What’s a film without distribution? The Popcorn List sets out to make sure that doesn’t happen to the best indies.
Founded by Lela Meadow-Conner and Barbara Twist, the inaugural annual survey spotlights 20 features that debuted at major or regional film festivals this past year and come highly recommended by festival programmers. Nineteen out of the 20 movies have reviews on Letterboxd, despite not yet having theatrical or digital distribution in the U.S. All 20 have won awards — including Audience Awards and Jury Awards — at festivals like Sundance and SXSW.
Billed as being The Black List for undistributed films, the 2024 Popcorn List highlights independent films that are currently still without domestic U.S. distribution, like the documentary “Chasing Chasing Amy” about the making of Kevin Smith’s comedy.
The other 18 are: “Ajoomma,” “American Pot Story: Oaksterdam,” “Art for Everybody,” “Asog,” “Blood Sweat & Beers,” “Caterpillar,” “Citizen Sleuth,” “City of Wind,” “Crows Are White,...
Founded by Lela Meadow-Conner and Barbara Twist, the inaugural annual survey spotlights 20 features that debuted at major or regional film festivals this past year and come highly recommended by festival programmers. Nineteen out of the 20 movies have reviews on Letterboxd, despite not yet having theatrical or digital distribution in the U.S. All 20 have won awards — including Audience Awards and Jury Awards — at festivals like Sundance and SXSW.
Billed as being The Black List for undistributed films, the 2024 Popcorn List highlights independent films that are currently still without domestic U.S. distribution, like the documentary “Chasing Chasing Amy” about the making of Kevin Smith’s comedy.
The other 18 are: “Ajoomma,” “American Pot Story: Oaksterdam,” “Art for Everybody,” “Asog,” “Blood Sweat & Beers,” “Caterpillar,” “Citizen Sleuth,” “City of Wind,” “Crows Are White,...
- 4/2/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
The Sudanese drama Goodbye Julia is continuing its impressive awards run, earning the Grand Jury Award for Best Narrative Feature over the weekend at the Sonoma International Film Festival in California.
Mohamed Kordofani directed the story set in the context of the secessionist movement that led to the establishment of the independent nation of South Sudan in 2011.
“We commend the festival for its impressive selection of narrative features and unanimously select Goodbye Julia as the best film,” jurors wrote. “An outstanding first feature from Mohamed Kordofani, anchored by two stellar performances from Eiman Yousif and Siran Riak, Goodbye Julia provides a glimpse into a culture and region that’s underrepresented and underexplored in contemporary cinema.”
The jury, comprised of Rosa Bosch (Begin Again Films), Tyler Coates (The Hollywood Reporter), Rebecca Fisher (Magnolia Pictures), Jason Hellerstein (Sideshow), and Julie Huntsinger (Telluride Film Festival), awarded a Special Mention to Hesitation Wound, describing...
Mohamed Kordofani directed the story set in the context of the secessionist movement that led to the establishment of the independent nation of South Sudan in 2011.
“We commend the festival for its impressive selection of narrative features and unanimously select Goodbye Julia as the best film,” jurors wrote. “An outstanding first feature from Mohamed Kordofani, anchored by two stellar performances from Eiman Yousif and Siran Riak, Goodbye Julia provides a glimpse into a culture and region that’s underrepresented and underexplored in contemporary cinema.”
The jury, comprised of Rosa Bosch (Begin Again Films), Tyler Coates (The Hollywood Reporter), Rebecca Fisher (Magnolia Pictures), Jason Hellerstein (Sideshow), and Julie Huntsinger (Telluride Film Festival), awarded a Special Mention to Hesitation Wound, describing...
- 3/25/2024
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
The 13th annual Sun Valley Film Festival, kicking off Feb. 28, will aim to once again to capture the spirit of storytelling by celebrating poignant films at the Idaho ski resort town.
This year’s festival kicks off with “Ezra,” directed by Tony Goldwyn and starring Bobby Cannavale, Rose Byrne and Robert De Niro, and concludes March 3 with a screening of “Sugarcane,” a documentary about missing children at a Native residential school that recently won a directing trophy for Emily Kassie and Julian Brave NoiseCat at Sundance.
The programming team also chose multiple films from first-time feature filmmakers, including Sophia Sabello and Pablo Feldman’s “Edge of Everything,” Annie Baker’s “Janet Planet,” Marc Marriott’s “Tokyo Cowboy,” Caroline Lindy’s “Your Monster,” while the documentary line-up includes Maggie Contreras’ “Maestra” and Lisa D’Apolito’s “Shari & Lamb Chop.”
Panels and starry tributes are planned at the fest, with movies screening at...
This year’s festival kicks off with “Ezra,” directed by Tony Goldwyn and starring Bobby Cannavale, Rose Byrne and Robert De Niro, and concludes March 3 with a screening of “Sugarcane,” a documentary about missing children at a Native residential school that recently won a directing trophy for Emily Kassie and Julian Brave NoiseCat at Sundance.
The programming team also chose multiple films from first-time feature filmmakers, including Sophia Sabello and Pablo Feldman’s “Edge of Everything,” Annie Baker’s “Janet Planet,” Marc Marriott’s “Tokyo Cowboy,” Caroline Lindy’s “Your Monster,” while the documentary line-up includes Maggie Contreras’ “Maestra” and Lisa D’Apolito’s “Shari & Lamb Chop.”
Panels and starry tributes are planned at the fest, with movies screening at...
- 2/28/2024
- by Nick Clement
- Variety Film + TV
The Locarno Film Festival has created a new industry advisory board that includes veteran producer Ted Hope, EFM founder Beki Probst and Mubi SVP of content Bobby Allen.
Locarno said the advisory board would help it navigate shifts in the independent cinema landscape.
The advisory board is headed by Nadia Dresti, the former marketing director of 20th Century Fox Switzerland. Her relationship with the festival goes back to the founding of its industry initiative Locarno Pro in 2000. Since 2022, Dresti has served as a member of the festival’s board of directors.
Working with her will be seven board members whose...
Locarno said the advisory board would help it navigate shifts in the independent cinema landscape.
The advisory board is headed by Nadia Dresti, the former marketing director of 20th Century Fox Switzerland. Her relationship with the festival goes back to the founding of its industry initiative Locarno Pro in 2000. Since 2022, Dresti has served as a member of the festival’s board of directors.
Working with her will be seven board members whose...
- 2/19/2024
- ScreenDaily
The Locarno Film Festival has formed an advisory board for its industry side and recruited a roster of top indie industry figures including former Amazon Studios film executive Ted Hope, Bobby Allen, who is senior VP of content at Mubi, and former European Film Market chief Beki Probst as members.
Locarno’s industry advisory board will be headed by Nadia Dresti, the former head of the prominent Swiss indie cinema event’s market side who has been with Locarno intermittently for roughly 30 years with an interlude for a few years as head of marketing for Fox Switzerland.
“I am delighted that in this ever-changing audiovisual landscape, the Locarno Film Festival has decided to initiate an ongoing conversation with industry professionals who will advise the board of directors on issues concerning the festival’s future,” Dresti said in a statement. “Together we will tackle relevant issues with the aim of providing invaluable industry insights.
Locarno’s industry advisory board will be headed by Nadia Dresti, the former head of the prominent Swiss indie cinema event’s market side who has been with Locarno intermittently for roughly 30 years with an interlude for a few years as head of marketing for Fox Switzerland.
“I am delighted that in this ever-changing audiovisual landscape, the Locarno Film Festival has decided to initiate an ongoing conversation with industry professionals who will advise the board of directors on issues concerning the festival’s future,” Dresti said in a statement. “Together we will tackle relevant issues with the aim of providing invaluable industry insights.
- 2/19/2024
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Veteran producer Ted Hope and former European Film Market head Beki Probst have been named as members of the Locarno Film Festival’s new industry advisor board.
They will be joined by Mubi Senior Vice President Bobby Allen, Locarno Industry Academy International Project Manager Marion Klotz; Emmanuel Cuénod, the former director of the Geneva International Film Festival (Giff) and the current head of the Swiss Digital Creation Hub, top Swiss exhibitor Edna Epelbaum, and Gerardo Michelin, the founder of the trade website LatAm cinema.
The new board’s mission will be advise the festival on how to keep in step with developments in the audiovisual sector and remain relevant to the film industry at large.
The new initiative was first announced last September when Maja Hoffmann was unveiled as the festival’s new president, replacing outgoing Marco Solari who held the role for 23 years.
As previously announced, long-time Locarno collaborator...
They will be joined by Mubi Senior Vice President Bobby Allen, Locarno Industry Academy International Project Manager Marion Klotz; Emmanuel Cuénod, the former director of the Geneva International Film Festival (Giff) and the current head of the Swiss Digital Creation Hub, top Swiss exhibitor Edna Epelbaum, and Gerardo Michelin, the founder of the trade website LatAm cinema.
The new board’s mission will be advise the festival on how to keep in step with developments in the audiovisual sector and remain relevant to the film industry at large.
The new initiative was first announced last September when Maja Hoffmann was unveiled as the festival’s new president, replacing outgoing Marco Solari who held the role for 23 years.
As previously announced, long-time Locarno collaborator...
- 2/19/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Meredith Hama-Brown’s feature debut “Seagrass,” starring Ally Maki, will debut in U.S. theaters on Feb. 22, beginning with special screenings with the cast and director.
Q&a’s will be held at New York’s Roxy Cinema and Los Angeles’ Laemmle Royal on Feb. 22 and Las Vegas’ Regal Theatre on Feb. 23. Maki will be in Los Angeles, Hama-Brown and cinematographer Norm Li will be in New York, and actor Chris Pang will be in Las Vegas. The film will also have its U.S. festival premiere at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, screening on Feb. 12 and Feb. 13.
The synopsis for “Seagrass” reads, “Set in the mid 1990’s, a Japanese Canadian woman (Maki) grappling with the recent death of her mother brings her family to a self-development retreat. When her distressed relationship with her husband begins to affect the children’s emotional security, the family is forever changed.”
In addition to Maki and Pang,...
Q&a’s will be held at New York’s Roxy Cinema and Los Angeles’ Laemmle Royal on Feb. 22 and Las Vegas’ Regal Theatre on Feb. 23. Maki will be in Los Angeles, Hama-Brown and cinematographer Norm Li will be in New York, and actor Chris Pang will be in Las Vegas. The film will also have its U.S. festival premiere at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, screening on Feb. 12 and Feb. 13.
The synopsis for “Seagrass” reads, “Set in the mid 1990’s, a Japanese Canadian woman (Maki) grappling with the recent death of her mother brings her family to a self-development retreat. When her distressed relationship with her husband begins to affect the children’s emotional security, the family is forever changed.”
In addition to Maki and Pang,...
- 2/6/2024
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
As part of this year’s industry program at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA), producer Ted Hope sat down with the festival’s artistic director Orwa Nyrabia for an in-depth conversation about his career in U.S. independent film, the future of the industry, and the ways in which filmmakers and audiences are “trained by major players to adapt and conform to a creative process that colors only between the lines.”
Hope, who is at IDFA to support Vanessa Hope’s “Invisible Nation,” has navigated the independent filmmaking scene since the late 80s. The executive has produced over 70 films including Todd Solondz’s “Happiness” and, most recently, Roger Ross William’s fiction debut, “Cassandro.” From 2014 to 2020, Hope headed Amazon’s Original Movies.
“I spent most of my life looking for a mentor or father figure and found virtually none, and as a result wanted to give people what I longed for,...
Hope, who is at IDFA to support Vanessa Hope’s “Invisible Nation,” has navigated the independent filmmaking scene since the late 80s. The executive has produced over 70 films including Todd Solondz’s “Happiness” and, most recently, Roger Ross William’s fiction debut, “Cassandro.” From 2014 to 2020, Hope headed Amazon’s Original Movies.
“I spent most of my life looking for a mentor or father figure and found virtually none, and as a result wanted to give people what I longed for,...
- 11/15/2023
- by Rafa Sales Ross
- Variety Film + TV
It took director Vanessa Hope seven years to make the eye-opening doc “Invisible Nation,” for which she gained unprecedented access to Taiwan’s first female president, Tsai Ing-wen.
A longstanding expert on U.S. and China relations – which Hope first depicted in her 2015 debut doc “All Eyes and Ears” – Vanessa and her husband, producer Ted Hope, struggled with financing issues and the Covid-19 pandemic as they captured Tsai’s two consecutive terms, during which the president performed a delicate balancing act. She bolstered Taiwan’s right to sovereignty, forging closer collaboration with the U.S., while avoiding direct provocation of China amid rising worries about the country’s aggression.
Below, Vanessa and Ted Hope speak with Variety about the complexities of making “Invisible Nation” prior to its international premiere on Nov. 14 at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA).
Vanessa, you’ve been observing China for a long time. What...
A longstanding expert on U.S. and China relations – which Hope first depicted in her 2015 debut doc “All Eyes and Ears” – Vanessa and her husband, producer Ted Hope, struggled with financing issues and the Covid-19 pandemic as they captured Tsai’s two consecutive terms, during which the president performed a delicate balancing act. She bolstered Taiwan’s right to sovereignty, forging closer collaboration with the U.S., while avoiding direct provocation of China amid rising worries about the country’s aggression.
Below, Vanessa and Ted Hope speak with Variety about the complexities of making “Invisible Nation” prior to its international premiere on Nov. 14 at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA).
Vanessa, you’ve been observing China for a long time. What...
- 11/13/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Directed by D.W.Young, ’Uncropped’ rediscovers the work of a New York photographer billed as one of the great chroniclers of the cultural history of America
Vienna-based Autlook Filmsales has acquired world rights, excluding the US and Canada, for the feature-length documentary Uncropped, exec produced by Wes Anderson, in advance of the film receiving its world premiere as the Centerpiece presentation of the Doc NYC festival on November 11.
Directed by D.W. Young, whose credits includeThe Booksellers, the film rediscovers the work of James Hamilton, one of the great chroniclers of the cultural history of the US. Working as a...
Vienna-based Autlook Filmsales has acquired world rights, excluding the US and Canada, for the feature-length documentary Uncropped, exec produced by Wes Anderson, in advance of the film receiving its world premiere as the Centerpiece presentation of the Doc NYC festival on November 11.
Directed by D.W. Young, whose credits includeThe Booksellers, the film rediscovers the work of James Hamilton, one of the great chroniclers of the cultural history of the US. Working as a...
- 11/9/2023
- by Geoffrey Macnab
- ScreenDaily
Madeleine Gavin’s Sundance award-winning documentary “Beyond Utopia” has garnered the best documentary and best doc editing honors at the 24th annual Woodstock Film Festival.
The documentary, which was recently acquired by Roadside Attractions, is vying for Academy Award attention.
Using hidden camera footage, the doc follows the high-stakes journey that a handful of desperate families make in order to defect from North Korea — a country with the most brutal regime on earth, led by a dictator, Kim Jong-un.
Doc jurors included directors Barbara Kopple (“Harlan County USA”) Richard Rowley (“ Kingdom of Silence”) and Heidi Ewing (“Jesus Camp”).
“This year’s winner is an astonishingly intimate, white-knuckle thriller following families trying to escape North Korea,” the jurors said in a joint statement. “Stitched together from raw, first person footage, it is impossible not to feel the heart-breaking courage as a family clings to each other during a nighttime crossing of the Mekong River.
The documentary, which was recently acquired by Roadside Attractions, is vying for Academy Award attention.
Using hidden camera footage, the doc follows the high-stakes journey that a handful of desperate families make in order to defect from North Korea — a country with the most brutal regime on earth, led by a dictator, Kim Jong-un.
Doc jurors included directors Barbara Kopple (“Harlan County USA”) Richard Rowley (“ Kingdom of Silence”) and Heidi Ewing (“Jesus Camp”).
“This year’s winner is an astonishingly intimate, white-knuckle thriller following families trying to escape North Korea,” the jurors said in a joint statement. “Stitched together from raw, first person footage, it is impossible not to feel the heart-breaking courage as a family clings to each other during a nighttime crossing of the Mekong River.
- 10/1/2023
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
Woodstock Film Festival has added Tony Goldwyn’s comedy drama “Ezra,” starring Bobby Cannavale and Robert De Niro to its 2023 lineup.
In the film, which made its world premiere earlier this month at the Toronto Intl. Film Festival, Cannavale stars as Max, a stand up comic who after recently blowing up his career and marriage is living with his father Stan (De Niro). When Max’s autistic son Ezra is expelled from yet another school, Max makes the controversial decision to take him on a cross-country road trip.
In addition to Cannavale and De Niro, “Ezra” stars Rose Byrne, Vera Farmiga, Whoopi Goldberg and Rainn Wilson. (Mister Smith Entertainment and CAA are handling sales.)
“I am so excited that the Woodstock Film Festival chose to screen ‘Ezra,'” says Goldwyn. “Woodstock is one of the coolest festivals in the country for a filmmaker. After such an enthusiastic reception at TIFF last week,...
In the film, which made its world premiere earlier this month at the Toronto Intl. Film Festival, Cannavale stars as Max, a stand up comic who after recently blowing up his career and marriage is living with his father Stan (De Niro). When Max’s autistic son Ezra is expelled from yet another school, Max makes the controversial decision to take him on a cross-country road trip.
In addition to Cannavale and De Niro, “Ezra” stars Rose Byrne, Vera Farmiga, Whoopi Goldberg and Rainn Wilson. (Mister Smith Entertainment and CAA are handling sales.)
“I am so excited that the Woodstock Film Festival chose to screen ‘Ezra,'” says Goldwyn. “Woodstock is one of the coolest festivals in the country for a filmmaker. After such an enthusiastic reception at TIFF last week,...
- 9/20/2023
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
Netflix spent big at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, picking up Anna Kendrick’s directorial debut “Woman of the Hour” for $11 million and Richard Linklater’s well-reviewed “Hit Man” for $20 million. But other than that and despite an unusually numerous 50 titles for sale, the TIFF market at large was muted.
The lack of activity was in sync with the festival season for 2023 so far, as Sundance and Cannes went off with a smattering of deals compared to years past.
“In this marketplace, the studios and streamers, aside from Netflix, would rather spend big bucks on one or two movies that they are passionate about versus spending a boatload of money to fill a slate or clog up the pipeline with regular content,” a high-level distribution executive told TheWrap who declined to be named.
According to multiple executives who spoke to TheWrap, shifting priorities for the streamers, ongoing challenges...
The lack of activity was in sync with the festival season for 2023 so far, as Sundance and Cannes went off with a smattering of deals compared to years past.
“In this marketplace, the studios and streamers, aside from Netflix, would rather spend big bucks on one or two movies that they are passionate about versus spending a boatload of money to fill a slate or clog up the pipeline with regular content,” a high-level distribution executive told TheWrap who declined to be named.
According to multiple executives who spoke to TheWrap, shifting priorities for the streamers, ongoing challenges...
- 9/19/2023
- by Scott Mendelson
- The Wrap
September. Labor Day, come and gone. Fall… theoretically. Back to school, back to theaters. That’s right: despite Hollywood’s ongoing labor shutdown, new product continues to leech out from the national Don’t-Miss Indies reserves, spilling its way onto screens in art houses cinemas worldwide. And yeah, a piping hot pumpkin-spice latte probably sounds like the last thing you want to consume after a long, hot day on the picket line. But you gotta admit: it’s nice to have the option.
Scouts Honor: The Secret Files Of The Scouts Of America
When You Can Watch: September 6
Where You Can Watch: Netflix
Director: Brian Knappenberger
Executive Producers: Diane Becker, Nan Goldin, Amy Ziering
Why We’re Excited: “The length certain people were going to [in order to] try and get you to shut up got me the angriest.” So says one of the 80,000+ documented survivors embroiled in the Boy Scouts of America...
Scouts Honor: The Secret Files Of The Scouts Of America
When You Can Watch: September 6
Where You Can Watch: Netflix
Director: Brian Knappenberger
Executive Producers: Diane Becker, Nan Goldin, Amy Ziering
Why We’re Excited: “The length certain people were going to [in order to] try and get you to shut up got me the angriest.” So says one of the 80,000+ documented survivors embroiled in the Boy Scouts of America...
- 9/6/2023
- by Su Fang Tham
- Film Independent News & More
Even if professional wrestling may not be everyone’s cup of tea, numerous stories behind the sports entertainment phenomena are usually quite engaging. Darren Aronofsky has been able to give a heartbreaking look into the complex life using various real-life inspirations for his film, The Wrestler. We will also be getting an equally rough drama with the upcoming Von Erich biopic, The Iron Claw. Even a lighter, more inspiring film like Fighting with My Family can prove to be just as compelling. Prime Video has just released a trailer for a film that gives us a look at the Mexican legacy of pro wrestling, the Lucha Libre, with Cassandro. The film is a biopic of real-life luchador, Saúl Armendáriz.
The official synopsis from Prime Video reads,
“Saúl Armendáriz, a gay amateur wrestler from El Paso, rises to international stardom after he creates the character ‘Cassandro,’ the “Liberace of Lucha Libre.
The official synopsis from Prime Video reads,
“Saúl Armendáriz, a gay amateur wrestler from El Paso, rises to international stardom after he creates the character ‘Cassandro,’ the “Liberace of Lucha Libre.
- 8/22/2023
- by EJ Tangonan
- JoBlo.com
Gael García Bernal transformed into an iconic gay amateur wrestler, luchador Saúl Armendáriz, for “Cassandro,” based on Armendáriz’s legacy as the “Liberace of Lucha Libre.”
“Cassandro” follows Armendáriz as he upends not just the macho wrestling world but also his own life. The film is based on a true story, with “Life, Animated” Oscar winner Roger Ross Williams directing from a script he co-wrote with David Teague. The real-life Armendáriz served as a consultant on the film.
In addition to Bernal, Roberta Colindrez, Perla de la Rosa, Joaquín Cosío, and Raúl Castillo also star, with with special appearances from El Hijo del Santo and Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio.
Director Williams previously collaborated with Armendáriz for 2016 Prime Video documentary short “The Man Without a Mask.” Williams was inspired to fictionalize Armendáriz’s story to showcase the dichotomy of macho Mexican culture along with Armendáriz’s fandom.
“All of these macho guys were embracing him backstage,...
“Cassandro” follows Armendáriz as he upends not just the macho wrestling world but also his own life. The film is based on a true story, with “Life, Animated” Oscar winner Roger Ross Williams directing from a script he co-wrote with David Teague. The real-life Armendáriz served as a consultant on the film.
In addition to Bernal, Roberta Colindrez, Perla de la Rosa, Joaquín Cosío, and Raúl Castillo also star, with with special appearances from El Hijo del Santo and Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio.
Director Williams previously collaborated with Armendáriz for 2016 Prime Video documentary short “The Man Without a Mask.” Williams was inspired to fictionalize Armendáriz’s story to showcase the dichotomy of macho Mexican culture along with Armendáriz’s fandom.
“All of these macho guys were embracing him backstage,...
- 8/22/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
On the website for Mubi, the international cinema platform describes itself in several ways: “A streaming service? A curator? A publisher? A distributor? A cinema lover? Yes.”
Yet in a recent online conversation hosted by Sundance Collab, the Sundance Institute’s educational service, Mubi Chief Content Officer Jason Ropell added another facet to Mubi’s motives: Netflix alternative.
Ropell, the former head of Amazon Studio’s film division, said in a revealing conversation with Sundance programmer John Nein that, while Mubi takes SVOD rights for both films it buys and produces in-house, it takes a more expansive approach to other revenue streams, from theatrical to PVOD.
“In contrast, Netflix will create or buy a film and it will only be on Netflix,” Ropell said. “It’s the exclusive access to the platform that’s their value proposition. Our job is to support films through every facet of the distribution chain.
Yet in a recent online conversation hosted by Sundance Collab, the Sundance Institute’s educational service, Mubi Chief Content Officer Jason Ropell added another facet to Mubi’s motives: Netflix alternative.
Ropell, the former head of Amazon Studio’s film division, said in a revealing conversation with Sundance programmer John Nein that, while Mubi takes SVOD rights for both films it buys and produces in-house, it takes a more expansive approach to other revenue streams, from theatrical to PVOD.
“In contrast, Netflix will create or buy a film and it will only be on Netflix,” Ropell said. “It’s the exclusive access to the platform that’s their value proposition. Our job is to support films through every facet of the distribution chain.
- 8/17/2023
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
Locarno — Switzerland’s Locarno Fest hit its final straits on Wednesday evening with “Spring Breakers” director Harmony Korine, among a slim roster of on-site stars, set to arrive to accept in person an Honorary Golden Pard.
Otherwise, the dust is settling on activities at the festival’s vibrant industry arm, Locarno Pro, which broke all-time attendance records with 1,530 delegates, and on a market which, however relaxed, says much about larger forces rocking the arthouse and crossover business worldwide:
Arthouse Crunch
Over the last decade, theatrical arthouse markets have imploded soufflé-like. “We used to make 5,000 admissions per title, now the target audience is 500,” Peter Bognar, at Hungary’s CinefilCo, told Variety at Locarno. So, to close the gap and move hopefully into a little upside, having tapped subsidies and local TV pre-buys, producers are looking ever more to overseas public-sector coin, channelled via international co-producer partners. Tapping that not by chance...
Otherwise, the dust is settling on activities at the festival’s vibrant industry arm, Locarno Pro, which broke all-time attendance records with 1,530 delegates, and on a market which, however relaxed, says much about larger forces rocking the arthouse and crossover business worldwide:
Arthouse Crunch
Over the last decade, theatrical arthouse markets have imploded soufflé-like. “We used to make 5,000 admissions per title, now the target audience is 500,” Peter Bognar, at Hungary’s CinefilCo, told Variety at Locarno. So, to close the gap and move hopefully into a little upside, having tapped subsidies and local TV pre-buys, producers are looking ever more to overseas public-sector coin, channelled via international co-producer partners. Tapping that not by chance...
- 8/9/2023
- by John Hopewell and Marta Balaga
- Variety Film + TV
Locarno can’t get enough of Ted Hope. Five years after receiving the festival’s Raimondo Rezzonico Award, the producer of modern indie classics such as “The Wedding Banquet” and “The Ice Storm” shook things up yesterday at Locarno’s StepIN think tank with an Out of the Box keynote, a sweeping blast on the state of the industry.
It resonated hugely with senior European industry executives who are often now battling the very same issues which Hope zeroed in on.
“It was an exercise in overload,” the former Amazon exec told Variety the day after he gave the 40-minute talk. He used 150 bullet points distilled from his Substack, and talked entertainingly at one and the same time. “It’s hard to engage people in this conversation, if you don’t do something like that. It gives me a lot of ammunition for my Gatling gun.”
On Friday, Hope delivered a masterclass.
It resonated hugely with senior European industry executives who are often now battling the very same issues which Hope zeroed in on.
“It was an exercise in overload,” the former Amazon exec told Variety the day after he gave the 40-minute talk. He used 150 bullet points distilled from his Substack, and talked entertainingly at one and the same time. “It’s hard to engage people in this conversation, if you don’t do something like that. It gives me a lot of ammunition for my Gatling gun.”
On Friday, Hope delivered a masterclass.
- 8/4/2023
- by John Bleasdale
- Variety Film + TV
“What’s the Deal With Independent Cinema?” was the theme of the Locarno Film Festival’s StepIn think tank where a select group of European and international industry players exchanged views and took part in working sessions to discuss the state of the indie film industry.
The unique event, now at it 11th edition, kicked off Thursday with an “out-of-the-box” introduction by feisty U.S. producer Ted Hope, known for his indie ethos even when he ran the film unit at Amazon Studios. “The indie film sector is f**** but it actually has a huge chance to build something and I actually think that is quite doable and the chances of building something better are quite high,” said Hope.
Hope’s provocative pep talk was followed by a more subdued conversation among the event’s keynote speakers who were former IFC Films president Arianna Bocco, Berlinale managing director Mariette Rissenbeek,...
The unique event, now at it 11th edition, kicked off Thursday with an “out-of-the-box” introduction by feisty U.S. producer Ted Hope, known for his indie ethos even when he ran the film unit at Amazon Studios. “The indie film sector is f**** but it actually has a huge chance to build something and I actually think that is quite doable and the chances of building something better are quite high,” said Hope.
Hope’s provocative pep talk was followed by a more subdued conversation among the event’s keynote speakers who were former IFC Films president Arianna Bocco, Berlinale managing director Mariette Rissenbeek,...
- 8/4/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Following a rapturously received industry keynote on Thursday, veteran indie producer Ted Hope is the talk of the town in Locarno. Attendees on the ground are describing Hope’s ambitious and expansive speech as the much-needed “kick in the ass” Hollywood Execs needed to hear if cinema has any chance of becoming a much fairer and equitable industry.
Speaking with Deadline the morning after, Hope plays down his hype, saying he still gets nervous before presenting his ideas publicly. But he now sees provoking conversation around the state of the industry as an unofficial obligation.
“Someone once said to me, Ted, you like to say the things aloud that everyone else whispers about. And so I thought, yes, that’s my role,” he said, “I’m going to speak about what is only whispered.”
Hope’s keynote, titled Indie Films: 50 Years of Building The Wrong Thing, touched on several topics he has discussed before,...
Speaking with Deadline the morning after, Hope plays down his hype, saying he still gets nervous before presenting his ideas publicly. But he now sees provoking conversation around the state of the industry as an unofficial obligation.
“Someone once said to me, Ted, you like to say the things aloud that everyone else whispers about. And so I thought, yes, that’s my role,” he said, “I’m going to speak about what is only whispered.”
Hope’s keynote, titled Indie Films: 50 Years of Building The Wrong Thing, touched on several topics he has discussed before,...
- 8/4/2023
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
Veteran indie producer Ted Hope opened Locarno’s industry symposium Thursday afternoon with a provocative keynote during which he declared: “The indie film system is f*cked.”
The talk, titled “Indie Films: 50 Years of Building The Wrong Thing,” began with Hope’s pointed declaration before he reassured the audience of predominantly European industry insiders that now is the time to build a new, self-sufficient indie eco-system.
“There’s a huge chance that we’ve never had before to build something better,” Hope said, adding: “And I actually think it’s quite doable.”
Hope has made similar assessments in the past. In 1995, the producer, best known for helping to launch the careers of indie filmmakers such as Ang Lee, Nicole Holofcener, Todd Field, and Michel Gondry, published the seminal essay “Indie Film Is Dead.” Today, however, Hope said his past thesis wasn’t quite right. At the time, he said he...
The talk, titled “Indie Films: 50 Years of Building The Wrong Thing,” began with Hope’s pointed declaration before he reassured the audience of predominantly European industry insiders that now is the time to build a new, self-sufficient indie eco-system.
“There’s a huge chance that we’ve never had before to build something better,” Hope said, adding: “And I actually think it’s quite doable.”
Hope has made similar assessments in the past. In 1995, the producer, best known for helping to launch the careers of indie filmmakers such as Ang Lee, Nicole Holofcener, Todd Field, and Michel Gondry, published the seminal essay “Indie Film Is Dead.” Today, however, Hope said his past thesis wasn’t quite right. At the time, he said he...
- 8/3/2023
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
Former Amazon Studios film executive Ted Hope delivered a blistering takedown of the studios and streamers during an “out-of-the-box” keynote at the Locarno Film Festival.
The veteran U.S. producer has been in the indie trenches since 1990 when he founded Good Machine, the label behind Ang Lee’s “The Ice Storm” and Todd Solondz’s “Happiness,” but subsequently leaped to the other side of the fence when he became head of motion picture production in the early days at Amazon Studios.
During a wide-ranging address accompanied by a slide presentation at the Locarno Film Festival’s StepIN think tank on Wednesday, Hope lambasted streaming giants and studios, the Director’s Guild of America, the impact of AI, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and more.
Hope’s talk started out with the heading: “50 Proofs That The Cinema Apocalypse Is Upon Us.” Here are some of Hope’s “proofs...
The veteran U.S. producer has been in the indie trenches since 1990 when he founded Good Machine, the label behind Ang Lee’s “The Ice Storm” and Todd Solondz’s “Happiness,” but subsequently leaped to the other side of the fence when he became head of motion picture production in the early days at Amazon Studios.
During a wide-ranging address accompanied by a slide presentation at the Locarno Film Festival’s StepIN think tank on Wednesday, Hope lambasted streaming giants and studios, the Director’s Guild of America, the impact of AI, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and more.
Hope’s talk started out with the heading: “50 Proofs That The Cinema Apocalypse Is Upon Us.” Here are some of Hope’s “proofs...
- 8/3/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli and John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Former IFC Films president Arianna Bocco, Berlinale managing director Mariette Rissenbeek and the British Film Institute’s head of industry and international policy Agnieszka Moody are set as keynote speakers for the upcoming Locarno Film Festival’s StepIN think tank on the most pressing issues in the indie film industry.
The Swiss fest’s unique event, now at its 11th edition, will explore various aspects of this year’s timely theme, which is “What’s the Deal With Independent Cinema?”
A select group of European and international industry players — distributors, exhibitors, producers, sales agents, film institutions, financiers, streaming platforms, broadcasters and film festival and markets reps — will be participating in closed working sessions to exchange thoughts on practices and business models and propose new ideas and strategies.
The themes of this year’s four StepIN roundtables are: the theatrical battlefield between independents, majors and streamers; how to protect the “biodiversity...
The Swiss fest’s unique event, now at its 11th edition, will explore various aspects of this year’s timely theme, which is “What’s the Deal With Independent Cinema?”
A select group of European and international industry players — distributors, exhibitors, producers, sales agents, film institutions, financiers, streaming platforms, broadcasters and film festival and markets reps — will be participating in closed working sessions to exchange thoughts on practices and business models and propose new ideas and strategies.
The themes of this year’s four StepIN roundtables are: the theatrical battlefield between independents, majors and streamers; how to protect the “biodiversity...
- 7/24/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
HBO’s potential deal to license a slew of library titles to rival Netflix, as revealed by Deadline, was met with derision by some, another example of Warner Bros. Discovery boss David Zaslav selling off the crown jewels to hit his savings targets.
However, industry experts have urged that the move could actually open the door to streaming profitability and increase residuals for creatives, leading to a larger digital détente.
Talk of such a move was a surprise, largely given the frostiness between the two rivals, which have been battling it out on the talent and awards front for the last few years, but optics aside, a deal, which was described as “groundbreaking” by one source, could be good for consumers and the town.
‘Ballers’
In addition to Issa Rae’s Insecure, Deadline has confirmed that the non-exclusive deal, which has not been signed, will include Dwayne Johnson’s Ballers,...
However, industry experts have urged that the move could actually open the door to streaming profitability and increase residuals for creatives, leading to a larger digital détente.
Talk of such a move was a surprise, largely given the frostiness between the two rivals, which have been battling it out on the talent and awards front for the last few years, but optics aside, a deal, which was described as “groundbreaking” by one source, could be good for consumers and the town.
‘Ballers’
In addition to Issa Rae’s Insecure, Deadline has confirmed that the non-exclusive deal, which has not been signed, will include Dwayne Johnson’s Ballers,...
- 6/22/2023
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Not since 1980 — when they shut down production over residuals from now-quaint tech like videotapes and cable TV — have Hollywood’s actors gone on strike against the major film and TV studios. But with SAG-AFTRA voting to authorize a strike by a nearly 98 percent margin, another historic labor action is possible over a new generation of tech: streaming. And the work stoppage would grind to a halt the already diminished production that has been hit by Hollywood’s ongoing writers strike.
“I voted yes on the strike authorization because actors have been getting the short end of the stick from streaming,” says Nadia Alexander, a member of both SAG and the WGA. “All creators are.” SAG-AFTRA will strike if they can’t reach a deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers over a new contract.
In the days leading up to the current contract’s expiration date, on Friday,...
“I voted yes on the strike authorization because actors have been getting the short end of the stick from streaming,” says Nadia Alexander, a member of both SAG and the WGA. “All creators are.” SAG-AFTRA will strike if they can’t reach a deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers over a new contract.
In the days leading up to the current contract’s expiration date, on Friday,...
- 6/6/2023
- by Rebecca Keegan
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: Film Independent has set 26 filmmakers from 15 nations to participate in the 2023 edition of their Global Media Makers LA Residency, which is being held in person this month.
A mentoring initiative and cultural exchange program that connects American filmmakers and industry pros with filmmakers spread across the globe, Gmm sees Fellows participate in filmmaking tracks focused on screenwriting, directing, creative development and documentary filmmaking, where they develop their current projects alongside a team of U.S. mentors.
The program, presented by Film Independent and the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, further bolsters up-and-comers by providing access to master classes, industry sessions and field trips, as well as cultural engagement and networking opportunities.
This edition of Gmm is the eighth put on since 2016, and as always, the selection process was highly competitive, attracting a diverse pool of media makers, with the countries of Angola, Libya,...
A mentoring initiative and cultural exchange program that connects American filmmakers and industry pros with filmmakers spread across the globe, Gmm sees Fellows participate in filmmaking tracks focused on screenwriting, directing, creative development and documentary filmmaking, where they develop their current projects alongside a team of U.S. mentors.
The program, presented by Film Independent and the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, further bolsters up-and-comers by providing access to master classes, industry sessions and field trips, as well as cultural engagement and networking opportunities.
This edition of Gmm is the eighth put on since 2016, and as always, the selection process was highly competitive, attracting a diverse pool of media makers, with the countries of Angola, Libya,...
- 6/5/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Prominent Paris-based producer Marianne Slot, who has been instrumental to bringing works by auteurs such as Lars Von Trier, Lucrecia Martel, and Argentina’s Lisandro Alonso to the big screen, is being honored by the Locarno Film Festival.
Slot will receive the Swiss festival’s Raimondo Rezzonico prize for a producer who epitomizes the indie ethos. She will be bestowed with the award on Aug. 5 with a tribute that will include a screening of Icelandic director Benedikt Erlingsson’s environmental-themed black comedy “Woman At War,” followed by an on-stage conversation on Aug. 6.
Born in Denmark, Slot set up the Paris-based production company Slot Machine in 1993. She has been Von Trier’s French producer since 1995, starting with “Breaking the Waves.” Over the years Slot has shepherded works by a slew of indie auteurs at various stages of their careers. Besides Martel and Erlingsson these include Bent Hamer, Małgorzata Szumowska, Paz Encina,...
Slot will receive the Swiss festival’s Raimondo Rezzonico prize for a producer who epitomizes the indie ethos. She will be bestowed with the award on Aug. 5 with a tribute that will include a screening of Icelandic director Benedikt Erlingsson’s environmental-themed black comedy “Woman At War,” followed by an on-stage conversation on Aug. 6.
Born in Denmark, Slot set up the Paris-based production company Slot Machine in 1993. She has been Von Trier’s French producer since 1995, starting with “Breaking the Waves.” Over the years Slot has shepherded works by a slew of indie auteurs at various stages of their careers. Besides Martel and Erlingsson these include Bent Hamer, Małgorzata Szumowska, Paz Encina,...
- 4/27/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
The producer of ‘Women at War’ and ‘Dancer in the Dark’ will receive the Raimondo Rezzonico Award
French producer Marianne Slot, known for her collaborations with Lars von Trier, will receive the Raimondo Rezzonico Award at the 76th Locarno Film Festival (August 2-12).
After working with Von Trier on his 1995 film Breaking the Waves, she became his French producer. Throughout her career Slot has worked with international directors and producers including Lucrecia Martel, Lisandro Alonso, Naomi Kawase, Sergei Loznitsa and Benedikt Erlingsson, specialising in auteur features.
In 1993, she set up her production company Slot Machine in Paris.
Slot will be...
French producer Marianne Slot, known for her collaborations with Lars von Trier, will receive the Raimondo Rezzonico Award at the 76th Locarno Film Festival (August 2-12).
After working with Von Trier on his 1995 film Breaking the Waves, she became his French producer. Throughout her career Slot has worked with international directors and producers including Lucrecia Martel, Lisandro Alonso, Naomi Kawase, Sergei Loznitsa and Benedikt Erlingsson, specialising in auteur features.
In 1993, she set up her production company Slot Machine in Paris.
Slot will be...
- 4/27/2023
- by Ella Gauci
- ScreenDaily
Locarno Film Festival will honor French-Danish producer Marianne Slot with its Raimondo Rezzonico Award, given to figures who have played a major role in international production, at its 76th edition running from August 2 to 12.
Over the course of her 30-year career, Slot has worked with a host of internationally renowned auteurs including Lars von Trier, Lucrecia Martel, Bent Hamer, Malgoska Szumowska, Paz Encina, Lisandro Alonso, Sergei Loznitsa, Naomi Kawase and Benedikt Erlingsson.
Slot broke into producing on the early works of von Trier, taking co-producer credits on the original The Kingdom TV series as well as Breaking The Waves and The Idiots, and has since become a key figure on the international arthouse co-production scene.
The producer will be in Cannes this year with Lisandro Alonso’s ambitious historical drama Eureka starring Viggo Mortensen, which world premieres in the Cannes Premiere section.
“Marianne Slot’s approach to film production has...
Over the course of her 30-year career, Slot has worked with a host of internationally renowned auteurs including Lars von Trier, Lucrecia Martel, Bent Hamer, Malgoska Szumowska, Paz Encina, Lisandro Alonso, Sergei Loznitsa, Naomi Kawase and Benedikt Erlingsson.
Slot broke into producing on the early works of von Trier, taking co-producer credits on the original The Kingdom TV series as well as Breaking The Waves and The Idiots, and has since become a key figure on the international arthouse co-production scene.
The producer will be in Cannes this year with Lisandro Alonso’s ambitious historical drama Eureka starring Viggo Mortensen, which world premieres in the Cannes Premiere section.
“Marianne Slot’s approach to film production has...
- 4/27/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Filmmakers and executives, creatives of music, theater and art remembered Tom Luddy as friend and mentor, tastemaker and cultural force who deployed an astonishingly vast network to nurture talent and bring people and projects together over decades.
The co-founder of the Telluride Film Festival passed away in February.
“I am thinking of getting a tattoo of you on my arm,” said Irish director Mark Cousins at tribute event at the Paris Theatre over the weekend. “Here is Hitchcock on my arm, and here is and Kira Muratova. Maybe you would fit between the two?” He added, “For the rest of my life, I will see partly through your eyes. I miss you and I love you.”
“Tom Luddy was a constant presence. The sun around which so many of us have revolved,” said Ken Burns. The two met when Burns screened Huey Long at Telluride in 1985. “For the next 35-plus years,...
The co-founder of the Telluride Film Festival passed away in February.
“I am thinking of getting a tattoo of you on my arm,” said Irish director Mark Cousins at tribute event at the Paris Theatre over the weekend. “Here is Hitchcock on my arm, and here is and Kira Muratova. Maybe you would fit between the two?” He added, “For the rest of my life, I will see partly through your eyes. I miss you and I love you.”
“Tom Luddy was a constant presence. The sun around which so many of us have revolved,” said Ken Burns. The two met when Burns screened Huey Long at Telluride in 1985. “For the next 35-plus years,...
- 4/17/2023
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
It won’t be “Another Year” after all before we see Mike Leigh’s next movie.
The seven-time Oscar-nominated British filmmaker behind classics new and old like “Secrets & Lies,” “Happy-Go-Lucky,” and “Topsy-Turvy” hasn’t released a picture since his 2018 epic “Peterloo” got backed by Amazon. The director in February 2020, of all times, announced a new project with U.S. distribution courtesy of Bleecker Street. The rest is history, and now, three years later, the film is starting to take shape.
The Hollywood Reporter has revealed that Leigh’s next movie, financed by Film4 and set for a hometown U.K. release from eOne, will at last begin production this year. But there’s a catch for the next film from the “Vera Drake” writer-director, which is that any details remain not just scarce but nonexistent: The project is reportedly so secret that plot specifics are not only being kept...
The seven-time Oscar-nominated British filmmaker behind classics new and old like “Secrets & Lies,” “Happy-Go-Lucky,” and “Topsy-Turvy” hasn’t released a picture since his 2018 epic “Peterloo” got backed by Amazon. The director in February 2020, of all times, announced a new project with U.S. distribution courtesy of Bleecker Street. The rest is history, and now, three years later, the film is starting to take shape.
The Hollywood Reporter has revealed that Leigh’s next movie, financed by Film4 and set for a hometown U.K. release from eOne, will at last begin production this year. But there’s a catch for the next film from the “Vera Drake” writer-director, which is that any details remain not just scarce but nonexistent: The project is reportedly so secret that plot specifics are not only being kept...
- 2/15/2023
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
So far nearly all the 2023 Sundance Film Festival films I have seen are based on true stories, from a teacher in Radical, to a gay single father in San Francisco circa ’70s and ’80s in Fairyland, to Michael J. Fox as himself, and now yet another iconic character gets his story told on the big screen. World Premiering at Sundance tonight is Cassandro, a wild story of the first openly gay wrestler in the ultra macho sport of Mexico’s Lucha Libre.
Although the Lucha Libre and their outragous contingent known as the Exotico is a well-known in Mexico, it is not so well known outside of the country. That is about to change thanks to this film which represents the narrative feature film debut of Oscar-winning documentarian Roger Ross Williams (Life Animated), who became fascinated with the life of famed wrestler Saul Armendariz — aka Cassandro — when he made a short docu on his life.
Although the Lucha Libre and their outragous contingent known as the Exotico is a well-known in Mexico, it is not so well known outside of the country. That is about to change thanks to this film which represents the narrative feature film debut of Oscar-winning documentarian Roger Ross Williams (Life Animated), who became fascinated with the life of famed wrestler Saul Armendariz — aka Cassandro — when he made a short docu on his life.
- 1/21/2023
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
Few producers have the staying power of Anthony Bregman. From his early 1990s start as an assistant at Good Machine, he rode the wave of an independent film boom, producing “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” “Foxcatcher,” “Enough Said” and other acclaimed features. After co-founding This Is That with Ted Hope and Anne Carey in 2002, he formed Likely Story with Stefanie Azpiazu in 2006, establishing ongoing partnerships with auteurs like Nicole Holofcener, John Carney and Charlie Kaufman.
In another landmark achievement, Sundance selected three Likely Story features for its 2023 lineup, Bregman’s largest number of Park City premieres in any year. On Jan. 21, William Oldroyd’s adaptation of Ottessa Moshfegh’s tumultuous novel “Eileen” with Anne Hathaway and Thomasin McKenzie bows at the Eccles (sales: WME). On Jan. 22, Carney’s romantic musical dramedy “Flora and Son” with Eve Hewson and Joseph Gordon-Levitt debuts at the Ray (Fifth Season/WME/FilmNation). And later that evening,...
In another landmark achievement, Sundance selected three Likely Story features for its 2023 lineup, Bregman’s largest number of Park City premieres in any year. On Jan. 21, William Oldroyd’s adaptation of Ottessa Moshfegh’s tumultuous novel “Eileen” with Anne Hathaway and Thomasin McKenzie bows at the Eccles (sales: WME). On Jan. 22, Carney’s romantic musical dramedy “Flora and Son” with Eve Hewson and Joseph Gordon-Levitt debuts at the Ray (Fifth Season/WME/FilmNation). And later that evening,...
- 1/20/2023
- by Gregg Goldstein
- Variety Film + TV
Exhibition stocks were up today on news from Bloomberg that Amazon is going to commit a reported 1 billion to theatrical releases annually.
We hear that such a plan is truly in its early days — read Amazon doesn’t have an executive yet to lead MGM theatrical. Capisce? Since Amazon bought MGM, it has been trying to figure out how to put the genie back in the bottle: Amazon committed heavily to theatrical with reported box office numbers and wide releases during the Jason Ropell-Bob Berney-Ted Hope administration — sometimes releasing pics through distribution partners such as Lionsgate, STX, Roadside Attractions and Bleecker Street before bringing it in-house under IFC day-and-date distribution czar Mark Boxer. When Jen Salke took charge of the studio in 2018, she pivoted to a Netflix-like theatrical/streaming model with limited theatrical releases over a shorter or day-and-date window synced with a Prime Video drop.
We hear that such a plan is truly in its early days — read Amazon doesn’t have an executive yet to lead MGM theatrical. Capisce? Since Amazon bought MGM, it has been trying to figure out how to put the genie back in the bottle: Amazon committed heavily to theatrical with reported box office numbers and wide releases during the Jason Ropell-Bob Berney-Ted Hope administration — sometimes releasing pics through distribution partners such as Lionsgate, STX, Roadside Attractions and Bleecker Street before bringing it in-house under IFC day-and-date distribution czar Mark Boxer. When Jen Salke took charge of the studio in 2018, she pivoted to a Netflix-like theatrical/streaming model with limited theatrical releases over a shorter or day-and-date window synced with a Prime Video drop.
- 11/23/2022
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
Cinemas stocks got a boost Wednesday after a report that online retailer Amazon plans to spend 1 billion a year on theatrical film releases.
Bloomberg, citing unnamed sources, reported Amazon plans to release 12 to 15 movies in theaters, with the push into the local multiplex getting underway in 2023. Representatives for Amazon were not available for confirmation of the media report, which follows the e-commerce giant acquiring MGM Studios for 8.45 billion.
Amazon is thought to have eyed MGM for its vast film library, but attention is now turning to how the studio will be run under the e-commerce giant’s leadership, with an eye to continuing production of theatrical tentpoles.
Cinema stocks surged on news of the potential theatrical movie push by Amazon. Shares in Cinemark rose 1.47, or 12 percent to 13.74 in late afternoon trading on Wednesday. The world’s largest chain, AMC Theatres, saw its stock price rise by 40 cents,...
Cinemas stocks got a boost Wednesday after a report that online retailer Amazon plans to spend 1 billion a year on theatrical film releases.
Bloomberg, citing unnamed sources, reported Amazon plans to release 12 to 15 movies in theaters, with the push into the local multiplex getting underway in 2023. Representatives for Amazon were not available for confirmation of the media report, which follows the e-commerce giant acquiring MGM Studios for 8.45 billion.
Amazon is thought to have eyed MGM for its vast film library, but attention is now turning to how the studio will be run under the e-commerce giant’s leadership, with an eye to continuing production of theatrical tentpoles.
Cinema stocks surged on news of the potential theatrical movie push by Amazon. Shares in Cinemark rose 1.47, or 12 percent to 13.74 in late afternoon trading on Wednesday. The world’s largest chain, AMC Theatres, saw its stock price rise by 40 cents,...
- 11/23/2022
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Achieving a balance between artistic creativity and commercial appeal has been a key component of the success of the Korean film and TV industries, said senior executives at the Asin Contents & Film Market, held this week as part of the Busan International Film Festival.
Leading U.S. producer Ted Hope said that “Being audience focused but ambitiously creating authored work,” is significant and that Korean filmmakers are able to tap into a wide range of emotions.
Yang Yoomin, a Korean producer who has worked with hit filmmaker Yeon Sang-ho, explained why such a discussion was important. She gave the examples of the Hong Kong and Japanese film industries which have both at times enjoyed international success, but which have recently been eclipsed. Hope said that Hong Kong films and Japanese animation are at opposite ends of the spectrum stretching from commerce and art films, but said that Korean stories demonstrate...
Leading U.S. producer Ted Hope said that “Being audience focused but ambitiously creating authored work,” is significant and that Korean filmmakers are able to tap into a wide range of emotions.
Yang Yoomin, a Korean producer who has worked with hit filmmaker Yeon Sang-ho, explained why such a discussion was important. She gave the examples of the Hong Kong and Japanese film industries which have both at times enjoyed international success, but which have recently been eclipsed. Hope said that Hong Kong films and Japanese animation are at opposite ends of the spectrum stretching from commerce and art films, but said that Korean stories demonstrate...
- 10/13/2022
- by Rebecca Souw
- Variety Film + TV
Located 14 miles north of San Francisco with a population of just over 14,000, the community of Mill Valley has evolved into a West Coast epicenter for showcasing independent and international films. As the Mill Valley Film Festival prepares to celebrate its 45th year with screenings of films by Rian Johnson (“Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery”), Darren Aronofsky (“The Whale”) and Alejandro G. Iñárritu, original founder and director Mark Fishkin attributes its pedigree for attracting top-tier talent to its unique combination of geographic and philosophical specificities.
“The Mill Valley Film Festival has the best of both worlds: the clout of an urban festival and the ambiance of the destination festival,” says Fishkin. “And this aspect of being professional but unpretentious is still very important to us.”
Fishkin conceived the festival, running Oct. 6-16 this year, precisely because he managed to be in the right place at the right time. A former...
“The Mill Valley Film Festival has the best of both worlds: the clout of an urban festival and the ambiance of the destination festival,” says Fishkin. “And this aspect of being professional but unpretentious is still very important to us.”
Fishkin conceived the festival, running Oct. 6-16 this year, precisely because he managed to be in the right place at the right time. A former...
- 10/6/2022
- by Todd Gilchrist
- Variety Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
Amazon Studios PR executive Vicky Eguia died Saturday in Los Angeles after a long battle with cancer. She was 48.
Eguia spent years as head of publicity for Amazon’s original movies before moving into a new role as the director of PR for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion and Community Relations.
Amazon Studios head Jen Salke and PR boss Cory Shields said of Eguia in a staff memo, “As many of you know so well, Vicky was a consummate team player – always ready to pitch in with complete commitment and dedication. We will all miss her charm and sense of humor.”
The widely admired and affable PR executive arrived at Amazon Studios in 2015 when indie film veteran Bob Berney — with whom she had a long professional relationship — was tasked with helping to get the company’s original movie operation off the ground. One of Amazon...
Amazon Studios PR executive Vicky Eguia died Saturday in Los Angeles after a long battle with cancer. She was 48.
Eguia spent years as head of publicity for Amazon’s original movies before moving into a new role as the director of PR for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion and Community Relations.
Amazon Studios head Jen Salke and PR boss Cory Shields said of Eguia in a staff memo, “As many of you know so well, Vicky was a consummate team player – always ready to pitch in with complete commitment and dedication. We will all miss her charm and sense of humor.”
The widely admired and affable PR executive arrived at Amazon Studios in 2015 when indie film veteran Bob Berney — with whom she had a long professional relationship — was tasked with helping to get the company’s original movie operation off the ground. One of Amazon...
- 6/26/2022
- by Hilary Lewis and Pamela McClintock
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The US producer Blum will attend the event of Premio Raimondo Rezzonico in Piazza Grande on 6 August.
Jason Blum will be presented with the Locarno Film Festival’s Premio Raimondo Rezzonico Best Independent Producer award at its upcoming 75th edition, running from August 3-13 in Switzerland.
The US producer and Blumhouse Productions founder, who has worked on over 75 productions, is best known for his long-running horror franchises Paranormal Activity, Insidious and The Purge.
His most notable credits include Damien Chazelle’s Oscar-winning Whiplash, Jordan Peele’s Get Out , M. Night Shyamalan’s Spilt and Spike’s Lee BlacKkKlansman which won...
Jason Blum will be presented with the Locarno Film Festival’s Premio Raimondo Rezzonico Best Independent Producer award at its upcoming 75th edition, running from August 3-13 in Switzerland.
The US producer and Blumhouse Productions founder, who has worked on over 75 productions, is best known for his long-running horror franchises Paranormal Activity, Insidious and The Purge.
His most notable credits include Damien Chazelle’s Oscar-winning Whiplash, Jordan Peele’s Get Out , M. Night Shyamalan’s Spilt and Spike’s Lee BlacKkKlansman which won...
- 6/14/2022
- by Melissa Kasule
- ScreenDaily
I felt ill when the news broke May 11 that my go-to cinema, Landmark Theatres’ flagship Westside location on Pico Boulevard, was shutting down at the end of the month. I have been going to this complex religiously — call it my house of movie worship — ever since its founding 15 years ago. For at least the past decade, my partner and I would have date night there nearly every Saturday night after enjoying dinner downstairs from the theater at the now defunct Westside Tavern. It was a weekly ritual I always looked forward to, until the Covid pandemic kept us from going these past two years.
There is just so much I cherished about the theater. You could always catch the latest and greatest first run indie and foreign films there. The Landmark chain of cinemas was the first national art circuit in our country. The people who worked at the Pico...
There is just so much I cherished about the theater. You could always catch the latest and greatest first run indie and foreign films there. The Landmark chain of cinemas was the first national art circuit in our country. The people who worked at the Pico...
- 5/18/2022
- by Claudia Eller
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Verve has inked 3x Oscar-nominated filmmaker, producer and former Focus Features Features CEO James Schamus in all areas.
Early in his career, Schamus formed a creative partnership with filmmaker Ang Lee, and would go on to found production company Good Machine alongside Ted Hope and David Linde, which eventually sold to Universal Studios. Following that in 2002, as the CEO of Focus Features, Schamus went on to oversee a bulk of award-winning and Oscar lauded, generation-defining classics such as Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Lost in Translation and Brokeback Mountain among many others.
Schamus was nominated as producer for Lee’s Brokeback Mountain, and received nods for Adapted Screenplay and Original Song (“A Love Before Time”) for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. That pic, on which Schamus was also an EP, notched 4 Oscar wins including Best Foreign Language Film, Art Direction, Original Score, and Cinematography.
In addition to his Oscar nominations,...
Early in his career, Schamus formed a creative partnership with filmmaker Ang Lee, and would go on to found production company Good Machine alongside Ted Hope and David Linde, which eventually sold to Universal Studios. Following that in 2002, as the CEO of Focus Features, Schamus went on to oversee a bulk of award-winning and Oscar lauded, generation-defining classics such as Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Lost in Translation and Brokeback Mountain among many others.
Schamus was nominated as producer for Lee’s Brokeback Mountain, and received nods for Adapted Screenplay and Original Song (“A Love Before Time”) for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. That pic, on which Schamus was also an EP, notched 4 Oscar wins including Best Foreign Language Film, Art Direction, Original Score, and Cinematography.
In addition to his Oscar nominations,...
- 4/28/2022
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
A slight executive shift here at Amazon Studios as Movies Co-Head Matt Newman goes to Prime Video’s global Sports group to develop sports docuseries, movies and scripted fare. Julie Rapaport will remain Amazon’s Head of Movies.
Both sectors remain vibrant areas for Amazon; the former seeing the launch of Thursday Night Football in the autumn. Rapaport will continue to report into Amazon Studios’ Head Jen Salke, while Newman will now report to Marie Donoghue, VP of Global Sports Video.
Newman and Rapaport remained the co-Heads of Movies at the studio following Ted Hope’s departure in May 2020, he also being a Co-head. This new executive assignment now puts the movie division under Rapaport after several years of a co-Heads structure.
During Newman and Rapaport’s oversee of the feature division they saw a number of feature acquisitions from rival studios during the pandemic which turned into huge events for Prime Video,...
Both sectors remain vibrant areas for Amazon; the former seeing the launch of Thursday Night Football in the autumn. Rapaport will continue to report into Amazon Studios’ Head Jen Salke, while Newman will now report to Marie Donoghue, VP of Global Sports Video.
Newman and Rapaport remained the co-Heads of Movies at the studio following Ted Hope’s departure in May 2020, he also being a Co-head. This new executive assignment now puts the movie division under Rapaport after several years of a co-Heads structure.
During Newman and Rapaport’s oversee of the feature division they saw a number of feature acquisitions from rival studios during the pandemic which turned into huge events for Prime Video,...
- 3/15/2022
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Producers: George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Ted Hope.
Executive producers: Barbara A. Hall, J.R. Moehringer.
Director: George Clooney.
Screenplay: William Monahan, based on the memoir by J.R. Moehringer.
Camera: Martin Ruhe.
Editor: Tanya M. Swerling.
Music: Dara Taylor.
Cast: Ben Affleck, Tye Sheridan, Lily Rabe, Christopher Lloyd, Max Martini, Rhenzy Feliz, Briana Middleton, Max Casella, Sondra James, Michael Braun, Daniel Ranieri.
…...
Executive producers: Barbara A. Hall, J.R. Moehringer.
Director: George Clooney.
Screenplay: William Monahan, based on the memoir by J.R. Moehringer.
Camera: Martin Ruhe.
Editor: Tanya M. Swerling.
Music: Dara Taylor.
Cast: Ben Affleck, Tye Sheridan, Lily Rabe, Christopher Lloyd, Max Martini, Rhenzy Feliz, Briana Middleton, Max Casella, Sondra James, Michael Braun, Daniel Ranieri.
…...
- 12/21/2021
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
Registration is now open for Australia’s foremost event for the documentary and factual industry, returning in 2022 as a hybrid event with in-person sessions at Acmi, Melbourne and livestreamed via the Aidc Online Platform.
In a landmark move in its 34-year history, Aidc 2022 will deliver its first ever hybrid in-person and online conference, allowing Australia’s foremost documentary and factual content event to be accessible to all.
The in-person conference sessions will return to the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (Acmi) in Melbourne from 6-9 March, simultaneously broadcast via the Aidc online event platform for remote participants.
In addition, an international market for documentary and factual content will take place 10-11 March available only online, for all Aidc marketplace participants.
The hybrid event will allow attending delegates to enjoy in-person sessions, masterclasses, networking, social, and marketplace activities in Melbourne, while remote delegates can view session livestreams and take part...
In a landmark move in its 34-year history, Aidc 2022 will deliver its first ever hybrid in-person and online conference, allowing Australia’s foremost documentary and factual content event to be accessible to all.
The in-person conference sessions will return to the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (Acmi) in Melbourne from 6-9 March, simultaneously broadcast via the Aidc online event platform for remote participants.
In addition, an international market for documentary and factual content will take place 10-11 March available only online, for all Aidc marketplace participants.
The hybrid event will allow attending delegates to enjoy in-person sessions, masterclasses, networking, social, and marketplace activities in Melbourne, while remote delegates can view session livestreams and take part...
- 11/17/2021
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
The Australian International Documentary Conference will welcome back in-person attendance while retaining online components for next year’s event, which will carry the theme of Bearing Witness.
Details of the hybrid program were announced today, with conference sessions set to return to the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (Acmi) in Melbourne from March 6-9 and simultaneously broadcast via the Aidc online event platform.
Confirmed to speak as part of the 2022 lineup are former co-head of movies at Amazon Studios and US independent producer Ted Hope, Chinese-born US director Nanfu Wang, LA-based Australian director Eva Orner, and producer Sue Maslin.
The conference will be the first under new CEO and creative director Natasha Gadd, who said it would celebrate non-fiction storytellers who continued to innovate and adapt to tell stories during times of crisis.
Natasha Gadd.
“Aidc is proud to introduce our first ever hybrid event to enable documentary and...
Details of the hybrid program were announced today, with conference sessions set to return to the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (Acmi) in Melbourne from March 6-9 and simultaneously broadcast via the Aidc online event platform.
Confirmed to speak as part of the 2022 lineup are former co-head of movies at Amazon Studios and US independent producer Ted Hope, Chinese-born US director Nanfu Wang, LA-based Australian director Eva Orner, and producer Sue Maslin.
The conference will be the first under new CEO and creative director Natasha Gadd, who said it would celebrate non-fiction storytellers who continued to innovate and adapt to tell stories during times of crisis.
Natasha Gadd.
“Aidc is proud to introduce our first ever hybrid event to enable documentary and...
- 11/3/2021
- by Sean Slatter
- IF.com.au
Ben Affleck shines as a loving uncle in the first trailer for George Clooney’s “The Tender Bar.” The Amazon Studios film is an adaptation of Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist J.R. Moehringer’s coming-of-age story of the same name.
The 2005 memoir centers on Moehringer (played by Daniel Ranieri as a child and Tye Sheridan as a young adult), who finds a father figure in his bartender uncle and the patrons of his bar, who take him to the beach, to ballgames and ultimately inside their inner circle.
“I’m gonna always tell you the truth. Your father is a deadbeat,” Uncle Charlie says in the trailer about Moehringer’s dad (Max Martini), a New York City disc jockey who deserted him as a baby. “I’ll take care of you, teach you the male sciences. I saw you in the yard playing sports. You’re not very good. Find some other activity.
The 2005 memoir centers on Moehringer (played by Daniel Ranieri as a child and Tye Sheridan as a young adult), who finds a father figure in his bartender uncle and the patrons of his bar, who take him to the beach, to ballgames and ultimately inside their inner circle.
“I’m gonna always tell you the truth. Your father is a deadbeat,” Uncle Charlie says in the trailer about Moehringer’s dad (Max Martini), a New York City disc jockey who deserted him as a baby. “I’ll take care of you, teach you the male sciences. I saw you in the yard playing sports. You’re not very good. Find some other activity.
- 10/14/2021
- by Jennifer Yuma and Selome Hailu
- Variety Film + TV
Ben Affleck is an accomplished actor, producer, writer and director, proven by his two Academy Awards. So why does social media chatter generally refer to each of his new and effective outings worthy of Oscars consideration as a “comeback?”
In the middle of his newest film “The Last Duel,” it dawned on me. Nothing regarding his interpretation of Count Pierre d’Alençon should work with his sensibilities as an actor. Yet he completely steals the show in one of three segments designed to belong to Jacques Le Gris (played by Adam Driver). Unfortunately, the Hollywood machine, critics and consumers have taken his abilities for granted. Perhaps it was the paparazzi’s focus on Bennifer or his openness regarding his struggles with sobriety. Either way, he’s shown himself, on multiple occasions, an uncommonly invigorating actor when placed in the right hands.
My realization came three days after a BAFTA member...
In the middle of his newest film “The Last Duel,” it dawned on me. Nothing regarding his interpretation of Count Pierre d’Alençon should work with his sensibilities as an actor. Yet he completely steals the show in one of three segments designed to belong to Jacques Le Gris (played by Adam Driver). Unfortunately, the Hollywood machine, critics and consumers have taken his abilities for granted. Perhaps it was the paparazzi’s focus on Bennifer or his openness regarding his struggles with sobriety. Either way, he’s shown himself, on multiple occasions, an uncommonly invigorating actor when placed in the right hands.
My realization came three days after a BAFTA member...
- 10/10/2021
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: George Clooney meets me at the door of his incredible home in the English countryside, from which he, wife Amal and his Smokehouse producing partner Grant Heslov will commute for the London Film Festival Premiere tonight of The Tender Bar, the film he has directed for Amazon Studios based on the J.R. Moehringer memoir. Having read so much about another home of his elsewhere in Europe, I jokingly ask him, ‘where’s the lake?’ Turns out we are not far from a body of water, the Thames, and there he’ll shoot the rowing scenes for The Boys In The Boat, the drama he’ll direct for MGM on the University of Washington’s unlikely path to win Gold at the 1936 Olympics in Hitler’s Germany.
The Tender Bar is another kind of underdog story, the path Moehringer took to become a Pulitzer Prize winning newspaper reporter who now...
The Tender Bar is another kind of underdog story, the path Moehringer took to become a Pulitzer Prize winning newspaper reporter who now...
- 10/10/2021
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
Other winners included Earwig, Jessica Chastain, Tea Lindeburg and Terence Davies.
A debut feature by Romanian director Alina Grigore, Blue Moon has won the Golden Shell award for best film at the 69th edition of the San Sebastian International Film Festival (Ssiff).
The victory adds another woman director as winner of a festival’s main prize following the Palme d’Or win at Cannes for Julia Ducournau’s Titane and the Venice Golden Lion triumph for Audrey Diwan’s Happening.
Other awards in Ssiff’s main competition included a special jury prize for Earwig, by Lucile Hadzilhalilovic; the Silver Shell...
A debut feature by Romanian director Alina Grigore, Blue Moon has won the Golden Shell award for best film at the 69th edition of the San Sebastian International Film Festival (Ssiff).
The victory adds another woman director as winner of a festival’s main prize following the Palme d’Or win at Cannes for Julia Ducournau’s Titane and the Venice Golden Lion triumph for Audrey Diwan’s Happening.
Other awards in Ssiff’s main competition included a special jury prize for Earwig, by Lucile Hadzilhalilovic; the Silver Shell...
- 9/25/2021
- by Elisabet Cabeza
- ScreenDaily
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