Stx’s $50m play, Amazon Studios’ charm offensive and other takeaways from this year’s market.
The sunlight at the recent Cannes Film Festival may have confounded early forecasts of interminable rain but the outlook for the film business remains stormy.
While several Us companies with points to prove strutted their stuff and international buyers circled must-have titles, the struggle to survive in a dynamic post-2008 landscape remains the most urgent narrative.
That was reflected in a Croisette that seemed quieter than usual, although attendees responded to opportunities when they arose. Market attendance was up year-on-year by several points according to Jerome Paillard, executive director of the Marche du Film, although there was anecdotal evidence of several companies sending leaner teams.
The paucity of foot traffic seemed to indicate that the threat of terror attacks had weighed heavily on the mind of tourists, who by and large stayed away - although to what extent it was not...
The sunlight at the recent Cannes Film Festival may have confounded early forecasts of interminable rain but the outlook for the film business remains stormy.
While several Us companies with points to prove strutted their stuff and international buyers circled must-have titles, the struggle to survive in a dynamic post-2008 landscape remains the most urgent narrative.
That was reflected in a Croisette that seemed quieter than usual, although attendees responded to opportunities when they arose. Market attendance was up year-on-year by several points according to Jerome Paillard, executive director of the Marche du Film, although there was anecdotal evidence of several companies sending leaner teams.
The paucity of foot traffic seemed to indicate that the threat of terror attacks had weighed heavily on the mind of tourists, who by and large stayed away - although to what extent it was not...
- 5/24/2016
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Sam Neill and Adrien Brody in Backtrack.
After making his name in the early noughties producing hundreds of music videos, See Pictures. Jamie Hilton is now one of Australia.s most prominent producers with an impressive slate including Breath, Flammable Children and OtherLife.
His recent Australian release, Backtrack, directed by Michael Petroni, starring Adrien Brody and Sam Neill, is also set for a limited theatrical run at Palace Cinemas after playing internationally at festivals including Tribeca Film Festival.
Hilton tells If distributor, Madman, had decided it was the best path to commercialise the film in Australia.
.I believe that means we have shorter windows to go to premium VOD and cable television and free to air faster than the normal 120 days required than if you do a full scale release,. he said.
.We are really looking forward to it coming to Palace Cinemas and to a wider variety of platforms as shortly after as we can manage. That strategy is to get it to a wide as possible audience. We think the film will have a strong and long life on lots of platforms and it.s great that Palace has partnered with us for a bit of an exclusive theatrical run before we get the movie out there to a wider audience on visual platforms..
Backtrack has been sold in more than 60 countries. Hilton also is now nearing the end of the Breath shoot (with two weeks to go),.Flammable Children (Guy Pearce, Radha Mitchell)..is in pre-production and OtherLife is in post.
Despite Hilton.s seemingly swift rise to the top of the Australian film producer pile, it was music which kickstarted his career.
Simon Baker as Sando with Samsom Coulter (Pikelet) and Ben Spence (Loonie) in Breath.
.I went to university, to Uts,. he said. .There was a lot of people who wanted to be directors and there was a lot of people who wanted to be cinematographers and I guess I was lucky enough to be able to pick the directors that I thought were the most talented and I got quite a lot made when I was at university outside of the university slate.
.I never really wanted to get into advertising, but I loved music so I got into music videos and made about 120 music clips for some of the biggest bands in Australia and a couple of international ones.
Hilton said his company was one of the biggest music video companies in Australia between 2002 and 2006.
.I was chasing my tail doing music clips,. he said. .I felt like I was going to work in the morning, I was doing two music clips a week. I thought it.s time to move on and make a film..
In 2007, Hilton took a chance and threw himself into producing his first film, Waiting City, starring Joel Edgerton, Radha Mitchell and directed by Claire McCarthy with an estimated budget of $3 million.
.Waiting City was the jump to film. We got it up and shot it. I had been working towards it for a long time. Same as it is now, you try and find the most talented people that you know and support them to tell their stories and tell stories with them. In this case Claire McCarthy was a good friend of mine.
.I just thought: .who is the most talented person I know that is likely to get a movie up?. and Claire was the first phone call.
.I think a lot of emerging producers try to think of it like a business and it is but when you.re doing your first movie you really have to focus, you really have to pick a horse that you believe is going to run and just focus on it.
.Just get one made. Because once you get once made, you know how to do it and then you can start thinking about it like a business. Claire and I teamed up and we worked pretty tirelessly on that project for a couple of years and it.s hard to make a living but we managed to both focus exclusively on that project for a couple of years and we got it up and both of us are doing fairly well now..
McCarthy has just signed on to direct Ophelia, starring Daisy Ridley(Star Wars: The Force Awakens), while Hilton has executive producer credits on.Wyrmwood and Sleeping Beauty.
Jamie Hilton.
He also produced The Little Death and is in development on Sierra — the story of Greenpeace co-founder, Paul Watson, who breaks from the organization and takes to the high seas in an attempt to sink the notorious whaling ship, the Sierra, by any means necessary.
.Linking up with Petroni for Backtrack was another step forward for Hilton.s production ambitions.
.I started working with Michael in 2009,. he said. .I actually made a short film with Michael in 2002 and had been hassling Michael for a long time. I had to make my first feature Waiting City before he actually thought it was a good idea to team up and he had Backtrack in his top drawer.
.I read the script in 2009 when I started working with Michael. We were going to set it up back then and we got busy with Narnia and his other movie the Book Thief and we had to wait until he finished both of those films before we could set it up here. It was pretty easy to put together because his reputation precedes him and the script was very strong.
.It was taut and intense and intelligent. It was just a really new twist on a genre I hadn.t seen before and I thought it was a very intelligent screenplay..
The development phase was also relatively painless on Backtrack, according to Hilton.
.When you have a really talented director like Michael involved it.s certainly less hands on for a producer,. he said.
.We did a little bit of development as far as setting the movie here in Australia, but nothing substantial, the bones of the screenplay were already there.
.His first movie was about the ghosts from the past that haunt us and I guess Backtrack was almost a scary version of similar material about the past coming back to haunt us. It.s seemed to be a different take or lens for similar material that he explored in his first movie.
The film was originally set in North America but was reset to Melbourne and shot in Sydney and regional Nsw.
It was funded by Screen Australia, Headgear Films (UK), Bankside, Deluxe and Screen Nsw.
.Backtrack came together relatively quickly once we had a window where Michael was available to do it,. Hilton said.
.We were already financed before we had Adrien so securing him was a real boon. It all came together relatively smoothly. Everybody responded really positively to the script. People often talk about how difficult the filmmaking process can be. It was a real pleasure to work on Backtrack. Michael has very clear of vision. He knew what he wanted, he.s a great communicator and we assembled a great team of crew and cast and I think it went very well..
He said Oscar winner, Brody, was a true artist.
.He is very nuanced, he.s a lovely guy as well. For him he takes his work very seriously. I think he did a really wonderful Australian accent and I think he played the subtleties.. he is just so easy to watch.
.The premise of the movie is about a guy trying to remember what happened and you need a face that you can really hold on to and obviously he has got a lot going on behind his eyes. I think he.s immensely watchable and it was a real pleasure to watch him work..
The shoot was six weeks, three days and a lot of nights.
.There.s always major challenges if you are always trying to get it done in the time that you have in the budget that you have. We were able to deliver it on time and on budget..
Producer Mark Johnson.
When selecting a project, Hilton said there were a few things he looks for.
.In the first instance it.s qualitative. Is this material of a high quality and are the people involved, are they either the right emerging talent to support or are they experienced and would I like to work with them? The second is can I get this made?
.You spend a long time developing something and you certainly don.t want to put too much time into developing things that you don.t feel like you can get financed in the marketplace, so it.s a combination of those two things.
.Story is also very important, as producers and anyone involved in film really, we are storytellers and we.re trying to get a sense of both qualitative and what the substance or the essence of the story is. Those are the three things that are important for me..
With Breath in mid-flight and OtherLife set for release later this year, Hilton is excited about the future.
.eOne will release OtherLife in Australia and we are just in the final stages of post-production and I.m a huge Ben Lucas fan and looking forward to bringing that out.
.Flammable Children - obviously Stephan Elliott and Al Clarke, Colin Gibson, who is the recent production designer on Mad Max just and won the Oscar; Lizzie Gardner who won her Academy Award for Priscilla. It.s a pretty experienced team and we.re the new kids on the block so it.s great to be working with those people..
Hilton is producing the adaptation of Tim Winton.s novel Breath, shot in Denmark, Western Australia, with Oscar winning producer Mark Johnson (Breaking Bad, The Notebook, Rain Man).
.That.s one of the most exciting parts, working with Mark and his development team,. he said. .It.s been a real privilege and something I would like to repeat..
.
.
.
After making his name in the early noughties producing hundreds of music videos, See Pictures. Jamie Hilton is now one of Australia.s most prominent producers with an impressive slate including Breath, Flammable Children and OtherLife.
His recent Australian release, Backtrack, directed by Michael Petroni, starring Adrien Brody and Sam Neill, is also set for a limited theatrical run at Palace Cinemas after playing internationally at festivals including Tribeca Film Festival.
Hilton tells If distributor, Madman, had decided it was the best path to commercialise the film in Australia.
.I believe that means we have shorter windows to go to premium VOD and cable television and free to air faster than the normal 120 days required than if you do a full scale release,. he said.
.We are really looking forward to it coming to Palace Cinemas and to a wider variety of platforms as shortly after as we can manage. That strategy is to get it to a wide as possible audience. We think the film will have a strong and long life on lots of platforms and it.s great that Palace has partnered with us for a bit of an exclusive theatrical run before we get the movie out there to a wider audience on visual platforms..
Backtrack has been sold in more than 60 countries. Hilton also is now nearing the end of the Breath shoot (with two weeks to go),.Flammable Children (Guy Pearce, Radha Mitchell)..is in pre-production and OtherLife is in post.
Despite Hilton.s seemingly swift rise to the top of the Australian film producer pile, it was music which kickstarted his career.
Simon Baker as Sando with Samsom Coulter (Pikelet) and Ben Spence (Loonie) in Breath.
.I went to university, to Uts,. he said. .There was a lot of people who wanted to be directors and there was a lot of people who wanted to be cinematographers and I guess I was lucky enough to be able to pick the directors that I thought were the most talented and I got quite a lot made when I was at university outside of the university slate.
.I never really wanted to get into advertising, but I loved music so I got into music videos and made about 120 music clips for some of the biggest bands in Australia and a couple of international ones.
Hilton said his company was one of the biggest music video companies in Australia between 2002 and 2006.
.I was chasing my tail doing music clips,. he said. .I felt like I was going to work in the morning, I was doing two music clips a week. I thought it.s time to move on and make a film..
In 2007, Hilton took a chance and threw himself into producing his first film, Waiting City, starring Joel Edgerton, Radha Mitchell and directed by Claire McCarthy with an estimated budget of $3 million.
.Waiting City was the jump to film. We got it up and shot it. I had been working towards it for a long time. Same as it is now, you try and find the most talented people that you know and support them to tell their stories and tell stories with them. In this case Claire McCarthy was a good friend of mine.
.I just thought: .who is the most talented person I know that is likely to get a movie up?. and Claire was the first phone call.
.I think a lot of emerging producers try to think of it like a business and it is but when you.re doing your first movie you really have to focus, you really have to pick a horse that you believe is going to run and just focus on it.
.Just get one made. Because once you get once made, you know how to do it and then you can start thinking about it like a business. Claire and I teamed up and we worked pretty tirelessly on that project for a couple of years and it.s hard to make a living but we managed to both focus exclusively on that project for a couple of years and we got it up and both of us are doing fairly well now..
McCarthy has just signed on to direct Ophelia, starring Daisy Ridley(Star Wars: The Force Awakens), while Hilton has executive producer credits on.Wyrmwood and Sleeping Beauty.
Jamie Hilton.
He also produced The Little Death and is in development on Sierra — the story of Greenpeace co-founder, Paul Watson, who breaks from the organization and takes to the high seas in an attempt to sink the notorious whaling ship, the Sierra, by any means necessary.
.Linking up with Petroni for Backtrack was another step forward for Hilton.s production ambitions.
.I started working with Michael in 2009,. he said. .I actually made a short film with Michael in 2002 and had been hassling Michael for a long time. I had to make my first feature Waiting City before he actually thought it was a good idea to team up and he had Backtrack in his top drawer.
.I read the script in 2009 when I started working with Michael. We were going to set it up back then and we got busy with Narnia and his other movie the Book Thief and we had to wait until he finished both of those films before we could set it up here. It was pretty easy to put together because his reputation precedes him and the script was very strong.
.It was taut and intense and intelligent. It was just a really new twist on a genre I hadn.t seen before and I thought it was a very intelligent screenplay..
The development phase was also relatively painless on Backtrack, according to Hilton.
.When you have a really talented director like Michael involved it.s certainly less hands on for a producer,. he said.
.We did a little bit of development as far as setting the movie here in Australia, but nothing substantial, the bones of the screenplay were already there.
.His first movie was about the ghosts from the past that haunt us and I guess Backtrack was almost a scary version of similar material about the past coming back to haunt us. It.s seemed to be a different take or lens for similar material that he explored in his first movie.
The film was originally set in North America but was reset to Melbourne and shot in Sydney and regional Nsw.
It was funded by Screen Australia, Headgear Films (UK), Bankside, Deluxe and Screen Nsw.
.Backtrack came together relatively quickly once we had a window where Michael was available to do it,. Hilton said.
.We were already financed before we had Adrien so securing him was a real boon. It all came together relatively smoothly. Everybody responded really positively to the script. People often talk about how difficult the filmmaking process can be. It was a real pleasure to work on Backtrack. Michael has very clear of vision. He knew what he wanted, he.s a great communicator and we assembled a great team of crew and cast and I think it went very well..
He said Oscar winner, Brody, was a true artist.
.He is very nuanced, he.s a lovely guy as well. For him he takes his work very seriously. I think he did a really wonderful Australian accent and I think he played the subtleties.. he is just so easy to watch.
.The premise of the movie is about a guy trying to remember what happened and you need a face that you can really hold on to and obviously he has got a lot going on behind his eyes. I think he.s immensely watchable and it was a real pleasure to watch him work..
The shoot was six weeks, three days and a lot of nights.
.There.s always major challenges if you are always trying to get it done in the time that you have in the budget that you have. We were able to deliver it on time and on budget..
Producer Mark Johnson.
When selecting a project, Hilton said there were a few things he looks for.
.In the first instance it.s qualitative. Is this material of a high quality and are the people involved, are they either the right emerging talent to support or are they experienced and would I like to work with them? The second is can I get this made?
.You spend a long time developing something and you certainly don.t want to put too much time into developing things that you don.t feel like you can get financed in the marketplace, so it.s a combination of those two things.
.Story is also very important, as producers and anyone involved in film really, we are storytellers and we.re trying to get a sense of both qualitative and what the substance or the essence of the story is. Those are the three things that are important for me..
With Breath in mid-flight and OtherLife set for release later this year, Hilton is excited about the future.
.eOne will release OtherLife in Australia and we are just in the final stages of post-production and I.m a huge Ben Lucas fan and looking forward to bringing that out.
.Flammable Children - obviously Stephan Elliott and Al Clarke, Colin Gibson, who is the recent production designer on Mad Max just and won the Oscar; Lizzie Gardner who won her Academy Award for Priscilla. It.s a pretty experienced team and we.re the new kids on the block so it.s great to be working with those people..
Hilton is producing the adaptation of Tim Winton.s novel Breath, shot in Denmark, Western Australia, with Oscar winning producer Mark Johnson (Breaking Bad, The Notebook, Rain Man).
.That.s one of the most exciting parts, working with Mark and his development team,. he said. .It.s been a real privilege and something I would like to repeat..
.
.
.
- 5/12/2016
- by Brian Karlovsky
- IF.com.au
Documentary filmmaker places a focus on the lives of women across the globe
Kim Longinotto has been named the 2015 recipient of the BBC Grierson Trustees’ Award.
The documentary filmmaker is known for titles including Sisters In Law, which won the Cicea award at Cannes in 2005, Pink Saris and latest release Dreamcatcher, which won the Directing Award at Sundance in January.
Announcing the award, a statement from The Grierson Trust described Longinotto as: “the creator of numerous groundbreaking films which focus on and explore the lives of women across the globe,. Throughout her career she has consistently given voice to those who have no voice living in some of the world’s most repressive and hostile societies.
Previous winners of the honour include John Battsek, Kevin Macdonald, Alex Graham, John Pilger, Penny Woolcock, Norma Percy, Paul Watson, Mike Salisbury, Nick Fraser, Jonathan Gili, Molly Dineen and Sir David Attenborough.
Grierson Trust chairman Lorraine Heggessey said: “Kim is a filmmaker...
Kim Longinotto has been named the 2015 recipient of the BBC Grierson Trustees’ Award.
The documentary filmmaker is known for titles including Sisters In Law, which won the Cicea award at Cannes in 2005, Pink Saris and latest release Dreamcatcher, which won the Directing Award at Sundance in January.
Announcing the award, a statement from The Grierson Trust described Longinotto as: “the creator of numerous groundbreaking films which focus on and explore the lives of women across the globe,. Throughout her career she has consistently given voice to those who have no voice living in some of the world’s most repressive and hostile societies.
Previous winners of the honour include John Battsek, Kevin Macdonald, Alex Graham, John Pilger, Penny Woolcock, Norma Percy, Paul Watson, Mike Salisbury, Nick Fraser, Jonathan Gili, Molly Dineen and Sir David Attenborough.
Grierson Trust chairman Lorraine Heggessey said: “Kim is a filmmaker...
- 10/13/2015
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Bill Nighy, Anna Friel and Greg Wise star in the family adventure that will shoot spring 2015.
A new spin on the Heidi franchise, starring Bill Nighy, Anna Friel and Greg Wise, has been sold throughout the world by Carnaby International.
Family adventure Heidi and the Magic Pool has been snapped up by one major distributor, which Carnaby declined to name, that comprises the UK; Australia and New Zealand; France; Benelux; the Czech Republic; Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland; Greece; Portugal; Slovakia; Scandinavia; India, Israel, South Africa, Turkey; Hong Kong; Malaysia; Philippines; Singapore; Taiwan; Thailand; Vietnam; and all of Latin America.
Carnaby International’s director of international sales, Tania Sarra, has also concluded deals with the Middle East (Gulf Film), Indonesia (Pt Prima Cinema), Spain (Flins y Piniculas) and the countries of the former Yugoslavia (Discovery).
Carnaby has also announced an April 2015 start for the film, a UK-Hungarian co-production filming in both those countries. Discussions are ongoing...
A new spin on the Heidi franchise, starring Bill Nighy, Anna Friel and Greg Wise, has been sold throughout the world by Carnaby International.
Family adventure Heidi and the Magic Pool has been snapped up by one major distributor, which Carnaby declined to name, that comprises the UK; Australia and New Zealand; France; Benelux; the Czech Republic; Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland; Greece; Portugal; Slovakia; Scandinavia; India, Israel, South Africa, Turkey; Hong Kong; Malaysia; Philippines; Singapore; Taiwan; Thailand; Vietnam; and all of Latin America.
Carnaby International’s director of international sales, Tania Sarra, has also concluded deals with the Middle East (Gulf Film), Indonesia (Pt Prima Cinema), Spain (Flins y Piniculas) and the countries of the former Yugoslavia (Discovery).
Carnaby has also announced an April 2015 start for the film, a UK-Hungarian co-production filming in both those countries. Discussions are ongoing...
- 11/10/2014
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Heidi and the Magic Pool – a family feature based on the durable ‘Heidi’ children’s franchise – has cleared territory sales across most of the world, and will start production in April with Bill Nighy, Anna Friel and Greg Wise in the cast, Carnaby International’s Tania Sarra announced at Afm today. The company said it also is in discussions with Jim Broadbent (Iris, Gangs of New York) for a role.
The film follows 12-year-old Heidi when she’s taken from her grandfather to live in the city as a companion to Clara, who is being poisoned by a governess with designs on Clara’s father. Clara and Heidi flee to a mysterious grotto called the Magic Pool.
Sarra said the territories sold to one big distributor include the UK, Australia and New Zealand, much of Europe, India, Southeast Asia and all of Latin America. Other deals will cover the Middle...
The film follows 12-year-old Heidi when she’s taken from her grandfather to live in the city as a companion to Clara, who is being poisoned by a governess with designs on Clara’s father. Clara and Heidi flee to a mysterious grotto called the Magic Pool.
Sarra said the territories sold to one big distributor include the UK, Australia and New Zealand, much of Europe, India, Southeast Asia and all of Latin America. Other deals will cover the Middle...
- 11/10/2014
- by David Bloom
- Deadline
At nine months pregnant, Kristen Thompson must have looked like an easy mark to the mugger. Boy, was he wrong. Thompson, 22, had just finished grocery shopping at a Kroger in Flint, Michigan, on Sept. 11 when disaster struck. "I pushed the cart over to my truck and opened the door," she tells People. "I only had three bags so I went to put them in there and this guy came out of nowhere and snatched my purse." So what did she do? "I ran after him," she says. "It was just an instant reaction. I was mad. Everything is in there that I need.
- 9/19/2014
- by Nicole Weisensee Egan, @nweisenseeegan
- PEOPLE.com
Los Angeles, home of the most ambitious and successful environmental movements, will see eight free screenings of “A Fierce Green Fire” in late September and early October
The timing couldn’t be better for seeing A Fierce Green Fire: The Battle for a Living Planet -- the first big-picture exploration of the environmental movement, fifty years of activism from conservation to climate change. From Fukushima to fracking, Keystone Xl to climate change, the world has never been more in need of a reminder that people can, and have, solved huge environmental problems.
And what better place to show this landmark film than Los Angeles, home to some of the most ambitious, innovative and successful environmental efforts in the country. From saving Mono Lake and healing Santa Monica Bay, to leading efforts to reduce smog that changed the entire automobile industry and pioneering climate legislation, no region in America has had a more distinct record of environmental success.
Directed and written by Mark Kitchell, Academy-Award nominated director of Berkeley in the Sixties, and narrated by Robert Redford, Meryl Streep, Ashley Judd, Van Jones and Isabel Allende, A Fierce Green Fire premiered at Sundance Film Festival. It chronicles the largest movement of the 20th century and one of the keys to the 21st. It brings together all the major parts of environmentalism and connects them. It focuses on activism, people fighting to save their homes, their lives, the future – and succeeding against all odds.
The film unfolds in five acts, each with a central story and character:
• David Brower and the Sierra Club’s battle to halt dams in the Grand Canyon • Lois Gibbs and the Love Canal residents’ struggle against 20,000 tons of toxic chemicals • Paul Watson and Greenpeace’s campaigns to save whales and baby harp seals • Chico Mendes and Brazilian rubber tappers’ fight to save the Amazon rainforest • Bill McKibben and the 25-year effort to address the impossible issue – climate change
Surrounding these main stories are strands like environmental justice, going back to the land, and movements of the global south such as Wangari Maathai in Kenya. Vivid archival film brings it all back and insightful interviews with activists shed light on what it all means. The film offers a deeper view of environmentalism as civilizational change, bringing our industrial society into sustainable balance with nature. It’s the battle for a living planet.
The film arrives at a moment of promise: 25 years after Dr. James Hansen first warned of global warming; 8 years after Katrina; 3 years after the Gulf oil disaster; 2 years after meltdown at Fukushima and first stopping the Keystone Pipeline; and 1 year since the wake-up call that was Hurricane Sandy, the capper to the hottest year on record. 2013 may be the year that grassroots pressure finally forces action to halt climate change. A Fierce Green Fire gives us reason to believe.
All of the Southland screenings are free and (except UCLA) open to the public. Each will be followed by a discussion featuring local environmental leaders and the filmmaker. Below is a list of screenings and participants.
The Big Four:
Wednesday, September 25, at 7 pm Santa Monica Public Library, 601 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica, CA Panel discussion: Matthew King, Heal the Bay; Robert Gottlieb, renowned author of “Forcing the Spring” and professor at Occidental College
Friday, September 27, at 5:30 pm West Hollywood Public Library, 8272 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood, CA Panel Discussion: Angelo Logan, East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice; Juana Torres, Sierra Club; Michele Prichard, Liberty Hill Foundation’s Common Agenda
Thursday, October 3, 6 pm Pasadena Central Public Library Auditorium, 285 East Walnut Street Pasadena, CA Speaker: Shannon Biggs of Global Exchange on fracking coming to California
Friday, October 4, at 6 pm G2 Gallery, 1503 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice, CA Panel Discussion: Bill Gallegos, Communities for a Better Environment; Michele Prichard, Liberty Hill Foundation’s Common Agenda (opening of G2’s Green Earth Film Fest -- space is limited, so RSVP: theG2Gallery.com)
Three area colleges and an arts center in Long Beach:
Pitzer College, Robert Redford Conservancy -- Monday, September 30 in Claremont, CA UCLA Institute of Environmental Sciences -- Wednesday, October 2 (campus community only) Csu Long Beach, Multicultural Center -- Thursday, September 26, noon CALBArts, Bungalow Art Center, 729 Pine, Long Beach -- Friday, September 27th, 7pm
About The Film
Early Praise for A Fierce Green Fire:
"The material is vast and it’s an incredibly dynamic film. It’s shaping up to be the documentary of record on the environmental movement." - Cara Mertes, former director of Sundance Institute’s Documentary Film Program
"Winningly spans the broad scope of environmental history… connecting its origins with the variety of issues still challenging society today." - Justin Lowe, The Hollywood Reporter
"Rarely do environmental-themed films come with the ambitious scope of ‘A Fierce Green Fire’… which aims at nothing less than the history of environmentalism itself." - Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times
"The most ambitious environmental documentary since 'An Inconvenient Truth' tries to make the case that we just might win." - Michael Roberts, Outside Magazine
"The film left me emotionally drained and profoundly hopeful." -Bruce Barcott, On Earth Magazine
"Brilliant! Should be assigned viewing for all of us, especially those political leaders currently manning the helm of spaceship earth." - Jay Meehan, Park Record
About The Principals And People Featured In The Film
Director/Producer/Writer Mark Kitchell’s Berkeley in the Sixties – one of the defining films about the protest movements that shook America during the 1960s – received the Sundance Audience Award and was nominated for an Academy Award. Executive Producer Marc Weiss is the creator and former Executive Producer of P.O.V., the award-winning series now in its 26th season on PBS. Interviews were shot by Vicente Franco. It was edited by Ken Schneider, Veronica Selver, Jon Beckhardt and Gary Weimberg. Original music is by George Michalski and Dave Denny, Garth Stevenson, Randall Wallace and Todd Boekelheide. Narrators include: Robert Redford; Ashley Judd; activist Van Jones; author Isabel Allende; and Meryl Streep.
Featured In The Film Are:
The incomparable Lois Gibbs, leader of Love Canal; Paul “I work for whales” Watson; Bill McKibben, author and founder of 350.org; Paul Hawken and Stewart Brand, alternative ecology visionaries; Martin Litton, at 92 thundering, “If you haven’t got any hatred in your heart, what are you living on?”; Carl Pope and John Adams, longtime heads of the Sierra Club and Nrdc; and Bob Bullard, who closes the film on a universal note: “There’s no Hispanic air. There’s no African-American air. There’s air! And if you breathe air – and most people I know do breathe air – then I would consider you an environmentalist.”...
The timing couldn’t be better for seeing A Fierce Green Fire: The Battle for a Living Planet -- the first big-picture exploration of the environmental movement, fifty years of activism from conservation to climate change. From Fukushima to fracking, Keystone Xl to climate change, the world has never been more in need of a reminder that people can, and have, solved huge environmental problems.
And what better place to show this landmark film than Los Angeles, home to some of the most ambitious, innovative and successful environmental efforts in the country. From saving Mono Lake and healing Santa Monica Bay, to leading efforts to reduce smog that changed the entire automobile industry and pioneering climate legislation, no region in America has had a more distinct record of environmental success.
Directed and written by Mark Kitchell, Academy-Award nominated director of Berkeley in the Sixties, and narrated by Robert Redford, Meryl Streep, Ashley Judd, Van Jones and Isabel Allende, A Fierce Green Fire premiered at Sundance Film Festival. It chronicles the largest movement of the 20th century and one of the keys to the 21st. It brings together all the major parts of environmentalism and connects them. It focuses on activism, people fighting to save their homes, their lives, the future – and succeeding against all odds.
The film unfolds in five acts, each with a central story and character:
• David Brower and the Sierra Club’s battle to halt dams in the Grand Canyon • Lois Gibbs and the Love Canal residents’ struggle against 20,000 tons of toxic chemicals • Paul Watson and Greenpeace’s campaigns to save whales and baby harp seals • Chico Mendes and Brazilian rubber tappers’ fight to save the Amazon rainforest • Bill McKibben and the 25-year effort to address the impossible issue – climate change
Surrounding these main stories are strands like environmental justice, going back to the land, and movements of the global south such as Wangari Maathai in Kenya. Vivid archival film brings it all back and insightful interviews with activists shed light on what it all means. The film offers a deeper view of environmentalism as civilizational change, bringing our industrial society into sustainable balance with nature. It’s the battle for a living planet.
The film arrives at a moment of promise: 25 years after Dr. James Hansen first warned of global warming; 8 years after Katrina; 3 years after the Gulf oil disaster; 2 years after meltdown at Fukushima and first stopping the Keystone Pipeline; and 1 year since the wake-up call that was Hurricane Sandy, the capper to the hottest year on record. 2013 may be the year that grassroots pressure finally forces action to halt climate change. A Fierce Green Fire gives us reason to believe.
All of the Southland screenings are free and (except UCLA) open to the public. Each will be followed by a discussion featuring local environmental leaders and the filmmaker. Below is a list of screenings and participants.
The Big Four:
Wednesday, September 25, at 7 pm Santa Monica Public Library, 601 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica, CA Panel discussion: Matthew King, Heal the Bay; Robert Gottlieb, renowned author of “Forcing the Spring” and professor at Occidental College
Friday, September 27, at 5:30 pm West Hollywood Public Library, 8272 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood, CA Panel Discussion: Angelo Logan, East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice; Juana Torres, Sierra Club; Michele Prichard, Liberty Hill Foundation’s Common Agenda
Thursday, October 3, 6 pm Pasadena Central Public Library Auditorium, 285 East Walnut Street Pasadena, CA Speaker: Shannon Biggs of Global Exchange on fracking coming to California
Friday, October 4, at 6 pm G2 Gallery, 1503 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice, CA Panel Discussion: Bill Gallegos, Communities for a Better Environment; Michele Prichard, Liberty Hill Foundation’s Common Agenda (opening of G2’s Green Earth Film Fest -- space is limited, so RSVP: theG2Gallery.com)
Three area colleges and an arts center in Long Beach:
Pitzer College, Robert Redford Conservancy -- Monday, September 30 in Claremont, CA UCLA Institute of Environmental Sciences -- Wednesday, October 2 (campus community only) Csu Long Beach, Multicultural Center -- Thursday, September 26, noon CALBArts, Bungalow Art Center, 729 Pine, Long Beach -- Friday, September 27th, 7pm
About The Film
Early Praise for A Fierce Green Fire:
"The material is vast and it’s an incredibly dynamic film. It’s shaping up to be the documentary of record on the environmental movement." - Cara Mertes, former director of Sundance Institute’s Documentary Film Program
"Winningly spans the broad scope of environmental history… connecting its origins with the variety of issues still challenging society today." - Justin Lowe, The Hollywood Reporter
"Rarely do environmental-themed films come with the ambitious scope of ‘A Fierce Green Fire’… which aims at nothing less than the history of environmentalism itself." - Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times
"The most ambitious environmental documentary since 'An Inconvenient Truth' tries to make the case that we just might win." - Michael Roberts, Outside Magazine
"The film left me emotionally drained and profoundly hopeful." -Bruce Barcott, On Earth Magazine
"Brilliant! Should be assigned viewing for all of us, especially those political leaders currently manning the helm of spaceship earth." - Jay Meehan, Park Record
About The Principals And People Featured In The Film
Director/Producer/Writer Mark Kitchell’s Berkeley in the Sixties – one of the defining films about the protest movements that shook America during the 1960s – received the Sundance Audience Award and was nominated for an Academy Award. Executive Producer Marc Weiss is the creator and former Executive Producer of P.O.V., the award-winning series now in its 26th season on PBS. Interviews were shot by Vicente Franco. It was edited by Ken Schneider, Veronica Selver, Jon Beckhardt and Gary Weimberg. Original music is by George Michalski and Dave Denny, Garth Stevenson, Randall Wallace and Todd Boekelheide. Narrators include: Robert Redford; Ashley Judd; activist Van Jones; author Isabel Allende; and Meryl Streep.
Featured In The Film Are:
The incomparable Lois Gibbs, leader of Love Canal; Paul “I work for whales” Watson; Bill McKibben, author and founder of 350.org; Paul Hawken and Stewart Brand, alternative ecology visionaries; Martin Litton, at 92 thundering, “If you haven’t got any hatred in your heart, what are you living on?”; Carl Pope and John Adams, longtime heads of the Sierra Club and Nrdc; and Bob Bullard, who closes the film on a universal note: “There’s no Hispanic air. There’s no African-American air. There’s air! And if you breathe air – and most people I know do breathe air – then I would consider you an environmentalist.”...
- 9/28/2013
- by Peter Belsito
- Sydney's Buzz
Wellington, New Zealand -- An anti-whaling activist group accused a Japanese whaling vessel of intentionally ramming two of its ships Wednesday in waters near Antarctica. Japan's Fisheries Agency, however, insisted the protesters were responsible for the collisions.
Sea Shepherd Conservation Society founder Paul Watson said he was aboard the ship Steve Irwin when the Japanese boat Nisshin Maru collided with it, the Bob Barker and a tanker used to refuel the Japanese whaling fleet.
Watson said the Japanese ship deliberately rammed the Sea Shepherd vessels to try to move them aside and get to the refueling tanker. He said the Japanese ship also accidentally hit the tanker. He said the incident, near the Australian Davis Research Base on the Antarctic coast, was particularly dangerous because the tanker was involved.
Japan's Fisheries Agency blamed the Sea Shepherd boats, saying they had taken the offensive and had hit the Nisshin Maru at...
Sea Shepherd Conservation Society founder Paul Watson said he was aboard the ship Steve Irwin when the Japanese boat Nisshin Maru collided with it, the Bob Barker and a tanker used to refuel the Japanese whaling fleet.
Watson said the Japanese ship deliberately rammed the Sea Shepherd vessels to try to move them aside and get to the refueling tanker. He said the Japanese ship also accidentally hit the tanker. He said the incident, near the Australian Davis Research Base on the Antarctic coast, was particularly dangerous because the tanker was involved.
Japan's Fisheries Agency blamed the Sea Shepherd boats, saying they had taken the offensive and had hit the Nisshin Maru at...
- 2/26/2013
- by AP
- Huffington Post
Seattle (AP) — A U.S. appeals court ordered American anti-whaling activists to keep 500 yards away from Japanese whaling ships off Antarctica.
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued an injunction against the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, which sends vessels every December to disrupt whale killings by Japan's Institute of Cetacean Research.
The whalers sued Sea Shepherd last year to prevent the protesters from interfering, but the judge refused to grant the request.
The whalers appealed, and a three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit ordered Sea Shepherd not to attack or approach any of the Japanese vessels until it can rule on the merits of the appeal.
"In no event shall defendants approach plaintiffs any closer than 500 yards when defendants are navigating on the open sea," said the order issued late Monday.
Japan's whaling fleet kills up to 1,000 whales a year, as allowed by the International Whaling Commission. Japan...
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued an injunction against the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, which sends vessels every December to disrupt whale killings by Japan's Institute of Cetacean Research.
The whalers sued Sea Shepherd last year to prevent the protesters from interfering, but the judge refused to grant the request.
The whalers appealed, and a three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit ordered Sea Shepherd not to attack or approach any of the Japanese vessels until it can rule on the merits of the appeal.
"In no event shall defendants approach plaintiffs any closer than 500 yards when defendants are navigating on the open sea," said the order issued late Monday.
Japan's whaling fleet kills up to 1,000 whales a year, as allowed by the International Whaling Commission. Japan...
- 12/18/2012
- by AP
- Huffington Post
By Rob Taylor
Canberra, Dec 11 (Reuters) - Anti-whaling activists unveiled on Tuesday their latest weapon against Japanese whalers in the frigid Southern Ocean, a $2 million ship funded by the producer of The Simpsons television series and purchased in secret from the Japanese government.
The 56-metre (184 ft) 'Sam Simon', which docked in the southern Australian port of Hobart, brings the hardline anti-whaling group Sea Shepherd Conservation Society's fleet to four, just one vessel smaller that Japan's whaling fleet.
"We have four ships, one helicopter, drones and more than 120 volunteer crew from around the world ready to defend majestic whales from the illegal operations of the Japanese whaling fleet," said Sea Shepherd founder Paul Watson.
The white-hulled ship, strengthened against ice to operate in seas near Antarctica, was purchased using a U.S. company from its home port in Shimonoseki, where it was berthed alongside the Japanese whaling fleet, its skipper Lockhart MacLean told Reuters.
Canberra, Dec 11 (Reuters) - Anti-whaling activists unveiled on Tuesday their latest weapon against Japanese whalers in the frigid Southern Ocean, a $2 million ship funded by the producer of The Simpsons television series and purchased in secret from the Japanese government.
The 56-metre (184 ft) 'Sam Simon', which docked in the southern Australian port of Hobart, brings the hardline anti-whaling group Sea Shepherd Conservation Society's fleet to four, just one vessel smaller that Japan's whaling fleet.
"We have four ships, one helicopter, drones and more than 120 volunteer crew from around the world ready to defend majestic whales from the illegal operations of the Japanese whaling fleet," said Sea Shepherd founder Paul Watson.
The white-hulled ship, strengthened against ice to operate in seas near Antarctica, was purchased using a U.S. company from its home port in Shimonoseki, where it was berthed alongside the Japanese whaling fleet, its skipper Lockhart MacLean told Reuters.
- 12/11/2012
- by Reuters
- Aol TV.
Just ahead of the Season 5 premiere of the Emmy-Nominated .Whale Wars. on Animal Planet on June 1st, the show.s star Paul Watson was arrested in Germany, tied to actions in 2002 against an illegal shark finning operation. French actress and animal rights crusader Brigitte Bardot has spoken out on Watson.s behalf, offering to take his place in jail, as she is outraged by his imprisonment. In 2011, Bardot even had a Sea Shepherd trimaran named after her. The Telegraph reports that in a statement issued by Bardot, she explains that: "I have always supported Paul Watson, my brother in arms. Being outraged by the fact that he's been put in prison, I offer to take his place because...
- 5/17/2012
- by April MacIntyre
- Monsters and Critics
French film icon-turned-animal rights activist Brigitte Bardot has offered to switch places with a marine conservation group leader, who has been arrested and imprisoned in Germany.
Canadian Paul Watson, the founder of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and a former Greenpeace campaigner, is accused of endangering the crew onboard a shark-finning ship after confronting them in the waters of Costa Rica in 2002.
He was arrested on an international warrant in Frankfurt, Germany on Sunday, and on Monday, German officials remanded him in custody.
Bardot, 77, is appalled by the news and insists she is willing to trade places with Watson, who has been battling hunters on the high seas for years.
A statement issued by the actress reads: "Being outraged by the fact that he's been put in prison, I offer to take his place because I am his accomplice.
"I have always supported Paul Watson, my brother in arms."...
Canadian Paul Watson, the founder of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and a former Greenpeace campaigner, is accused of endangering the crew onboard a shark-finning ship after confronting them in the waters of Costa Rica in 2002.
He was arrested on an international warrant in Frankfurt, Germany on Sunday, and on Monday, German officials remanded him in custody.
Bardot, 77, is appalled by the news and insists she is willing to trade places with Watson, who has been battling hunters on the high seas for years.
A statement issued by the actress reads: "Being outraged by the fact that he's been put in prison, I offer to take his place because I am his accomplice.
"I have always supported Paul Watson, my brother in arms."...
- 5/16/2012
- WENN
Frankfurt, Germany (AP) — An environmental activist group known for its confrontations with whalers and fishermen says its founder has been arrested in Germany for extradition to Costa Rica for allegedly interfering with a shark fishing boat.
Paul Watson of Sea Shepherd Conservation Society was arrested Saturday in Frankfurt, the U.S.-based group said in a statement Sunday.
Sea Shepherd said Watson is accused of violating of ships traffic during filming of a documentary in 2002. The group said the incident took place in Guatemalan waters, when Sea Shepherd encountered an illegal shark finning operation run by a Costa Rican ship, the Varadero.
Sea Shepherd said it told the Varadero's crew to stop and head to port to be prosecuted. The crew accused Sea Shepherd of trying to kill them.
Paul Watson of Sea Shepherd Conservation Society was arrested Saturday in Frankfurt, the U.S.-based group said in a statement Sunday.
Sea Shepherd said Watson is accused of violating of ships traffic during filming of a documentary in 2002. The group said the incident took place in Guatemalan waters, when Sea Shepherd encountered an illegal shark finning operation run by a Costa Rican ship, the Varadero.
Sea Shepherd said it told the Varadero's crew to stop and head to port to be prosecuted. The crew accused Sea Shepherd of trying to kill them.
- 5/14/2012
- by AP
- Aol TV.
From 7 Up to Towie, Andy Warhol to the Maysles brothers, I am influenced by films that highlight human reality and interaction
When people consider the art of the moving image, documentary is most often seen as the poor cousin of the feature film. But the inception of film started with the documentary, whether it was a horse galloping or a train coming through a tunnel.
Documentaries have influenced how actors can perform more naturally, or film-makers create mises-en-scène convincingly. But more than anything, they have changed us all, allowed us to understand others we have never met or will never have the chance to meet. They have changed our social ways as we pick up on how other people live and, in some cases, adopt manners and behaviours. My work has been influenced by documentaries, particularly those from the 1970s, where new ideas were being explored in programmes like The Family and 7 Up.
When people consider the art of the moving image, documentary is most often seen as the poor cousin of the feature film. But the inception of film started with the documentary, whether it was a horse galloping or a train coming through a tunnel.
Documentaries have influenced how actors can perform more naturally, or film-makers create mises-en-scène convincingly. But more than anything, they have changed us all, allowed us to understand others we have never met or will never have the chance to meet. They have changed our social ways as we pick up on how other people live and, in some cases, adopt manners and behaviours. My work has been influenced by documentaries, particularly those from the 1970s, where new ideas were being explored in programmes like The Family and 7 Up.
- 3/29/2012
- The Guardian - Film News
London, Dec 31: Astrologers and bookmakers had predicted rocky times for Katy Perry and Russell Brand, which would eventually end in divorce.
Ever since the couple wed in October 2009, experts were queuing up to predict it wouldn't last.
"Russell pretends to be this maniacal character and he's not, he's an absolute softie, a gentle soul. This year's not that great for Russell, next year's not that great for Russell, but it will be a blockbuster year for Katy," the Mirror quoted celebrity astrologer Paul Watson as having said.
"If the marriage is going to hit the rocks, where Katy soars and Russell sinks, it could be.
Ever since the couple wed in October 2009, experts were queuing up to predict it wouldn't last.
"Russell pretends to be this maniacal character and he's not, he's an absolute softie, a gentle soul. This year's not that great for Russell, next year's not that great for Russell, but it will be a blockbuster year for Katy," the Mirror quoted celebrity astrologer Paul Watson as having said.
"If the marriage is going to hit the rocks, where Katy soars and Russell sinks, it could be.
- 12/31/2011
- by Ketali Mehta
- RealBollywood.com
Sydney (AP) — A conservationist group's boat that was chasing a Japanese whaling vessel off Antarctica was seriously damaged by a giant wave Thursday — a major setback in the group's ongoing and sometimes violent battle with Japan's whaling fleet, the activists said.
The wave cracked the hull and severely damaged one of the pontoons on the Brigitte Bardot, a scout vessel for the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, which is chasing the whaling fleet in the hopes of interrupting Japan's annual hunt. None of the boat's 10 crew were hurt, and the vessel was in no danger of sinking in the icy waters, Sea Shepherd founder Paul Watson said.
"It's not going to stop our attempt, but it is a setback because it takes out one of our boats," Watson told The Associated Press by phone from his vessel, the Steve Irwin.
The Brigitte Bardot was chasing the Japanese ship Nisshin Maru in...
The wave cracked the hull and severely damaged one of the pontoons on the Brigitte Bardot, a scout vessel for the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, which is chasing the whaling fleet in the hopes of interrupting Japan's annual hunt. None of the boat's 10 crew were hurt, and the vessel was in no danger of sinking in the icy waters, Sea Shepherd founder Paul Watson said.
"It's not going to stop our attempt, but it is a setback because it takes out one of our boats," Watson told The Associated Press by phone from his vessel, the Steve Irwin.
The Brigitte Bardot was chasing the Japanese ship Nisshin Maru in...
- 12/29/2011
- by AP
- Huffington Post
Michelle Rodriguez has revealed that she plans to become a vegetarian. The Machete actress, who will embark on a sea journey with marine conservationist Paul Watson to protest illegal fishing and whaling, has insisted that she does not want to be labelled a "hypocrite" for continuing to eat meat, reports Contact Music. The 32-year-old said: "I'm not [a vegetarian] but I will have to be because on the ship, it's a vegan (more)...
- 8/22/2010
- by By Marcell Minaya
- Digital Spy
Actress Michelle Rodriguez is planning to become a vegetarian so she's not a hypocrite when she takes to the high seas with marine conservationist Paul Watson in an effort to halt illegal fishing and whaling in international water. The tough-talking "Avatar" star has begged Watson to take her along with him when he sets sail with Good Shepherd activists on his next "whale wars" mission and she's determined to be one of the crew.
She says, "I'm not (a vegetarian) but I will have to be because on the ship, it's a vegan ship - you can't be a hypocrite; you can't be sitting there trying to save animals and then killing them. That's just weird."
Rodriguez admits she's greatly inspired by the work Watson does, and accepts she's taking her life in her hands when she goes to sea with him. She adds, "I have a tendency not to think before I do things,...
She says, "I'm not (a vegetarian) but I will have to be because on the ship, it's a vegan ship - you can't be a hypocrite; you can't be sitting there trying to save animals and then killing them. That's just weird."
Rodriguez admits she's greatly inspired by the work Watson does, and accepts she's taking her life in her hands when she goes to sea with him. She adds, "I have a tendency not to think before I do things,...
- 8/21/2010
- by AceShowbiz.com
- Aceshowbiz
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