‘Dirt! The Movie’ In China Bill Benenson and Gene Rosow’s Dirt! The Movie — the story of Earth’s most valuable and underappreciated source of fertility — is one of only a pair American documentary films chosen for the Beijing International Film Festival. Benenson is attending with his wife and executive producer Laurie Benenson. The second edition of the festival opened Monday amid a movie industry boom in China with box office revenue totaling in excess of $2 billion for the first time in 2011, and China just overtook Japan to become the largest foreign market for American films, according to the MPAA. Cinemark Promotes Steve Bunnell To Svp Global Content Movie exhibitor Cinemark has promoted Steve Bunnell to Svp Global Content Programming. Bunnell, who joined the company in 2009 to oversee film buying in the U.S., will manage film buying and programming efforts for Cinemark’s U.S. and Latin American markets.
- 4/26/2012
- by THE DEADLINE TEAM
- Deadline TV
For DocuWeek I had the chance to screen the enlightening film Dirt: The Movie! Here's a little interview with directors Bill Benenson and Gene Rosow for your reading pleasure.
Heidi: Before we start, let me say that I am really glad I got to see your film. I keep up on eco-issues, I own two hybrids, feed my kid organically as often as possible, am a vegetarian, all that, but your film was an incredibly fresh and eye-opening take on so many issues.
Sure, I knew about the disappearance of the bees, about water issues, and deforestation, but I'd never even thought about the dirt. So thank you for the education.
First Question: What initially inspired you to make this film?
Bill: Thanks for the questions and your interest and appreciation of our film. The start of my answer would have to be in two parts: 1. My mother, Dorothy Cullman,...
Heidi: Before we start, let me say that I am really glad I got to see your film. I keep up on eco-issues, I own two hybrids, feed my kid organically as often as possible, am a vegetarian, all that, but your film was an incredibly fresh and eye-opening take on so many issues.
Sure, I knew about the disappearance of the bees, about water issues, and deforestation, but I'd never even thought about the dirt. So thank you for the education.
First Question: What initially inspired you to make this film?
Bill: Thanks for the questions and your interest and appreciation of our film. The start of my answer would have to be in two parts: 1. My mother, Dorothy Cullman,...
- 9/16/2009
- by ccohagan
- Film Independent
By Gene Rosow
Time for independence from old ways of thinking.
There is definitely a global shift toward “Eco-mindful media.” Seems to be popping out like digital gophers all along the media landscape. And now would be a really good time to understand and communicate about how to save ourselves from extinction.
Newspapers: Last month L.A. Times environmental reporter Margot Roosevelt wrote a wonderful article “Forests are as good as carbon in the bank.” The content about how forests can play a starring role in our stru...
Time for independence from old ways of thinking.
There is definitely a global shift toward “Eco-mindful media.” Seems to be popping out like digital gophers all along the media landscape. And now would be a really good time to understand and communicate about how to save ourselves from extinction.
Newspapers: Last month L.A. Times environmental reporter Margot Roosevelt wrote a wonderful article “Forests are as good as carbon in the bank.” The content about how forests can play a starring role in our stru...
- 7/12/2009
- by Michael Speier
- The Wrap
Sundance's 25th year event is remarkably quiet, almost unreal. Allowing a look at the reality, conversations actually can take place. The late night lounge is the place to see everyone after 10 and to talk more. Filmakers Bill Benenson and Eleonore Dailly, producer Gene Rosow and marketer Jeff Dowd hosted the Obama Inauguration party which also celebrated their film Dirt The Movie. Veteran Sundance community members, Nicole Guillemet, former director of Sundance, Paula Silver, Ira Deutschman, Susan Margolin, Todd McCarthy, Sasha Alpert, Mickey Cotrell and so many others bonded with joy as we all listened to the message delivered by President Obama. John Sloss's Cinetic party and William Morris Independent's parties were not as mobbed as in years past. The two films I have heard most praised are Push and The Cove. Latino film buzz is around Sin Nombre. Written and directed by Peter Bratt and starring his brother Benjamin Bratt and Jesse Borrego, La Mission and Don't Let Me Drown starring Yareli Arizmendi, who wrote and produced A Day Without a Mexican, one of the breakout Latino hits some years ago. I would most like to see Mark Stewart's Passing Strange, a Fairfax district Los Angeleno's work about "black folks passing as black folks" and other essentialist curiosities of American life as written up in Sundance Film Festival's Daily Insider of Day 3, Sunday January 18, 2009. Peter Rainer liked Art & Copy and was surprised to learn that it was originally intended as a promotional work of ad agencies. Kirk Honeycutt remarked to Peter Rainer and me how the films are so "lab-worked over". Does the professional finish of a lab make up, improve on or only mask the faults of a filmmaker's first work? Is it like a butterfly being helped to fly (and thereby not developing its own wings) or does it make the beginning filmmaker better? Mary Jane Skalski is here with two films, Dare and Against the Current. Steven J. Wolfe, who has worked on 35 films and has produced five with Jennifer Tilley, who is now playing professional poker, had his film 500 Days of Summer already placed with Fox Searchlight for U.S. and the world, so he was able to enjoy Sundance after 10 years absence from it. Senator picked up North American rights to Brooklyn's Finest. Visit Films picked up worldwide rights to Sundance world doc competition film Kimjongilia]and Spectrum title, The Immaculate Conception of Little Dizzle. The Canadian distribution rights to Cold Souls have been acquired by E1 Films. Opening night film Max and Mary was a huge success and well attended by acquisition and studio executives. Twentieth Century Fox had a team of 8, Lionsgate's Tom Ortenberg, Steve Beeks and Jason Constantine were there along with every other buyer. The film that landed with Icon when Icon acquired Becker International will soon announce a North American distribution deal. CinemaVault acquired international rights for Spectrum film Lymelife which originally premiered at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival and was picked up for US shortly after by Screen Media. Stephen Raphael is working on the U.S. marketing for the film. HBO has acquired TV rights to Burma VJ the hit of November’s IDFA whose North American debut was Saturday at Sundance. The the film will open theatrically at New York’s Film Forum in May, well ahead of its early 2010 HBO television debut. [Sony Classics acquired North American rights acquisition of Rudo Y Cursi having its U.S. premiere at Sundance.
- 1/16/2009
- Sydney's Buzz
According to the typically preposterously effusive Sundance catalogue entry, Bill Benenson and Eugene Rosow's documentary Dirt! The Movie, based on William Bryant Logan's book Dirt, The Ecstatic Skin of the Earth "posses[es] both a cosmic perspective that reaches into the vastness of time and space, and the kind of warm, earnest energy that inspires small revolutions inside human hearts." We like cosmic revolutions! When Benenson and Rosow answered the 4 Questions We Ask Everybody, they namechecked Buster Keaton, quoted Margaret Atwood, and made a lot of "dirty" puns. Tell us about your movie: who did you work with, what did you shoot on, why did you make it? Give us the reductive, 25-word or less, "It's like [pop culture reference a] meets [pop culture reference b]!" pitch, then explain what the quick and dirty sell leaves out. Benenson: We worked with Dirt ...
- 1/9/2009
- by Karina Longworth
- Spout
According to the typically preposterously effusive Sundance catalogue entry, Bill Benenson and Eugene Rosow's documentary Dirt! The Movie, based on William Bryant Logan's book Dirt, The Ecstatic Skin of the Earth "posses[es] both a cosmic perspective that reaches into the vastness of time and space, and the kind of warm, earnest energy that inspires small revolutions inside human hearts." We like cosmic revolutions! When Benenson and Rosow answered the 4 Questions We Ask Everybody, they namechecked Buster Keaton, quoted Margaret Atwood, and made a lot of "dirty" puns. Tell us about your movie: who did you work with, what did you shoot on, why did you make it? Give us the reductive, 25-word or less, "It's like [pop culture reference a] meets [pop culture reference b]!" pitch, then explain what the quick and dirty sell leaves out. Benenson: We worked with Dirt ...
- 1/9/2009
- by Karina Longworth
- Spout
The Sundance Film Festival officially announced the lineup for the films playing in competition next month. The 16 movies will compete for the Grand Jury Prize in Park City, Utah at the 25th anniversary of the largest independent film festival in the U.S. from January 15-25.
The list was announced by festival director Geoff Gilmore, who recently received the first annual Sydney Pollack Award.
At the bottom of the page is a full list with synopsis and partial cast lists, but I wanted to focus on a few of the titles that stand out. Alphabetical order with omissions of films I don’t care about yet:
Arlen Faber - A single mother and a man out of rehab intrude into the life of a reclusive author, played by Jeff Daniels. He’s my other favorite Jeff, but I also like young actresses Kat Dennings and Olivia Thirlby.
Big Fan -...
The list was announced by festival director Geoff Gilmore, who recently received the first annual Sydney Pollack Award.
At the bottom of the page is a full list with synopsis and partial cast lists, but I wanted to focus on a few of the titles that stand out. Alphabetical order with omissions of films I don’t care about yet:
Arlen Faber - A single mother and a man out of rehab intrude into the life of a reclusive author, played by Jeff Daniels. He’s my other favorite Jeff, but I also like young actresses Kat Dennings and Olivia Thirlby.
Big Fan -...
- 12/4/2008
- by Jeff
- newsinfilm.com
I am heading out the door and have no time to really dig into this, but here is the line-up for next year's 2009 Sundance Film Festival as reported by Variety. Dramatic Competition Adam, directed and written by Max Mayer ("Better Living"), about a slightly dysfunctional man's attempt at a relationship with an alluring new neighbor. Stars Hugh Dancy, Rose Byrne, Peter Gallagher, Amy Irving, Frankie Faison. Amreeka, directed and written by Cherien Dabis, a drama examining the challenges faced by a divorced Palestinian woman and her teenage son upon moving to rural Illinois. With Nisreen Faour, Melkar Muallem. Arlen Faber, directed and written by John Hindman, about the intrusion of two strangers into the life of a famous reclusive author. With Jeff Daniels, Lauren Graham, Lou Pucci, Olivia Thirlby, Kat Dennings. Big Fan, directed and written by Robert Siegel (writer of "The Wrestler"), which hinges on the reaction of a...
- 12/3/2008
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
Oh I'm so excited! One of the best fests of the year! The 2009 Sundance Film Festival has unveiled the lineup for its U.S. and World competitions for dramatic and documentary features. The non-competitive sections including Premieres, Spectrum, Midnight, and New Frontiers will be announced December 4. Sundance unspools January 15-25, 2009 in Park City, Utah.
Check out the film list after the break. via Variety.
Dramatic Competition
* Adam (Max Mayer)
* Amreeka (Cherien Dabis)
* Big Fan (Robert Siegel)
* Brief Interviews With Hideous Men (John Krasinski)
* Cold Souls (Sophie Barthes)
* Dare (Adam Salky)
* Don’t Let Me Drown (Cruz Angeles)
* The Dream of the Romans (John Hindman)
* The Greatest (Shana Feste)
* Humpday (Lynn Shelton)
* Paper Heart (Nicolas Jasenovec)
* Peter and Vandy (Jay Dipietro)
* Push (Lee Daniels)
* Sin nombre (Cary Fukunaga)
* Taking Chance (Ross Katz)
* Toe to Toe (Emily Abt)
Documentary Competition
* Art and Copy (Doug Pray)
* Boy Interrupted (Dana Perry)
* Sergio (Greg Barker...
Check out the film list after the break. via Variety.
Dramatic Competition
* Adam (Max Mayer)
* Amreeka (Cherien Dabis)
* Big Fan (Robert Siegel)
* Brief Interviews With Hideous Men (John Krasinski)
* Cold Souls (Sophie Barthes)
* Dare (Adam Salky)
* Don’t Let Me Drown (Cruz Angeles)
* The Dream of the Romans (John Hindman)
* The Greatest (Shana Feste)
* Humpday (Lynn Shelton)
* Paper Heart (Nicolas Jasenovec)
* Peter and Vandy (Jay Dipietro)
* Push (Lee Daniels)
* Sin nombre (Cary Fukunaga)
* Taking Chance (Ross Katz)
* Toe to Toe (Emily Abt)
Documentary Competition
* Art and Copy (Doug Pray)
* Boy Interrupted (Dana Perry)
* Sergio (Greg Barker...
- 12/3/2008
- QuietEarth.us
U.S. Dramatic Competition
This year's 16 films were selected from 1,026 submissions. Each film is a world premiere.
Adam (Director-screenwriter: Max Mayer)
A strange and lyrical love story between a somewhat socially dysfunctional young man and the woman of his dreams. Cast: Hugh Dancy, Rose Byrne, Peter Gallagher, Amy Irving, Frankie Faison.
Amreeka (Director-screenwriter: Cherien Dabis)
When a divorced Palestinian woman and her teenage son move to rural Illinois at the outset of the Iraq war, they find their new lives replete with challenges. Cast: Nisreen Faour, Melkar Muallem, Hiam Abbass, Yussuf Abu-Warda, Alia Shawkat.
Big Fan (Director-screenwriter: Robert Siegel)
The world of a parking garage attendant who happens to be the New York Giants' biggest fan is turned upside down after an altercation with his favorite player. Cast: Patton Oswalt, Michael Rapaport, Kevin Corrigan, Marcia Jean Kurtz, Matt Servitto.
Brief Interviews With Hideous Men (Director-screenwriter: John Krasinski)
When her boyfriend leaves with little explanation,...
This year's 16 films were selected from 1,026 submissions. Each film is a world premiere.
Adam (Director-screenwriter: Max Mayer)
A strange and lyrical love story between a somewhat socially dysfunctional young man and the woman of his dreams. Cast: Hugh Dancy, Rose Byrne, Peter Gallagher, Amy Irving, Frankie Faison.
Amreeka (Director-screenwriter: Cherien Dabis)
When a divorced Palestinian woman and her teenage son move to rural Illinois at the outset of the Iraq war, they find their new lives replete with challenges. Cast: Nisreen Faour, Melkar Muallem, Hiam Abbass, Yussuf Abu-Warda, Alia Shawkat.
Big Fan (Director-screenwriter: Robert Siegel)
The world of a parking garage attendant who happens to be the New York Giants' biggest fan is turned upside down after an altercation with his favorite player. Cast: Patton Oswalt, Michael Rapaport, Kevin Corrigan, Marcia Jean Kurtz, Matt Servitto.
Brief Interviews With Hideous Men (Director-screenwriter: John Krasinski)
When her boyfriend leaves with little explanation,...
- 12/3/2008
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
It looks like the 25th annual Sundance Film Festival is borrowing the late Harvey Milk's famous line: You gotta give 'em hope.
Despite the war-weary, economically ravaged state of the nation and the industry, the Sundance Institute eagerly announced the 2009 competition lineup Wednesday. And while it certainly maintains a somber quotient, the festival roster includes enough fresh takes on old genres (think romance, sci-fi and politics) to satisfy moviegoers and industry players looking for some warmth during the snowy 11-day event.
At least that's how fest organizers Geoffrey Gilmore, Sundance's longtime director, and John Cooper, its programming director, choose to see it.
"What you might have expected is that the festival would be really reflective right now of a very dark time, and it's not really true," said Gilmore, in his 19th year overseeing the fest. "We haven't seen the numbers drop, we haven't seen productions severely impacted yet by these factors,...
Despite the war-weary, economically ravaged state of the nation and the industry, the Sundance Institute eagerly announced the 2009 competition lineup Wednesday. And while it certainly maintains a somber quotient, the festival roster includes enough fresh takes on old genres (think romance, sci-fi and politics) to satisfy moviegoers and industry players looking for some warmth during the snowy 11-day event.
At least that's how fest organizers Geoffrey Gilmore, Sundance's longtime director, and John Cooper, its programming director, choose to see it.
"What you might have expected is that the festival would be really reflective right now of a very dark time, and it's not really true," said Gilmore, in his 19th year overseeing the fest. "We haven't seen the numbers drop, we haven't seen productions severely impacted yet by these factors,...
- 12/3/2008
- by By Jay A. Fernandez
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
A cute mutt and a chatty dolphin compete with thoroughly tame adults and a three precocious kids in the trite family comedy-romance-adventure "Zeus and Roxanne". The wide MGM release should bark its way to only marginal business before swimming out to sea as a video rental.
The spotlight falls on affable, mischievous Zeus (a Portuguese Podengo) to carry the film, and some young children will respond to the physical humor. From underwater scenes to a dog leaping off a balcony into a pool, there are a few wondrous visual moments, but the situation-comedy elements of Tom Benedek's screenplay are blandly executed.
The otherwise reliable director George Miller ("The Man From Snowy River", "Andre") and cinematographer David Connell strive for a "Babe"-like intimacy with the animals, but it gets way out of hand with the super-smart Zeus, a pooch who saves the day more times than Rin Tin Tin.
Steve Guttenberg and Kathleen Quinlan are suitably parental as the tanned leads. She's a single-mom researcher in need of a grant. He's a single-dad musician holed up in the Bahamas with his son (Miko Hughes), whose dog Zeus gets the hots, so we're led to believe, for Flipper-lookalike Roxanne.
On the watch for a good man to marry their mother, the daughters of Quinlan's character (Dawn McMillan and Majandra Delfino) work kid magic on Guttenberg's hates-to-shave good guy, and the hoped-for romance develops.
A dog (one of three Zeuses) does ride on the back of a dolphin (one of three Roxannes) and Quinlan's adventuresome character does almost kick the bucket in a tiny submersible. Early on, Zeus himself almost doggy-paddles his way to a shark lunch special, but overall the film is sugary and innocuous.
ZEUS AND ROXANNE
MGM Distribution Co.
Rysher Entertainment presents
A Frank Price production
A George Miller film
Director George Miller
Writer Tom Benedek
Producers Frank Price, Gene Rosow,
Ludi Boeken
Executive producers Laura Friedman, Hilton Green
Director of photography David Connell
Production designer Bernt Capra
Editor Harry Hitner
Music Bruce Rowland
Casting Karen Rea
Color/stereo
Cast:
Terry Steve Guttenberg
Mary Beth Kathleen Quinlan
Claude Arnold Vosloo
Becky Miko Hughes
Judith Majandra Delfino
Nora Jessica Howell
Running time -- 98 minutes
MPAA rating: PG...
The spotlight falls on affable, mischievous Zeus (a Portuguese Podengo) to carry the film, and some young children will respond to the physical humor. From underwater scenes to a dog leaping off a balcony into a pool, there are a few wondrous visual moments, but the situation-comedy elements of Tom Benedek's screenplay are blandly executed.
The otherwise reliable director George Miller ("The Man From Snowy River", "Andre") and cinematographer David Connell strive for a "Babe"-like intimacy with the animals, but it gets way out of hand with the super-smart Zeus, a pooch who saves the day more times than Rin Tin Tin.
Steve Guttenberg and Kathleen Quinlan are suitably parental as the tanned leads. She's a single-mom researcher in need of a grant. He's a single-dad musician holed up in the Bahamas with his son (Miko Hughes), whose dog Zeus gets the hots, so we're led to believe, for Flipper-lookalike Roxanne.
On the watch for a good man to marry their mother, the daughters of Quinlan's character (Dawn McMillan and Majandra Delfino) work kid magic on Guttenberg's hates-to-shave good guy, and the hoped-for romance develops.
A dog (one of three Zeuses) does ride on the back of a dolphin (one of three Roxannes) and Quinlan's adventuresome character does almost kick the bucket in a tiny submersible. Early on, Zeus himself almost doggy-paddles his way to a shark lunch special, but overall the film is sugary and innocuous.
ZEUS AND ROXANNE
MGM Distribution Co.
Rysher Entertainment presents
A Frank Price production
A George Miller film
Director George Miller
Writer Tom Benedek
Producers Frank Price, Gene Rosow,
Ludi Boeken
Executive producers Laura Friedman, Hilton Green
Director of photography David Connell
Production designer Bernt Capra
Editor Harry Hitner
Music Bruce Rowland
Casting Karen Rea
Color/stereo
Cast:
Terry Steve Guttenberg
Mary Beth Kathleen Quinlan
Claude Arnold Vosloo
Becky Miko Hughes
Judith Majandra Delfino
Nora Jessica Howell
Running time -- 98 minutes
MPAA rating: PG...
- 1/27/1997
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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