Exclusive: Comedy troupe The Dress Up Gang are in production on their first feature film, The Dress Up Gang Movie with Tideline Entertainment and Mountain Top Pictures producing.
Cameras will roll in LA.
Founded in 2008, The Dress Up Gang is comprised of Robb Boardman, DeMorge Brown, Kevin Camia, Donny Divanian, Christian Duguay, Kirk Fox, Cory Loykasek, Frankie Quinones and Brent Weinbach.
The pic written by the group’s Loykasek, Boardman and Divanian is a comedy adventure about our connection to houseplants, nature, and each other. Blurb: Cory spends his days isolated and working from home until he becomes entangled with a mysterious figure known only as “the Plantman,” a vigilante who breaks into people’s homes to rescue plants that aren’t being watered. Cory is suddenly thrust outdoors, into an underground world of plant-lovers, secret greenhouses, and rogue hardware store employees who will stop at nothing to save the dying plants of the city.
Cameras will roll in LA.
Founded in 2008, The Dress Up Gang is comprised of Robb Boardman, DeMorge Brown, Kevin Camia, Donny Divanian, Christian Duguay, Kirk Fox, Cory Loykasek, Frankie Quinones and Brent Weinbach.
The pic written by the group’s Loykasek, Boardman and Divanian is a comedy adventure about our connection to houseplants, nature, and each other. Blurb: Cory spends his days isolated and working from home until he becomes entangled with a mysterious figure known only as “the Plantman,” a vigilante who breaks into people’s homes to rescue plants that aren’t being watered. Cory is suddenly thrust outdoors, into an underground world of plant-lovers, secret greenhouses, and rogue hardware store employees who will stop at nothing to save the dying plants of the city.
- 5/6/2024
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Dylan O'Brien Supports New Movie 'Ponyboi' at His First Premiere in 2 Years During Sundance Festival
Dylan O’Brien has returned to the red carpet to promote his new movie Ponyboi at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.
The 32-year-old Teen Wolf alum attended the movie’s premiere at the Library Center Theatre on Saturday (January 20) in Park City, Utah.
This marks the first premiere Dylan has attended since July 2022 when he promoted his movie Not Okay with Zoey Deutch!
Keep reading to find out more…
Dylan kept his look casual but stylish. He wore black pants with a matching shirt and jacket. The actor finished off his look with a burgundy beanie and bright white shoes.
He was joined on the red carpet by costars Victoria Pedretti, Indya Moore, River Gallo, Annie Henk, Moises Acevedo, Aphrodite Armstrong, Miles Coreas, Kevin Matthew McDonald, NaTonia Monet and Keith William Richards.
Director Esteban Arango, producer Mark Ankner and co-producers Sade Clacken and Kristen Laffey were also present. We’ve got pics...
The 32-year-old Teen Wolf alum attended the movie’s premiere at the Library Center Theatre on Saturday (January 20) in Park City, Utah.
This marks the first premiere Dylan has attended since July 2022 when he promoted his movie Not Okay with Zoey Deutch!
Keep reading to find out more…
Dylan kept his look casual but stylish. He wore black pants with a matching shirt and jacket. The actor finished off his look with a burgundy beanie and bright white shoes.
He was joined on the red carpet by costars Victoria Pedretti, Indya Moore, River Gallo, Annie Henk, Moises Acevedo, Aphrodite Armstrong, Miles Coreas, Kevin Matthew McDonald, NaTonia Monet and Keith William Richards.
Director Esteban Arango, producer Mark Ankner and co-producers Sade Clacken and Kristen Laffey were also present. We’ve got pics...
- 1/21/2024
- by Just Jared
- Just Jared
Exclusive: Fox Entertainment and its in-house studio division MarVista Entertainment are launching Tideline Entertainment, a production label that will focus on creating impactful and meaningful content with unique perspectives from differentiated storytellers, voices and creators worldwide.
Under the leadership of Hannah Pillemer, MarVista’s EVP and Head of Creative & Production, Tideline projects will range from movies and indie films to limited series, made-for-platform content and other cross-genre formats based on what best supports each creative vision.
The first project under Tideline is the Esteban Arango-directed Ponyboi, which is being produced and sold by Mark Ankner in partnership with 30Kft out of Sundance; the pic premieres Saturday in the fest’s U.S. Dramatic Competition section. The movie, written by River Gallo and starring Teen Wolf‘s Dylan O’Brien, follows a young intersex sex worker forced to confront their past while running from the mob after a drug deal goes sideways.
Under the leadership of Hannah Pillemer, MarVista’s EVP and Head of Creative & Production, Tideline projects will range from movies and indie films to limited series, made-for-platform content and other cross-genre formats based on what best supports each creative vision.
The first project under Tideline is the Esteban Arango-directed Ponyboi, which is being produced and sold by Mark Ankner in partnership with 30Kft out of Sundance; the pic premieres Saturday in the fest’s U.S. Dramatic Competition section. The movie, written by River Gallo and starring Teen Wolf‘s Dylan O’Brien, follows a young intersex sex worker forced to confront their past while running from the mob after a drug deal goes sideways.
- 1/19/2024
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Not even Gwyneth Paltrow’s ski instructor could predict the terrain on the slopes of Park City, Utah — and so it goes for the crop of independent movies seeking splashy distribution deals at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.
Buzzy titles with notable names — Kristen Stewart, Pedro Pascal, Kieran Culkin and Steven Yeun are just a few of the stars popping up in festival movies — will vie for release slots from major studios and streamers. But the evergreen questions remain: Which films will win over audiences on the ground, and how much cash are distributors willing to cough up for these crowd-pleasers?
There are indicators that this year is shaping up to be a seller’s market, according to more than half a dozen sales agents and industry players who spoke with Variety. The first sign is a key victory agents and filmmakers claimed when they convinced Sundance to overhaul its virtual program.
Buzzy titles with notable names — Kristen Stewart, Pedro Pascal, Kieran Culkin and Steven Yeun are just a few of the stars popping up in festival movies — will vie for release slots from major studios and streamers. But the evergreen questions remain: Which films will win over audiences on the ground, and how much cash are distributors willing to cough up for these crowd-pleasers?
There are indicators that this year is shaping up to be a seller’s market, according to more than half a dozen sales agents and industry players who spoke with Variety. The first sign is a key victory agents and filmmakers claimed when they convinced Sundance to overhaul its virtual program.
- 1/18/2024
- by Matt Donnelly
- Variety Film + TV
Willie Nelson & Family, a documentary series about the country music icon from filmmakers Thom Zimny and Oren Moverman, is set to bow on Paramount+ on Dec. 21.
The career retrospective is creatively driven by directors Zimny and Moverman, both recent Emmy winners — Zimny for directing the variety special Springsteen on Broadway and Moverman for the TV movie Bad Education, starring Hugh Jackman.
Paramount+ acquired the documentary series, which recalls Nelson’s life and long career as an iconic country music singer-songwriter, after its world premiere at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. Nelson participated in the production and allowed Zimny — a frequent Bruce Springsteen collaborator — and Moverman access to his archives.
The four-parter is executive produced by Yellowstone co-creator Taylor Sheridan and is a production of MTV Entertainment Studios, in association with 101 Studios, Blackbird Presents Films and Sight Unseen. “Willie’s music formed the soundtrack of my youth. His songwriting helped shape me as a storyteller…...
The career retrospective is creatively driven by directors Zimny and Moverman, both recent Emmy winners — Zimny for directing the variety special Springsteen on Broadway and Moverman for the TV movie Bad Education, starring Hugh Jackman.
Paramount+ acquired the documentary series, which recalls Nelson’s life and long career as an iconic country music singer-songwriter, after its world premiere at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. Nelson participated in the production and allowed Zimny — a frequent Bruce Springsteen collaborator — and Moverman access to his archives.
The four-parter is executive produced by Yellowstone co-creator Taylor Sheridan and is a production of MTV Entertainment Studios, in association with 101 Studios, Blackbird Presents Films and Sight Unseen. “Willie’s music formed the soundtrack of my youth. His songwriting helped shape me as a storyteller…...
- 12/14/2023
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Theresa Kang, founder and CEO of Blue Marble Pictures and Blue Marble Productions, has never followed someone else’s script for success. That’s telegraphed by the company’s name — inspired by the iconic photo of Earth taken from space just over 50 years ago, it speaks to the fearless exploration of new frontiers — and the singular, residential vibe of its Los Angeles headquarters.
“I wanted a space that felt calm and beautiful while also having a structure to it that felt strong, where there was balance between femininity and masculinity,” explains the agent turned manager and producer. She’d always dreamed of having a place where clients and collaborators — including Alfonso Cuarón, Hillman Grad, Justin Chon and Kerry Ehrin, who’s adapting The White Darkness, starring Tom Hiddleston, as part of Blue Marble’s multiyear producing deal for Apple TV+ — would feel comfortable hanging out anytime. “I wanted it to...
“I wanted a space that felt calm and beautiful while also having a structure to it that felt strong, where there was balance between femininity and masculinity,” explains the agent turned manager and producer. She’d always dreamed of having a place where clients and collaborators — including Alfonso Cuarón, Hillman Grad, Justin Chon and Kerry Ehrin, who’s adapting The White Darkness, starring Tom Hiddleston, as part of Blue Marble’s multiyear producing deal for Apple TV+ — would feel comfortable hanging out anytime. “I wanted it to...
- 12/9/2023
- by Abigail Stone
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Kieran Culkin and Jesse Eisenberg in ‘A Real Pain’ (Courtesy of Sundance Institute)
82 films have been selected to screen during the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. In addition, eight episodic titles and a New Frontier interactive experience have made the cut and will be included in the upcoming festival.
17,435 projects were submitted for 2024 inclusion, setting a new festival record.
“From the first edition in 1985, Sundance Film Festival has aimed to provide a space to gather, celebrate, and engage with risk-taking artists that are committed to bringing their independent visions to audiences — the Festival remains true to that goal to this day,” stated Robert Redford, Sundance Institute Founder and President. “It continues to evolve, but its legacy of showcasing bold work that starts necessary conversations continues with the 2024 program.”
The 40th Sundance Film Festival will take place January 18 – 28, 2024, in Park City and Salt Lake City. Ticket packages and passes are currently on sale.
82 films have been selected to screen during the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. In addition, eight episodic titles and a New Frontier interactive experience have made the cut and will be included in the upcoming festival.
17,435 projects were submitted for 2024 inclusion, setting a new festival record.
“From the first edition in 1985, Sundance Film Festival has aimed to provide a space to gather, celebrate, and engage with risk-taking artists that are committed to bringing their independent visions to audiences — the Festival remains true to that goal to this day,” stated Robert Redford, Sundance Institute Founder and President. “It continues to evolve, but its legacy of showcasing bold work that starts necessary conversations continues with the 2024 program.”
The 40th Sundance Film Festival will take place January 18 – 28, 2024, in Park City and Salt Lake City. Ticket packages and passes are currently on sale.
- 12/6/2023
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
It’s almost time again for me to pack my bags and head to Park City, Utah, for the 2024 edition of the Sundance Film Festival. The last few years have been challenging for the fest, with the 2021 and 2022 editions only being online due to the pandemic. The 2023 edition was a hybrid version that sported a few high-profile debuts, including A24’s horror hit Talk to Me, but overall was a bit of a modest year in terms of stuff that broke out. However, 2024 seems to be a high-end year for the fest, with tons of big stars on the way to the festival, including Pedro Pascal, Kristen Stewart (there with two movies), Sebastian Stan, Woody Harrelson and many more.
It’s always interesting to note the trend in storytelling at this famous indie fest. In recent years, the pandemic weighed highly on the fest, with many films acknowledging the toll it took,...
It’s always interesting to note the trend in storytelling at this famous indie fest. In recent years, the pandemic weighed highly on the fest, with many films acknowledging the toll it took,...
- 12/6/2023
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
As sellers and buyers roll into the chilly climes of Park City and Sundance starting tonight, a batch of promising films await at the Sundance Film Festival. Along with hopes of all-nighter auctions and the opportunity to find the next Coda. After a number of conversations with vets on both sides, the simple truth is, we won’t know if there’s a towering deal ahead, until some of the top titles his the screen over the next week.
Related Story Will A Return To In-Person Sundance Fire Up The Indie Film Biz? Related Story Ryan Coogler On Sundance & 'Fruitvale Station' A Decade Later & How 'Creed' May Be The Most Park City Franchise Ever Related Story Brett Kavanaugh Investigation Documentary 'Justice' From Doug Liman Added To Sundance Lineup
This is the first in-person version of Sundance in a good long time. While the festival’s terrific online portal...
Related Story Will A Return To In-Person Sundance Fire Up The Indie Film Biz? Related Story Ryan Coogler On Sundance & 'Fruitvale Station' A Decade Later & How 'Creed' May Be The Most Park City Franchise Ever Related Story Brett Kavanaugh Investigation Documentary 'Justice' From Doug Liman Added To Sundance Lineup
This is the first in-person version of Sundance in a good long time. While the festival’s terrific online portal...
- 1/20/2023
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Longtime Endeavor Content Partner Mark Ankner is leaving to become a partner at DreamCrew Entertainment, the production company of Drake and Adel “Future” Nur. In his role Ankner will oversee content development, production and financing opportunities for the company. Ankner’s hire marks the continued growth of DreamCrew whose credits include Top Boy, Spree, and Euphoria.
Ankner joined Endeavor in 2006, and he was a fixture in the indie financing and dealmaking game, playing a key role in building the agency’s film finance, sales and advisory business. He was later named partner at Wme and then Endeavor Content. Over the last 15 years Ankner has created many of the biggest festival sales both financially and culturally and drove financing packages for content creators and financiers.
Ankner championed emerging filmmakers who’ve gone on to commercial acclaim, and he closed some whopping deals during his time. Among those films are the...
Ankner joined Endeavor in 2006, and he was a fixture in the indie financing and dealmaking game, playing a key role in building the agency’s film finance, sales and advisory business. He was later named partner at Wme and then Endeavor Content. Over the last 15 years Ankner has created many of the biggest festival sales both financially and culturally and drove financing packages for content creators and financiers.
Ankner championed emerging filmmakers who’ve gone on to commercial acclaim, and he closed some whopping deals during his time. Among those films are the...
- 6/15/2020
- by Mike Fleming Jr and Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Amazon Studios has acquired the worldwide rights to Ninian Doff’s debut feature Boyz In The Wood which stars Izzard, Kate Dickie, Georgie Glen, James Cosmo and a up-and-comers Samuel Bottomley, Viraj Juneja, Rian Gordon and Lewis Gribben. The horror-comedy made its world premiere as the opening Midnight Movie at SXSW and received rave reviews before moving on to a noteworthy festival run.
Written and directed by Doff and produced by Tobey Maguire and Matthew Plouffe’s Material Pictures, Boyz In The Wood is set deep in the Scottish Highlands and gives an irreverent take on generational politics, hip-hop loving farmers, and hallucinogenic rabbit shites. The satirical story, which features a playlist of tone-appropriate rappers including Danny Brown, Vince Staples, Run The Jewels, and original music from Scottish producer S-Type, follows four city boys trying to escape a mysterious huntsman (Izzard). The Scottish Highlands’ police unit trails behind, failing spectacularly to provide assistance.
Written and directed by Doff and produced by Tobey Maguire and Matthew Plouffe’s Material Pictures, Boyz In The Wood is set deep in the Scottish Highlands and gives an irreverent take on generational politics, hip-hop loving farmers, and hallucinogenic rabbit shites. The satirical story, which features a playlist of tone-appropriate rappers including Danny Brown, Vince Staples, Run The Jewels, and original music from Scottish producer S-Type, follows four city boys trying to escape a mysterious huntsman (Izzard). The Scottish Highlands’ police unit trails behind, failing spectacularly to provide assistance.
- 12/17/2019
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Scorsese’s producing partner Emma Tillinger Koskoff talks to Screen about the venture.
The first project from Martin Scorsese’s as-yet-unnamed fund to help emerging filmmakers will be unveiled at the Cannes Film Festival (17-28 May).
The Cannes Director’s Fortnight entry A Ciambra by Jonas Carpignano is the first film to be produced under the fund, which is a partnership between Scorsese and Emma Tillinger Koskoff’s Sikelia Productions and Rodrigo Teixeira’s Brazil-based Rt Features.
The idea was first floated in 2013, with the fund launching in 2014. It has taken until now for the first film to come to fruition.
For the first time filmmakers will be able to submit projects for consideration by the fund, taking it beyond the scouting network.
Development process
Sikelia president of production Koskoff spoke to Screen about the venture at the Nettia Off Camera Film Festival in Krakow, where she was on the main feature film competition jury.
She...
The first project from Martin Scorsese’s as-yet-unnamed fund to help emerging filmmakers will be unveiled at the Cannes Film Festival (17-28 May).
The Cannes Director’s Fortnight entry A Ciambra by Jonas Carpignano is the first film to be produced under the fund, which is a partnership between Scorsese and Emma Tillinger Koskoff’s Sikelia Productions and Rodrigo Teixeira’s Brazil-based Rt Features.
The idea was first floated in 2013, with the fund launching in 2014. It has taken until now for the first film to come to fruition.
For the first time filmmakers will be able to submit projects for consideration by the fund, taking it beyond the scouting network.
Development process
Sikelia president of production Koskoff spoke to Screen about the venture at the Nettia Off Camera Film Festival in Krakow, where she was on the main feature film competition jury.
She...
- 5/12/2017
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: The director is scouting for projects from first and second-time directors.
Martin Scorsese’s as-yet-unnamed fund to help emerging filmmakers will be unveiled at the Cannes Film Festival (17-28 May).
The Cannes Director’s Fortnight entry A Ciambra by Jonas Carpignano is the first film to be produced under the fund, which is a partnership between Scorsese and Emma Tillinger Koskoff’s Sikelia Productions and Brazil-based Rt Features.
The fund will have an official launch at Cannes to coincide with the screening of A Ciambra.
An idea first floated between the companies in 2014, it has taken three years for the fund to come to fruition, as a model for choosing projects and a submissions process has been devised.
For the first time filmmakers will be able to submit projects for consideration by the fund, taking it beyond the scouting network.
Development process
Sikelia president of production Koskoff spoke to Screen about the venture at the...
Martin Scorsese’s as-yet-unnamed fund to help emerging filmmakers will be unveiled at the Cannes Film Festival (17-28 May).
The Cannes Director’s Fortnight entry A Ciambra by Jonas Carpignano is the first film to be produced under the fund, which is a partnership between Scorsese and Emma Tillinger Koskoff’s Sikelia Productions and Brazil-based Rt Features.
The fund will have an official launch at Cannes to coincide with the screening of A Ciambra.
An idea first floated between the companies in 2014, it has taken three years for the fund to come to fruition, as a model for choosing projects and a submissions process has been devised.
For the first time filmmakers will be able to submit projects for consideration by the fund, taking it beyond the scouting network.
Development process
Sikelia president of production Koskoff spoke to Screen about the venture at the...
- 5/12/2017
- ScreenDaily
On the eve of the market, Afm executives said the number of registered UK exhibitors will reach its highest level since 2009 despite concerns over a punishing exchange rate in light of the Brexit vote.
Thirty-eight registered companies represents a year-on-year climb of nearly 16%.
Market chiefs also reported increased attendance from China and Hong Kong, with more than 200 registrants from mainland China and a further 75 or so from Hong Kong on behalf of 90 companies.
Overall 367 exhibiting companies and more than 7,500 attendees from more than 80 countries are expected to arrive in Santa Monica.
A total of 305 films are set to screen with 252 market premieres and 71 world premieres.
The industry programming that runs from November 3-8 will hear from ICM Partners head of international and independent division Jessica Lacy, The Weinstein Company COO David Glasser, Cca co-head of finance Micah Green, Wme Global’s Mark Ankner, Foresight Unlimited president and COO Tamara Birkemoe, Echo Lake’s [link...
Thirty-eight registered companies represents a year-on-year climb of nearly 16%.
Market chiefs also reported increased attendance from China and Hong Kong, with more than 200 registrants from mainland China and a further 75 or so from Hong Kong on behalf of 90 companies.
Overall 367 exhibiting companies and more than 7,500 attendees from more than 80 countries are expected to arrive in Santa Monica.
A total of 305 films are set to screen with 252 market premieres and 71 world premieres.
The industry programming that runs from November 3-8 will hear from ICM Partners head of international and independent division Jessica Lacy, The Weinstein Company COO David Glasser, Cca co-head of finance Micah Green, Wme Global’s Mark Ankner, Foresight Unlimited president and COO Tamara Birkemoe, Echo Lake’s [link...
- 11/1/2016
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Voltage Pictures will finance and produce an untitled Bruce Willis action comedy and is in the midst of talks with Cannes buyers.
Willis plays a Venice Beach private investigator who goes up against gang leaders, Samoan brothers and a loan shark after his dog is stolen.
Production is scheduled to commence on June 29 in Venice, California. Mark and Robb Cullen will direct and produce alongside Voltage chief Nicolas Chartier, Zev Foreman and Laura Ford.
Voltage, CAA and Wme represent Us rights to the film.
“Once I sat in a room with Mark and Robb and heard their vision, I was convinced they would deliver a killer fun fast-paced, cool, action comedy,” said Chartier. “This is the perfect film for Bruce, going back to his great roles in The Whole 9 Yards and Pulp Fiction.”
Chartier brokered the deal on behalf of Voltage with CAA and Julian Zajfren of Ziffren Law on behalf of Willis and Mark Ankner of Wme...
Willis plays a Venice Beach private investigator who goes up against gang leaders, Samoan brothers and a loan shark after his dog is stolen.
Production is scheduled to commence on June 29 in Venice, California. Mark and Robb Cullen will direct and produce alongside Voltage chief Nicolas Chartier, Zev Foreman and Laura Ford.
Voltage, CAA and Wme represent Us rights to the film.
“Once I sat in a room with Mark and Robb and heard their vision, I was convinced they would deliver a killer fun fast-paced, cool, action comedy,” said Chartier. “This is the perfect film for Bruce, going back to his great roles in The Whole 9 Yards and Pulp Fiction.”
Chartier brokered the deal on behalf of Voltage with CAA and Julian Zajfren of Ziffren Law on behalf of Willis and Mark Ankner of Wme...
- 5/16/2015
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Premiering in Cartagena Film Festival 2014 and then going to the filmmakers’ hometown, New York City, where " Manos Sucias" ("Dirty Hands") won Tribeca Film Festival’s Best New Narrative Director Award and 2nd place Audience Award, this film has not yet closed Us distribution, but has been acquired internationally by some of the best distributors.
In Cannes, Marina de la Fuentes’ international sales agency, 6 Sales, sold it to Paris-based Pretty Pictures who acquired not only France – its usual home territory – but also Germany, Austria, Benelux and Switzerland. James Velaise of Pretty Pictures screened the film at Tribeca and “immediately fell madly in love with it,” he said.
“It came totally out of the blue, we were mesmerized by the filmmaking. As a first-time film 'Manos Sucias' is outstanding, as good as anything we’ve seen coming out of Latin America in a long time,” said Velaise.
Shot on location in Colombia, using local actors who speak the patois of Buenaventura, "Manos Sucias" reflects years of painstaking research by Josef Wladyka.
“What is fascinating is that the filmmaker spent five years in Buenaventura learning what was going on there and building up the trust of people. The average filmmaker would never take the time to do that. You feel that in the film: There a sense of genuineness which you don’t get in 99% of indie films today,” said Velaise.
At the same time, 'Manos Sucias' is “incredibly tight: On paper, it has some breakout potential to it, because it is a thriller, ” he added.
Pretty Pictures will now seek to sell the film on to distributors in the other four territories, all significant distributors for arthouse films. Velaise reasons that companies exist in these territories that often buy the same films as Pretty Pictures, and share similar tastes. (e.g., "La Jaula de Oro", premiered in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard 2013 and was acquired by Belgium-Fourcorners Distribution, France-Pretty Pictures, Germany-Films Boutique, Hong Kong (China)-Encore Inflight Limited, Hungary-Cirko Film Kft., Italy-Parthenos S.R.L., Mexico-Canibal Networks, Netherlands-Wild Bunch Benelux, Norway-As Fidalgo Film Distribution, Poland-Art House, Puerto Rico-Wiesner Distribution, Switzerland-Xenix Filmdistribution Gmbh, Taiwan-Maison Motion, Inc., U.K.- Peccadillo Pictures or "Love is Strange" by Ira Sachs premiered at Sundance 2014 and was acquired by U.S.-Sony Pictures Classics, Australia-Rialto Distribution (Australia), Canada-Métropole Films Distribution, Canada-Mongrel Media Inc., France-Pretty Pictures, Italy-Koch Media, Mexico-Cinemas Nueva Era, Portugal-Midas Filmes, Spain-Golem Distribución, Switzerland-Xenix Filmdistribution Gmbh, Turkey-Kurmaca Film, U.K.- Altitude Film Sales). These distributors are all likely candidates to acquire rights to "Manos Sucias" as well.
U.S. rights to "Manos Sucias" are handled by Wme Global’s Mark Ankner and Christine D’Souza. Distributors seeking to win over the booming Latino audience, and who have an affinity for gritty, action-packed, arthouse thrillers, or any of Pretty Pictures’ recent acquisitions (see below) owe it to themselves to check out this film.
This pioneering U.S.- Colombia production was the debut feature by writer-director, Josef Kubota Wladyka and co-writer-dp Alan Blanco. It was produced by Elena Greenlee, Márcia Nunes, Mirlanda Torres Zapata and Carolina Caicedo and exec-produced by U.S. Film Director Spike Lee.
"Manos Sucias" follows two estranged brothers, both Afro-Colombian fishermen, who embark on a fishing-boat from Buenaventura, Colombia’s biggest Pacific Coast port and a violent drug trade emporium. Their mission is to tow underwater a “narco-torpedo” packed with 100 kilos of cocaine to Panama. En route, they must circumnavigate marauding paramilitaries and impoverished villagers eager for their cargo.
In Cartagena, I interviewed the director, Dp, and producers. Josef Wladyka is a U.S. citizen who is the son of a Japanese mother and a Polish father. He received the Spike Lee Fellowship while attending the Tisch School of the Arts at Nyu.
Josef:
You could say this is a drug story, but you should know it is much more than that. In a fisherman’s village the Afro Colombians are confronted with drug traffic taking place on their ancestral beaches where they have lived for generations.
Before I started Grad Film School at Nyu, I spent several months backpacking with a close friend in South America. We traveled along the Pacific coast of Ecuador and Colombia, and went through these towns that were under siege by narco-trafficking. The locals would tell us stories about homemade submarines, narco-torpedoes, and different armed groups that would fight to control these areas. I became very interested in the subject and wanted to immerse myself more in the world. With the help of a friend from the region, I went back several times to Buenaventura, Tumaco, and other parts of the Pacific coast of Colombia to continue researching and collecting stories.
I also got permission to go to Malaga Naval Base where I saw confiscated narco-torpedoes and submarines first hand. I always had a camera with me and shot lots of footage during my travels. I used that footage to make a pitch video for raising money from Kickstarter and private equity.
The film is an official Colombian production, recognized by the Ley de Cine (The Cinema Law). It is a 50-50 coproduction with Colombian producers Carolina Caicedo and Mirlanda Zapata. With our U.S. producers, Márcia Nunes and Elena Greenlee, that makes four female producers on this film.
Cine Colombia , Colombia’s largest distributor and theater owner, one of the Cartagena Film Festival sponsors as well, invested in the film, as did Caracol, one of Colombia’s top two broadcasters.
Márcia knew Cine Colombia from her previous life in international sales with Goldcrest. Elena, Alan and I scouted in October 2012, one week in Bogotá and through Proimagenes we met many possible co-producers and visited locations. We chose young producers who were hungry for their first film; they were not rigid.
The U.S. producers wanted to do the film U.S. indie style, not in the usual Colombian style. We shot it in Buenaventura, Colombia’s largest port, which has been hit very hard by narco traffickers and violence.
This was the first feature for everyone. Except for Márcia, who got her Masters of Film Business at Gallatin School of Nyu, the others all got their MFAs from Tisch, though some graduated two years ago and others four years ago.
How we, as foreigners, were able to make this film, opening up delicate, sensitive and violent stories, was based on my having no assumptions. And our own cross-cultural backgrounds helped.
We had a great premiere in Cartagena. The festival permits people to see films for free and we were able to test the Colombian audience’s reaction. The film explores the international issue of drug trafficking and the social-exclusion of the Afro-Colombian community on the coast from the mainstream economy in Colombia. The film is genre bending; it is not too arty and is not fully a genre movie. The audience of 800 to 1,000 Colombians laughed and cried, even danced in their seats. Three of the actors also saw the film for the first time, as did the crew. When the actors came up for the Q & A they received a standing ovation from the crowd. It was a beautiful moment.
We offered free audiovisual workshops for the community before we shot the film, and found many of our actors and crewmembers through that process. We used Kickstarter to raise Us $60,000 to greenlight production and fund our community workshops in Buenaventura.
Film Independent bestowed the Canon Filmmaker Award upon the film’s two producers, who are also Film Independent Producing Fellows. The Canon Filmmaker Award Program is a program for Film Independent Fellows, alumni of the Los Angeles Film Festival and Spirit Awards Nominees and Winners. Producers Elena Greenlee and Márcia Nunes who had participated in the Find Producing Lab with the project were awarded with the loan of a Canon camera package for their production. Further support was granted by the San Francisco Film Society, who, together with the Kenneth Rainin Foundation, awarded the film with two grants, one during the production phase, and one during post-production.
Jennifer Kushner, Director of Artist Development at Film Independent spoke with Elena and Márcia in those early days about Manos Sucias and its upcoming shoot, and here’s what they had to say then:
Manos Sucias, Canon Filmmaker Award Winner Round 2
"The social exclusion of the Pacific coast — home to much of the Afro-Colombian population — is felt throughout the country, echoed in the sentiment that Colombia “doesn’t really have a black population.” While popular culture glamorizes cocaine “cowboys,” and the Us takes a tough stance in the “war on drugs,” few people acknowledge the oppression and resilience of these citizens.
Our goal is for the film to inspire change in our audience, and in the region. We want audiences to realize that people like Jacobo and Delio are not perpetuating the drug trade, they are trapped in it; and to reflect on the impact their personal choices have on the situation.”
“When Josef and Alan brought us the script in early 2012, we immediately fell in love with it. The characters jumped off the page, and we couldn’t stop thinking about it.”
Pretty Pictures roster of films illustrates their exceptional taste in films:
"The Dark Valley" ("Das Finstere Tal") By Andreas Prochaska (Acquired From Films Distribution In Feb 2014)
"Dancing In Jaffa" By Hilla Medalia (Acquired From K5 International In Apr 2013)
"Omar" By Hany Abu-Assad (Acquired From The Match Factory In Feb 2013)
"The Look Of Love" By Winterbottom Michael (Acquired From Studiocanal In Aug 2012)
"Pieta" By Ki-Duk Kim (Acquired From Finecut Co. Ltd. In Aug 2012)
"Wadjda" By Haifa Al-Mansour (Acquired From The Match Factory In May 2012)
"The Hunt" ("Jagten") By Thomas Vinterberg (Acquired From Trust In Apr 2012)
"Marina Abramovic: The Artist Is Present" By Matthew Akers (Acquired From Dogwoof In Feb 2012)...
In Cannes, Marina de la Fuentes’ international sales agency, 6 Sales, sold it to Paris-based Pretty Pictures who acquired not only France – its usual home territory – but also Germany, Austria, Benelux and Switzerland. James Velaise of Pretty Pictures screened the film at Tribeca and “immediately fell madly in love with it,” he said.
“It came totally out of the blue, we were mesmerized by the filmmaking. As a first-time film 'Manos Sucias' is outstanding, as good as anything we’ve seen coming out of Latin America in a long time,” said Velaise.
Shot on location in Colombia, using local actors who speak the patois of Buenaventura, "Manos Sucias" reflects years of painstaking research by Josef Wladyka.
“What is fascinating is that the filmmaker spent five years in Buenaventura learning what was going on there and building up the trust of people. The average filmmaker would never take the time to do that. You feel that in the film: There a sense of genuineness which you don’t get in 99% of indie films today,” said Velaise.
At the same time, 'Manos Sucias' is “incredibly tight: On paper, it has some breakout potential to it, because it is a thriller, ” he added.
Pretty Pictures will now seek to sell the film on to distributors in the other four territories, all significant distributors for arthouse films. Velaise reasons that companies exist in these territories that often buy the same films as Pretty Pictures, and share similar tastes. (e.g., "La Jaula de Oro", premiered in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard 2013 and was acquired by Belgium-Fourcorners Distribution, France-Pretty Pictures, Germany-Films Boutique, Hong Kong (China)-Encore Inflight Limited, Hungary-Cirko Film Kft., Italy-Parthenos S.R.L., Mexico-Canibal Networks, Netherlands-Wild Bunch Benelux, Norway-As Fidalgo Film Distribution, Poland-Art House, Puerto Rico-Wiesner Distribution, Switzerland-Xenix Filmdistribution Gmbh, Taiwan-Maison Motion, Inc., U.K.- Peccadillo Pictures or "Love is Strange" by Ira Sachs premiered at Sundance 2014 and was acquired by U.S.-Sony Pictures Classics, Australia-Rialto Distribution (Australia), Canada-Métropole Films Distribution, Canada-Mongrel Media Inc., France-Pretty Pictures, Italy-Koch Media, Mexico-Cinemas Nueva Era, Portugal-Midas Filmes, Spain-Golem Distribución, Switzerland-Xenix Filmdistribution Gmbh, Turkey-Kurmaca Film, U.K.- Altitude Film Sales). These distributors are all likely candidates to acquire rights to "Manos Sucias" as well.
U.S. rights to "Manos Sucias" are handled by Wme Global’s Mark Ankner and Christine D’Souza. Distributors seeking to win over the booming Latino audience, and who have an affinity for gritty, action-packed, arthouse thrillers, or any of Pretty Pictures’ recent acquisitions (see below) owe it to themselves to check out this film.
This pioneering U.S.- Colombia production was the debut feature by writer-director, Josef Kubota Wladyka and co-writer-dp Alan Blanco. It was produced by Elena Greenlee, Márcia Nunes, Mirlanda Torres Zapata and Carolina Caicedo and exec-produced by U.S. Film Director Spike Lee.
"Manos Sucias" follows two estranged brothers, both Afro-Colombian fishermen, who embark on a fishing-boat from Buenaventura, Colombia’s biggest Pacific Coast port and a violent drug trade emporium. Their mission is to tow underwater a “narco-torpedo” packed with 100 kilos of cocaine to Panama. En route, they must circumnavigate marauding paramilitaries and impoverished villagers eager for their cargo.
In Cartagena, I interviewed the director, Dp, and producers. Josef Wladyka is a U.S. citizen who is the son of a Japanese mother and a Polish father. He received the Spike Lee Fellowship while attending the Tisch School of the Arts at Nyu.
Josef:
You could say this is a drug story, but you should know it is much more than that. In a fisherman’s village the Afro Colombians are confronted with drug traffic taking place on their ancestral beaches where they have lived for generations.
Before I started Grad Film School at Nyu, I spent several months backpacking with a close friend in South America. We traveled along the Pacific coast of Ecuador and Colombia, and went through these towns that were under siege by narco-trafficking. The locals would tell us stories about homemade submarines, narco-torpedoes, and different armed groups that would fight to control these areas. I became very interested in the subject and wanted to immerse myself more in the world. With the help of a friend from the region, I went back several times to Buenaventura, Tumaco, and other parts of the Pacific coast of Colombia to continue researching and collecting stories.
I also got permission to go to Malaga Naval Base where I saw confiscated narco-torpedoes and submarines first hand. I always had a camera with me and shot lots of footage during my travels. I used that footage to make a pitch video for raising money from Kickstarter and private equity.
The film is an official Colombian production, recognized by the Ley de Cine (The Cinema Law). It is a 50-50 coproduction with Colombian producers Carolina Caicedo and Mirlanda Zapata. With our U.S. producers, Márcia Nunes and Elena Greenlee, that makes four female producers on this film.
Cine Colombia , Colombia’s largest distributor and theater owner, one of the Cartagena Film Festival sponsors as well, invested in the film, as did Caracol, one of Colombia’s top two broadcasters.
Márcia knew Cine Colombia from her previous life in international sales with Goldcrest. Elena, Alan and I scouted in October 2012, one week in Bogotá and through Proimagenes we met many possible co-producers and visited locations. We chose young producers who were hungry for their first film; they were not rigid.
The U.S. producers wanted to do the film U.S. indie style, not in the usual Colombian style. We shot it in Buenaventura, Colombia’s largest port, which has been hit very hard by narco traffickers and violence.
This was the first feature for everyone. Except for Márcia, who got her Masters of Film Business at Gallatin School of Nyu, the others all got their MFAs from Tisch, though some graduated two years ago and others four years ago.
How we, as foreigners, were able to make this film, opening up delicate, sensitive and violent stories, was based on my having no assumptions. And our own cross-cultural backgrounds helped.
We had a great premiere in Cartagena. The festival permits people to see films for free and we were able to test the Colombian audience’s reaction. The film explores the international issue of drug trafficking and the social-exclusion of the Afro-Colombian community on the coast from the mainstream economy in Colombia. The film is genre bending; it is not too arty and is not fully a genre movie. The audience of 800 to 1,000 Colombians laughed and cried, even danced in their seats. Three of the actors also saw the film for the first time, as did the crew. When the actors came up for the Q & A they received a standing ovation from the crowd. It was a beautiful moment.
We offered free audiovisual workshops for the community before we shot the film, and found many of our actors and crewmembers through that process. We used Kickstarter to raise Us $60,000 to greenlight production and fund our community workshops in Buenaventura.
Film Independent bestowed the Canon Filmmaker Award upon the film’s two producers, who are also Film Independent Producing Fellows. The Canon Filmmaker Award Program is a program for Film Independent Fellows, alumni of the Los Angeles Film Festival and Spirit Awards Nominees and Winners. Producers Elena Greenlee and Márcia Nunes who had participated in the Find Producing Lab with the project were awarded with the loan of a Canon camera package for their production. Further support was granted by the San Francisco Film Society, who, together with the Kenneth Rainin Foundation, awarded the film with two grants, one during the production phase, and one during post-production.
Jennifer Kushner, Director of Artist Development at Film Independent spoke with Elena and Márcia in those early days about Manos Sucias and its upcoming shoot, and here’s what they had to say then:
Manos Sucias, Canon Filmmaker Award Winner Round 2
"The social exclusion of the Pacific coast — home to much of the Afro-Colombian population — is felt throughout the country, echoed in the sentiment that Colombia “doesn’t really have a black population.” While popular culture glamorizes cocaine “cowboys,” and the Us takes a tough stance in the “war on drugs,” few people acknowledge the oppression and resilience of these citizens.
Our goal is for the film to inspire change in our audience, and in the region. We want audiences to realize that people like Jacobo and Delio are not perpetuating the drug trade, they are trapped in it; and to reflect on the impact their personal choices have on the situation.”
“When Josef and Alan brought us the script in early 2012, we immediately fell in love with it. The characters jumped off the page, and we couldn’t stop thinking about it.”
Pretty Pictures roster of films illustrates their exceptional taste in films:
"The Dark Valley" ("Das Finstere Tal") By Andreas Prochaska (Acquired From Films Distribution In Feb 2014)
"Dancing In Jaffa" By Hilla Medalia (Acquired From K5 International In Apr 2013)
"Omar" By Hany Abu-Assad (Acquired From The Match Factory In Feb 2013)
"The Look Of Love" By Winterbottom Michael (Acquired From Studiocanal In Aug 2012)
"Pieta" By Ki-Duk Kim (Acquired From Finecut Co. Ltd. In Aug 2012)
"Wadjda" By Haifa Al-Mansour (Acquired From The Match Factory In May 2012)
"The Hunt" ("Jagten") By Thomas Vinterberg (Acquired From Trust In Apr 2012)
"Marina Abramovic: The Artist Is Present" By Matthew Akers (Acquired From Dogwoof In Feb 2012)...
- 7/18/2014
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Update, 3:16 Pm: Magnolia Pictures has confirmed news that Deadline broke yesterday: It has acquired North American rights to Frank, starring Michael Fassbender. Read the full release below the original story. Previous Exclusive, Thursday Am: Magnolia is zeroing in on a low seven-figure domestic deal for Frank, the Lenny Abrahamson-directed film about a band that is led by an eclectic genius lead singer who, everywhere he goes, wears an oversized head, even on stage. Now, this has been one of the most intriguing titles, given that the actor playing him is Michael Fassbender, the hunky Irishman who was just Oscar-nominated for his role in 12 Years A Slave. The film also stars Maggie Gyllenhaal, Scoot McNairy and Domhnall Gleeson and the vantage point is a fledgling musician who joins the band. The film is repped by Wme Global, and while the deal flow has been a bit on the slow side,...
- 1/24/2014
- by MIKE FLEMING JR
- Deadline
Breaking: Wme has minted 20 new partners into the agency fold, and those include the tireless Sundance dealmakers working under Wme Global Finance & Distribution chief Graham Taylor. Mark Ankner, Liesl Copland and Alexis Garcia all have made partner. On the talent side, Esther Chang, Brandon Liebman, Doug Lucterhand, Boomer Malkin, and Brent Morley got partner stripes. On the motion picture lit side, Sarah Self is a new partner. In Scripted TV, Zach Druker, Lisa Harrison and Theresa Kang have made partner; from the Music Department, Michele Bernstein, David Levy, Rob Markus, and Joel Zimmerman made partner; from Commercials, Jeff Googel and Will Ward are now partners; Andy McNicol from Books is partner and so is Keith Friedenberg from Administration. This comes after the agency saw two longtime partners exit, with Brian Swardstrom moving to UTA and Christopher Donnelly becoming a manager at Lbi.
- 1/17/2014
- by MIKE FLEMING JR
- Deadline TV
Breaking: Wme has minted 20 new partners into the agency fold, and those include the tireless Sundance dealmakers working under Wme Global Finance & Distribution chief Graham Taylor. Mark Ankner, Liesl Copland and Alexis Garcia all have made partner. On the talent side, Esther Chang, Brandon Liebman, Doug Lucterhand, Boomer Malkin, and Brent Morley got partner stripes. On the motion picture lit side, Sarah Self is a new partner. In Scripted TV, Zach Druker, Lisa Harrison and Theresa Kang have made partner; from the Music Department, Michele Bernstein, David Levy, Rob Markus, and Joel Zimmerman made partner; from Commercials, Jeff Googel and Will Ward are now partners; Andy McNicol from Books is partner and so is Keith Friedenberg from Administration. This comes after the agency saw two longtime partners exit, with Brian Swardstrom moving to UTA and Christopher Donnelly becoming a manager at Lbi.
- 1/17/2014
- by MIKE FLEMING JR
- Deadline
The following article, from Colin Brown, Editorial Director of the film financing and dealmaking website Slated.com, explains how filmmakers need to think about packaging their projects for the market, with a checklist for each of twelve genres. It's also got some great data from the site. To read more from Colin, check out his Filmonomics blog on Slated.com. We don’t really know how many feature films will end up being made this year - 50,000 seems to be the best global guess – but what we do know is that their genetic make-up will differ in every instance. “Each film has its own DNA,” observed Wme agent Mark Ankner, speaking at a recent panel on film packaging organized by Pepperdine University as part of its certification program for film & TV finance. “No two films are alike,” echoed UTA agent Hailey Wierengo, sitting alongside him. “Each has its own unique set of hurdles.
- 10/14/2013
- by Colin Brown
- Indiewire
Breaking: Magnolia Pictures is wrapping up a deal worth north of $1 million for S-vhs, after an auction that included Lionsgate and Drafthouse. The deal beats the sum for the first film VHS, which Magnolia also released. The film, which premiered Saturday in Sundance‘s Park City At Midnight section, is a found-footage pic where two private investigators looking for a missing student break into an abandoned house and find a collection of mysterious VHS tapes. They are horrific and shine a light on the motives behind the student’s disappearance. There is a gangbang of directors on this one: Simon Barrett, Adam Wingard, Eduardo Sanchez, Gregg Hale, Timo Tjahjanto, Gareth Huw Evans and Jason Eisener wrote and directed the pic. Wme Global‘s Mark Ankner conducted the auction. Related: Sundance: Magnolia Pictures Acquires ‘Prince Avalanche’...
- 1/24/2013
- by MIKE FLEMING JR
- Deadline
Breaking: The Weinstein Company’s Radius-twc label has acquired Inequality For All, which is playing in the U.S. Competition at Sundance. It’s the fourth pickup in Park City for Radius, which overnight nailed down Lovelace starring Amanda Seyfried and also acquired Twenty Feet From Stardom and Concussion here. In Inequality, noted economic policy director Robert Reich distills the topic of widening income inequality and addresses the question of what effects this increasing gap has on our economy and our democracy. Inequality premiered Saturday at the Prospector Square Park Theatre and bidding went on all night with several suitors before TWC emerged in an exclusive negotiation this morning. The plan is to release the Jacob Kornbluth-directed pic in summer 2013. Producers are Jen Chaiken and Sebastian Dungan of 72 Productions. “Inequality For All left us speechless”, Radius co-presidents Tom Quinn and Jason Janego said. “We feel extremely proud and privileged to collaborate with Jacob,...
- 1/23/2013
- by MIKE FLEMING JR
- Deadline
Lawless star Tom Hardy is in talks to take on the lead role in director Doug Liman's film project Everest. The movie will tell the true story of mountain climber George Mallory, who in the 1920's tried three times to become the first man to scale the world’s highest mountain.
The movie is an adaptation of the book Paths Of Glory, Everest written by Jeffrey Archer, it was adapted by Sheldon Turner (Up In The Air). Liman is set to start shooting the movie after he's finished directing All You Need is Kill with Tom Cruise. Hardy is one hell of a talented actor, and he was awesome in Lawless! Everest sounds like a great project for him to take on, one where he'll once again be able to show off his acting skills.
If he doesn't get nominated for a Best Actor award for Lawless, maybe Everest...
The movie is an adaptation of the book Paths Of Glory, Everest written by Jeffrey Archer, it was adapted by Sheldon Turner (Up In The Air). Liman is set to start shooting the movie after he's finished directing All You Need is Kill with Tom Cruise. Hardy is one hell of a talented actor, and he was awesome in Lawless! Everest sounds like a great project for him to take on, one where he'll once again be able to show off his acting skills.
If he doesn't get nominated for a Best Actor award for Lawless, maybe Everest...
- 9/25/2012
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
Exclusive: Millennium Entertainment is closing a deal for North American rights on What Maisie Knew, the film by Scott McGehee and David Siegel that premiered last Friday at Roy Thomson Hall. Deal is worth around $2 million minimum guarantee. I hear that distribution heavyweight Bob Berney is consulting for Red Crown, which financed the film along with some private equity investors. Berney will help guide the film when it gets released next spring. Millennium Entertainment, run by Bill Lee, is coming off the indie success Bernie and has the Lee Daniels-directed The Paperboy upcoming. The plan is to try and replicate that Bernie success with a similar theatrical platform release. The film stars Alexander Skarsgard, Julianne Moore and Steve Coogan and revolves around the 7-year old title character, played by Onata Aprile. She is caught in a custody battle between her aging mother rock star and her art dealer father.
- 9/12/2012
- by MIKE FLEMING
- Deadline
This week, Sundance Institute announced its 2012 participants in the Creative Producing Initiatives. The week-long program begins with two concurrently-running Creative Producing Labs (July 30-Aug. 3)—the Feature Film Program and the Documentary Film Program and Fund—before capping off with the Creative Producing Summit (Aug. 3-5). Keri Putnam, Executive Director of Sundance Institute, said, “Sundance Institute is committed to supporting emerging independent film producers, and our Creative Producing Initiative is a rare opportunity for them to sharpen their creative instincts, evolve their problem-solving skills, and deepen their knowledge of the distribution landscape. In doing so, they are better equipped to successfully navigate an increasingly complex marketplace.” Eleven projects have been chosen to participate (5 feature films, 6 documentaries).
Following the Creative Producing Labs, 40 independent producers and directors (including the labs’ participating filmmakers) will connect with 30 independent cinema leaders over the three-day Creative Producing Summit. The invite-only event includes panel discussions, case studies, and roundtable meetings,...
Following the Creative Producing Labs, 40 independent producers and directors (including the labs’ participating filmmakers) will connect with 30 independent cinema leaders over the three-day Creative Producing Summit. The invite-only event includes panel discussions, case studies, and roundtable meetings,...
- 7/17/2012
- by Billy Brennan
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Radiant Films International has come aboard to handle the international rights to the period drama Madame Bovary starring Mia Wasikowska (Alice In Wonderland) and Paul Giamatti (Sideways) who are now joined by Ezra Miller (We Need To Talk About Kevin), it was announced today by Radiant Films. President and CEO Mimi Steinbauer.
Directed by Sophie Barthes (Cold Souls) and written by Rose Barrenche who has adapted Gustave Flaubert.s classic novel, Madame Bovary is produced by Joe Neurauter & Felipe Marino of Occupant Entertainment (The Wackness, Better Living Through Chemistry). Andrij Parekh is on board as director of photography (Blue Valentine).
Miller joins the cast as Madame Bovary.s love interest, Leon. He stunned audiences for his portrayal as a young killer in Lynne Ramsey.s We Need To Talk About Kevin for which he was nominated for a Broadcast Film Critics Association Award and a British Independent Film Award. Miller...
Directed by Sophie Barthes (Cold Souls) and written by Rose Barrenche who has adapted Gustave Flaubert.s classic novel, Madame Bovary is produced by Joe Neurauter & Felipe Marino of Occupant Entertainment (The Wackness, Better Living Through Chemistry). Andrij Parekh is on board as director of photography (Blue Valentine).
Miller joins the cast as Madame Bovary.s love interest, Leon. He stunned audiences for his portrayal as a young killer in Lynne Ramsey.s We Need To Talk About Kevin for which he was nominated for a Broadcast Film Critics Association Award and a British Independent Film Award. Miller...
- 5/10/2012
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Exclusive: Oscilloscope Laboratories acquired North American rights to the Dylan Southern/Will Lovelace-directed Shut Up and Play The Hits, which documents the final days of LCD Soundsystem. The film premiered at Sundance and then played SXSW. I’m told it will l be released in special one-night-only engagements in theaters nationwide this summer. Wme Global’s Mark Ankner made the deal. It was only a year ago that the band played its final show at Madison Square Garden after LCD frontman James Murphy had made the decision to disband while the group was at its peak.
- 4/2/2012
- by MIKE FLEMING
- Deadline
The international anthology feature The Fourth Dimension will screen in the Viewpoints program of the 2012 Tribeca Film Festival Tuesday, April 24. Jan Kwiecinski, Aleksey Fedorchenko and Harmony Korine directed the film's three shorts, one of which stars Val Kilmer as a motivational speaker. harmony The trailer for the film, which will have its world premiere at the San Francisco International Film Festival April 20, premiered Monday exclusively on THR. Priya Swaminathan, Matt Elek, Michael Derkits, Charles-Marie Anthonioz and Michal Kwiecinski produced the Grolsch Film Works and Vice Films project. Grolsch is the premier sponsor of Sfiff. Wme Global's Mark Ankner is repping sales on
read more...
read more...
- 3/26/2012
- by Jay A. Fernandez
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: Though the 2012 Sundance Film Festival is starting to fade from memory, buyers and sellers continue to make unhurried deals for the films that premiered there. Image Entertainment has just acquired U.S. rights to Christopher Neil’s coming-of-age stoner film Goats for what I’m hearing was near $1 million. The film premiered January 24 at the Eccles Theater and buyers sparked to the performances by David Duchovny, Vera Farmiga, Ty Burrell and Graham Phillips. Christopher Neil directed and Mark Jude Poirier wrote the script. The film is based on the Mark Jude Poirier novel, in which a guy leaves his unconventional desert home to attend the disciplined and structured Gates Academy. There, he re-connects with his estranged father and for the first time questions the family dynamics. The film was produced by Red Crown Productions’ Daniela Taplin Lundberg, Shannon Lail and Eric Kopeloff. Executive Producers include Peter Touche, whose Sandia Media partially financed the film,...
- 2/7/2012
- by MIKE FLEMING
- Deadline
V/H/S acquired by Magnolia Pictures. V/H/S‘ North American distribution rights have been acquired by Magnolia Pictures for $1 Million for its genre appendage Magnet Releasing to unleash on multiple formats. The multi-format release includes “pre-theatrical video-on-demand release as part of Magnolia’s Ultra VOD program and it will also receive a significant release in theaters after the 30-day VOD window…Wme Global’s Mark Ankner represented the filmmakers in the sale and Magnolia was represented in-house by Eamonn Bowles and Dori Begley.”
V/H/S has the distinction of being the first horror movie to be acquired out of the 2012 Sundance Film Festival.
V/H/S is “A Pov, found footage horror film from the perspective of America’s top genre filmmakers. A group of misfits are hired by an unknown third party to burglarize a desolate house in the countryside and acquire a rare tape. Upon searching the house,...
V/H/S has the distinction of being the first horror movie to be acquired out of the 2012 Sundance Film Festival.
V/H/S is “A Pov, found footage horror film from the perspective of America’s top genre filmmakers. A group of misfits are hired by an unknown third party to burglarize a desolate house in the countryside and acquire a rare tape. Upon searching the house,...
- 1/27/2012
- by filmbook
- Film-Book
Breaking: Magnolia Pictures has completed an acquisition of V/H/S, the Midnight movie thriller. Deal was low seven figures for North American rights. V/H/S is about a group of misfits hired by an unknown third party to burglarize a desolate house to acquire a rare VHS tape, and discover more found footage than they bargained for. The film is basically a found footage anthology of various VHS tapes that tell different horror tales, with different segments directed by Adam Wingard, David Bruckner, Ti West, Glenn McQuaid, Joe Swanberg, and Radio Silence. As Deadline reported yesterday, a moviegoer passed out last night during a midnight screening of the genre film, which is becoming a badge of street cred for festival horror films. EMTs came, after the moviegoer passed out–during the first particularly gruesome scene. Another audience member was treated for nausea about 20 minutes later. The title was...
- 1/26/2012
- by MIKE FLEMING
- Deadline
Exclusive: After an all-night auction, The Weinstein Company closed a seven-figure deal for distribution and remake rights to Undefeated, a high school gridiron documentary that made its premiere Sunday night at South by Southwest at 9:45 Pm. Buyers began huddling up as soon as it was finished. Directed by Dan Lindsay and T.J. Martin, Undefeated tells the Cinderella story of an underprivileged football team from the perspective of three student athletes from inner city Memphis and a volunteer coach. The film is a Blind Side-caliber underdog story with heart. The Manassas Tigers football team was so woefully underfunded that the school made by money by hiring the team out to serve as the punching bag team that traveled to the home stadiums of wealthy Tennessee teams for their homecoming games, where the home teams would give the visitors a whipping. Things began to change in 2004, when former high school...
- 3/14/2011
- by MIKE FLEMING
- Deadline
HollywoodNews.com: Fox Searchlight Pictures Presidents Stephen Gilula and Nancy Utley announced today that the company has acquired rights to English speaking territories for the emotionally charged sci-fi drama Another Earth. Directed by Mike Cahill and written by Cahill and Brit Marling, Another Earth stars William Mapother, Brit Marling, Jordan Baker, Robin Lord Taylor and Flint Beverage. The film was produced by Hunter Gray of Artists Public Domain, Mike Cahill, Brit Marling and Nicholas Shumaker.
?There are haunting yet touching and beautiful elements in Brit Marling and Mike Cahill?s first feature. Brit’s performance is a revelation,? said Utley and Gilula. ?We are excited to be working with such extraordinarily talented filmmakers.?
?We were stunned and provoked by this original new vision of our world,? said Claudia Lewis, Fox Searchlight?s President of Production. ?This profound love story and philosophical meditation, set in a real yet future world took our breath away.
?There are haunting yet touching and beautiful elements in Brit Marling and Mike Cahill?s first feature. Brit’s performance is a revelation,? said Utley and Gilula. ?We are excited to be working with such extraordinarily talented filmmakers.?
?We were stunned and provoked by this original new vision of our world,? said Claudia Lewis, Fox Searchlight?s President of Production. ?This profound love story and philosophical meditation, set in a real yet future world took our breath away.
- 1/26/2011
- by HollywoodNews.com
- Hollywoodnews.com
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