co-production strands.
In the Ncn strand, La Vie En Rose producer Goldman of Paris-based Legende is in development on English-language Us-set drama Mustang from actress and writer-director Laure de Clermont-Tonnere (Girafada), director of well-received shorts Rabbit and Atlantic Avenue.
Mustang charts the story of an inmate serving an 11-year prison sentence who is given the chance to participate in an unusual therapy programme.
Legende, currently in pre-production on buzzed-about thriller Hhhh, is also supporting Romanian drama 237 Years from first-time filmmaker Iona Mischie.
Paris-based Incognito Films is in development on English-language drama Mobile Homes while English-language fracking romance 50 Miles From Boomtown teams Swiss outfit Turnus Film with Love Is Strange producers Parts & Labor...
- 10/18/2015
- by andreas.wiseman@screendaily.com (Andreas Wiseman)
- ScreenDaily
United Talent Agency’s Bec Smith and director Caradog James were among the speakers discussing how post-first feature directors can make the leap to an international career.
Chaired by Ben Roberts (director, BFI Film Fund), the discussion was held in association with Screen International, and featured Matthew Bates (Sayle Screen), Bec Smith (United Talent Agency), Paul Federbush (International Director, Feature Film Program at Sundance Institute), Caradog James (Little White Lies, The Machine), Glenn Leyburn (Cherrybomb, Good Vibrations)
To view the full length version and other events at the UK Film Centre visit weareukfilm.com
Follow us @weareukfilm...
Chaired by Ben Roberts (director, BFI Film Fund), the discussion was held in association with Screen International, and featured Matthew Bates (Sayle Screen), Bec Smith (United Talent Agency), Paul Federbush (International Director, Feature Film Program at Sundance Institute), Caradog James (Little White Lies, The Machine), Glenn Leyburn (Cherrybomb, Good Vibrations)
To view the full length version and other events at the UK Film Centre visit weareukfilm.com
Follow us @weareukfilm...
- 5/18/2015
- ScreenDaily
Sundance Institute and Drishyam have unveiled the artists and creative advisors for the inaugural Drishyam | Sundance Institute Screenwriters Lab set to run in Goa, India, from April 12-16.
The Lab supports emerging film-makers in India over a five-day workshop that allows screenwriters to work on their scripts via one-on-one story sessions with creative advisors.
The projects and fellows selected for the 2015 Drishyam | Sundance Institute Screenwriters Lab are: Geetu Mohandas, Mulakoya; Raj Rishi More, Pirates; Atanu Mukherjee, Unknown Faces; Ritu Sarin and Tenzing Sonam, The Sweet Requiem; Sandhya Suri, Santosh; Anay Tarnekar, Untitled Tiger Project; and Dnyanesh Zoting, The Monster.
The creative advisors are: Srdan Golubovic (Circles), Erik Jendresen (Band Of Brothers), Rose Troche (The Safety Of Objects, The L Word), Habib Faisel (Do Dooni Char), Sriram Raghavan (Badlapur, Ek Haseena Thi), Shridhar Raghavan (Yennai Arindaal) and Kasi Lemmons (Eve’s Bayou, Talk To Me).
Lab leader Srinivasan Narayanan, former director of the Mumbai Film Festival, said: “Our aim...
The Lab supports emerging film-makers in India over a five-day workshop that allows screenwriters to work on their scripts via one-on-one story sessions with creative advisors.
The projects and fellows selected for the 2015 Drishyam | Sundance Institute Screenwriters Lab are: Geetu Mohandas, Mulakoya; Raj Rishi More, Pirates; Atanu Mukherjee, Unknown Faces; Ritu Sarin and Tenzing Sonam, The Sweet Requiem; Sandhya Suri, Santosh; Anay Tarnekar, Untitled Tiger Project; and Dnyanesh Zoting, The Monster.
The creative advisors are: Srdan Golubovic (Circles), Erik Jendresen (Band Of Brothers), Rose Troche (The Safety Of Objects, The L Word), Habib Faisel (Do Dooni Char), Sriram Raghavan (Badlapur, Ek Haseena Thi), Shridhar Raghavan (Yennai Arindaal) and Kasi Lemmons (Eve’s Bayou, Talk To Me).
Lab leader Srinivasan Narayanan, former director of the Mumbai Film Festival, said: “Our aim...
- 4/8/2015
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
The tone was set early on. Even before I set off on my journey, Paul Federbush and Matthew Takata, the inimitable international director and manager of the Feature Film Program, respectively, emphasized that the Lab would not require any writing. "No writing?" I naively thought to myself, "Isn't this a screenwriting workshop?" Read More: Sundance Picks 12 Screenwriters Lab Projects for January 2015 "Be open to the process. Observe and listen. Take it all in," they replied. In defiance of their advice, I didn’t want to be caught with my pants down. I studiously purchased a box of new Bic Velocity Gel pens, highlighters and notepads in preparation for writing seclusion. Besides, wouldn't I want to get some writing done while it was fresh in my mind? I had never before written a feature-length screenplay. This was new territory for me. As far as I was concerned, the act of being...
- 2/19/2015
- by Yung Chang
- Indiewire
CreativeFuture and Hp are partnering at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival on a series of panels and workshops at The Sundance House Presented by Hp, reflecting a shared commitment to technology that empowers artists to bring groundbreaking storytelling to audiences.
CreativeFuture is also presenting the inaugural Horizon Award, along with co-sponsors The Black List, The Creative Mind Group, Indiegogo, The Sundance Institute, Twitter, Vimeo, and Women in Film. The Horizon Award was created by producers Cassian Elwes, Lynette Howell, and Christine Vachon to recognize and provide mentorship to talented, up-and-coming female filmmakers.
The Sundance House Presented by Hp (also known as the Kimball Arts Center) is located at 638 Park Avenue in Park City (corner of Main and Heber).
Saturday, January 24
10:30 Am – Noon Mt
Panel: Creativity Matters: A Discussion on the Cultural, Ethical, and Economic Implications of Creativity (part of official Sundance program)
Description: From film and television, to books and music, to software and video games, the digital revolution has transformed nearly every aspect of how audiences and fans access creative works. Panelists will discuss the cultural and economic value of creativity, how individual creatives can protect their work at all stages in the creative process, and how the creative community must unite and advocate for the fundamental rights of creators to be compensated for their work.
Panelists: Cassian Elwes, Producer (Margin Call, Dallas Buyers Club, All is Lost); David Ginsberg, Cto, Sundance Institute; Jim Zafarana, VP and General Manager, Commercial Solutions, Hp; and Ruth Vitale, Executive Director, CreativeFuture – moderated by Josh Dickey, Entertainment Editor, Mashable.
Sunday, January 25
10:30 Am – Noon Mt
Panel: Sundance Then and Now – The Changing Nature of Being a Filmmaker in the Digital Age(part of official Sundance program)
Description: How have technological advancements in filmmaking and distribution and changes in how films are marketed to audiences impacted the creative process? Sundance veterans and newcomers will share personal experiences spanning several decades and discuss how filmmakers can embrace this new reality while continuing to push the boundaries of independent film.
Panelists: Nikole Beckwith, Writer/Director (Stockholm, Pennsylvania); Chloe Zhao, Writer/Director (Songs My Brothers Taught Me); Paul Federbush, International Director, Feature Film Program, Sundance Institute; and Ruth Vitale, Executive Director, CreativeFuture – moderated by Franklin Leonard, Founder, The Black List.
Sunday, January 25
2:00 Pm – 3:30 Pm Mt
Artist Workshop: Pitching and Marketing the Independent Film
Description: This how-to guide for filmmakers on pitching and publicizing projects will feature examples of well-packaged pitches and publicity strategies from throughout the pre-production, festival circuit, and release stages. The workshop will be presented by Mark Pogachefsky, Co-founder and President of Mprm Communications, and Adam Krentzman, former CAA Agent and current Director of Community Outreach at CreativeFuture.
Monday, January 26
2:00 Pm – 3:30 Pm Mt
Conversation: The Making of I Smile Back
Description: A conversation with Adam Salky, director of I Smile Back, which was selected for the 2015 U.S. Dramatic Competition. Salky (Dare, 2009 Sundance Grand Jury Prize nominee) will be joined by co-writers Amy Koppelman and Paige Dylan and producer Michael Harrop.
7:00 Pm – 9:00 Pm Mt
Presentation of the Horizon Award
Description: Reception to present the inaugural Horizon Award, which recognizes talented, up-and-coming female filmmakers. The award and a $10,000 check will be presented to the winning filmmaker by Sharon Waxman, CEO and Editor in Chief of The Wrap, along with CreativeFuture Executive Director Ruth Vitale and the Horizon Award founders – producers Cassian Elwes, Lynette Howell, and Christine Vachon. The Horizon Award is sponsored by The Black List, The Creative Mind Group, CreativeFuture, Indiegogo, The Sundance Institute, Twitter, Vimeo, and Women in Film. The winning short, selected from more than 400 submissions, will premier at the reception.
About CreativeFuture
CreativeFuture is a coalition made up of more than 350 companies and organizations – encompassing film, television, music, and book publishing – that promotes the value of creativity, expanded digital access to legitimate content, and the fundamental right of creators to determine how their works are distributed. For more information, visit www.CreativeFuture.org.
About Hp
Hp creates new possibilities for technology to have a meaningful impact on people, businesses, governments and society. With the broadest technology portfolio spanning printing, personal systems, software, services and It infrastructure, Hp delivers solutions for customers' most complex challenges in every region of the world. More information about Hp is available at http://www.hp.com.
CreativeFuture is also presenting the inaugural Horizon Award, along with co-sponsors The Black List, The Creative Mind Group, Indiegogo, The Sundance Institute, Twitter, Vimeo, and Women in Film. The Horizon Award was created by producers Cassian Elwes, Lynette Howell, and Christine Vachon to recognize and provide mentorship to talented, up-and-coming female filmmakers.
The Sundance House Presented by Hp (also known as the Kimball Arts Center) is located at 638 Park Avenue in Park City (corner of Main and Heber).
Saturday, January 24
10:30 Am – Noon Mt
Panel: Creativity Matters: A Discussion on the Cultural, Ethical, and Economic Implications of Creativity (part of official Sundance program)
Description: From film and television, to books and music, to software and video games, the digital revolution has transformed nearly every aspect of how audiences and fans access creative works. Panelists will discuss the cultural and economic value of creativity, how individual creatives can protect their work at all stages in the creative process, and how the creative community must unite and advocate for the fundamental rights of creators to be compensated for their work.
Panelists: Cassian Elwes, Producer (Margin Call, Dallas Buyers Club, All is Lost); David Ginsberg, Cto, Sundance Institute; Jim Zafarana, VP and General Manager, Commercial Solutions, Hp; and Ruth Vitale, Executive Director, CreativeFuture – moderated by Josh Dickey, Entertainment Editor, Mashable.
Sunday, January 25
10:30 Am – Noon Mt
Panel: Sundance Then and Now – The Changing Nature of Being a Filmmaker in the Digital Age(part of official Sundance program)
Description: How have technological advancements in filmmaking and distribution and changes in how films are marketed to audiences impacted the creative process? Sundance veterans and newcomers will share personal experiences spanning several decades and discuss how filmmakers can embrace this new reality while continuing to push the boundaries of independent film.
Panelists: Nikole Beckwith, Writer/Director (Stockholm, Pennsylvania); Chloe Zhao, Writer/Director (Songs My Brothers Taught Me); Paul Federbush, International Director, Feature Film Program, Sundance Institute; and Ruth Vitale, Executive Director, CreativeFuture – moderated by Franklin Leonard, Founder, The Black List.
Sunday, January 25
2:00 Pm – 3:30 Pm Mt
Artist Workshop: Pitching and Marketing the Independent Film
Description: This how-to guide for filmmakers on pitching and publicizing projects will feature examples of well-packaged pitches and publicity strategies from throughout the pre-production, festival circuit, and release stages. The workshop will be presented by Mark Pogachefsky, Co-founder and President of Mprm Communications, and Adam Krentzman, former CAA Agent and current Director of Community Outreach at CreativeFuture.
Monday, January 26
2:00 Pm – 3:30 Pm Mt
Conversation: The Making of I Smile Back
Description: A conversation with Adam Salky, director of I Smile Back, which was selected for the 2015 U.S. Dramatic Competition. Salky (Dare, 2009 Sundance Grand Jury Prize nominee) will be joined by co-writers Amy Koppelman and Paige Dylan and producer Michael Harrop.
7:00 Pm – 9:00 Pm Mt
Presentation of the Horizon Award
Description: Reception to present the inaugural Horizon Award, which recognizes talented, up-and-coming female filmmakers. The award and a $10,000 check will be presented to the winning filmmaker by Sharon Waxman, CEO and Editor in Chief of The Wrap, along with CreativeFuture Executive Director Ruth Vitale and the Horizon Award founders – producers Cassian Elwes, Lynette Howell, and Christine Vachon. The Horizon Award is sponsored by The Black List, The Creative Mind Group, CreativeFuture, Indiegogo, The Sundance Institute, Twitter, Vimeo, and Women in Film. The winning short, selected from more than 400 submissions, will premier at the reception.
About CreativeFuture
CreativeFuture is a coalition made up of more than 350 companies and organizations – encompassing film, television, music, and book publishing – that promotes the value of creativity, expanded digital access to legitimate content, and the fundamental right of creators to determine how their works are distributed. For more information, visit www.CreativeFuture.org.
About Hp
Hp creates new possibilities for technology to have a meaningful impact on people, businesses, governments and society. With the broadest technology portfolio spanning printing, personal systems, software, services and It infrastructure, Hp delivers solutions for customers' most complex challenges in every region of the world. More information about Hp is available at http://www.hp.com.
- 1/21/2015
- by Erin Grover
- Sydney's Buzz
Sundance Institute and The Royal Film Commission - Jordan announced the six projects selected for the 10th anniversary of the Rawi Screenwriters Lab, which took place October 28 to November 1 in Amman, Jordan. Created as a cornerstone of the Institute’s deep commitment to artists in the Middle East, the Lab has supported over seventy artists from more than a dozen countries.
The two first features produced from the inaugural 2005 Lab premiered at the Sundance Film Festival: "Pomegranates and Myrrh," written and directed by Najwa Najjar (Palestine) and "Amreeka," written and directed by Cherien Dabis (Palestine/Jordan/Us). Notable alums of the Lab also include Mohammed Al Daradji ( "Son of Babylon" ) and Sally El Hosaini ( "My Brother The Devil" ).
More recently, 2009 Rawi alumna Haifaa Al Mansour (Saudi Arabia) premiered her first feature "Wadjda" at the 2012 Venice Film Festival. It was soon acquired by Sony Pictures Classics and was distributed to critical and audience acclaim from around the world. "Wadjda" is the first feature film shot entirely in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the first ever by a Saudi female filmmaker.
The 10 th anniversary events in Amman included a panel on the craft of screenwriting led by Al Mansour, a public screening of "Zindeeq"by Lab Advisor Michel Khleifi, and a reception designed to connect local artists with filmmakers from across the region. Keri Putnam, Executive Director of Sundance Institute, said, “Stories told by independent artists, whether working in the U.S. or internationally, provide remarkable windows into other cultures, and deepen understanding. Ten years into our work in the Middle East, we look forward to continuing to give voice to artists in the region.”
Michelle Satter, Founding Director of the Feature Film Program, said, “We deeply value our collaboration with the Royal Film Commission as well as the artists we have supported in the Middle East over the past 10 years. The films that have emerged from the Lab have reflected upon many of the region’s important cultural and political moments over the past decade. I am proud to see the work of these artists enriching the broader culture with unique and impactful stories."
George David, General Manager of the Royal Film Commission, said,“We are proud of what this Lab has accomplished over the past ten years. It is safe to say that Rawi, with the support of the Sundance Institute has become a recognized contributor to the development of Arab feature films. Cinematic works, which were born in Rawi, have been featured in major films festivals and released in cinema screens globally, exposing our Arab culture and heritage to the world.”
Modeled on the Institute’s renowned Us-based Screenwriters Labs, the Rawi Screenwriters Lab provides an opportunity for filmmakers from the Middle East region to develop their work under the guidance of accomplished screenwriters in an environment that encourages storytelling at its highest level. The Lab is led by the Royal Film Commission of Jordan and managed by Deema Azar, in consultation with Sundance Institute’s Feature Film Program, under the direction of Founding Director Michelle Satter and International Director Paul Federbush.
The Creative Advisors this year included Pavel Jech (This Is Not An American Movie"), Rawi Screenwriting Lab alum Najwa Najjar ("Eyes Of A Thief" , "Pomegranates And Myrrh" ), Hanna Weg ( "Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet" ), Jon Raymond ( "Night Moves," "Wendy and Lucy" ), and Michel Khleifi ( "Zindeeq" ).
The six artists selected for the 2014 Rawi Screenwriters Lab include:
Shake
Writer and Director: Deema Dabis (Jordan)
Free-spirited Kareemah decides to leave her home in Los Angeles to pursue her lifelong dream when she accepts an offer to tour Palestine with an international circus troop. As she struggles to manage her insecurities as a first-time performer, she is continuously shaken up by the complexities of life in Palestine.
Dabis received an Mfa in Cinema from the Red Sea Institute of Cinematic Arts. From a young age she has always been in love with stories and believes fiercely that the power of creation and a new vision will not only bring healing and insight into our world but also has the potential to create alternative narratives and realities. She is working on a number of projects including her first short film The Sri Lankan , which received funding from the Jordan Film Fund.
Baghdad Perfume
Writer and Director: Roua Ahmad (Iraq)
The tale of a middle-class family and their struggles during the darkest period in Iraq between 2004 and 2006. As the occupation becomes more oppressive and water and electricity begin to run out, the family of three tries to stay together through kidnapping, illness, and the increasing danger of staying in Baghdad.
Ahmad was born on 1983 in Iraq. She received a certificate of participation from USC School of Cinematic Art and a Bachelor's degree in Computer Programming. She later got her Mfa in Directing and Editing from The Red Sea Institute of Cinematic Arts. Filmmaking has been her ambition since the age of 12. After graduation she worked as an editor and screenwriter for a television production company. Her short films include The Last Hour , and have been screened and nominated for awards in 12 film festivals around the world.
Killer of the Selawa
Writer and Director: Islam Azzazi (Egypt)
Co-Writer: Charles Akl (Egypt)
In the tense atmosphere following the revolution in Egypt, a man spends the night in a remote villa on the outskirts of Alexandria, trying to obtain a permit for his father’s weapons. After news spreads of a vicious, mythical beast in the area, the man finds himself caught up in a murderous accident.
Since his Dostoyevski inspired thesis project, Al-Kharaz (Beads) , Azzazi has directed and produced numerous Documentaries and short films. His documentaries include Wujouh Al-Fayoum (Fayoum Portraits) and Dominate Your Eyes. He has also produced and directed the short film Nahar we Leil (Day & Night), 2006. Azzazi has worked at El-Warsha Theatre Company where he coached actors and photographed theatrical productions. In 2007 he established a new production company Wika with three other filmmakers.
Charles Akl works as a writer, director, editor, art critic and photographer. After graduating from the University of Alexandria’s Faculty of Fine Arts in 2006, he has worked in several domains ranging from architecture design to writing and editing for several arts publications, including Magaz. Akl has also worked as the program coordinator at Al Mawred Al Thaqafy.
Tide
Writer and Director: Hussen Ibraheem (Lebanon)
A man and woman struggle in the aftermath of their son’s death. As the tide approaches their coastal home and they make their way by car to a relative’s house in the mountains, they must confront the tension the tragedy has created between them.
Ibraheem is an independent filmmaker, born in Beirut, Lebanon. After getting his BA in Architecture, Ibraheem followed his love for animation working as a freelance storyboard artist and character designer. Ibraheem was granted a scholarship from The Red Sea Institute of Cinematic Arts where he studied directing and cinematography. His second short film produced at Rsica, Typo, is currently touring 13 film festivals in Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary, Greece, USA, UK, and Italy.
The Golden Cap Club
Writer and Director: Merva Faddoul (Lebanon)
A young girl comes of age as the organized world of the adults crumbles during the invasion of Kuwait in the early 1990s. Determined to win a trip to Disneyland, she collects bottle caps in an attempt to find the ‘golden cap,’ as her family tries to distract her from the sudden challenges they face.
Faddoul is an award-winning writer and director. She recieved an Mfa in Film Production from the University of Southern California and a BA in Communications from the Lebanese American University. Her short films have won grants from National Geographic and the Doha Film Institute and they have screened at dozens of festivals worldwide including the Cannes Short Film Corner, Human Rights Nights (Italy), Doha-Tribeca Film Festival, and Tricycle Cinema in London. She is a member of the Writers Guild of America and the International Academy of WebTV.
Snow
Writer and Director: Omaima Hamouri (Palestine)
Eight year-old Dina believes that an old family curse is behind the conflict that arises each summer between her parents, and becomes convinced that snow is the only way to solve their problems. With the help of her grandmother, she resolves to delay her parents’ divorce until the first snowfall.
Hamouri was born in 1988 in Jerusalem. She received her bachelor degree in Mass Media from Al-Quds University, followed by an Mfa in Editing and Screenwriting from the Red Sea Institute of Cinematic Arts in Jordan. With a never-ending passion for telling human stories through film, Omaima is now working as an independent filmmaker.
The Sundance Institute Feature Film Program is supported by The Annenberg Foundation, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Rt Features, Time Warner Foundation, The Lincoln Motor Company, Red Crown Productions, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Hp, Steve Bing, Jeanne Donovan Fisher, Hollywood Foreign Press Association, Microsoft, The Rockefeller Foundation, Nhk Enterprises, Inc., National Endowment for the Arts, 3311 Productions, The Ammon Foundation, Firestone / von Winterfeldt Family Fund, Ford Foundation, Philip Fung-A3 Foundation, SAGIndie, Grazka Taylor, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and The Ray and Dagmar Dolby Family Fund.
Sundance Institute Feature Film Program
Since its founding in 1981, the Sundance Institute Feature Film Program (Ffp) has supported an extensive list of ground-breaking independent films. Ffp films making their premieres this year include Damien Chazelle’s Whiplash (winner of the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival), Cutter Hodierne’s Fishing Without Nets (winner of the Directing Prize at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival), and Malik Vitthal’s Imperial Dreams (winner of the Best of Next Audience Award at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival). Additional notable films supported over the program’s history include Ryan Coogler’s Fruitvale Station , Ritesh Batra’s The Lunchbox , Haifaa Al Mansour’s Wadjda , Lucy Alibar and Benh Zeitlin’s Beasts of the Southern Wild , Sean Durkin’s Martha Marcy May Marlene , Dee Rees’ Pariah , Cary Fukunaga's Sin Nombre , Andrea Arnold's Red Road , Miranda July’s Me and You and Everyone We Know , Hany Abu-Assad’s Paradise Now , Josh Marston’s Maria Full of Grace , Peter Sollett’s Raising Victor Vargas , John Cameron Mitchell’s Hedwig and the Angry Inch , Darren Aronofsky’s Requiem for a Dream , Kimberly Peirce’s Boys Don't Cry , Walter Salles’ Central Station , Chris Eyre and Sherman Alexie’s Smoke Signals , Allison Anders' Mi Vida Loca , Paul Thomas Anderson’s Hard Eight , and Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs .
undance.org/featurefilm
Sundance Institute Sundance Institute is a global nonprofit organization founded by Robert Redford in 1981. Through its artistic development programs for directors, screenwriters, producers, composers and playwrights, the Institute seeks to discover and support independent film and theatre artists from the United States and around the world, and to connect audiences to their work. The Institute promotes independent storytelling as art and as a compelling and powerful way to inform, inspire and unite people. Internationally recognized for its annual Sundance Film Festival, Sundance Institute has supported such projects as Beasts of the Southern Wild, Fruitvale Station, Sin Nombre, The Invisible War, The Square, Dirty Wars, Spring Awakening, A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder and Fun Home. Join Sundance Institute on Facebook , Instagram,Twitter and YouTube.
The two first features produced from the inaugural 2005 Lab premiered at the Sundance Film Festival: "Pomegranates and Myrrh," written and directed by Najwa Najjar (Palestine) and "Amreeka," written and directed by Cherien Dabis (Palestine/Jordan/Us). Notable alums of the Lab also include Mohammed Al Daradji ( "Son of Babylon" ) and Sally El Hosaini ( "My Brother The Devil" ).
More recently, 2009 Rawi alumna Haifaa Al Mansour (Saudi Arabia) premiered her first feature "Wadjda" at the 2012 Venice Film Festival. It was soon acquired by Sony Pictures Classics and was distributed to critical and audience acclaim from around the world. "Wadjda" is the first feature film shot entirely in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the first ever by a Saudi female filmmaker.
The 10 th anniversary events in Amman included a panel on the craft of screenwriting led by Al Mansour, a public screening of "Zindeeq"by Lab Advisor Michel Khleifi, and a reception designed to connect local artists with filmmakers from across the region. Keri Putnam, Executive Director of Sundance Institute, said, “Stories told by independent artists, whether working in the U.S. or internationally, provide remarkable windows into other cultures, and deepen understanding. Ten years into our work in the Middle East, we look forward to continuing to give voice to artists in the region.”
Michelle Satter, Founding Director of the Feature Film Program, said, “We deeply value our collaboration with the Royal Film Commission as well as the artists we have supported in the Middle East over the past 10 years. The films that have emerged from the Lab have reflected upon many of the region’s important cultural and political moments over the past decade. I am proud to see the work of these artists enriching the broader culture with unique and impactful stories."
George David, General Manager of the Royal Film Commission, said,“We are proud of what this Lab has accomplished over the past ten years. It is safe to say that Rawi, with the support of the Sundance Institute has become a recognized contributor to the development of Arab feature films. Cinematic works, which were born in Rawi, have been featured in major films festivals and released in cinema screens globally, exposing our Arab culture and heritage to the world.”
Modeled on the Institute’s renowned Us-based Screenwriters Labs, the Rawi Screenwriters Lab provides an opportunity for filmmakers from the Middle East region to develop their work under the guidance of accomplished screenwriters in an environment that encourages storytelling at its highest level. The Lab is led by the Royal Film Commission of Jordan and managed by Deema Azar, in consultation with Sundance Institute’s Feature Film Program, under the direction of Founding Director Michelle Satter and International Director Paul Federbush.
The Creative Advisors this year included Pavel Jech (This Is Not An American Movie"), Rawi Screenwriting Lab alum Najwa Najjar ("Eyes Of A Thief" , "Pomegranates And Myrrh" ), Hanna Weg ( "Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet" ), Jon Raymond ( "Night Moves," "Wendy and Lucy" ), and Michel Khleifi ( "Zindeeq" ).
The six artists selected for the 2014 Rawi Screenwriters Lab include:
Shake
Writer and Director: Deema Dabis (Jordan)
Free-spirited Kareemah decides to leave her home in Los Angeles to pursue her lifelong dream when she accepts an offer to tour Palestine with an international circus troop. As she struggles to manage her insecurities as a first-time performer, she is continuously shaken up by the complexities of life in Palestine.
Dabis received an Mfa in Cinema from the Red Sea Institute of Cinematic Arts. From a young age she has always been in love with stories and believes fiercely that the power of creation and a new vision will not only bring healing and insight into our world but also has the potential to create alternative narratives and realities. She is working on a number of projects including her first short film The Sri Lankan , which received funding from the Jordan Film Fund.
Baghdad Perfume
Writer and Director: Roua Ahmad (Iraq)
The tale of a middle-class family and their struggles during the darkest period in Iraq between 2004 and 2006. As the occupation becomes more oppressive and water and electricity begin to run out, the family of three tries to stay together through kidnapping, illness, and the increasing danger of staying in Baghdad.
Ahmad was born on 1983 in Iraq. She received a certificate of participation from USC School of Cinematic Art and a Bachelor's degree in Computer Programming. She later got her Mfa in Directing and Editing from The Red Sea Institute of Cinematic Arts. Filmmaking has been her ambition since the age of 12. After graduation she worked as an editor and screenwriter for a television production company. Her short films include The Last Hour , and have been screened and nominated for awards in 12 film festivals around the world.
Killer of the Selawa
Writer and Director: Islam Azzazi (Egypt)
Co-Writer: Charles Akl (Egypt)
In the tense atmosphere following the revolution in Egypt, a man spends the night in a remote villa on the outskirts of Alexandria, trying to obtain a permit for his father’s weapons. After news spreads of a vicious, mythical beast in the area, the man finds himself caught up in a murderous accident.
Since his Dostoyevski inspired thesis project, Al-Kharaz (Beads) , Azzazi has directed and produced numerous Documentaries and short films. His documentaries include Wujouh Al-Fayoum (Fayoum Portraits) and Dominate Your Eyes. He has also produced and directed the short film Nahar we Leil (Day & Night), 2006. Azzazi has worked at El-Warsha Theatre Company where he coached actors and photographed theatrical productions. In 2007 he established a new production company Wika with three other filmmakers.
Charles Akl works as a writer, director, editor, art critic and photographer. After graduating from the University of Alexandria’s Faculty of Fine Arts in 2006, he has worked in several domains ranging from architecture design to writing and editing for several arts publications, including Magaz. Akl has also worked as the program coordinator at Al Mawred Al Thaqafy.
Tide
Writer and Director: Hussen Ibraheem (Lebanon)
A man and woman struggle in the aftermath of their son’s death. As the tide approaches their coastal home and they make their way by car to a relative’s house in the mountains, they must confront the tension the tragedy has created between them.
Ibraheem is an independent filmmaker, born in Beirut, Lebanon. After getting his BA in Architecture, Ibraheem followed his love for animation working as a freelance storyboard artist and character designer. Ibraheem was granted a scholarship from The Red Sea Institute of Cinematic Arts where he studied directing and cinematography. His second short film produced at Rsica, Typo, is currently touring 13 film festivals in Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary, Greece, USA, UK, and Italy.
The Golden Cap Club
Writer and Director: Merva Faddoul (Lebanon)
A young girl comes of age as the organized world of the adults crumbles during the invasion of Kuwait in the early 1990s. Determined to win a trip to Disneyland, she collects bottle caps in an attempt to find the ‘golden cap,’ as her family tries to distract her from the sudden challenges they face.
Faddoul is an award-winning writer and director. She recieved an Mfa in Film Production from the University of Southern California and a BA in Communications from the Lebanese American University. Her short films have won grants from National Geographic and the Doha Film Institute and they have screened at dozens of festivals worldwide including the Cannes Short Film Corner, Human Rights Nights (Italy), Doha-Tribeca Film Festival, and Tricycle Cinema in London. She is a member of the Writers Guild of America and the International Academy of WebTV.
Snow
Writer and Director: Omaima Hamouri (Palestine)
Eight year-old Dina believes that an old family curse is behind the conflict that arises each summer between her parents, and becomes convinced that snow is the only way to solve their problems. With the help of her grandmother, she resolves to delay her parents’ divorce until the first snowfall.
Hamouri was born in 1988 in Jerusalem. She received her bachelor degree in Mass Media from Al-Quds University, followed by an Mfa in Editing and Screenwriting from the Red Sea Institute of Cinematic Arts in Jordan. With a never-ending passion for telling human stories through film, Omaima is now working as an independent filmmaker.
The Sundance Institute Feature Film Program is supported by The Annenberg Foundation, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Rt Features, Time Warner Foundation, The Lincoln Motor Company, Red Crown Productions, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Hp, Steve Bing, Jeanne Donovan Fisher, Hollywood Foreign Press Association, Microsoft, The Rockefeller Foundation, Nhk Enterprises, Inc., National Endowment for the Arts, 3311 Productions, The Ammon Foundation, Firestone / von Winterfeldt Family Fund, Ford Foundation, Philip Fung-A3 Foundation, SAGIndie, Grazka Taylor, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and The Ray and Dagmar Dolby Family Fund.
Sundance Institute Feature Film Program
Since its founding in 1981, the Sundance Institute Feature Film Program (Ffp) has supported an extensive list of ground-breaking independent films. Ffp films making their premieres this year include Damien Chazelle’s Whiplash (winner of the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival), Cutter Hodierne’s Fishing Without Nets (winner of the Directing Prize at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival), and Malik Vitthal’s Imperial Dreams (winner of the Best of Next Audience Award at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival). Additional notable films supported over the program’s history include Ryan Coogler’s Fruitvale Station , Ritesh Batra’s The Lunchbox , Haifaa Al Mansour’s Wadjda , Lucy Alibar and Benh Zeitlin’s Beasts of the Southern Wild , Sean Durkin’s Martha Marcy May Marlene , Dee Rees’ Pariah , Cary Fukunaga's Sin Nombre , Andrea Arnold's Red Road , Miranda July’s Me and You and Everyone We Know , Hany Abu-Assad’s Paradise Now , Josh Marston’s Maria Full of Grace , Peter Sollett’s Raising Victor Vargas , John Cameron Mitchell’s Hedwig and the Angry Inch , Darren Aronofsky’s Requiem for a Dream , Kimberly Peirce’s Boys Don't Cry , Walter Salles’ Central Station , Chris Eyre and Sherman Alexie’s Smoke Signals , Allison Anders' Mi Vida Loca , Paul Thomas Anderson’s Hard Eight , and Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs .
undance.org/featurefilm
Sundance Institute Sundance Institute is a global nonprofit organization founded by Robert Redford in 1981. Through its artistic development programs for directors, screenwriters, producers, composers and playwrights, the Institute seeks to discover and support independent film and theatre artists from the United States and around the world, and to connect audiences to their work. The Institute promotes independent storytelling as art and as a compelling and powerful way to inform, inspire and unite people. Internationally recognized for its annual Sundance Film Festival, Sundance Institute has supported such projects as Beasts of the Southern Wild, Fruitvale Station, Sin Nombre, The Invisible War, The Square, Dirty Wars, Spring Awakening, A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder and Fun Home. Join Sundance Institute on Facebook , Instagram,Twitter and YouTube.
- 11/10/2014
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
For the first time ever, Toronto International Film Festival along with Telefilm Canada had a pre-Toronto reception for the trade. Held at Soho House on a flawless L.A. day, with views of West Hollywood and Beverly Hills all the way to the Pacific Ocean, the trade had the happy hours to greet and catch up with each other and to preview trailers of the films Canada will be showing at the festival. And best of all, Tiff gave everyone a 2 lb. 4 oz. catalog (even more than one to gift to other colleagues) to take home instead of having to pack them into our suitcases to take back from Toronto.
Maybe it’s the drought here in L.A. that gives me the yearning for rain, but the films on my must-see list include a couple about rain: the Tiff Doc, “Monsoon” by Surla Gunnarsson and “October Gale” by Ruba Nadda (“Cairo Time”) starring Patricia Clarkson and Scott Speedman, a Special Presentation being sold by Myriad.
Canada has the most coproduction treaties of any other nation, and Seoul Korea is the chosen city in this year’s City to City program. The coproduction between Canada and So. Korea, “In Her Place” by writer-director Albert Shin, showing in the Discovery Section looks very compelling. Elle Driver is selling this drama about a wealthy couple secretly seeking to adopt the unborn child of an impoverished and troubled rural teenager.
Other trailers we watched included Contemporary World Cinema entries, “Felix and Meira” by Maxime Giroux, being sold by Udi – Urban Distribution International, “Love in the Time of Civil War” by Rodrigue Jean (Isa: Les Films du 3 Mars) and “Heartbeat” by Andrea Dorfman.
In Midnight Madness, “The Editor” looks pretty good. Park Entertainment is selling it. Xavier Dolan, Bruce Greenwood and Catherine Keener star in “Elephant Song” by Charles Biname which is a Special Presentation. Another Special Presentation is “Preggoland” by Jacob Tierney (“The Trotsky”).
Trailers from Discovery included “Guidance”, the debut film by Pat Mills, “Big Muddy”, “The Valley Below” by Kyle Thomas, “Wet Bum” by Lindsay Mackay, (Isa: Traction Media), “Backcountry” by Adam MacDonald, (Isa: Event Film Distribution, Us: contact Cinetic), “Bang Bang Baby” a surreal, fever-dream fusion of small-town musical and 1950s sci-fi debut feature which writer-director Jeffrey St. Jules developed from his own short at the Cannes Film Festival Residence Program.
Peter Goldwyn of The Samuel Goldwyn Company and Matt Dentler of iTunes, talked up the unprecedented (for a foreign language film) success reaching the top 20 films on iTunes of “ The German Doctor” directed by Lucia Puenzo.
Paul Federbush and I spoke of new horizons of the international labs of Sundance Institute. Sundance Industry’s Rosy Wong introduced me to Lisa Ogdie, Sundance Ff’s Shorts Programmer. Strand’s Marcus Hu, who has two films in the festival (Films Distribution’s “Girlhood” and Pyramide’s “Xenia”) was there, Frank Wuliger looking at the Gersh trailer of “October Gale”, Rebecca (Bec) Smith of UTA as were so many others.
New acquisitions gigs were discussed: Bobby Rock looking for international sales agent,Cinema Management Group ( Dene Anderberg, Cmg’s VP of Sales and Operations, was also there schmoozing) and for Random Media, the new U.S. distribution company founded by Eric Doctorow (formerly head of Paramount Home Video) in November 2013, which will release films through Cinedigm.
Telefilm and Tiff have held a similar soiree for four years in NewYork. I’m sure Andrew Karpen, former Co-ceo of Focus Features, who is launching the new distribution company Bleecker Street was there in N.Y.
Rachel Shapiro, also happily working on many projects at once and her friend, producer Melanie Backer, Laurie Woodrow of RightsTrade a global online marketplace for film, television and digital rights licensing whose “Market On Demand” streamlines film, television, and digital rights sales and acquisitions for content owners, sales agents and distributors who can reach thousands of industry buyers, and buyers can search, screen, and license rights from sellers of thousands of titles.
Bonnie Voland with her hands full for Im Global and its many lines, reminisced with Carolle Brabant, Executive Director of Telefilm Canada and Brigitte Hubmann of Telefilm about the five (!) regimes of the Toronto International Film Festival she has known…from before Helga Stephenson all the way to Cameron Bailey who was there talking up the upcoming festival and hearing peoples’ raves or rants.
Also reminiscing with Brigitte about their days at Goethe Institut was Margit Kleinman who is now director of Villa Aurora, the artist-in-residence program for artists in Germany housed in the Pacific Palisades former home of German émigré, the novelist Lion Furchtwanger. I didn’t have time to ask if they would host the German Academy Award party this year for their submission for Best Foreign Language film, Dominik Graf’s “Beloved Sister”. Since its premiere at the Berlinale this year, international sales agent Global Screen has sold the rights to Music Box for U.S. who will release it in December, and to Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Poland and Croatia thus far.
Our dear friend, Ian Birnie, programmer for Mumbai Film Festival and the Louisiana International Film Festival was there with so many others. It was a wonderful moment to catch up and to forget the pressure we are all under preparing our screenings and meetings for Tiff.
Even though he wasn’t there, I want to mention a brief interchange I had with producer rep Cassian Elwes of Elevated Film Sales, who is repping “Black and White” with Kevin Costner and co-repping the Paul Bettany movie with Jennifer Connelly, “Shelter”, with UTA at Tiff. “In Venice I have Bogdanovich’s ‘She's Funny that Way’ which is in a three way split between me, CAA and UTA and Joe Dante's movie ‘Burying the Ex’ which I'm doing with CAA.”
Steven Raphael and Mj Pekos were fronting for the reception and also are repping “Voiceover” and “Dark Horse” at Tiff.
There was no need to show trailers to the buzz films like the Gala film “Foxcatcher”, which has Oscar expectations are already swirling around it and which premiered in Cannes and is being sold by Kimberly Fox’s Panorama Media and Annapurna (already sold to Sony Pictures Classics for U.S. as well as to Canada-Métropole Films Distribution and Mongrel Media Inc., France-Mars Films, Germany-Koch Media Gmbh, Japan-Longride Inc. So. Korea-Green Narae Media, Switzerland-Ascot Elite Entertainment Group, Taiwan-Long Shong International, United Kingdom- Entertainment One Uk. The film has already earned Bennett Miller the Best Director prize at Cannes.
Another not previewing was Benedict Cumberbatch starring in the much talked about Alan Turing biopic “ The Imitation Game”, and his portrayal of the legendary British code breaker and mathematician is generating talk of a Best Actor nod at this year's Academy Awards. FilmNation is repping this and has already sold it to The Weinstein Company for U.S., Belgium to Paradiso Filmed Entertainment, Greece to Seven Films, Hong Kong (China) to Edko Films Ltd, Israel to Lev Films (Shani Films), Italy toVidea - Cde S.P.A., Japan toGaga Corporation, So. Korea to Medialog Corp., Sweden to Svensk Filmindustri, Ab, Switzerland to Ascot Elite Entertainment Group, Taiwan to Applause Entertainment Ltd. Taiwan Branch, Thailand to M Pictures Co., Ltd.
Two other hot films are Lone Scherfig's “The Riot Club” repped by Hanway and already sold to Universal Pictures for No. America, Belgium-Lumière, France-Selective Films, Germany-Prokino Filmverleih Gmbh, Hong Kong (China)-Golden Scene Company Limited, Italy-Notorious Pictures, Benelux-Lumiere, Poland-Kino Swiat, Switzerland-Pathe Films Ag, United Arab Emirates-Front Row Filmed Entertainment and the U.K. Kingdom-Universal Pictures International and Noah Baumbach's “ While We're Young”, produced by Scott Rudin and repped by FilmNation (again!), with no sales on record yet.
See Cameron Bailey on CBC News discussing Tiff:
Video | TIFF2014: 4 buzz-worthy films at the fest If you want to know more about sales in Toronto, please check back with www.SydneysBuzz.com/Reports for the Toronto By Numbers Report and after the festival for the Toronto Rights Roundup.
Maybe it’s the drought here in L.A. that gives me the yearning for rain, but the films on my must-see list include a couple about rain: the Tiff Doc, “Monsoon” by Surla Gunnarsson and “October Gale” by Ruba Nadda (“Cairo Time”) starring Patricia Clarkson and Scott Speedman, a Special Presentation being sold by Myriad.
Canada has the most coproduction treaties of any other nation, and Seoul Korea is the chosen city in this year’s City to City program. The coproduction between Canada and So. Korea, “In Her Place” by writer-director Albert Shin, showing in the Discovery Section looks very compelling. Elle Driver is selling this drama about a wealthy couple secretly seeking to adopt the unborn child of an impoverished and troubled rural teenager.
Other trailers we watched included Contemporary World Cinema entries, “Felix and Meira” by Maxime Giroux, being sold by Udi – Urban Distribution International, “Love in the Time of Civil War” by Rodrigue Jean (Isa: Les Films du 3 Mars) and “Heartbeat” by Andrea Dorfman.
In Midnight Madness, “The Editor” looks pretty good. Park Entertainment is selling it. Xavier Dolan, Bruce Greenwood and Catherine Keener star in “Elephant Song” by Charles Biname which is a Special Presentation. Another Special Presentation is “Preggoland” by Jacob Tierney (“The Trotsky”).
Trailers from Discovery included “Guidance”, the debut film by Pat Mills, “Big Muddy”, “The Valley Below” by Kyle Thomas, “Wet Bum” by Lindsay Mackay, (Isa: Traction Media), “Backcountry” by Adam MacDonald, (Isa: Event Film Distribution, Us: contact Cinetic), “Bang Bang Baby” a surreal, fever-dream fusion of small-town musical and 1950s sci-fi debut feature which writer-director Jeffrey St. Jules developed from his own short at the Cannes Film Festival Residence Program.
Peter Goldwyn of The Samuel Goldwyn Company and Matt Dentler of iTunes, talked up the unprecedented (for a foreign language film) success reaching the top 20 films on iTunes of “ The German Doctor” directed by Lucia Puenzo.
Paul Federbush and I spoke of new horizons of the international labs of Sundance Institute. Sundance Industry’s Rosy Wong introduced me to Lisa Ogdie, Sundance Ff’s Shorts Programmer. Strand’s Marcus Hu, who has two films in the festival (Films Distribution’s “Girlhood” and Pyramide’s “Xenia”) was there, Frank Wuliger looking at the Gersh trailer of “October Gale”, Rebecca (Bec) Smith of UTA as were so many others.
New acquisitions gigs were discussed: Bobby Rock looking for international sales agent,Cinema Management Group ( Dene Anderberg, Cmg’s VP of Sales and Operations, was also there schmoozing) and for Random Media, the new U.S. distribution company founded by Eric Doctorow (formerly head of Paramount Home Video) in November 2013, which will release films through Cinedigm.
Telefilm and Tiff have held a similar soiree for four years in NewYork. I’m sure Andrew Karpen, former Co-ceo of Focus Features, who is launching the new distribution company Bleecker Street was there in N.Y.
Rachel Shapiro, also happily working on many projects at once and her friend, producer Melanie Backer, Laurie Woodrow of RightsTrade a global online marketplace for film, television and digital rights licensing whose “Market On Demand” streamlines film, television, and digital rights sales and acquisitions for content owners, sales agents and distributors who can reach thousands of industry buyers, and buyers can search, screen, and license rights from sellers of thousands of titles.
Bonnie Voland with her hands full for Im Global and its many lines, reminisced with Carolle Brabant, Executive Director of Telefilm Canada and Brigitte Hubmann of Telefilm about the five (!) regimes of the Toronto International Film Festival she has known…from before Helga Stephenson all the way to Cameron Bailey who was there talking up the upcoming festival and hearing peoples’ raves or rants.
Also reminiscing with Brigitte about their days at Goethe Institut was Margit Kleinman who is now director of Villa Aurora, the artist-in-residence program for artists in Germany housed in the Pacific Palisades former home of German émigré, the novelist Lion Furchtwanger. I didn’t have time to ask if they would host the German Academy Award party this year for their submission for Best Foreign Language film, Dominik Graf’s “Beloved Sister”. Since its premiere at the Berlinale this year, international sales agent Global Screen has sold the rights to Music Box for U.S. who will release it in December, and to Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Poland and Croatia thus far.
Our dear friend, Ian Birnie, programmer for Mumbai Film Festival and the Louisiana International Film Festival was there with so many others. It was a wonderful moment to catch up and to forget the pressure we are all under preparing our screenings and meetings for Tiff.
Even though he wasn’t there, I want to mention a brief interchange I had with producer rep Cassian Elwes of Elevated Film Sales, who is repping “Black and White” with Kevin Costner and co-repping the Paul Bettany movie with Jennifer Connelly, “Shelter”, with UTA at Tiff. “In Venice I have Bogdanovich’s ‘She's Funny that Way’ which is in a three way split between me, CAA and UTA and Joe Dante's movie ‘Burying the Ex’ which I'm doing with CAA.”
Steven Raphael and Mj Pekos were fronting for the reception and also are repping “Voiceover” and “Dark Horse” at Tiff.
There was no need to show trailers to the buzz films like the Gala film “Foxcatcher”, which has Oscar expectations are already swirling around it and which premiered in Cannes and is being sold by Kimberly Fox’s Panorama Media and Annapurna (already sold to Sony Pictures Classics for U.S. as well as to Canada-Métropole Films Distribution and Mongrel Media Inc., France-Mars Films, Germany-Koch Media Gmbh, Japan-Longride Inc. So. Korea-Green Narae Media, Switzerland-Ascot Elite Entertainment Group, Taiwan-Long Shong International, United Kingdom- Entertainment One Uk. The film has already earned Bennett Miller the Best Director prize at Cannes.
Another not previewing was Benedict Cumberbatch starring in the much talked about Alan Turing biopic “ The Imitation Game”, and his portrayal of the legendary British code breaker and mathematician is generating talk of a Best Actor nod at this year's Academy Awards. FilmNation is repping this and has already sold it to The Weinstein Company for U.S., Belgium to Paradiso Filmed Entertainment, Greece to Seven Films, Hong Kong (China) to Edko Films Ltd, Israel to Lev Films (Shani Films), Italy toVidea - Cde S.P.A., Japan toGaga Corporation, So. Korea to Medialog Corp., Sweden to Svensk Filmindustri, Ab, Switzerland to Ascot Elite Entertainment Group, Taiwan to Applause Entertainment Ltd. Taiwan Branch, Thailand to M Pictures Co., Ltd.
Two other hot films are Lone Scherfig's “The Riot Club” repped by Hanway and already sold to Universal Pictures for No. America, Belgium-Lumière, France-Selective Films, Germany-Prokino Filmverleih Gmbh, Hong Kong (China)-Golden Scene Company Limited, Italy-Notorious Pictures, Benelux-Lumiere, Poland-Kino Swiat, Switzerland-Pathe Films Ag, United Arab Emirates-Front Row Filmed Entertainment and the U.K. Kingdom-Universal Pictures International and Noah Baumbach's “ While We're Young”, produced by Scott Rudin and repped by FilmNation (again!), with no sales on record yet.
See Cameron Bailey on CBC News discussing Tiff:
Video | TIFF2014: 4 buzz-worthy films at the fest If you want to know more about sales in Toronto, please check back with www.SydneysBuzz.com/Reports for the Toronto By Numbers Report and after the festival for the Toronto Rights Roundup.
- 9/1/2014
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Since marketing chief Laura Kim left Warner Independent Pictures after the studio shut down the specialty label, she has been consulting via her company Inside Job, running Oscar campaigns for Roadside Attractions and others, and releasing indie projects like "Restrepo" and through her and Paul Federbush's distribution arm, Red Flag. Now Participant Media has brought in the veteran marketing exec as Senior VP Film Marketing. She is replacing the recently departed team of Buffy Shutt, Kathy Jones and Jeff Sakson: In her new role at Participant, Kim will oversee marketing strategy, partnerships, and campaign development for Participant’s films and acquisitions, and serve as the key marketing executive for all distributors, promotional partners, filmmakers, talent and studios. She will report to Diane Weyerman, Evp Documentary Films, and Jonathan King, Evp Narrative Films. It makes sense, it's a perfect fit. Kim loves documentaries and independent film--has a...
- 5/5/2014
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
Sundance Institute | Mumbai Mantra screenwriting fellows & mentors on an early morning hike by the shores of Lake Pavna
Photo credit: Dani Sanchez-Lopez | Bernat Camps for Mumbai Mantra
I had thought that writing a few paragraphs about my experiences at the Sundance Institute | Mumbai Mantra Screenwriting Lab would be pretty much a piece of cake, but as is so often the case, the task of distilling a flood of thoughts into a more or less concise and coherent narrative feels like an exercise in reduction.
I might begin by mentioning how I submitted my script mainly for the deadline, or more pertinently for the external discipline I hoped the deadline would impose upon me to finish a new draft. That’s certainly not to suggest I didn’t care one way or the other whether I got selected… the lab frankly sounded a bit like paradise, and a couple of friends...
Photo credit: Dani Sanchez-Lopez | Bernat Camps for Mumbai Mantra
I had thought that writing a few paragraphs about my experiences at the Sundance Institute | Mumbai Mantra Screenwriting Lab would be pretty much a piece of cake, but as is so often the case, the task of distilling a flood of thoughts into a more or less concise and coherent narrative feels like an exercise in reduction.
I might begin by mentioning how I submitted my script mainly for the deadline, or more pertinently for the external discipline I hoped the deadline would impose upon me to finish a new draft. That’s certainly not to suggest I didn’t care one way or the other whether I got selected… the lab frankly sounded a bit like paradise, and a couple of friends...
- 4/10/2014
- by Dylan Mohan Gray
- DearCinema.com
Sundance Institute and Mahindra today announced the winners of the 2014 Sundance Institute | Mahindra Global Filmmaking Award, in recognition and support of emerging independent filmmakers from around the world. The winning directors and projects are Hong Khaou, Monsoon from Vietnam/UK; Tobias Lindholm, A War from Denmark; Ashlee Page, Archive from Australia; and Neeraj Ghaywan, Fly Away Solo from India.
The awards were presented at a private ceremony at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, U.S.A., by Rohit Khattar, Chairman, Mumbai Mantra, Michelle Satter, Founding Director, Feature Film Program, Sundance Institute, and Paul Federbush, International Director, Feature Film Program, Sundance Institute.
Now in its fourth year, the Sundance Institute | Mahindra Global Filmmaking Award is part of a multifaceted collaboration that exemplifies a commitment to and support of world cinema by the Mahindra Group, one of the largest industrial conglomerates in India known throughout the world for its...
The awards were presented at a private ceremony at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, U.S.A., by Rohit Khattar, Chairman, Mumbai Mantra, Michelle Satter, Founding Director, Feature Film Program, Sundance Institute, and Paul Federbush, International Director, Feature Film Program, Sundance Institute.
Now in its fourth year, the Sundance Institute | Mahindra Global Filmmaking Award is part of a multifaceted collaboration that exemplifies a commitment to and support of world cinema by the Mahindra Group, one of the largest industrial conglomerates in India known throughout the world for its...
- 1/25/2014
- by Press Releases
- Bollyspice
Exclusive: Palestinian director Hany Abu Assad is planning to reunite with some of the team behind his Oscar-nominated 2005 feature Paradise Now.
Abu-Assad said Palestine-set drama Lamya will likely be next film.
“It’s about a girl seeking her mother,” explained the director. “The story is that the mother ran away with her lover, but the girl can’t believe that a mother could leave her daughter for a man. It’s a road movie of sorts.”
Click here for the full interview
Abu-Assad said he intends to work on the film with his Paradise Now collaborators, including producers Roman Paul of Razor Film and Augustus Film from the Netherlands, as well as Us duo Laura Kim and Paul Federbush [the former Warner Independent Pictures execs who distributed Paradise Now in the Us] and Pretty Pictures’ James Velaise.
The Match Factory, which also handles Omar, is on board for international sales.
Abu Assad won the Un Certain Regard Jury Prize at this year’s Cannes Film Festival for new thriller Omar, which...
Abu-Assad said Palestine-set drama Lamya will likely be next film.
“It’s about a girl seeking her mother,” explained the director. “The story is that the mother ran away with her lover, but the girl can’t believe that a mother could leave her daughter for a man. It’s a road movie of sorts.”
Click here for the full interview
Abu-Assad said he intends to work on the film with his Paradise Now collaborators, including producers Roman Paul of Razor Film and Augustus Film from the Netherlands, as well as Us duo Laura Kim and Paul Federbush [the former Warner Independent Pictures execs who distributed Paradise Now in the Us] and Pretty Pictures’ James Velaise.
The Match Factory, which also handles Omar, is on board for international sales.
Abu Assad won the Un Certain Regard Jury Prize at this year’s Cannes Film Festival for new thriller Omar, which...
- 9/10/2013
- by andreas.wiseman@screendaily.com (Andreas Wiseman)
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Palestinian director Hany Abu Assad is planning to reunite with some of the team behind his Oscar-nominated 2005 feature Paradise Now.
Abu-Assad said Palestine-set drama Lamya will likely be next film.
“It’s about a girl seeking her mother,” explained the director. “The story is that the mother ran away with her lover, but the girl can’t believe that a mother could leave her daughter for a man. It’s a road movie of sorts.”
Click here for the full interview
Abu-Assad said he intends to work on the film with his Paradise Now collaborators, including producers Roman Paul of Razor Film and Augustus Film from the Netherlands, as well as Us duo Laura Kim and Paul Federbush [the former Warner Independent Pictures execs who distributed Paradise Now in the Us] and Pretty Pictures’ James Velaise.
The Match Factory, which also handles Omar, is on board for international sales.
Abu Assad won the Un Certain Regard Jury Prize at this year’s Cannes Film Festival for new thriller Omar, which...
Abu-Assad said Palestine-set drama Lamya will likely be next film.
“It’s about a girl seeking her mother,” explained the director. “The story is that the mother ran away with her lover, but the girl can’t believe that a mother could leave her daughter for a man. It’s a road movie of sorts.”
Click here for the full interview
Abu-Assad said he intends to work on the film with his Paradise Now collaborators, including producers Roman Paul of Razor Film and Augustus Film from the Netherlands, as well as Us duo Laura Kim and Paul Federbush [the former Warner Independent Pictures execs who distributed Paradise Now in the Us] and Pretty Pictures’ James Velaise.
The Match Factory, which also handles Omar, is on board for international sales.
Abu Assad won the Un Certain Regard Jury Prize at this year’s Cannes Film Festival for new thriller Omar, which...
- 9/10/2013
- by andreas.wiseman@screendaily.com (Andreas Wiseman)
- ScreenDaily
Early on this Cannes we had drinks with Paul Federbush and Laura Kim at the Grand; Ryan Werner joined us, fresh out of his long time stint at IFC Films. As you would expect, talk turned to distribution, an always exciting topic especially with them because they are at the forefront of what is happening in this constantly changing universe.
Aside from running their own distribution company, Red Flag Releasing, Laura continues to do publicity for indies and Paul is heading the international side of the Sundance Labs. He will now be speaking at Bam (Bogata Audiovisual Market) along with a new acquaintance whom I met at a wonderful dinner in Cannes, Donald Rabinovitch (any relation to our buddy Mark, I wonder?). Donald is the co-founder of QUADFlix a "game changing" new distribution model for high quality Indie features and full length documentaries based at the Quad Theater in New York, a theater that has been there in Greenwich Village for over 40 years now. Now, they have created a unique distribution/ exhibition business called QUADFlix Select, a "new and amazingly successful program". Donald's business partner, Elliott Kanbar has just written a new book on the subject of distribution as well, So you Finished your Film.....Now What.
So Donald writes me today from Dominican Republic to tell me he is off on the 7th to Bam to speak on the panel "The Reality of Film Distribution..... and Finding an Audience in North America” with Paul Federbush from Sundance. Bam is an initiative of Claudia Triana de Vargas, the Director of Proimagenes Colombia. Colombia is on the move as one of the hottest countries for filmmakers along with Chile, and soon-to-be-there-too, Panama. You can see Claudia discuss the current Colombian film initiatives during the Berlinale 2013 here: Claudia Triana de Vargas.
Donald sent me his talking points which coincidently includes mention of Adam Leipzig, formerly President of National Geographic Feature Films and now Publisher and Managing Editor at Cultural Weekly and Guiding Entrepreneurs & Creatives whom I will see July 26 and 27th --- while we indulge ourselves at the La Jolla Fashion Film Festival. We will have much to discuss and in the best place in the world to do it, so I just got over my envy.
Now back to the whole point of this name-dropping blog, here are Donald's talking points for the panel at the Bogota Audiovisual Market (Bam):
Subject: The Tough Job Of Marketing A Film
You're a talented filmmaker and you've just made an excellent film. That's for certain. But effectively and economically marketing the film is just as important and, Now, even more daunting than making the film. Adam Leipzig, a noted film producer, wrote the following in a recent column in The New York Times:
"The challenge isn't getting your movie made. All it takes is a personal time commitment to the process and access to a credit card, a digital video camera, and a computer loaded with editing software. The challenge is actually getting your movie seen." Leipzig also pointed out that of the 12,613 films submitted to this year's Sundance Film (2013) Festival, only 130 were selected and not more than 10 of these received significant distribution agreements for money. Following that, in April, we note that the Tribeca Film Festival, which has grown to be a 'hot market' in NYC received 3,150 submissions , granted 89 selections..... and had only 8 films finding distribution in 2013 for money.
Additionally, he then wrote something that we at the Quad have been saying over-and-over again, that "without the marketing push, awareness, and word-of-mouth generated by a theatrical release, it's not feasible for video chains [and digital platforms] to stock your picture."
But, alas, the question is, how best to market the film? This challenge can overwhelm even the savviest filmmaker. Often, what happens, is that a ton of money is spent, the wrong way, with very disappointing results.
One solution is to join the QUADflix Select Program. They will handle the entire job of marketing And releasing the film in North America. www.quadflixselect.com lists all the program features and the cost. The box office success is most determined by the reviews…especially the review from The New York Times. If the filmmakers do not think their film will receive good reviews, they should not book the QUADflix Select Program. QUADflix will make the same determination. They actually turn down 4 out of 5 films submitted. But some which have been accepted are Deadline, Bill W., One Day on Earth, Side by Side, Harvest of Empire, and Long Shot.
Here are the highlights of the program:
(1) A full one-week, Guaranteed run at the prestigious Quad Cinema in New York, from 1:00Pm to midnight-typically 5 screenings daily.
(2) 100% of the box office income, payable within 7 days after the completion of the run.
(3) The services of the Quad's professional film publicist to set up press screenings for the critics, write and mail press releases, and compile and distribute production notes. The goal is to get the film reviewed in most of the major New York media. To date, every QUADflix Select film has been reviewed by The New York Times.
(4) With the filmmaker's approval, they will encode, package, and submit the film to 11 major digital platforms such as Netflix, iTunes, Amazon Instant Video, Amazon Prime, Hulu, HuluPlus, YouTube, Vudu, Sony Entertainment, XBox, and Google Play.
(5) With the filmmaker's approval, they will submit the film to the major Cable VOD stations like Comcast, Time Warner, Cox, and Verizon.
(6) They will market DVDs of the film to the major retail chains such as Wal-Mart, Target, Best Buy, and Barnes & Noble, both in-store and online.
(7) They will market the film to the Institutional Market consisting of schools, colleges, universities, and libraries.
(8) They will include the film in the regular Quad ads in The New York Times and the Village Voice.
(9) They will qualify your documentary for consideration for an Oscar nomination.
(10) For a minimal cost, they will book the film nationally, in every major North American market.
The total cost for the entire package is $11,000.00. Remember this: since the filmmaker will be receiving 100% of the first week's box office income this cost will be reduced. Also, the cost of hiring a film publicist and encoding the film for the digital platforms would cost thousands of dollars on the open market. They accept credit cards and wire transfers.
Interested filmmakers can mail them a DVD screener (Ntsc only). Also, if the filmmaker includes an address, they will send an Information Kit, which includes comments from filmmakers, tips on self-distribution, past reviews, and much more.
Aside from running their own distribution company, Red Flag Releasing, Laura continues to do publicity for indies and Paul is heading the international side of the Sundance Labs. He will now be speaking at Bam (Bogata Audiovisual Market) along with a new acquaintance whom I met at a wonderful dinner in Cannes, Donald Rabinovitch (any relation to our buddy Mark, I wonder?). Donald is the co-founder of QUADFlix a "game changing" new distribution model for high quality Indie features and full length documentaries based at the Quad Theater in New York, a theater that has been there in Greenwich Village for over 40 years now. Now, they have created a unique distribution/ exhibition business called QUADFlix Select, a "new and amazingly successful program". Donald's business partner, Elliott Kanbar has just written a new book on the subject of distribution as well, So you Finished your Film.....Now What.
So Donald writes me today from Dominican Republic to tell me he is off on the 7th to Bam to speak on the panel "The Reality of Film Distribution..... and Finding an Audience in North America” with Paul Federbush from Sundance. Bam is an initiative of Claudia Triana de Vargas, the Director of Proimagenes Colombia. Colombia is on the move as one of the hottest countries for filmmakers along with Chile, and soon-to-be-there-too, Panama. You can see Claudia discuss the current Colombian film initiatives during the Berlinale 2013 here: Claudia Triana de Vargas.
Donald sent me his talking points which coincidently includes mention of Adam Leipzig, formerly President of National Geographic Feature Films and now Publisher and Managing Editor at Cultural Weekly and Guiding Entrepreneurs & Creatives whom I will see July 26 and 27th --- while we indulge ourselves at the La Jolla Fashion Film Festival. We will have much to discuss and in the best place in the world to do it, so I just got over my envy.
Now back to the whole point of this name-dropping blog, here are Donald's talking points for the panel at the Bogota Audiovisual Market (Bam):
Subject: The Tough Job Of Marketing A Film
You're a talented filmmaker and you've just made an excellent film. That's for certain. But effectively and economically marketing the film is just as important and, Now, even more daunting than making the film. Adam Leipzig, a noted film producer, wrote the following in a recent column in The New York Times:
"The challenge isn't getting your movie made. All it takes is a personal time commitment to the process and access to a credit card, a digital video camera, and a computer loaded with editing software. The challenge is actually getting your movie seen." Leipzig also pointed out that of the 12,613 films submitted to this year's Sundance Film (2013) Festival, only 130 were selected and not more than 10 of these received significant distribution agreements for money. Following that, in April, we note that the Tribeca Film Festival, which has grown to be a 'hot market' in NYC received 3,150 submissions , granted 89 selections..... and had only 8 films finding distribution in 2013 for money.
Additionally, he then wrote something that we at the Quad have been saying over-and-over again, that "without the marketing push, awareness, and word-of-mouth generated by a theatrical release, it's not feasible for video chains [and digital platforms] to stock your picture."
But, alas, the question is, how best to market the film? This challenge can overwhelm even the savviest filmmaker. Often, what happens, is that a ton of money is spent, the wrong way, with very disappointing results.
One solution is to join the QUADflix Select Program. They will handle the entire job of marketing And releasing the film in North America. www.quadflixselect.com lists all the program features and the cost. The box office success is most determined by the reviews…especially the review from The New York Times. If the filmmakers do not think their film will receive good reviews, they should not book the QUADflix Select Program. QUADflix will make the same determination. They actually turn down 4 out of 5 films submitted. But some which have been accepted are Deadline, Bill W., One Day on Earth, Side by Side, Harvest of Empire, and Long Shot.
Here are the highlights of the program:
(1) A full one-week, Guaranteed run at the prestigious Quad Cinema in New York, from 1:00Pm to midnight-typically 5 screenings daily.
(2) 100% of the box office income, payable within 7 days after the completion of the run.
(3) The services of the Quad's professional film publicist to set up press screenings for the critics, write and mail press releases, and compile and distribute production notes. The goal is to get the film reviewed in most of the major New York media. To date, every QUADflix Select film has been reviewed by The New York Times.
(4) With the filmmaker's approval, they will encode, package, and submit the film to 11 major digital platforms such as Netflix, iTunes, Amazon Instant Video, Amazon Prime, Hulu, HuluPlus, YouTube, Vudu, Sony Entertainment, XBox, and Google Play.
(5) With the filmmaker's approval, they will submit the film to the major Cable VOD stations like Comcast, Time Warner, Cox, and Verizon.
(6) They will market DVDs of the film to the major retail chains such as Wal-Mart, Target, Best Buy, and Barnes & Noble, both in-store and online.
(7) They will market the film to the Institutional Market consisting of schools, colleges, universities, and libraries.
(8) They will include the film in the regular Quad ads in The New York Times and the Village Voice.
(9) They will qualify your documentary for consideration for an Oscar nomination.
(10) For a minimal cost, they will book the film nationally, in every major North American market.
The total cost for the entire package is $11,000.00. Remember this: since the filmmaker will be receiving 100% of the first week's box office income this cost will be reduced. Also, the cost of hiring a film publicist and encoding the film for the digital platforms would cost thousands of dollars on the open market. They accept credit cards and wire transfers.
Interested filmmakers can mail them a DVD screener (Ntsc only). Also, if the filmmaker includes an address, they will send an Information Kit, which includes comments from filmmakers, tips on self-distribution, past reviews, and much more.
- 7/11/2013
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
This year I finally went to the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (Iffla). It took me 11 years of urging by my friend and former employee Carla Sanders, a festival guru, who works there and whose festival career began with "the two Garys" the founders of Filmex which was Los Angeles' first film festival in the 70s and 80s and one of the greatest shows on earth. In its second year The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie closed Filmex '72, and Luis Buñuel attended his first-ever public screening of one of his films. I won't go into this piece of history except to say it spawned the American Cinemateque and AFI Fest. The two Garys (Gary Essert and Gary Abraham) passed on, both victims of the first wave of the AIDS epidemic that hit the artistic community very hard, wiping out a generation of innovative filmmakers and film curator/ historians in Los Angeles.
The opening night of Iffla reminded me somewhat of Filmex with the glory of the filmmakers on the red carpet, beautiful young stars in glitzy clothes and skyscraper tall high heels, being stopped for interviews, flashbulbs going off and a general yet genteel excitement in the air. Even those interviewing were worth watching. It was different because all the stars were Indian which made this affair rather exotic at the same time.
The opening film, Gangs of Wasseypur, which had shown last year in the Cannes Film Festival, was truly extraordinary and the director Anurag Kashyap spent at least an hour talking to the audience about this film which is reminiscent of The Godfather and Gangs of New York though not at all derivative. Its second part showed the following evening and was equally outrageously original. Again the director spent an hour in the Q&A. He spoke to his move to Bombay as a filmmaker and the return to his own roots in telling the story of Wasseypur where he in fact grew up. The film actually is an analysis of the place's history and evolution as a burning inferno as the fight for the coal industry fuels the feud. From digging coal to killing someone in an innocuous brawl, the tale of vengeance runs parallel to the tale of India itself.
The 5 hours and 20 minutes were riveting. The music and dancing was also outrageous. Our friend Deborah Young of The Hollywood Reporter called it, "A dizzying explosion of an Indian gangster film, whose epic structure and colorful, immoral killers capture the imagination for over five hours."
David Chute, quoted in Thompson on Hollywood, says "Gangs is headlong, hand-held, violent entertainment. It manages to keep a dozen major characters and their agendas clear while rarely pausing to take a breath. It is also one of those rare movies that acknowledge the influence of movies and other forms of pop culture in shaping the values and motivations of its characters.
The story was actually based upon fact, a story of revenge over three generations of two families in a small city of India. My surprise and reaction to it reminded me of how I felt when I saw John Woo's The Killers in Toronto in 1989 which opened the door to John Woo in the U.S. (Coincidently it was the same David Chute who brought John Woo to the U.S. as I recall). The international sales agent, Elle Driver, has not made a sale in the U.S. Which surprises me.
Iffla concluded on Sunday evening (April 14) with a red carpet and gala fete that included the Los Angeles premiere of Deepa Mehta’s Midnight's Children, and the presentation of the festival's Grand Jury and Audience Choice Awards, followed by an after party.
This year the festival showcased more than 35 film features, documentaries, and short films at ArcLight Hollywood, home of Iffla since its inception. “The awards are always bittersweet for all of us in the programming team as we truly believe in the exceptional talent and relevance of each film which has been so carefully chosen,” said Lead Programmer Terrie Samundra. “That being said, we wholeheartedly share the enthusiasm of the audience and our prestigious jury. A huge congratulations to the winners!”
Ashim Ahluwalia’s Miss Lovely took home the Grand Jury Prize for Best Feature, with an honorable mention for Ship of Theseus directed by Anand Gandhi. The Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary went to Sushrut Jain for Beyond All Boundaries, and for Best Short to Unravel directed by Meghna Gupta, with an honorable mention for Tatpaschat directed by Vasudev Keluskar.
Audience Awards
Best Feature: Filmistaan directed by Nitin Kakkar
Best Documentary: Beyond All Boundaries directed by Gotham Chopra
Best Short: Unravel directed by Meghna Gupta
The 2013 feature film jurors were International Director of the Feature Film Program at the Sundance Institute Paul Federbush, director/editor/writer Kanika Myer (Halo, Heart Of India), and Assistant Curator of Film Programs at Lacma Bernardo Rondeau.The Best Documentary Award was decided by The Hollywood Reporter and Los Angeles Times film critic Sheri Linden, Senior Programmer at Film Independent Maggie Mackay, and Producer Nadine Mundo (Chelsea Settles). Judging the short films were filmmaker and Iffla alum Prashant Bhargava (Patang), Film Curator and Director of Industry Programming at Palm Springs ShortFest Kathleen McInnis, and actress Sheetal Sheth (Abcd, Looking For Comedy In The Muslim World).
About Iffla
Now in its 11th year, the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (Iffla) is a nonprofit organization devoted to a greater appreciation of Indian cinema and culture by showcasing films, honoring entertainment industry business executives, and promoting the diverse perspectives of the Indian diaspora.
The six-day festival is the premiere platform for the latest in cutting edge global Indian cinema and bridges the gap between the two largest entertainment industries in the world – Hollywood and India. The festival showcased over 35 films from the Indian filmmaking community across the globe, hosted the highly anticipated opening and closing red carpet galas, and the closing awards ceremony.
For more information:
http://www.indianfilmfestival.org.
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/indianfilmfestival
Twitter: https://twitter.com/iffla...
The opening night of Iffla reminded me somewhat of Filmex with the glory of the filmmakers on the red carpet, beautiful young stars in glitzy clothes and skyscraper tall high heels, being stopped for interviews, flashbulbs going off and a general yet genteel excitement in the air. Even those interviewing were worth watching. It was different because all the stars were Indian which made this affair rather exotic at the same time.
The opening film, Gangs of Wasseypur, which had shown last year in the Cannes Film Festival, was truly extraordinary and the director Anurag Kashyap spent at least an hour talking to the audience about this film which is reminiscent of The Godfather and Gangs of New York though not at all derivative. Its second part showed the following evening and was equally outrageously original. Again the director spent an hour in the Q&A. He spoke to his move to Bombay as a filmmaker and the return to his own roots in telling the story of Wasseypur where he in fact grew up. The film actually is an analysis of the place's history and evolution as a burning inferno as the fight for the coal industry fuels the feud. From digging coal to killing someone in an innocuous brawl, the tale of vengeance runs parallel to the tale of India itself.
The 5 hours and 20 minutes were riveting. The music and dancing was also outrageous. Our friend Deborah Young of The Hollywood Reporter called it, "A dizzying explosion of an Indian gangster film, whose epic structure and colorful, immoral killers capture the imagination for over five hours."
David Chute, quoted in Thompson on Hollywood, says "Gangs is headlong, hand-held, violent entertainment. It manages to keep a dozen major characters and their agendas clear while rarely pausing to take a breath. It is also one of those rare movies that acknowledge the influence of movies and other forms of pop culture in shaping the values and motivations of its characters.
The story was actually based upon fact, a story of revenge over three generations of two families in a small city of India. My surprise and reaction to it reminded me of how I felt when I saw John Woo's The Killers in Toronto in 1989 which opened the door to John Woo in the U.S. (Coincidently it was the same David Chute who brought John Woo to the U.S. as I recall). The international sales agent, Elle Driver, has not made a sale in the U.S. Which surprises me.
Iffla concluded on Sunday evening (April 14) with a red carpet and gala fete that included the Los Angeles premiere of Deepa Mehta’s Midnight's Children, and the presentation of the festival's Grand Jury and Audience Choice Awards, followed by an after party.
This year the festival showcased more than 35 film features, documentaries, and short films at ArcLight Hollywood, home of Iffla since its inception. “The awards are always bittersweet for all of us in the programming team as we truly believe in the exceptional talent and relevance of each film which has been so carefully chosen,” said Lead Programmer Terrie Samundra. “That being said, we wholeheartedly share the enthusiasm of the audience and our prestigious jury. A huge congratulations to the winners!”
Ashim Ahluwalia’s Miss Lovely took home the Grand Jury Prize for Best Feature, with an honorable mention for Ship of Theseus directed by Anand Gandhi. The Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary went to Sushrut Jain for Beyond All Boundaries, and for Best Short to Unravel directed by Meghna Gupta, with an honorable mention for Tatpaschat directed by Vasudev Keluskar.
Audience Awards
Best Feature: Filmistaan directed by Nitin Kakkar
Best Documentary: Beyond All Boundaries directed by Gotham Chopra
Best Short: Unravel directed by Meghna Gupta
The 2013 feature film jurors were International Director of the Feature Film Program at the Sundance Institute Paul Federbush, director/editor/writer Kanika Myer (Halo, Heart Of India), and Assistant Curator of Film Programs at Lacma Bernardo Rondeau.The Best Documentary Award was decided by The Hollywood Reporter and Los Angeles Times film critic Sheri Linden, Senior Programmer at Film Independent Maggie Mackay, and Producer Nadine Mundo (Chelsea Settles). Judging the short films were filmmaker and Iffla alum Prashant Bhargava (Patang), Film Curator and Director of Industry Programming at Palm Springs ShortFest Kathleen McInnis, and actress Sheetal Sheth (Abcd, Looking For Comedy In The Muslim World).
About Iffla
Now in its 11th year, the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (Iffla) is a nonprofit organization devoted to a greater appreciation of Indian cinema and culture by showcasing films, honoring entertainment industry business executives, and promoting the diverse perspectives of the Indian diaspora.
The six-day festival is the premiere platform for the latest in cutting edge global Indian cinema and bridges the gap between the two largest entertainment industries in the world – Hollywood and India. The festival showcased over 35 films from the Indian filmmaking community across the globe, hosted the highly anticipated opening and closing red carpet galas, and the closing awards ceremony.
For more information:
http://www.indianfilmfestival.org.
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/indianfilmfestival
Twitter: https://twitter.com/iffla...
- 5/6/2013
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Still from Ship of Theseus
The Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (Iffla) has added four films to its line up. Anand Gandhi’s feature debut Ship of Theseus, an environmental documentary Pad Yatra: A Green Journey narrated by Darryl Hannah, Walt Disney animation Arjun: The Warrior Prince and short film Iron Tracks (Lohpath).
A panel discussion ‘Today’s Pioneer Voices Changing the Landscape of Indian Cinema’ will feature indie directors whose films are screening at the festival this year. The panel comprising Vasan Bala (Peddlers), Anand Gandhi(Ship Of Theseus), Hansal Mehta (Shahid), and Nitin Kakkar (Filmistaan) will be moderated by film critic Lisa Tsering.
The festival also announced its Jury for feature, short and documentary films.
The short film Jury comprises filmmaker Prashant Bhargava (Patang), Kathleen McInnis, Film Curator and Director of Industry Programming at Palm Springs ShortFest and actress Sheetal Sheth (Abcd, Looking For Comedy In The Muslim World...
The Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (Iffla) has added four films to its line up. Anand Gandhi’s feature debut Ship of Theseus, an environmental documentary Pad Yatra: A Green Journey narrated by Darryl Hannah, Walt Disney animation Arjun: The Warrior Prince and short film Iron Tracks (Lohpath).
A panel discussion ‘Today’s Pioneer Voices Changing the Landscape of Indian Cinema’ will feature indie directors whose films are screening at the festival this year. The panel comprising Vasan Bala (Peddlers), Anand Gandhi(Ship Of Theseus), Hansal Mehta (Shahid), and Nitin Kakkar (Filmistaan) will be moderated by film critic Lisa Tsering.
The festival also announced its Jury for feature, short and documentary films.
The short film Jury comprises filmmaker Prashant Bhargava (Patang), Kathleen McInnis, Film Curator and Director of Industry Programming at Palm Springs ShortFest and actress Sheetal Sheth (Abcd, Looking For Comedy In The Muslim World...
- 4/3/2013
- by NewsDesk
- DearCinema.com
The Sundance Institute and London’s O2 venue announced this week the programme of panels, feature films and short films for the second Sundance London film and music festival which is schduled to run from the 25-28 April. The Sundance Institute, which annually presents the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, U.S.A., selected the film and panel programming, bringing its unique blend of indepedeant cinema and music to the heart of London. The programme continues its 2012 focus on presenting new work by independent filmmakers and exploring the interplay between independent film and music.
The programme announced today includes 18 feature films and nine short films across four sections, including a new UK Spotlight. Twenty-three films will make their international, European or UK premieres at Sundance London. Ten are by female filmmakers and six are by first-time feature filmmakers. The films collectively received 12 awards when they premiered at the...
The programme announced today includes 18 feature films and nine short films across four sections, including a new UK Spotlight. Twenty-three films will make their international, European or UK premieres at Sundance London. Ten are by female filmmakers and six are by first-time feature filmmakers. The films collectively received 12 awards when they premiered at the...
- 3/15/2013
- by John
- SoundOnSight
I’ve read some overriding impressions of this year’s Sundance, Peter Knegt’s on Sex and Sundance naturally caught my attention immediately. While I agree with his observations and would add that CAA’s party was the cherry on top of it all, I actually think that whatever one’s concerns of the moment are, that subject will be addressed for that person by more than one film at Sundance. After all, the reason sex sells so well is that everyone is concerned with sex just about every minute of the day (according for Freud, that is)
The Wrap cites “a Sundance for bold, kinky subject matter, for lots of sex (onscreen), for indie directors ramping up the excess and melodrama in a way that would have seemed completely out of place back in the days when the phrase ‘a Sundance movie’ usually meant something restrained and naturalistic like ‘Frozen River’ or ‘In the Bedroom’."
Sundance might also be said to be skewed this year toward: Women (on the rise), Violence (by gun, government, war), or, for me personally, reality.
Whether the loss of reality as in Escape from Tomorrow, Crystal Fairy or Magic Magic, or even The World According to Dick Cheney, or God Loves Uganda in which the person’s grasp on reality was lost in the normal course of living, or the thin border between reality and fiction as expressed in the panels on documentaries or “true fiction” or the Sloan Foundation panel on Science and Film, I found that most of what I was watching and hearing was concerned with “reality”. For those who know me, they are aware that my concerns at this time are dealing with the shifting realities of my life. And that is what I found being addressed by the events of Sundance.
I did not see the acquisitions films. I concentrated on World Cinema and mostly Latino and Eastern European cinema, though I was lucky to catch What They Don’t Talk About When They Talk About Love from Indonesia. The reality of the deaf, mute and blind differs from ours though love is the same and is summed up when one person says, “the male loves what he sees and the female loves what she hears”.
I was also lucky to have seen Fruitvale, the winner of so much acclaim. The huge disconnect between reality and fantasy is found in the security guards’ readiness to resort to violence simply by seeing the color of another man’s skin. They were either looking for a fight or were panicked by the number of revelers on the train. Either way it was a tragic ending, redeemed only by the yearly memorial held in Oscar Grant’s honor. God Loves Uganda shows an entire nation deluded by extremists who speak only the deadly evil of homosexuality. I couldn’t stand watching the degradation of a people taking place because of the glib jabber of a white right-wing evangelist purporting to be speaking for G’d. Circles deals with a reality creating events otherwise unimaginable except for their occurring within a context of race hatred and war. Crystal Fairy’s gringo protagonists live in an unreal world inspired by past emotional injuries and only come to reality through the support of compassionate and accepting friends. Magic Magic, Escape from Tomorrow, A Teacher and Houston are about complete breaks from reality by the protagonists. Il Futuro likewise, in the way of Last Tango in Paris, shows how Thanatos’ antithesis Eros create an extreme sexual acting out of grief. In Lasting, winner of the Cinematography Award, reality finally wins out and a wiser love ensues. The doc Who is Dayani Cristal shows a reality we cannot deny as people brave unreal challenges just to aspire to the American Dream. The World According to Dick Cheney shows a man so blind that he cannot think of a single fault in his own character. The havoc he caused to the U.S. as a result was so devastating that I could barely watch the film to its end. No brings the role of media to a happy conclusion, though the media hype itself was based totally in fantasy, as media most often is. I Used to be Darker is the exception as it is deals entirely with reality. Inequality For All was the only dose of realism I received and I was inspired by the film to speak out!
Fifteen films in six days is not too bad, though it doesn’t give me bragging rights to having seen the top winners of awards or acquisitions, except for Fruitvale.
A big change for me was that I attended panels along with attending my traditional Creative Coalition luncheon for inspiring teachers.
The panels also dealt with the thin line between reality and fiction, “true fiction” and documentaries, communication and sharing between science and film.
Science in Film Forum a 10 year collaboration between The Sloan Foundation and the Sundance Film Festival which aims to encourage more realistic and compelling stories about science and technology themes and characters seemed somewhat debilitated by the very issue of how scientists and filmmakers communicate. I will write more on this later, but in terms of reality and unreality, the difference between the delivery of a scientist and an actor (in this case Kate Winslet in Contagion) as they explain the phenomenology of contagion itself is dramatically different. And the questions a filmmaker asks of a scientist will determine how communicative a scientist can be in terms of making a movie more realistic. Frankly speaking, Jon Amiel and screenwriter Scott Burns made more sense to me than the scientists. More on that later as well. In Imitation of Life, the panel with Sarah Polley, Michael Polish, Segio Oksman and others, about how art mirrors life was completely about reality vs. lies, another form of unreality. The best panel was one I caught accidently about the N.Y. Times online Opinion Pages and the shorts on Op-Docs, the best of which is called The Public Square by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady, taking place in Times Square where protesters counter an anti-Islamic speech by pastor Terry Jones, the Florida pastor who set fire to the Koran, by singing The Beatles. This is a great new venue for short films. If I were making shorts, I would aim to land here.
In the editors’ own words:
"Since Op-Docs, our forum for short, opinionated documentaries, produced with creative latitude across many subjects, started in November 2011, 46 short films and videos have been published on nytimes.com. Today (December 16), we begin a new Op-Docs feature: Scenes. It will be a platform for very short work — snippets of street life, brief observations and interviews, clips from experimental and artistic nonfiction videos — that follow less traditional documentary narrative conventions. This first Scenes video presents a classic New York moment, recorded last year." — The Editors
The morning of my last at Sundance, I went to the Marriott Headquarters and wrote, saw friends as they passed by...shared the good news of my friend Rigo’s We Are What We Are selling to eOne for six figures for the U.S. and shared his excitement for the future of this film. eOne already had acquired Canada and U.K., South Africa and Australia/ N.Z. too, so this was an affirmation of its sincere approval of the finished product. Since EOne's merger with Alliance, not only is it the largest distributor and international sales agent in Canada, with branches In U.S., U.K., Australia, and New Zealand, but it is also the Only Big One. The smaller companies now have the chance to move up to second position since the number one and two companies have merged. I have no doubt that Mr. Victor Loewy, the seller of Alliance, will still hold the position of victor, after all, his wallet is bigger than any and everybody else's. It's funny because eOne, though it seemed to pop up from nowhere (tv), the people running it are the same configuration as always: Patrice Theroux, Patrice Roy, Bryan Gliserman, Patrick Roy, consultant and former Lionsgate founder Jeff Sackman. I love it when I see him, because he has succeeded in this business without ever changing who he is. That in itself merits reward.
This afternoon I met with Gamila Yistra who is in Sundance for the first time, exploring ways to extend and reconfigure The Binger Institute in Amsterdam where we began our professional teaching in its first years. From the idea to the screen, projects and their producers, writers and directors will have extensive workshopping, and the relationships will be lasting ones. As we were leaving the Marriott Headquarters to go to the Planned Parenthood party to meet Caroline Libresco who announced a special women's initiative in Sundance, we ran into Paul Federbush, Director of international for Sundance Institute's Film Program; he told her, to her surprise, that the had a meeting set for the next day.
At the party where Gamila met Caroline, we ran into Mary Jane Skalski who's Two Good Girls is playing here. Others at the Planned Parenthood reception were producer Nermeen Shaikh of Democracynow.org’s whose Daily Independent News Hour with Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez is drawing great praise. The event was marked by the 40th anniversary of Roe vs. Wade (January 22, 2013).
“As the nation’s leading women’s health care provider and advocate, Planned Parenthood understands that abortion is a deeply personal and often complex decision for a woman to consider, if and when she needs it,” said Cecile Richards, president, Planned Parenthood Federation of America. “A woman should have accurate information about all of her options around her pregnancy. To protect her health and the health of her family, a woman must have access to safe, legal abortion without interference from politicians, as protected by the Supreme Court for the last 40 years.”
I took a walk down Main Street and a walk up some stairs and discovered a jewel of a hotel for those with the money to spend. Next time you’re there, check out the Washington School House. It was like stepping into an enchanted history where you could almost imagine living in 1889 when it was built.
As my last act in Sundance, I searched the lost and found for my lost hat (didn’t find it!), and went to the 6:30 press screening of Magic Magic. Stay tuned for my interview with Sebastian Silva about this and his other film, Crystal Fairy, which as my readers know, I liked very much. How did it happen that he got two films into the limited space of Sundance is not a question answered in my interview.
After that I saw the 9:00 screening of Houston, an adult film about a German "headhunter" who is sent from Germany to Houston to recruit the CEO of a large petroleum company for a German based conglomerate. Both films' central concern was the perception of reality, especially across cultural lines.
In conclusion, I would repeat that this year's theme was the nature of reality and its fluid parameters as perceived by various individuals.
The next day I left in the morning to return my car by noon. The road became icy and the planes were unable to take off until 4pm. Lucky for me my plane was scheduled to leave at 9 pm and left on schedule. I had hours to spend at the airport and was lucky in meeting Michele Turnure-Salleo, the Director of Filmmaker 360 of the San Francisco Film Society (http://www.sffs.org/). We have been trying to catch up all year and this was our chance. At the same little table where we set up our computers, we were joined by another Sundance refugee Anecita Agustinez who is a journalist nad producer for www.onnativeground.org a news site dealing with native American issues.
Watch for further blogs on Sundance:
Interviews with:
Director Jacek Borcuch and producer Piotr Kobus of Lasting (Isa: Manana), winner of the Sundance’s World Cinema Cinematography Award Director Srdan Golubovic and producer Jelena Mitrovic of Circles (Isa: Memento) and winner of World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Prize for Artistic Vision Director Sebastian Silva of Crystal Fairy, winner of Sundance’s Directing Award, and Magic Magic (Isa: 6 Sales). Documentary and science panels
See you in L.A. Or Berlin! Or Guadajara in March!
The Wrap cites “a Sundance for bold, kinky subject matter, for lots of sex (onscreen), for indie directors ramping up the excess and melodrama in a way that would have seemed completely out of place back in the days when the phrase ‘a Sundance movie’ usually meant something restrained and naturalistic like ‘Frozen River’ or ‘In the Bedroom’."
Sundance might also be said to be skewed this year toward: Women (on the rise), Violence (by gun, government, war), or, for me personally, reality.
Whether the loss of reality as in Escape from Tomorrow, Crystal Fairy or Magic Magic, or even The World According to Dick Cheney, or God Loves Uganda in which the person’s grasp on reality was lost in the normal course of living, or the thin border between reality and fiction as expressed in the panels on documentaries or “true fiction” or the Sloan Foundation panel on Science and Film, I found that most of what I was watching and hearing was concerned with “reality”. For those who know me, they are aware that my concerns at this time are dealing with the shifting realities of my life. And that is what I found being addressed by the events of Sundance.
I did not see the acquisitions films. I concentrated on World Cinema and mostly Latino and Eastern European cinema, though I was lucky to catch What They Don’t Talk About When They Talk About Love from Indonesia. The reality of the deaf, mute and blind differs from ours though love is the same and is summed up when one person says, “the male loves what he sees and the female loves what she hears”.
I was also lucky to have seen Fruitvale, the winner of so much acclaim. The huge disconnect between reality and fantasy is found in the security guards’ readiness to resort to violence simply by seeing the color of another man’s skin. They were either looking for a fight or were panicked by the number of revelers on the train. Either way it was a tragic ending, redeemed only by the yearly memorial held in Oscar Grant’s honor. God Loves Uganda shows an entire nation deluded by extremists who speak only the deadly evil of homosexuality. I couldn’t stand watching the degradation of a people taking place because of the glib jabber of a white right-wing evangelist purporting to be speaking for G’d. Circles deals with a reality creating events otherwise unimaginable except for their occurring within a context of race hatred and war. Crystal Fairy’s gringo protagonists live in an unreal world inspired by past emotional injuries and only come to reality through the support of compassionate and accepting friends. Magic Magic, Escape from Tomorrow, A Teacher and Houston are about complete breaks from reality by the protagonists. Il Futuro likewise, in the way of Last Tango in Paris, shows how Thanatos’ antithesis Eros create an extreme sexual acting out of grief. In Lasting, winner of the Cinematography Award, reality finally wins out and a wiser love ensues. The doc Who is Dayani Cristal shows a reality we cannot deny as people brave unreal challenges just to aspire to the American Dream. The World According to Dick Cheney shows a man so blind that he cannot think of a single fault in his own character. The havoc he caused to the U.S. as a result was so devastating that I could barely watch the film to its end. No brings the role of media to a happy conclusion, though the media hype itself was based totally in fantasy, as media most often is. I Used to be Darker is the exception as it is deals entirely with reality. Inequality For All was the only dose of realism I received and I was inspired by the film to speak out!
Fifteen films in six days is not too bad, though it doesn’t give me bragging rights to having seen the top winners of awards or acquisitions, except for Fruitvale.
A big change for me was that I attended panels along with attending my traditional Creative Coalition luncheon for inspiring teachers.
The panels also dealt with the thin line between reality and fiction, “true fiction” and documentaries, communication and sharing between science and film.
Science in Film Forum a 10 year collaboration between The Sloan Foundation and the Sundance Film Festival which aims to encourage more realistic and compelling stories about science and technology themes and characters seemed somewhat debilitated by the very issue of how scientists and filmmakers communicate. I will write more on this later, but in terms of reality and unreality, the difference between the delivery of a scientist and an actor (in this case Kate Winslet in Contagion) as they explain the phenomenology of contagion itself is dramatically different. And the questions a filmmaker asks of a scientist will determine how communicative a scientist can be in terms of making a movie more realistic. Frankly speaking, Jon Amiel and screenwriter Scott Burns made more sense to me than the scientists. More on that later as well. In Imitation of Life, the panel with Sarah Polley, Michael Polish, Segio Oksman and others, about how art mirrors life was completely about reality vs. lies, another form of unreality. The best panel was one I caught accidently about the N.Y. Times online Opinion Pages and the shorts on Op-Docs, the best of which is called The Public Square by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady, taking place in Times Square where protesters counter an anti-Islamic speech by pastor Terry Jones, the Florida pastor who set fire to the Koran, by singing The Beatles. This is a great new venue for short films. If I were making shorts, I would aim to land here.
In the editors’ own words:
"Since Op-Docs, our forum for short, opinionated documentaries, produced with creative latitude across many subjects, started in November 2011, 46 short films and videos have been published on nytimes.com. Today (December 16), we begin a new Op-Docs feature: Scenes. It will be a platform for very short work — snippets of street life, brief observations and interviews, clips from experimental and artistic nonfiction videos — that follow less traditional documentary narrative conventions. This first Scenes video presents a classic New York moment, recorded last year." — The Editors
The morning of my last at Sundance, I went to the Marriott Headquarters and wrote, saw friends as they passed by...shared the good news of my friend Rigo’s We Are What We Are selling to eOne for six figures for the U.S. and shared his excitement for the future of this film. eOne already had acquired Canada and U.K., South Africa and Australia/ N.Z. too, so this was an affirmation of its sincere approval of the finished product. Since EOne's merger with Alliance, not only is it the largest distributor and international sales agent in Canada, with branches In U.S., U.K., Australia, and New Zealand, but it is also the Only Big One. The smaller companies now have the chance to move up to second position since the number one and two companies have merged. I have no doubt that Mr. Victor Loewy, the seller of Alliance, will still hold the position of victor, after all, his wallet is bigger than any and everybody else's. It's funny because eOne, though it seemed to pop up from nowhere (tv), the people running it are the same configuration as always: Patrice Theroux, Patrice Roy, Bryan Gliserman, Patrick Roy, consultant and former Lionsgate founder Jeff Sackman. I love it when I see him, because he has succeeded in this business without ever changing who he is. That in itself merits reward.
This afternoon I met with Gamila Yistra who is in Sundance for the first time, exploring ways to extend and reconfigure The Binger Institute in Amsterdam where we began our professional teaching in its first years. From the idea to the screen, projects and their producers, writers and directors will have extensive workshopping, and the relationships will be lasting ones. As we were leaving the Marriott Headquarters to go to the Planned Parenthood party to meet Caroline Libresco who announced a special women's initiative in Sundance, we ran into Paul Federbush, Director of international for Sundance Institute's Film Program; he told her, to her surprise, that the had a meeting set for the next day.
At the party where Gamila met Caroline, we ran into Mary Jane Skalski who's Two Good Girls is playing here. Others at the Planned Parenthood reception were producer Nermeen Shaikh of Democracynow.org’s whose Daily Independent News Hour with Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez is drawing great praise. The event was marked by the 40th anniversary of Roe vs. Wade (January 22, 2013).
“As the nation’s leading women’s health care provider and advocate, Planned Parenthood understands that abortion is a deeply personal and often complex decision for a woman to consider, if and when she needs it,” said Cecile Richards, president, Planned Parenthood Federation of America. “A woman should have accurate information about all of her options around her pregnancy. To protect her health and the health of her family, a woman must have access to safe, legal abortion without interference from politicians, as protected by the Supreme Court for the last 40 years.”
I took a walk down Main Street and a walk up some stairs and discovered a jewel of a hotel for those with the money to spend. Next time you’re there, check out the Washington School House. It was like stepping into an enchanted history where you could almost imagine living in 1889 when it was built.
As my last act in Sundance, I searched the lost and found for my lost hat (didn’t find it!), and went to the 6:30 press screening of Magic Magic. Stay tuned for my interview with Sebastian Silva about this and his other film, Crystal Fairy, which as my readers know, I liked very much. How did it happen that he got two films into the limited space of Sundance is not a question answered in my interview.
After that I saw the 9:00 screening of Houston, an adult film about a German "headhunter" who is sent from Germany to Houston to recruit the CEO of a large petroleum company for a German based conglomerate. Both films' central concern was the perception of reality, especially across cultural lines.
In conclusion, I would repeat that this year's theme was the nature of reality and its fluid parameters as perceived by various individuals.
The next day I left in the morning to return my car by noon. The road became icy and the planes were unable to take off until 4pm. Lucky for me my plane was scheduled to leave at 9 pm and left on schedule. I had hours to spend at the airport and was lucky in meeting Michele Turnure-Salleo, the Director of Filmmaker 360 of the San Francisco Film Society (http://www.sffs.org/). We have been trying to catch up all year and this was our chance. At the same little table where we set up our computers, we were joined by another Sundance refugee Anecita Agustinez who is a journalist nad producer for www.onnativeground.org a news site dealing with native American issues.
Watch for further blogs on Sundance:
Interviews with:
Director Jacek Borcuch and producer Piotr Kobus of Lasting (Isa: Manana), winner of the Sundance’s World Cinema Cinematography Award Director Srdan Golubovic and producer Jelena Mitrovic of Circles (Isa: Memento) and winner of World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Prize for Artistic Vision Director Sebastian Silva of Crystal Fairy, winner of Sundance’s Directing Award, and Magic Magic (Isa: 6 Sales). Documentary and science panels
See you in L.A. Or Berlin! Or Guadajara in March!
- 1/29/2013
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
The problem with the top festivals is that no matter what you are doing, you feel you should be doing something else. Whether to stay home and write or be out seeing films or partying/ networking, sometimes you feel like you're missing out of the really important things. And I lost my hat! If any readers find my white Russian fox hat that I bought in a Berlin flea market, please return it to me! Yesterday I missed the inauguration brunch Acme PR hosted in conjunction with the film Citizen Koch about Mayor Koch because I was trying to send out photos from my camera to my new MacBook Pro to my blog! I also missed Occupy Wall Street. But the truth of that is I am no longer in the mood for issue docs. Inequality For All satisfied my need for understanding that issue, God Loves Uganda repelled me, though one of the volunteers I was talking to was so incensed at the film's message of homophobia that I realized its value. I am going to write more on the docs in the coming days, but now just for fun, I'm going to do a survey of how many deal with personal subjects and how many with social issues. I did find a great parking lot for $5, but it was so far away that I was unable to see the films Big Sur (sold out) and C.O.G., but I did catch the buzz film Fruitvale about the New Years Eve shooting of Oscar, a 22 year old Bay Area resident. Starring the superb Michael B. Jordan, Octavia Spencer and Melonie Diaz and directed by Ryan Coogler, it captured the family life so beautifully, Oscar was so sympathetic, so human, so young that at its end, I was totally depressed by the gun violence done in this film and in so many incidents over this past year. Another film about guns, Valentine Road by Sasha Alpert is getting very good buzz as well. Seeing Fruitvale because it was a buzz film and was so easy to enter with my press pass meant missing out of Gideon's Army which I really wanted to see but did not realize a ticket had been reserved for me and so I missed out on seeing it. Gideon's Army follows three young public defenders who are part of a small group of idealistic lawyers in the Deep South challenging the assumptions that drive a criminal justice system strained to the breaking point. I wanted to share it with my Pd friends in L.A. And the issue of justice and idealism would have taken me out of the depression over Fruitvale where the security guard who shot Oscar twice got off after serving 18 months in prison. Since this doc is an HBO doc, I might not get another chance to see it. At 4:00pm in Sundance (and Berlin, Cannes and Afm), the cocktail hour begins and we put aside watching films and switch to networking, catching up with news, meeting new people, etc. and so I went off to parties: The Louisiana Film Festival , Ifp, Film Independent and Indiewire, Kofic (the Korean film organization) and "The Party" of Sundance hosted by John Sloss and Cinetic were all on the calendar. Starting at the Riverhorse on Main, the Film Independent / Indiewire party was so exciting that I missed the Ifp party up the street. At the Find/ Indiewire party, I got to catch up with so many people including Bob and Jeannie Berney who will be opening their new company Picturehouse (2) with a Metallica film in 3D which sounds like a perfect Bob Berney film. I met Adam Donaghey, a partner of Aviation Cinemas who had been at the Arthouse Convergence. His theater is where they arrested up Lee Harvey Oswald and was originally the flag ship theater created by Howard Hughes as part of the Rko Theaters chain. They also have started the Oak Cliff Film Festival which is a festival of festivals, much like Toronto was in its early days before becoming the showcase and discovery festival it is today. We spoke of a new sort of festival scam that filmmakers need to heed, called Awards Festivals. You can buy an award so you can show your film to be a winner of a festival where it never even needs to screen! Withoutabox even lists these festivals without warning. Adam wishes Withoutabox would curate chosen festivals a bit more. I agree because uneducated filmmakers often tend to think that quantity not quality of film festivals their films show at makes the look better than it might be. For uneducated audiences who might then watch the film, disappointment may result. For the trade, it gives the film a tawdry look.
Michele Satter, Founding Director, Feature Film Program of the Sundance Institute and Paul Federbush, International Director of the Feature Film Program invited me to tomorrow's Mahinda Global Filmmaking Awards Reception which awards $10,000 to 4 filmmakers with projects which give voice to issues needing to be heard. Again I have to miss something if I go there…Narco Cultura plays at 6:30pm, the Awards ceremony starts at 6pm, And I have been invited to my host's dinner party. I hope I can catch Narco Cultura (Isa: K5) on Cinando! The winners are Sarthak Dasgupta,The Music Teacher from India; Jonas Carpignano, A Chjana from Italy-us; Aly Muritiba, The Man Who Killed My Dead Beloved from Brazil; and Vendela Vida & Eva Weber, Let The Northern Lights Erase Your Name UK-Germany-us. See more here
Rick Allen, Founder and CEO of Snagfilms (the owner of Indiewire) and I spoke of their ever-growing developments and I was startled and very happy to hear him praise my blog. Stefanie Sharis, COO and Andrew Mer, VP Content Partnerships of Snagfilms and I spoke of our plans in Berlin and Cannes.
Louisiana International Film Festival and Mentorship Program party where, for the second time during this festival, I caught a fantastic musical performance. The first was at the New York Film Lounge. This one was a "love riot" performance by jazz pianist extraordinaire, actor and educator Jonathan Batiste . Both the groups are represented by N.Y. Attorney Stephen Beers . I was with Ula again, and Indiewire's James Israel, doing the party circuit. I hope Ula will bring this fine New Orleans jazz pianist Jon Batiste to The American Film Festival in Wroclaw, Poland. He had the room rocking with a sax, drums and -- was that a tuba? -- backing him up. I have filmed both groups and hope I can upload them for your enjoyment! The Louisiana Film Festival will be held in April and includes a mentorship program. It is being organized by our friends Jeff Dowd and Dan Ireland. Dan is now working on his next feature which sounds great with a cast of great actors. I want to go to this new festival to celebrate my birthday especially since my parents met in New Orleans as university students there, married and moved to L.A. where I was born, so it means a lot to me. Coincidently, when I mentioned this to the Executive Director and filmmaker Chesley Heymsfield, telling her my father was in med school at Lsu, she told me her father was Chancellor of the Lsu Medical School. In addition I am thinking that perhaps we can join forces with their Mentorship Program with The Literacy Project, which I began 4 years ago at El Centro del Pueblo in Echo Park. Their Mentorship Program, from what I understood, is headed by a Nobel Prize Winning Scientist. I may have heard wrong however, because the noise at this party was horrendous and the speech given was too long for sustained silence. Ula, James and I proceeded to the Korean party was a different group of folks gathering of the trade. While there I could do some matchmaking, one of my favorite pastimes, introducing Ula to Kiril of the Moscow Film Festival, seeing Clay Epstein, party organizers Henry Eshelmann and Mark Rabinowitz, being introduced by Ula and Kiral to the Busan International Film Festival/ Asian Film Market's Steering Committee Deputy Director (who is responsible for international marketing of the market, Chanil Jeon, who then introduced me to the programmer for North American films, Dosin Pak whose email is "Program [At] biff.kr" for all you North American filmmakers looking to break into Asia. I have written about Busan several times because I think South Korea's development and support of filmmaking, film education and film financing through its pre-sales market is a model other countries would be wise to follow. I would personally love to create an educational initiative there about cross-cultural competence. During one Cannes Festival, I spoke to their education director about that. So perhaps, with a little more time, I will be able to speak of how to actualize this idea. From the Korean party we went (Early) to John Sloss's Cinetic party, The Hot Ticket party for me. I know I'll see old friends there and meet new and not only interesting but important people in the business, and sure 'nuff, I did. I also know that if you come late to this party you are liable to spend a long time shivering in the cold waiting to be admitted. There was Anne Thompson holding court, Christine Vachon holding court and I am sure many others. I got some good face time with Cotty Chubb who has 3 films nearing completion, and Carol (whose last name I have forgotten regrettably without her card to jolt my memory) whom I last saw in Paris many years ago and has now returned to filmmaking. She in turn introduced me to the L.A. Based Rio Film Commissioner who works with the Rio-based Steve Solet. We gathered with old friends Tom Davia (of Shoreline) and Rodrigo Bellot whose film he wrote, We Are What We Are (Isa: Memento), just sold to eOne for U.S. for a low 6 figures. Eone already has Canada and U.K. That's enough for now. See you tomorrow!!
Michele Satter, Founding Director, Feature Film Program of the Sundance Institute and Paul Federbush, International Director of the Feature Film Program invited me to tomorrow's Mahinda Global Filmmaking Awards Reception which awards $10,000 to 4 filmmakers with projects which give voice to issues needing to be heard. Again I have to miss something if I go there…Narco Cultura plays at 6:30pm, the Awards ceremony starts at 6pm, And I have been invited to my host's dinner party. I hope I can catch Narco Cultura (Isa: K5) on Cinando! The winners are Sarthak Dasgupta,The Music Teacher from India; Jonas Carpignano, A Chjana from Italy-us; Aly Muritiba, The Man Who Killed My Dead Beloved from Brazil; and Vendela Vida & Eva Weber, Let The Northern Lights Erase Your Name UK-Germany-us. See more here
Rick Allen, Founder and CEO of Snagfilms (the owner of Indiewire) and I spoke of their ever-growing developments and I was startled and very happy to hear him praise my blog. Stefanie Sharis, COO and Andrew Mer, VP Content Partnerships of Snagfilms and I spoke of our plans in Berlin and Cannes.
Louisiana International Film Festival and Mentorship Program party where, for the second time during this festival, I caught a fantastic musical performance. The first was at the New York Film Lounge. This one was a "love riot" performance by jazz pianist extraordinaire, actor and educator Jonathan Batiste . Both the groups are represented by N.Y. Attorney Stephen Beers . I was with Ula again, and Indiewire's James Israel, doing the party circuit. I hope Ula will bring this fine New Orleans jazz pianist Jon Batiste to The American Film Festival in Wroclaw, Poland. He had the room rocking with a sax, drums and -- was that a tuba? -- backing him up. I have filmed both groups and hope I can upload them for your enjoyment! The Louisiana Film Festival will be held in April and includes a mentorship program. It is being organized by our friends Jeff Dowd and Dan Ireland. Dan is now working on his next feature which sounds great with a cast of great actors. I want to go to this new festival to celebrate my birthday especially since my parents met in New Orleans as university students there, married and moved to L.A. where I was born, so it means a lot to me. Coincidently, when I mentioned this to the Executive Director and filmmaker Chesley Heymsfield, telling her my father was in med school at Lsu, she told me her father was Chancellor of the Lsu Medical School. In addition I am thinking that perhaps we can join forces with their Mentorship Program with The Literacy Project, which I began 4 years ago at El Centro del Pueblo in Echo Park. Their Mentorship Program, from what I understood, is headed by a Nobel Prize Winning Scientist. I may have heard wrong however, because the noise at this party was horrendous and the speech given was too long for sustained silence. Ula, James and I proceeded to the Korean party was a different group of folks gathering of the trade. While there I could do some matchmaking, one of my favorite pastimes, introducing Ula to Kiril of the Moscow Film Festival, seeing Clay Epstein, party organizers Henry Eshelmann and Mark Rabinowitz, being introduced by Ula and Kiral to the Busan International Film Festival/ Asian Film Market's Steering Committee Deputy Director (who is responsible for international marketing of the market, Chanil Jeon, who then introduced me to the programmer for North American films, Dosin Pak whose email is "Program [At] biff.kr" for all you North American filmmakers looking to break into Asia. I have written about Busan several times because I think South Korea's development and support of filmmaking, film education and film financing through its pre-sales market is a model other countries would be wise to follow. I would personally love to create an educational initiative there about cross-cultural competence. During one Cannes Festival, I spoke to their education director about that. So perhaps, with a little more time, I will be able to speak of how to actualize this idea. From the Korean party we went (Early) to John Sloss's Cinetic party, The Hot Ticket party for me. I know I'll see old friends there and meet new and not only interesting but important people in the business, and sure 'nuff, I did. I also know that if you come late to this party you are liable to spend a long time shivering in the cold waiting to be admitted. There was Anne Thompson holding court, Christine Vachon holding court and I am sure many others. I got some good face time with Cotty Chubb who has 3 films nearing completion, and Carol (whose last name I have forgotten regrettably without her card to jolt my memory) whom I last saw in Paris many years ago and has now returned to filmmaking. She in turn introduced me to the L.A. Based Rio Film Commissioner who works with the Rio-based Steve Solet. We gathered with old friends Tom Davia (of Shoreline) and Rodrigo Bellot whose film he wrote, We Are What We Are (Isa: Memento), just sold to eOne for U.S. for a low 6 figures. Eone already has Canada and U.K. That's enough for now. See you tomorrow!!
- 1/24/2013
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Sundance Institute and India’s Mahindra Group announced the four winners of the 2013 Sundance Institute | Mahindra Global Filmmaking Awards, in recognition and support of emerging independent filmmakers from around the world. The winning directors and projects are: Sarthak Dasgupta, The Music Teacher from India; Jonas Carpignano, A Chjana from Italy-us; Aly Muritiba, The Man Who Killed My Beloved Dead from Brazil;and Vendela Vida & Eva Weber, Let The Northern Lights Erase Your Name from UK-Germany-us.
The awards were presented at a private ceremony at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, U.S.A., by Rohit Khattar, Chairman, Mumbai Mantra, Michelle Satter, Founding Director, Feature Film Program, Sundance Institute, and Paul Federbush, International Director, Feature Film Program, Sundance Institute.
Each of the four winning filmmakers will receive a cash award of $10,000, attendance at the Sundance Film Festival for targeted industry and creative meetings, year-round mentoring from Institute staff and creative advisors,...
The awards were presented at a private ceremony at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, U.S.A., by Rohit Khattar, Chairman, Mumbai Mantra, Michelle Satter, Founding Director, Feature Film Program, Sundance Institute, and Paul Federbush, International Director, Feature Film Program, Sundance Institute.
Each of the four winning filmmakers will receive a cash award of $10,000, attendance at the Sundance Film Festival for targeted industry and creative meetings, year-round mentoring from Institute staff and creative advisors,...
- 1/23/2013
- by NewsDesk
- DearCinema.com
Eight projects for the eighth edition of the Rawi Screenwriters Lab have been chosen by The Royal Film Commission-Jordan and Sundance Institute. The Rawi Screenwriters Lab is an example of Sundance Institute’s longstanding international work to support emerging filmmakers around the world. Former Rawi Fellows include Cherien Dabis (Amreeka), Mohammed Al Daradji (Son Of Babylon) and Sally El Hosaini (My Brother The Devil).
Launched in 2005, the Lab is led by the Royal Film Commission of Jordan (Rfc), under the leadership of Deema Azar, in consultation with Sundance Institute’s Feature Film Program, under the direction of Michelle Satter. The Lab provides an opportunity for filmmakers from the region to develop their work under the guidance of accomplished Creative Advisors—this year including Athina Rachel Tsangari (Attenberg), Henry Bean (The Believer), So Yong Kim (Treeless Mountain), Bernd Lichtenberg (Goodbye Lenin!) and Katherine Dieckmann (Motherhood)—in an environment that encourages storytelling at the highest level.
George David, General Manager of the Rfc, said, “It makes us very proud to be organizing the eighth round of the Rawi Screenwriters Lab again this year in consultation with Sundance Institute. The Lab is gaining momentum and receiving increased regional and international acclaim, with more and more projects developed through the Lab and being awarded internationally. The caliber of this year’s selected projects will certainly have an impact on the regional filmmaking scene, at a time when cinema in the region is attracting worldwide attention with all the changes that have been taken place recently and are often reflected in cinematic works.”
Paul Federbush, International Director of the Sundance Institute Feature Film Program, said, “We’ve had the privilege to help give voice to some extraordinary new filmmakers in the region over our eight-year partnership with the Rfc. This year’s Fellows continue in that tradition and bring a diverse range of stories that we believe will resonate with audiences around the world.”
2009 Rawi alumnus Haifaa Al Mansour premiered her debut feature Wadjda—the first feature film shot entirely in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the first-ever by a Saudi female filmmaker—at this year’s Venice International Film Festival and Telluride Film Festival. The film was acquired for U.S. distribution by Sony Pictures Classics.
About her experience at the Lab, Mansour said, "The real momentum for Wadjda began with the Rawi Screenwriters Lab; I am tremendously grateful for the unwavering support of Michelle Satter and her entire team at Sundance Institute who not only helped the script find its true voice, but also in every aspect of getting the film made.”
The participants and projects selected for the 2012 Rawi Screenwriters Lab represent eight different countries. The Lab takes place November 14-18 in Wadi Feynan in Southern Jordan.
Daughters of Abdel Rahman by Zaid Abu Hamdan (Jordan)
Years after running away from their oppressive past, four estranged sisters have to join forces to find their suddenly missing father.
Zaid Abu Hamdan holds an Mfa from the New York Film Academy in Hollywood California, and a BA in Communication Arts from the Lebanese American University in Beirut. In 2009, Zaid established his company Zaha Productions, producing 5 award winning short films in both the Us and the Gulf. His debut film Baram & Hamza won International awards and distribution in the Us and Europe. His other films include Love…Older (of 2 parts) and the 2012 Oscar-qualified film Bahiya & Mahmoud, after winning “Best of Fest” at the Palm Springs Int. Shortfest. Zaid is currently developing his first feature film Daughters of Abdul-Rahman, which has been selected for The Doha Film Institute, the Torino Film Lab, the Royal Film Commission of Jordan and other international film organizations.
Via Dolorosa by Sobhi Al Zubaidi (Palestine)
A Palestinian man is released after 20 years in Israeli prisons and is united with his family, only to face new challenges in life after Oslo in the West Bank.
Sobhi al-Zobaidi is a Palestinian filmmaker (My Very Private Map, Women in the Sun, Light at the End of the Tunnel, Hawal, Crossing Kalandia, About the Sea). His film projects have received awards and recognition from institutions including Hubert Bals Fund, Rotterdam Flm Festival, Locarno Flm Festival, Goteborg Flm Festival and Abu Dhabi Flm Festival. His current project, Via Dolorosa, is a feature film that has received development support from Afac and Abu Dhabi Film Festival (Sanad).
Trees Also Die by Rabih El Amine (Lebanon)
A young mother and her child decide to isolate themselves from the outside world in a delirious attempt to flee the war and to escape their fate.
Born in 1974, Rabih El-Amine is a Lebanese-Canadian photographer, screenwriter and filmmaker based in Montreal. He holds a BA in Communication Arts (Radio/TV/Films). His first documentary Ahmad the Japanese screened at various festivals and won a jury prize in Docudays. Trees Also Die is his first feature film project.
Noor by Mustafa Shakarchi (Iraq)
Inspired by a true story, a 10-year-old Palestinian girl dreams of a normal childhood—to go to school and make friends. But her caretaker Aunt forces her to work in the streets selling novelty items.
Born in Baghdad, Iraq and raised in Southern California, Mustafa is a co-founder of TruArt Pictures, an independent production company. Noor is his first feature film.
Crescent Moon by Naz Sadoughi (Iran)
Ignorance is bliss, but knowledge is freedom, and Ebby is suddenly forced to test the limits of his loyalties – either remain faithful to the regime and his corrupt paymasters, or to his conscience and feelings for the man he’s spying on.
Naz Sadoughi is an Iranian screenwriter. Born in Tehran she moved to the UK with her parents in 1978. Initially trained as an Illustration and animation artist she moved into live action film-making in 1999 and began working as a commercials director in the UK and throughout Europe. In 2004 she set up a production company where she produced and directed short documentaries for the Discovery Channel. In 2011 Naz completed an Ma in screenwriting at The Lcc, University of the Arts London.
I Am Nojood by Khadija Al-Salami (Yemen)
Ignorance and poverty force a ten -year old girl, Nojood, to endure an outrageous experience when she is forced to marry a thirty-year-old man. Unable to accept this fate others have chosen for her, Nojood does the unthinkable: she asks for a divorce.
Khadija Al-Salami gained her independence at an early age when her family forced her into an early marriage at the age of 11. In order to escape family pressure and tradition, she found a job at the local TV station in the afternoons, while pursuing her studies in the mornings. She earned a scholarship at 16 years of age to the United States, where she studied film-making. Her first film, for her thesis, was about women in Yemen. Khadija is Yemen’s first woman film-maker, and has made some over 20 documentaries for various TV stations in France and Yemen and received several awards at various film festivals worldwide. With her husband, she has written a book, The Tears of Sheba, about her experiences growing up in Yemen. She was, until 2011, the Press Counselor and Director of the Communication and Cultural Center at the Embassy of Yemen in Paris.
Two Rooms & a Parlor by Mohamed Salah El Azzab & Sherif Bendari (Egypt)
Khalil has spent his life living the routine of a low profile employee. When he finds himself alone after the death of his wife Ihsan, Khalil decides to discover the world outside of his little house and life beyond its ordinary details.
Born in 1978, Egyptian filmmaker Sherif Elbendary lives and works in Cairo. Elbendary graduated from the Faculty of Applied Arts in 2001, then in 2007 studied film directing at the High Institute of Cinema in Cairo. His first short fiction film Rise & Shine produced by the Egyptian Film Center in 2006 was officially selected in more than 75 film festivals in 33 countries and won 15 awards. Elbendary’s second short film was his graduation project At Day's End produced by the High Institute of Cinema in 2008 which was officially selected in more than 50 film festivals and won 14 awards. Sherif directed the segment “curfew” in the omnibus feature 18 Days which was selected to the Cannes Film Festival in 2011.
Born in Cairo 1981, novelist and journalist and scriptwriter Mohammad El Azzab has four novels which are: A Long Cellar with a Low Ceiling making you Crouch, Repeated Stoppingwas, Tales of Sidi Barrani and The Italian's Bed. Also a collection of short stories, Blue In a Sad Way. El Azab, has won several literary Egyptian and Arabian awards. He wrote the screenplay films: Repeated Stoppingwas and Two-Bedroom Apartment, which was awarded best screenplay in Sawiris awards in Egypt in 2011.
Until the End of Time by Yasmine Chouikh (Algeria)
As they slowly approach the hour of their death, Ali and Joher, both in their seventies, meet and discover love, friendship and the happiness of living the joys of life together.
Born in 1982 in Algiers, Yasmine Chouikh studied human arts and sciences, graduate in psychology and educational sciences. She worked as an actress in La Citadelle (1987) by Mohamed Chouikh, in a television film by Djamel Bendedouch in 1990, then in Hamlet of Women (2004) by Mohamed Chouikh. She wrote in the cultural page of the daily newspaperl'Autentique and works as a journalist as well as presenting a cinematographic television program on the national Algerian television since 2005. She has written some shorts film scripts, and directed two of them, The Door and the djinn. She is the art director of the International Taghit.
The eighth annual Rawi Screenwriters Lab of The Royal Film Commission-Jordan is presented in consultation with Sundance Institute and made possible in part by a grant from the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art.
Launched in 2005, the Lab is led by the Royal Film Commission of Jordan (Rfc), under the leadership of Deema Azar, in consultation with Sundance Institute’s Feature Film Program, under the direction of Michelle Satter. The Lab provides an opportunity for filmmakers from the region to develop their work under the guidance of accomplished Creative Advisors—this year including Athina Rachel Tsangari (Attenberg), Henry Bean (The Believer), So Yong Kim (Treeless Mountain), Bernd Lichtenberg (Goodbye Lenin!) and Katherine Dieckmann (Motherhood)—in an environment that encourages storytelling at the highest level.
George David, General Manager of the Rfc, said, “It makes us very proud to be organizing the eighth round of the Rawi Screenwriters Lab again this year in consultation with Sundance Institute. The Lab is gaining momentum and receiving increased regional and international acclaim, with more and more projects developed through the Lab and being awarded internationally. The caliber of this year’s selected projects will certainly have an impact on the regional filmmaking scene, at a time when cinema in the region is attracting worldwide attention with all the changes that have been taken place recently and are often reflected in cinematic works.”
Paul Federbush, International Director of the Sundance Institute Feature Film Program, said, “We’ve had the privilege to help give voice to some extraordinary new filmmakers in the region over our eight-year partnership with the Rfc. This year’s Fellows continue in that tradition and bring a diverse range of stories that we believe will resonate with audiences around the world.”
2009 Rawi alumnus Haifaa Al Mansour premiered her debut feature Wadjda—the first feature film shot entirely in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the first-ever by a Saudi female filmmaker—at this year’s Venice International Film Festival and Telluride Film Festival. The film was acquired for U.S. distribution by Sony Pictures Classics.
About her experience at the Lab, Mansour said, "The real momentum for Wadjda began with the Rawi Screenwriters Lab; I am tremendously grateful for the unwavering support of Michelle Satter and her entire team at Sundance Institute who not only helped the script find its true voice, but also in every aspect of getting the film made.”
The participants and projects selected for the 2012 Rawi Screenwriters Lab represent eight different countries. The Lab takes place November 14-18 in Wadi Feynan in Southern Jordan.
Daughters of Abdel Rahman by Zaid Abu Hamdan (Jordan)
Years after running away from their oppressive past, four estranged sisters have to join forces to find their suddenly missing father.
Zaid Abu Hamdan holds an Mfa from the New York Film Academy in Hollywood California, and a BA in Communication Arts from the Lebanese American University in Beirut. In 2009, Zaid established his company Zaha Productions, producing 5 award winning short films in both the Us and the Gulf. His debut film Baram & Hamza won International awards and distribution in the Us and Europe. His other films include Love…Older (of 2 parts) and the 2012 Oscar-qualified film Bahiya & Mahmoud, after winning “Best of Fest” at the Palm Springs Int. Shortfest. Zaid is currently developing his first feature film Daughters of Abdul-Rahman, which has been selected for The Doha Film Institute, the Torino Film Lab, the Royal Film Commission of Jordan and other international film organizations.
Via Dolorosa by Sobhi Al Zubaidi (Palestine)
A Palestinian man is released after 20 years in Israeli prisons and is united with his family, only to face new challenges in life after Oslo in the West Bank.
Sobhi al-Zobaidi is a Palestinian filmmaker (My Very Private Map, Women in the Sun, Light at the End of the Tunnel, Hawal, Crossing Kalandia, About the Sea). His film projects have received awards and recognition from institutions including Hubert Bals Fund, Rotterdam Flm Festival, Locarno Flm Festival, Goteborg Flm Festival and Abu Dhabi Flm Festival. His current project, Via Dolorosa, is a feature film that has received development support from Afac and Abu Dhabi Film Festival (Sanad).
Trees Also Die by Rabih El Amine (Lebanon)
A young mother and her child decide to isolate themselves from the outside world in a delirious attempt to flee the war and to escape their fate.
Born in 1974, Rabih El-Amine is a Lebanese-Canadian photographer, screenwriter and filmmaker based in Montreal. He holds a BA in Communication Arts (Radio/TV/Films). His first documentary Ahmad the Japanese screened at various festivals and won a jury prize in Docudays. Trees Also Die is his first feature film project.
Noor by Mustafa Shakarchi (Iraq)
Inspired by a true story, a 10-year-old Palestinian girl dreams of a normal childhood—to go to school and make friends. But her caretaker Aunt forces her to work in the streets selling novelty items.
Born in Baghdad, Iraq and raised in Southern California, Mustafa is a co-founder of TruArt Pictures, an independent production company. Noor is his first feature film.
Crescent Moon by Naz Sadoughi (Iran)
Ignorance is bliss, but knowledge is freedom, and Ebby is suddenly forced to test the limits of his loyalties – either remain faithful to the regime and his corrupt paymasters, or to his conscience and feelings for the man he’s spying on.
Naz Sadoughi is an Iranian screenwriter. Born in Tehran she moved to the UK with her parents in 1978. Initially trained as an Illustration and animation artist she moved into live action film-making in 1999 and began working as a commercials director in the UK and throughout Europe. In 2004 she set up a production company where she produced and directed short documentaries for the Discovery Channel. In 2011 Naz completed an Ma in screenwriting at The Lcc, University of the Arts London.
I Am Nojood by Khadija Al-Salami (Yemen)
Ignorance and poverty force a ten -year old girl, Nojood, to endure an outrageous experience when she is forced to marry a thirty-year-old man. Unable to accept this fate others have chosen for her, Nojood does the unthinkable: she asks for a divorce.
Khadija Al-Salami gained her independence at an early age when her family forced her into an early marriage at the age of 11. In order to escape family pressure and tradition, she found a job at the local TV station in the afternoons, while pursuing her studies in the mornings. She earned a scholarship at 16 years of age to the United States, where she studied film-making. Her first film, for her thesis, was about women in Yemen. Khadija is Yemen’s first woman film-maker, and has made some over 20 documentaries for various TV stations in France and Yemen and received several awards at various film festivals worldwide. With her husband, she has written a book, The Tears of Sheba, about her experiences growing up in Yemen. She was, until 2011, the Press Counselor and Director of the Communication and Cultural Center at the Embassy of Yemen in Paris.
Two Rooms & a Parlor by Mohamed Salah El Azzab & Sherif Bendari (Egypt)
Khalil has spent his life living the routine of a low profile employee. When he finds himself alone after the death of his wife Ihsan, Khalil decides to discover the world outside of his little house and life beyond its ordinary details.
Born in 1978, Egyptian filmmaker Sherif Elbendary lives and works in Cairo. Elbendary graduated from the Faculty of Applied Arts in 2001, then in 2007 studied film directing at the High Institute of Cinema in Cairo. His first short fiction film Rise & Shine produced by the Egyptian Film Center in 2006 was officially selected in more than 75 film festivals in 33 countries and won 15 awards. Elbendary’s second short film was his graduation project At Day's End produced by the High Institute of Cinema in 2008 which was officially selected in more than 50 film festivals and won 14 awards. Sherif directed the segment “curfew” in the omnibus feature 18 Days which was selected to the Cannes Film Festival in 2011.
Born in Cairo 1981, novelist and journalist and scriptwriter Mohammad El Azzab has four novels which are: A Long Cellar with a Low Ceiling making you Crouch, Repeated Stoppingwas, Tales of Sidi Barrani and The Italian's Bed. Also a collection of short stories, Blue In a Sad Way. El Azab, has won several literary Egyptian and Arabian awards. He wrote the screenplay films: Repeated Stoppingwas and Two-Bedroom Apartment, which was awarded best screenplay in Sawiris awards in Egypt in 2011.
Until the End of Time by Yasmine Chouikh (Algeria)
As they slowly approach the hour of their death, Ali and Joher, both in their seventies, meet and discover love, friendship and the happiness of living the joys of life together.
Born in 1982 in Algiers, Yasmine Chouikh studied human arts and sciences, graduate in psychology and educational sciences. She worked as an actress in La Citadelle (1987) by Mohamed Chouikh, in a television film by Djamel Bendedouch in 1990, then in Hamlet of Women (2004) by Mohamed Chouikh. She wrote in the cultural page of the daily newspaperl'Autentique and works as a journalist as well as presenting a cinematographic television program on the national Algerian television since 2005. She has written some shorts film scripts, and directed two of them, The Door and the djinn. She is the art director of the International Taghit.
The eighth annual Rawi Screenwriters Lab of The Royal Film Commission-Jordan is presented in consultation with Sundance Institute and made possible in part by a grant from the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art.
- 12/1/2012
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Sundance Institute has hired Paul Federbush to become International Director, Feature Film Program (Ffp), a highly sought-after job which Alesia Weston left open when she left in May to become Executive Director of the Jerusalem Film Centre and Fesival. Federbush began September 24 and is reporting to Michelle Satter, Founding Director, Feature Film Program.
Paul is already reaching out into new geographic areas searching for those filmmakers who have the greatest potential for making a brand new mark on the worldwide film business. His responsibility is the planning and execution of the international work of Sundance Institute’s Feature Film Program which includes year round support for International artists through Labs, granting, and ongoing mentorship providing creative and tactical support. Federbush will oversee international Labs in collaboration with local partners in the Middle East and India, outreach and discover new international filmmakers and projects, steward programs such as the Sundance Institute|Mahindra Global Filmmaking Award and Sundance| Nhk Award, and support the international artists participating in the annual Sundance Labs in Utah. In addition he will develop opportunities to further advance and broaden the scope of the Ffp’s International initiative.
We congratulate Paul and are proud to be able to say that we have known him since his early days at Fine Line. Federbush is a seasoned production, acquisition, and distribution executive with eighteen years of experience in the entertainment industry. Most recently Federbush, along with partner Laura Kim, started a distribution company, Red Flag Releasing. Prior to forming Red Flag, Federbush served as Senior Vice President of Production and Acquisitions at Warner Independent Pictures where he oversaw the acquisition, production, and development of projects including Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire, and Hany Abu Assad’s Paradise Now.
For nearly three decades, Sundance Institute has promoted independent storytelling to inform and inspire audiences across political, social, religious and cultural differences. Through Labs, direct artist granting, special projects with key partners and the Sundance Film Festival, the Institute serves as the leading advocate for independent artists worldwide. Sundance Institute Feature Film Program Over its 30-year history, the Sundance Institute Feature Film Program has supported an extensive list of award-winning and groundbreaking independent films.
Ffp films currently in the marketplace include Benh Zeitlin and Lucy Alibar’s Beasts of the Southern Wild (winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival), Craig Zobel’s Compliance, Mike Birbiglia and Seth Barrish’s Sleepwalk With Me, Todd Louiso and Sarah Koskoff’s Hello I Must Be Going, and Ira Sachs’ Keep the Lights On. Recent international Ffp films include Sally El Hosaini’s My Brother the Devil, Andrei Zyvagintsev’s Elena, Edwin’s Postcards from the Zoo, Alejandro Landes’ Porfirio, and the festival films Haifaa Al Mansour’s Wadjda and Ziad Douieri’s L’Attack.Additional notable films supported over the program’s history include Sean Durkin’s Martha Marcy May Marlene, Dee Rees’ Pariah, Maryam Keshavarz’s Circumstance, Cherien Dabis' Amreeka, Cary Fukunaga's Sin Nombre, Fernando Eimbcke's Lake Tahoe, Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden’s Half Nelson, Andrea Arnold's Red Road, Miranda July’s Me and You and Everyone We Know, Hany Abu-Assad’s Paradise Now, Debra Granik’s Down to the Bone, Josh Marston’s Maria Page 2 Full of Grace, Lisa Cholodenko’s Laurel Canyon, Peter Sollett’s Raising Victor Vargas, John Cameron Mitchell’s Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Darren Aronofsky’s Requiem for a Dream, Kimberly Peirce’s Boys Don't Cry, Lucrecia Martel’s La Cienaga, Walter Salles’ Central Station, Chris Eyre and Sherman Alexie’s Smoke Signals, Nicole Holofcener’s Walking and Talking, Allison Anders' Mi Vida Loca, Paul Thomas Anderson’s Hard Eight, Tamara Jenkins’ Slums of Beverly Hills, and Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs.
Sundance Institute Sundance Institute is a global nonprofit organization founded by Robert Redford in 1981. Through its programs for directors, screenwriters, producers, composers and playwrights, the Institute seeks to discover and support independent film and theatre artists from the United States and around the world, and to introduce audiences to their new work. The Institute promotes independent storytelling to inform, inspire, and unite diverse populations around the globe. Internationally recognized for its annual Sundance Film Festival, Sundance Institute has nurtured such projects as Born into Brothels, Trouble the Water, Son of Babylon, Amreeka, An Inconvenient Truth, Spring Awakening, Light in the Piazza and Angels in America, and through its New Frontier initiative, has brought the cinematic works of media artists including Pipilotti Rist, Doug Aitken, Pierre Huyghe, Jennifer Steinkamp, and Matthew Barney . Join Sundance Institute on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. # # #...
Paul is already reaching out into new geographic areas searching for those filmmakers who have the greatest potential for making a brand new mark on the worldwide film business. His responsibility is the planning and execution of the international work of Sundance Institute’s Feature Film Program which includes year round support for International artists through Labs, granting, and ongoing mentorship providing creative and tactical support. Federbush will oversee international Labs in collaboration with local partners in the Middle East and India, outreach and discover new international filmmakers and projects, steward programs such as the Sundance Institute|Mahindra Global Filmmaking Award and Sundance| Nhk Award, and support the international artists participating in the annual Sundance Labs in Utah. In addition he will develop opportunities to further advance and broaden the scope of the Ffp’s International initiative.
We congratulate Paul and are proud to be able to say that we have known him since his early days at Fine Line. Federbush is a seasoned production, acquisition, and distribution executive with eighteen years of experience in the entertainment industry. Most recently Federbush, along with partner Laura Kim, started a distribution company, Red Flag Releasing. Prior to forming Red Flag, Federbush served as Senior Vice President of Production and Acquisitions at Warner Independent Pictures where he oversaw the acquisition, production, and development of projects including Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire, and Hany Abu Assad’s Paradise Now.
For nearly three decades, Sundance Institute has promoted independent storytelling to inform and inspire audiences across political, social, religious and cultural differences. Through Labs, direct artist granting, special projects with key partners and the Sundance Film Festival, the Institute serves as the leading advocate for independent artists worldwide. Sundance Institute Feature Film Program Over its 30-year history, the Sundance Institute Feature Film Program has supported an extensive list of award-winning and groundbreaking independent films.
Ffp films currently in the marketplace include Benh Zeitlin and Lucy Alibar’s Beasts of the Southern Wild (winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival), Craig Zobel’s Compliance, Mike Birbiglia and Seth Barrish’s Sleepwalk With Me, Todd Louiso and Sarah Koskoff’s Hello I Must Be Going, and Ira Sachs’ Keep the Lights On. Recent international Ffp films include Sally El Hosaini’s My Brother the Devil, Andrei Zyvagintsev’s Elena, Edwin’s Postcards from the Zoo, Alejandro Landes’ Porfirio, and the festival films Haifaa Al Mansour’s Wadjda and Ziad Douieri’s L’Attack.Additional notable films supported over the program’s history include Sean Durkin’s Martha Marcy May Marlene, Dee Rees’ Pariah, Maryam Keshavarz’s Circumstance, Cherien Dabis' Amreeka, Cary Fukunaga's Sin Nombre, Fernando Eimbcke's Lake Tahoe, Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden’s Half Nelson, Andrea Arnold's Red Road, Miranda July’s Me and You and Everyone We Know, Hany Abu-Assad’s Paradise Now, Debra Granik’s Down to the Bone, Josh Marston’s Maria Page 2 Full of Grace, Lisa Cholodenko’s Laurel Canyon, Peter Sollett’s Raising Victor Vargas, John Cameron Mitchell’s Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Darren Aronofsky’s Requiem for a Dream, Kimberly Peirce’s Boys Don't Cry, Lucrecia Martel’s La Cienaga, Walter Salles’ Central Station, Chris Eyre and Sherman Alexie’s Smoke Signals, Nicole Holofcener’s Walking and Talking, Allison Anders' Mi Vida Loca, Paul Thomas Anderson’s Hard Eight, Tamara Jenkins’ Slums of Beverly Hills, and Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs.
Sundance Institute Sundance Institute is a global nonprofit organization founded by Robert Redford in 1981. Through its programs for directors, screenwriters, producers, composers and playwrights, the Institute seeks to discover and support independent film and theatre artists from the United States and around the world, and to introduce audiences to their new work. The Institute promotes independent storytelling to inform, inspire, and unite diverse populations around the globe. Internationally recognized for its annual Sundance Film Festival, Sundance Institute has nurtured such projects as Born into Brothels, Trouble the Water, Son of Babylon, Amreeka, An Inconvenient Truth, Spring Awakening, Light in the Piazza and Angels in America, and through its New Frontier initiative, has brought the cinematic works of media artists including Pipilotti Rist, Doug Aitken, Pierre Huyghe, Jennifer Steinkamp, and Matthew Barney . Join Sundance Institute on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. # # #...
- 10/9/2012
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
The Sundance Institute held its second annual New York get-together Tuesday night during Independent Film Week, with dozens of alumni crowding the covered pool deck at the Empire Hotel at Lincoln Center while the rain pounded outside. Executive director Keri Putnam and festival director John Cooper hosted the shindig along with about a dozen of their staff, including feature film program founding director Michelle Satter and new feature film program international director Paul Federbush. Read More: Documentary Filmmakers Argue the Nature of Truth at Independent Film Week Panel -- And Further Muddy the Waters The Institute execs were in town to meet with new filmmakers, participate in Ifw panels and run a workshop at Kickstarter headquarters Thursday night. Invitees to the Tuesday event included writers, directors and producers that have shown films at the festival, attended the Sundance labs or participated as an advisor there -- Jeff Reichart (“Remote Area.
- 9/21/2012
- by Jay A. Fernandez
- Indiewire
Sundance Institute announced the appointment of Paul Federbush to International Director, Feature Film Program (Ffp).
In his new role, Federbush is responsible for the planning and execution of the international work of Sundance Institute’s Feature Film Program which includes Mumbai Mantra—Sundance Institute Screenwriters’ Lab and the Sundance Institute–Mahindra Global Filmmaking Award.
Federbush is a seasoned production, acquisition, and distribution executive with eighteen years of experience in the entertainment industry. Most recently Federbush, along with partner Laura Kim, started a distribution company, Red Flag Releasing. Prior to forming Red Flag, Federbush served as Senior Vice President of Production and Acquisitions at Warner Independent Pictures where he oversaw the acquisition, production, and development of projects including Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire, and Hany Abu Assad’s Paradise Now.
In his new role, Federbush is responsible for the planning and execution of the international work of Sundance Institute’s Feature Film Program which includes Mumbai Mantra—Sundance Institute Screenwriters’ Lab and the Sundance Institute–Mahindra Global Filmmaking Award.
Federbush is a seasoned production, acquisition, and distribution executive with eighteen years of experience in the entertainment industry. Most recently Federbush, along with partner Laura Kim, started a distribution company, Red Flag Releasing. Prior to forming Red Flag, Federbush served as Senior Vice President of Production and Acquisitions at Warner Independent Pictures where he oversaw the acquisition, production, and development of projects including Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire, and Hany Abu Assad’s Paradise Now.
- 9/12/2012
- by NewsDesk
- DearCinema.com
The Sundance Institute has named indie vet Paul Federbush the International Director of the Feature Film Program, which discovers and supports filmmakers year-round. Beginning September 24, Federbush will work under the program's founding director, Michelle Satter, and will oversee all international activities of the program. Federbush has eighteen years of industry experience. Most recenty he launched Red Flag Releasing ("Restrepo," "The Do-Deca Pentathlon") with Laura Kim, his marketing colleague at Warner Independent Pictures, where he was Svp of Production and Acquisitions, overseeing such projects as "Slumdog Millionaire" and "Paradise Now." More on Federbush's new role at Sundance below: Federbush is responsible for the planning and execution of the international work of Sundance Institute’s Feature Film Program which includes year round support for International artists through Labs, granting, and ongoing...
- 9/11/2012
- by Sophia Savage
- Thompson on Hollywood
Former Warner Independent Pictures and Red Flag Releasing executive Paul Federbush has been hired by the Sundance Institute as international director of its feature film program. Reporting to feature film program founding director Michelle Satter, Federbush officially begins his new role September 24. The feature film program is a year-round effort to find and support filmmakers through development labs, grants, awards and other types of mentoring. The international side of the initiative involves Sundance-run programs in places such as India and the Middle East, which Federbush will oversee and expand. Read More: Annenberg Foundation Bestows $1 Million Three-Year Grant on Sundance Institute While at Red Flag, which he launched in 2009 with former Wip colleague Laura Kim, Federbush distributed films such as “8: The Mormon Proposition,” “ReGeneration,” "Norwegian Wood" and “We Were Here,” a continuation of the work he was...
- 9/11/2012
- by Jay A. Fernandez
- Indiewire
Distribution veteran Paul Federbush has been named International Director, Feature Film Program, at the Sundance Institute.
Through his work at a number of companies over the years, Federbush is well known in the independent community. Most recently, Federbush formed the distribution company Red Flag Releasing with Laura Kim, and previously he was Senior Vice President of Acquisitions and Production at Warner Independent, where he developed such projects as Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire, and Hany Abu Assad’s Paradise Now.
From the press release:
In his new role, Federbush is responsible for the planning and execution of the international work of Sundance Institute’s Feature Film Program which includes year round support for International artists through Labs, granting, and ongoing mentorship providing creative and tactical support. Federbush will oversee international Labs in collaboration with local partners in the Middle East and India, outreach and discover new international filmmakers and projects,...
Through his work at a number of companies over the years, Federbush is well known in the independent community. Most recently, Federbush formed the distribution company Red Flag Releasing with Laura Kim, and previously he was Senior Vice President of Acquisitions and Production at Warner Independent, where he developed such projects as Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire, and Hany Abu Assad’s Paradise Now.
From the press release:
In his new role, Federbush is responsible for the planning and execution of the international work of Sundance Institute’s Feature Film Program which includes year round support for International artists through Labs, granting, and ongoing mentorship providing creative and tactical support. Federbush will oversee international Labs in collaboration with local partners in the Middle East and India, outreach and discover new international filmmakers and projects,...
- 9/11/2012
- by Scott Macaulay
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Jay and Mark Duplass' "The Do-Deca-Pentathlon" has been acquired by Fox Searchlight Pictures and Red Flag Releasing, and will open theatrically in June. The movie's world premiere is scheduled for March 11 at the 2012 SXSW Film Festival. Red Flag, which will handle theatrical distribution, is a fledgling independent film distribution company founded by Paul Federbush and Laura Kim and New York-based producer Ron Stein. Also read: Rachel Weisz & Emily Blunt to Play Sisters Who Fight Over ... Mark Duplass? Fox Searchlight will handle ancillary markets. "The Do-Deca-Pentathlon" is about two grown brothers who revive...
- 3/8/2012
- by Joshua L. Weinstein
- The Wrap
Laura Kim and Paul Federbush of Red Flag Releasing have acquired stateside rights to distribute Sundance documentary collage The Green Wave. Written and directed by Ali Samadi Ahadi and produced by Jan Krueger and Oliver Stoltz, the doc about the 2009 Iran populist protests also screened at the Washington DC, Seattle and Human Rights Watch film festivals. Red Flag will theatrically release the film around the third anniversary of the Iranian elections in June of 2012. The film’s release will include theatrical, OnDemand, DVD, and digital download channels. The Green Wave documents the brutal attacks by government militia trying to squelch protests that followed the suspicious victory of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad over progressive candidate Mir-Hossein Mousavi in the Iranian presidential elections on June 12, 2009. The ...
- 8/3/2011
- Thompson on Hollywood
Red Flag Releasing, a global distribution upstart helmed by Paul Federbush, Laura Kim, both former Warner Independent Picture executives, and Ron Stein, a financier and producer on The Kids Are All Right, have picked up We Were Here for their second theatrical release after last year’s 8: The Mormon Proposition. An official Sundance selection this year, We Were Here takes a somber, but hopeful look back at the AIDS epidemic that broke out within the homosexual community in San Francisco during the 1980s by following the remembrances of five people who lived through it. The film will grace Us theaters this September. Gist: In the early 1980s, AIDS was known as the “Gay Plague” when hundreds of homosexual people started dying of a then unknown immune deficiency disease. Thanks to San Francisco's unique progressive gay community, its heart found in the Castro Street neighborhood, helped the majority of the...
- 4/25/2011
- IONCINEMA.com
Red Flag Releasing, a new independent distributors will open the documentary "8: The Mormon Proposition" in theaters as well as On Demand cable and digital download channels on June 18th. Reed Cowan’s documentary is narrated by Dustin Lance Black (Academy Award-winning screenwriter of "Milk") and recounts the Mormon Church's involvement in the campaign on behalf of California's Proposition 8 which banned same-sex marriage in the state. Theaters to receive the film are New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Boston, Salt Lake City, Atlanta, Palm Springs, Phoenix, San Diego, Dallas, Houston and Honolulu. Cowan produced with co-director Steven Greenstreet, Chris Volz and Emily Pearson for David V. Goliath Productions. Paul Federbush, Laura Kim and Ron Stein recently launched Red Flag.
- 4/19/2010
- Upcoming-Movies.com
New indie distributor Red Flag Releasing will open Reed Cowan’s documentary "8: The Mormon Proposition" simultaneously in theaters, as an On Demand cable and satellite offering and through digital download channels on June 18.
Narrated by Dustin Lance Black, the doc recounts the Mormon Church's involvement in the campaign on behalf of California's Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriage in the state.
The film will open in theaters in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Boston, Salt Lake City, Atlanta, Palm Springs, Phoenix, San Diego, Dallas, Houston and Honolulu.
It was produced by Cowan, Steven Greenstreet (who co-directed), Chris Volz and Emily Pearson for David V. Goliath Prods. Cowan and Bruce Bastian served as executive producers.
Red Flag was recently launched by indie vets Paul Federbush, Laura Kim and Ron Stein.
Narrated by Dustin Lance Black, the doc recounts the Mormon Church's involvement in the campaign on behalf of California's Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriage in the state.
The film will open in theaters in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Boston, Salt Lake City, Atlanta, Palm Springs, Phoenix, San Diego, Dallas, Houston and Honolulu.
It was produced by Cowan, Steven Greenstreet (who co-directed), Chris Volz and Emily Pearson for David V. Goliath Prods. Cowan and Bruce Bastian served as executive producers.
Red Flag was recently launched by indie vets Paul Federbush, Laura Kim and Ron Stein.
- 4/18/2010
- by By Gregg Kilday
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
New distributor-on-the-block Red Flag Releasing--led by two ex-Warner Independent execs, Paul Federbush and Laura Kim--is embracing both the digital future and the theatrical past with its first release, the controversial hot-button Sundance doc 8: The Mormon Proposition. The distrib is taking out the doc in thirteen markets day-and-date with simultaneous distribution On Demand and through digital download channels on June 18, two years after the first gay marriage rites in California. Written and directed by journalist and ex-Mormon missionary Reed Cowan, 8: The Mormon Proposition is narrated by Oscar-winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black (Milk). Set in California and Utah, the doc exposes the Mormon Church's role in fighting gay rights and marriage and promoting the passage of California's Proposition 8 (a challenge to the gay marriage ...
- 4/16/2010
- Thompson on Hollywood
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