Violet McGraw, whose surprise horror hit M3gan became a viral sensation, has signed to headline the cast for A Wonderful Way with Dragons, written, directed, and produced by Delfine Paolini.
The film will begin production this summer in Upstate NY. It marks Paolini’s feature film directorial debut.
‘Dragons’ follows a group of six children and a sinister, possibly imaginary, friend, abandoned on an enigmatic island after a pandemic has swept the world. Their struggle to survive becomes paled by individual desires for each other and for power.
Joining McGraw are Miguel Angel Garcia, star of The Long Game; Taylor Geare from the film Inception; Donnie Masihi of the TV series This Is Us; Ian Foreman, star of the TV series Let the Right One In; and Theodore Dalton, a fashion model turned actor most recently seen in a nationwide Ralph Lauren ad campaign.
“I wrote this script at the beginning of the pandemic,...
The film will begin production this summer in Upstate NY. It marks Paolini’s feature film directorial debut.
‘Dragons’ follows a group of six children and a sinister, possibly imaginary, friend, abandoned on an enigmatic island after a pandemic has swept the world. Their struggle to survive becomes paled by individual desires for each other and for power.
Joining McGraw are Miguel Angel Garcia, star of The Long Game; Taylor Geare from the film Inception; Donnie Masihi of the TV series This Is Us; Ian Foreman, star of the TV series Let the Right One In; and Theodore Dalton, a fashion model turned actor most recently seen in a nationwide Ralph Lauren ad campaign.
“I wrote this script at the beginning of the pandemic,...
- 5/14/2023
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Andi Matichak, who starred opposite Jamie Lee Curtis in the recent big-grossing Halloween reboot, and Emile Hirsch (Once Upon A Time In Hollywood) will lead the cast of Ivan Kavanagh’s horror feature Son.
Project is aiming for a January 2020 U.S. shoot. Altitude Films has boarded world sales rights and will launch at Afm next week.
Film is a character-driven horror about a mother who escaped from a demonic cult as a child. Her past catches up with her as its members infect her young son with an insidious disease, the cure for which is more terrifying than she can imagine.
Kavanagh also wrote the screenplay. He previously helmed western Never Grow Old with John Cusack and Hirsch, and psychological horror The Canal, which was bought by The Orchard.
Producers are Rene Bastian (Transamerica) for Belladonna Productions, AnneMarie Naughton (The Canal) of Park Films and Louis Tisné (Border) of Elastic Film.
Project is aiming for a January 2020 U.S. shoot. Altitude Films has boarded world sales rights and will launch at Afm next week.
Film is a character-driven horror about a mother who escaped from a demonic cult as a child. Her past catches up with her as its members infect her young son with an insidious disease, the cure for which is more terrifying than she can imagine.
Kavanagh also wrote the screenplay. He previously helmed western Never Grow Old with John Cusack and Hirsch, and psychological horror The Canal, which was bought by The Orchard.
Producers are Rene Bastian (Transamerica) for Belladonna Productions, AnneMarie Naughton (The Canal) of Park Films and Louis Tisné (Border) of Elastic Film.
- 11/1/2019
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
The entertainment space is going “to be transformed by analytics”, claimed a panelist.
The importance of the independent film industry harnessing data was in the spotlight during day two of International Film Festival Rotterdam’s distribution conference Reality Check.
Source: Iffr
Matt Mueller (Screen International), René Bastian (Cinelytic), Liz Manashil (Sundance Institute), Greg Detre (Channel 4), Isabelle Glachant (Chinese Shadows)
The subject of data had been regularly alluded to during day one – with panellists often at loggerheads about the influence of an algorithmic approach to filmmaking – and yesterday (Jan 29) the topic was addressed head-on during a panel that explored the future of data in the film business.
Screen’s editor Matt Mueller, hosting the discussion, pointed out that data has typically “been the preserve of the studios and online players” to-date, asking his panellists to highlight ways in which the indie industry could harness it.
Rene Bastian from data company Cinelytic – which launched in Cannes last year – claimed...
The importance of the independent film industry harnessing data was in the spotlight during day two of International Film Festival Rotterdam’s distribution conference Reality Check.
Source: Iffr
Matt Mueller (Screen International), René Bastian (Cinelytic), Liz Manashil (Sundance Institute), Greg Detre (Channel 4), Isabelle Glachant (Chinese Shadows)
The subject of data had been regularly alluded to during day one – with panellists often at loggerheads about the influence of an algorithmic approach to filmmaking – and yesterday (Jan 29) the topic was addressed head-on during a panel that explored the future of data in the film business.
Screen’s editor Matt Mueller, hosting the discussion, pointed out that data has typically “been the preserve of the studios and online players” to-date, asking his panellists to highlight ways in which the indie industry could harness it.
Rene Bastian from data company Cinelytic – which launched in Cannes last year – claimed...
- 1/31/2018
- by Tom Grater
- ScreenDaily
Data will enhance service for users of analytics platform
Cinelytic, the data and analytics platform for the film industry based in New York and Los Angeles, on Thursday announced a partnership with leading P2P piracy data provider Tecxipio.
Privately backed Cinelytic is run by Transamerica producer and Belladonna Productions founder Rene Bastian, producer and Arctic Pictures founder Tobias Queisser, and physicist Dev K Sen.
The co-founders aim to help all tiers of the industry develop, package, finance, market and distribute films by providing data and support tools that promote transparency, standardisation, and risk management more commonly found at deep-pocketed tech companies.
The data will include Tecxipio’s file sharing data on BitTorrent networks to help film industry professionals better understand market dynamics and consumer behaviour.
The Cinelytic team believes piracy data will help to inform release window intelligence, programming decisions, content acquisition, distribution and potential analyses.
“We are very pleased to announce our partnership with Tecxipio...
Cinelytic, the data and analytics platform for the film industry based in New York and Los Angeles, on Thursday announced a partnership with leading P2P piracy data provider Tecxipio.
Privately backed Cinelytic is run by Transamerica producer and Belladonna Productions founder Rene Bastian, producer and Arctic Pictures founder Tobias Queisser, and physicist Dev K Sen.
The co-founders aim to help all tiers of the industry develop, package, finance, market and distribute films by providing data and support tools that promote transparency, standardisation, and risk management more commonly found at deep-pocketed tech companies.
The data will include Tecxipio’s file sharing data on BitTorrent networks to help film industry professionals better understand market dynamics and consumer behaviour.
The Cinelytic team believes piracy data will help to inform release window intelligence, programming decisions, content acquisition, distribution and potential analyses.
“We are very pleased to announce our partnership with Tecxipio...
- 5/18/2017
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Service designed to promote transparency, risk management in film business.
The founders behind a data-driven digital service offering a comprehensive comps database and predictive tools plan to launch their platform in Cannes.
Cinelytic is privately backed and run by Transamerica producer and Belladonna Productions founder Rene Bastian (top), producer and Arctic Pictures founder Tobias Queisser (centre), and physicist Dev K Sen (bottom).
The co-founders aim to help all tiers of the industry develop, package, finance, market and distribute films by providing the kind of data and support tools promoting transparency, standardisation, and risk management more commonly found at deep-pocketed tech companies.
Based in New York and Los Angeles, Cinelytic enables subscribers to assemble packages by keying in elements from talent to genre to budget range and inviting partners to share film profiles.
Users can check an actor or director’s median box office over the last five releases, social media following, and upcoming...
The founders behind a data-driven digital service offering a comprehensive comps database and predictive tools plan to launch their platform in Cannes.
Cinelytic is privately backed and run by Transamerica producer and Belladonna Productions founder Rene Bastian (top), producer and Arctic Pictures founder Tobias Queisser (centre), and physicist Dev K Sen (bottom).
The co-founders aim to help all tiers of the industry develop, package, finance, market and distribute films by providing the kind of data and support tools promoting transparency, standardisation, and risk management more commonly found at deep-pocketed tech companies.
Based in New York and Los Angeles, Cinelytic enables subscribers to assemble packages by keying in elements from talent to genre to budget range and inviting partners to share film profiles.
Users can check an actor or director’s median box office over the last five releases, social media following, and upcoming...
- 5/11/2017
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Alumni on film and TV programme include producers of The Lunchbox, Bullhead and The Book Of Negroes.
Film and TV drama co-production training programme Trans Atlantic Partners (Tap) has revelaed its 2016 line-up of 25 producers from across Europe, Canada, and the USA as well as India and South Africa.
Experts taking part in the scheme include producer René Bastian (Cold In July), Matthias Nitschke, senior vice president of business & legal affairs, Studiocanal, Germany, and producer Ilann Girard (Lebanon).
Tap provides case studies of successful trans-Atlantic projects, market intelligence, legal framework and information on sales and distribution. The programme is directed at producers at career mid-level who have produced at least one feature film or TV series.
The two training modules take place in Munich (June 24 – 29) and Halifax, Canada (September 12– 18) where Tap producers will also participate in the Atlantic Film Festival’s Strategic Partners international co-production market.
Previous alumni of the scheme include Guneet Monga (The Lunchbox), [link...
Film and TV drama co-production training programme Trans Atlantic Partners (Tap) has revelaed its 2016 line-up of 25 producers from across Europe, Canada, and the USA as well as India and South Africa.
Experts taking part in the scheme include producer René Bastian (Cold In July), Matthias Nitschke, senior vice president of business & legal affairs, Studiocanal, Germany, and producer Ilann Girard (Lebanon).
Tap provides case studies of successful trans-Atlantic projects, market intelligence, legal framework and information on sales and distribution. The programme is directed at producers at career mid-level who have produced at least one feature film or TV series.
The two training modules take place in Munich (June 24 – 29) and Halifax, Canada (September 12– 18) where Tap producers will also participate in the Atlantic Film Festival’s Strategic Partners international co-production market.
Previous alumni of the scheme include Guneet Monga (The Lunchbox), [link...
- 6/22/2016
- by andreas.wiseman@screendaily.com (Andreas Wiseman)
- ScreenDaily
In this exclusive clip from Stephan Littger’s debut feature film “Her Composition," Malorie (Joslyn Jensen) discovers a new side to her sexuality that will launch her journey of musical discovery. Throughout her frenzied sensual journey sleeping with random clients during which she has random musical experiences, she will leave behind the confines of the status quo that had enchained her creative self. Her clients become the collective muse for her new composition.
Beautifully shot (Andres Karu) with a magical score by Christopher Libertino, Littger’s stunningly self-assured directorial debut asks fundamental questions by deconstructing the traditional three-act structure through the body of a woman on her journey to creative emancipation. Edgy and controversial, will Malorie for the first time create something that truly reflects her creative self or is she merely on an express path to insanity?
“I was attracted to the idea of a narrative that sounds traditional, even sexist at first but turns out to be exactly the opposite by questioning Hollywood gender roles and empowering a young artist who turns the tables on the men she meets -- and therefore audience expectations.” Littger says of the inspiration behind this movie. “In that sense, I am Malorie and Malorie is all of us who feel we have a voice and want to get it out there. And it’s incredibly hard and you need to find that non-judgmental space in the world that allows you to do that. In our private screenings so far, the reactions have been particularly exciting to me as author as every audience member raises infinitely insightful points about Malorie’s journey and her challenges. While there’s definitely also a strong political dimension to it, above all I want to entertain. It wouldn’t work any other way.”
After Austin Film Festival, the film will have its international premiere at Whistler Film Festival in early December. Jensen is supported by a stellar supporting cast featuring Christian Campbell (“Trick”), Heather Matarazzo (“Welcome to the Dollhouse”), comedian Rachel Feinstein (“Trainwreck”) and Margot Bingham (“Boardwalk Empire”). The voice of Oscar-nominated Executive Producer René Bastian (“Transamerica”) is felt throughout.
Beautifully shot (Andres Karu) with a magical score by Christopher Libertino, Littger’s stunningly self-assured directorial debut asks fundamental questions by deconstructing the traditional three-act structure through the body of a woman on her journey to creative emancipation. Edgy and controversial, will Malorie for the first time create something that truly reflects her creative self or is she merely on an express path to insanity?
“I was attracted to the idea of a narrative that sounds traditional, even sexist at first but turns out to be exactly the opposite by questioning Hollywood gender roles and empowering a young artist who turns the tables on the men she meets -- and therefore audience expectations.” Littger says of the inspiration behind this movie. “In that sense, I am Malorie and Malorie is all of us who feel we have a voice and want to get it out there. And it’s incredibly hard and you need to find that non-judgmental space in the world that allows you to do that. In our private screenings so far, the reactions have been particularly exciting to me as author as every audience member raises infinitely insightful points about Malorie’s journey and her challenges. While there’s definitely also a strong political dimension to it, above all I want to entertain. It wouldn’t work any other way.”
After Austin Film Festival, the film will have its international premiere at Whistler Film Festival in early December. Jensen is supported by a stellar supporting cast featuring Christian Campbell (“Trick”), Heather Matarazzo (“Welcome to the Dollhouse”), comedian Rachel Feinstein (“Trainwreck”) and Margot Bingham (“Boardwalk Empire”). The voice of Oscar-nominated Executive Producer René Bastian (“Transamerica”) is felt throughout.
- 10/29/2015
- by Peter Belsito
- Sydney's Buzz
Premiering in competition at the 22nd Austin Film Festival, Stephan Littger's debut feature Her Composition stars one of my favorite indie actors Joslyn Jensen (Without, Funny Bunny) as talented but socially awkward composition student Malorie, who starts visiting high-end escort clients on her quest for overcoming writer's block. Littger's darkly comical and often surreal tale sees Malorie turning each client into yet another layer of her composition, positioning the unsuspecting viewer into silent co-conspirators along with her. Apart from a stellar lead, supporting actors Christian Campbell (Trick), Margot Bingham (Boardwalk Empire), Heather Matarazzo (Welcome to the Dollhouse) and comedian Rachel Feinstein round up the cast. Executive Producer is Oscar-nominated René Bastian (Transamerica).Ahead of its premiere at the Hideout theater, Friday, October 30 at 6pm, Twitch...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 10/29/2015
- Screen Anarchy
The premiere post-tiff destination (September 20-25th) in the film community and a major leg up for narrative and non-fiction films in development, the Independent Filmmaker Project (Ifp) announced a whopping 140 projects selected for the Project Forum at the upcoming Ifp Independent Film Week. Made up of several sections (Rbc’s Emerging Storytellers program, No Borders International Co-Production Market and Spotlight on Documentaries), we find latest updates from the likes of docu-helmers Doug Block (112 Weddings) and Lana Wilson (After Tiller), and among the narrative items we find headliners in Andrew Haigh (coming off the well received 45 Years), Sophie Barthes (Cold Souls and Madame Bovary), Terence Nance (An Oversimplification of Her Beauty), Lawrence Michael Levine (Wild Canaries), Jorge Michel Grau (We Are What We Are), Eleanor Burke and Ron Eyal (Stranger Things) and new faces in Sundance’s large family in Charles Poekel (Christmas, Again) and Olivia Newman (First Match). Here...
- 7/22/2015
- by admin
- IONCINEMA.com
Jan Miller is a connector – and she loves doing it! Supporting producers around the world is in her DNA. After she invited us to speak at the second Strategic Partners in Halifax, (which she created and directed for 15 years), we would then meet Jan regularly in Cuba, Berlin and Cannes where she is a regular moderator at the Producers’ Network Breakfasts. Cartegena was also on her regular beat. She is in demand everywhere as a trainer for directors, writers and producers of pitching and content development as well as an international consultant, from regular events like Poland’s ScriptEast, to Guangzhou, Manaus, Capetown, Glasgow, Yellowknife and most recently, Tehran to name just a few of the more exotic locales.
After bringing the stars in alignment to launch Canada’s first national film school, the National Screen Institute and its highly regarded Features First and Drama Prize programs almost three decades ago, Jan moved from Canada’s west to the east coast where she launched Strategic Partners, Canada’s premiere international co-production market.
In Sp’s 10th year, Jan was approached by Nadja Radojevic of the The Erich Pommer Institut – Epi to partner on a brand new training concept Trans Atlantic Partners (Tap) where Jan Miller serves as its Head of Studies. Together they have developed the program in to one-of-a-kind training that brings together experienced producers from Europe, Canada and the U.S. with a team of Experts, to develop projects for international co-production and co-venturing. Tap is co-presented by the Erich Pommer Institut and the Canadian Media Production Association – Cmpa. Industry partners are Telefilm Canada and Canada Media Fund.
Always responding to the industry, Tap began with only European and Canadian involvement but both Nadja and Jan realized bringing U.S. indie producers into the mix would take the program to a whole other level. Each year, three additional producers from beyond these three ‘regions’ are also selected to participate in this two-module program.
The Tap 2015 line-up includes producers from India, Australia and Mexico. And now in its 7th year, Tap, responding to the industry needs, has opened its program to independent producers with international television series projects in development as well.
This year’s expert line-up of award winning producers include Belladonna’s René Bastian of Belladonna Productions whose film “ Cold in July” is directed by Jim Mickie, and whose newest film “Live Cargo” was presented at Ifp’s No Borders and Us in Progress this past month, K5’s Oliver Simon, Dynamic Television’s Klaus Zimmermann (“100 Code”, “Borgia”, “Death In Paradise”, “The Transporter”), international television consultant Lorri Faughan (“Pillars Of The Earth”), and Buffalo Gal’s Phyllis Laing, (“Aloft”, “Keyhole”, Heaven is for Real”) of Buffalo Gal Pictures, Canada, who was herself a Tap’er in its very first year.
Jan says that they often draw on previous Tap producer talent to come back as resources as so many have remarkable track records.
The Erich Pommer Institut of Germany is a leading training provider in the European media industry dealing with cutting-edge legal and economic topics. Nadja Radojevic, has recently moved into the CEO and Director of Training.
Epi was founded in 1998. Erich Pommer himself was the producer of “Metropolis” and “The Blue Angel”. He left Germany in the war and his grandson, Erich Pommer is a Los Angeles entertainment attorney. The Institute’s core business is advanced professional training in film and media. Aside from Trans Atlantic Partners which is held in Berlin in June and in Halifax in September post Tiff, Epi hosts a European TV Drama Series Lab following the American model with top showrunners and Scandinavian trainers. Now in its fourth edition - former editions featured Showrunners James Manos (“Sopranos”), Carol Flint (“West Wing”, “Emergency Room”), Frank Spotnitz (“The X-Files”), Simon Mirren (“Criminal Minds”) and Glen Mazzara of “Walking Dead” – David Semel, Executive Producer “Madam Secretary”, Co-Executive Producer “House MD” and Director of “The Man in the High Castle”, “Hannibal”, Hemlock Grove”, “Homeland”, “Heroes”will be trainer amongst others.
Epi also hosts Essential Legal Framework, a program consisting of three independent workshops for European professionals on negotiating, European coproduction and digital strategies. A national section for German speakers only, runs four hours a day with 20-30 seminars per year. Its focus is on media law and deals with television, film production, labor and tax revisions which – one of their best-selling seminars as there have recently been quite a lot of changes in tax law in Germany. Classes in film financing and film funding are also popular.
There is also a Copyright Policy Congress, Writers Room Simulation and other conventions featuring various current topics relevant to the media industry. In fall Epi is pioneering with Epi e:training starting with a course on European Co-Production. Epi e:training is offering crucial knowledge and business insights by top-level experts online – at your own pace and wherever and whenever you want. “We developed the online training program according to the demands of today’s media industry. It offers more flexibility and adapts to individual preferences," comments Nadja Radojevic. Epi is located at the historic Babelsberg Studios and can be found at www.epi-medieninstitut.de
Trans Atlantic Partners (Tap) is designed for experienced film and television producers from Europe, Canada and the U.S. including 3 additional seats for International producers. The 24 Tap 2015 producers below were selected by the Erich Pommer Institut (Epi) (Germany) and the Canadian Media Production Association (Cmpa) (Canada).
European Producers
-Simon Amberger, Germany (Producer, "Eastalgia", Molodist Int. Ff 2012, Tallinn Int. Ff 2013 | Producer, Blockbustaz, 2014, Winner ZDFneo TV Lab 2014 | Producer, Ada, 2014)
-Sebastien Aubert, France ("Patardzlebi" (Brides), 2014, Berlinale 2014, 3rd Audience Award)
-Rudolf Biermann, Czech Republic (Producer, "Kawasaki's Rose," 2009, Berlinale 2010, Ecumenical Award Panorama Section, Czech Lion 2010 | Executive Producer, "I Served the King of England," 2006, Berlinale 2006, Fipresci Critics Award | Producer, "Garden," 1995, Karlovy Vary Iff 1995, Jury Award)
-Jacqueline de Goeij, Belgium (Producer, "Allez, Eddy!," 2012, Chemnitz Ff, Main Prize & Diamant Award For Most Convincing Acting Performance Of A Child, Palm Springs Best of the Fest Selection | Producer, "Zus & Zo," 2002, Academy Awards, Nominee Best Foreign Language Film, Dutch Ff, Golden Calf Best Actor)
-Sylvia Günthner, Germany (Producer, "Bela Kiss: Prologue," 2013, Twisted Celluloid Ff Ireland 2013, Audi Festival of German Films Australia 2014)
-Martin Heisler, Germany (Producer, "Houston," 2013, Sundance Ff 2013, Independent Ff Boston 2013, Special Prize of the Jury | Producer "Forget Me Not," 2012, Ff Locarno, Settima Della Critica 2012, Best film | Producer "David Wants to Fly," 2010, Berlinale 2010)
-Rachel Lysaght, Ireland (Producer, "Patrick's Day," 2015, Ifta 2014, Best Script, Best Actor in a Leading Role, Best Sound | Producer, "One Million Dubliners," 2014, TV Award Sandford Saint Martin Trust, UK, Irish Ff Boston 2015, Director's Choice, Galway Film Fleadh Ireland 2014, Best Feature Documentary)
-Christof Neracher, Switzerland (Producer, "War" (Chrieg), 2014, San Sebastian Ff 2014, Max Ophüls 2014, Max Ophüls Prize | Producer Vitus, 2006, Shortlist Academy Awards Best Foreign Language Film 2006, Berlinale 2006, AFI Fest 2006, Audience Award)
-Diarmid Scrimshaw, UK (Producer / Production Co., "Tyrannosaur," 2012, Sundance 2011, Best Director, Satellite Awards 2011, Best First Feature)
Canadian Producers
-Coral Aiken, Canada (Producer, Big Muddy, 2014, Toronto Iff 2014, Arizona Iff 2015 | Producer, "The People Garden")
-Patrick Banister, Canada (Executive Producer, "Bitten," 2014 | Executive Producer, "Whistler," 2006)
-John Barbisan, Canada (Executive Producer, "Bitten," 2014 | Executive Producer, "Whistler," 2006)
-Amy Belling, Canada (Producer / DoP / Cam Op / Post Supervisor, Songs She Wrote About People She Knows, 2014, Toronto Iff 2014, Santa Barbara Iff 2015 | Producer / DoP / Cam Op / Post Super, Stress Position, 2013, Sci Fi London 2013, Las Vegas Ff 2013, Best Cinematography / Best Supporting Actor)
-Isaac Clements, Canada (Senior Production Executive, "The Pinkertons," 2014-15 | Production Executive, "Sunnyside,"2014-15 | Associate Producer, "Silent Night," 2012)
-Jeff Kopas, Canada (Producer / Director / Writer, "An Insignificant Harvey," 2011, Busan Iff 2012, Audience Award)
-Linda Ludwick, Canada (Exec. Producer/Producer: "Mohawk Girls Season 2," 2014, Yorkton Ff 2015, Banff Media Festival 2015 | Exec. Producer/Producer, "Smoke Traders," 2012, Yorkton Ff 2013 | Exec. Producer/Producer, "Reel Injun," 2009, 3 Gemini awards 2010 | Exec. Producer/Producer, "Moose TV," 2006, "Cfpta" 2008)
-Robyn Wiener, Canada (Producer, "Numb," 2015 | Producer, "Black Fly," 2014, Viff 2014 , Marché du Film Telefilm Perspective Canada Cannes 2015| Co-Producer / Line Producer, "Lawrence & Holoman," 2013, "Viff" 2013, Best Director | Co-Producer / Line Producer, "American Mary," 2012, London Fright Ff 2012)
American Producers
-Mollye Asher, USA (Producer, "Fort Tilden," 2015, SXSW 2014 Grand Jury Prize | Producer, "She's Lost Control," Independent Spirit Award Nominee 2015, Berlinale 2014 | Producer, "Songs My Brother Taught Me," 2015, Sundance 2015, Cannes 2015)
-Diane Houslin, USA (Producer, "Yelling to the Sky," 2011)
-Tommy Oliver, USA (Producer, 1982, 2015, Toronto Ff 2013, Austin Ff 2013, Marquee Audience Award | Producer, "The Perfect Guy," 2015 | Producer, "Kinyarwanda," 2011, Sundance Ff 2011, World Audience Award, AFI Fest 2011, Audience Award)
-Riel Roch Decter, USA (Producer, "The Wait," 2014, South by Southwest 2013, Deauville 2013 | Producer, "Bottled Up," 2014, Tribeca Film Festival 2013 | Producer, "Life After Death from Above 1979," 2014.
International Producers
-Vivek Kajaria, India (Producer, "Fandry," 2014, Indian Ff of La 2014, Grand Jury Prize Best Film, Fipresci India 2014, Film Critic Award Best Indian Film 2013 | Presenter, "Anumati," 2013, National Film Award for Best Actor 2013, New York Indian Ff 2013, Best Film Award | Producer, "Siddhant," 2015, Mumbai 2014)
-Ozcar Ramirez Gonzalez, Mexico (Producer, "Ciclo," 2013, DocsDF 2012, Vancouver Latino Iff 2013, Audience Award | Producer, "The Compass is Carried by the Dead Man," 2013, Tokyo Iff 2011, La Iff 2012 | Producer, "Days of Grace," 2012, Cannes Iff 2011, Guadalajara Iff 2012, Best Director, Best Score, Press Award)
-Lisa Shaunessy, Australia (Executive Producer, "Killing Ground," 2016 | Co-Producer, "Black & White & Sex," 2012, Iff Rotterdam 2012, Sydney Ff 2011, Best Experimental Film | Producer, "Hipsters," Sbs Australia, 2015)
Who is Jan Miller and how did she arrange such an organization?
It’s in Jan’s nature to look for opportunities to support the individual filmmaker, her local industry and work internationally as well. Most recently Jan served as an international consultant for the Canadian Media Production Association helping to develop their international strategy and contributing to Cmpa led delegations to Berlin and Rio de Janeiro. In March she led a delegation of 18 production companies to the Hk Filmart for Creative BC and Cmpa BC.
Jan divides her time on Tap, on international contracts, on teaching and on Wift-at.
How do you see the place of women in the film industry?
Recognizing that there was a real need in Atlantic Canada for women to come together and support, celebrate and learn from each other in the industry, I started Women in Film and Television - Atlantic which I headed up as Founding Chair and architect for six years. During this time I was working with a remarkable team to launch Women Making Waves an annual Conference that brings in the best female talent to offer master classes, panels, conversations and networking opportunities to men and women in the industry. I continue as one of the organization’s primary resources and mentors. And most recently, strongly believing that women in the industry need to strengthen their entrepreneurial skills and business strategies, I worked with Mount Saint Vincent University’s Centre for Women in Business, to launch Wift-at’s first six month Advanced Management and Mentoring Program.
Can you explain your connection to the music business?
Close to a decade ago, I was approached by Canada’s vibrant east coast music industry to adapt my pitching workshop into a program that has become “export readiness for the music industry”... During this intensive workshop I work with artists, bands and managers to develop their communication and pitch skills to present their work to international music supervisors, festival programrs and tour managers in 1-2-1 meetings. It was a very steep learning curve, but I loved the challenge of redesigning her training to fit a new market.
Can you explain your connection to romance writers?
When the Music Export Readiness workshops took off, other disciplines began approaching me to ask if I could adapt her teaching for a workshop for Romance Writers wanting to pitch to potential film and TV producers and then theatre practitioners wanting to pitch their properties internationally. My un-designed career path came full circle!
How did you come into the film world?
I first came into the entertainment industry through my theatre troupe that performed clown and mask shows internationally for 10 years as one of Canada’s cultural calling cards. During this period I successfully auditioned for a short film and the seed was planted …
What do you do in Nova Scotia? (or What did you do?)
Amazingly I call home Nova Scotia. Living 40 feet from the ocean, I connect daily to the world and travel the world almost as often. I am an international resource for the local industry and mentor talent both for the short term and long term as the demand requires. My husband and I also breed standard poodles!
How would you sum up your “portfolio”?
I am an initiator, a passionate connector devoted to helping people do what they want to do well.
After bringing the stars in alignment to launch Canada’s first national film school, the National Screen Institute and its highly regarded Features First and Drama Prize programs almost three decades ago, Jan moved from Canada’s west to the east coast where she launched Strategic Partners, Canada’s premiere international co-production market.
In Sp’s 10th year, Jan was approached by Nadja Radojevic of the The Erich Pommer Institut – Epi to partner on a brand new training concept Trans Atlantic Partners (Tap) where Jan Miller serves as its Head of Studies. Together they have developed the program in to one-of-a-kind training that brings together experienced producers from Europe, Canada and the U.S. with a team of Experts, to develop projects for international co-production and co-venturing. Tap is co-presented by the Erich Pommer Institut and the Canadian Media Production Association – Cmpa. Industry partners are Telefilm Canada and Canada Media Fund.
Always responding to the industry, Tap began with only European and Canadian involvement but both Nadja and Jan realized bringing U.S. indie producers into the mix would take the program to a whole other level. Each year, three additional producers from beyond these three ‘regions’ are also selected to participate in this two-module program.
The Tap 2015 line-up includes producers from India, Australia and Mexico. And now in its 7th year, Tap, responding to the industry needs, has opened its program to independent producers with international television series projects in development as well.
This year’s expert line-up of award winning producers include Belladonna’s René Bastian of Belladonna Productions whose film “ Cold in July” is directed by Jim Mickie, and whose newest film “Live Cargo” was presented at Ifp’s No Borders and Us in Progress this past month, K5’s Oliver Simon, Dynamic Television’s Klaus Zimmermann (“100 Code”, “Borgia”, “Death In Paradise”, “The Transporter”), international television consultant Lorri Faughan (“Pillars Of The Earth”), and Buffalo Gal’s Phyllis Laing, (“Aloft”, “Keyhole”, Heaven is for Real”) of Buffalo Gal Pictures, Canada, who was herself a Tap’er in its very first year.
Jan says that they often draw on previous Tap producer talent to come back as resources as so many have remarkable track records.
The Erich Pommer Institut of Germany is a leading training provider in the European media industry dealing with cutting-edge legal and economic topics. Nadja Radojevic, has recently moved into the CEO and Director of Training.
Epi was founded in 1998. Erich Pommer himself was the producer of “Metropolis” and “The Blue Angel”. He left Germany in the war and his grandson, Erich Pommer is a Los Angeles entertainment attorney. The Institute’s core business is advanced professional training in film and media. Aside from Trans Atlantic Partners which is held in Berlin in June and in Halifax in September post Tiff, Epi hosts a European TV Drama Series Lab following the American model with top showrunners and Scandinavian trainers. Now in its fourth edition - former editions featured Showrunners James Manos (“Sopranos”), Carol Flint (“West Wing”, “Emergency Room”), Frank Spotnitz (“The X-Files”), Simon Mirren (“Criminal Minds”) and Glen Mazzara of “Walking Dead” – David Semel, Executive Producer “Madam Secretary”, Co-Executive Producer “House MD” and Director of “The Man in the High Castle”, “Hannibal”, Hemlock Grove”, “Homeland”, “Heroes”will be trainer amongst others.
Epi also hosts Essential Legal Framework, a program consisting of three independent workshops for European professionals on negotiating, European coproduction and digital strategies. A national section for German speakers only, runs four hours a day with 20-30 seminars per year. Its focus is on media law and deals with television, film production, labor and tax revisions which – one of their best-selling seminars as there have recently been quite a lot of changes in tax law in Germany. Classes in film financing and film funding are also popular.
There is also a Copyright Policy Congress, Writers Room Simulation and other conventions featuring various current topics relevant to the media industry. In fall Epi is pioneering with Epi e:training starting with a course on European Co-Production. Epi e:training is offering crucial knowledge and business insights by top-level experts online – at your own pace and wherever and whenever you want. “We developed the online training program according to the demands of today’s media industry. It offers more flexibility and adapts to individual preferences," comments Nadja Radojevic. Epi is located at the historic Babelsberg Studios and can be found at www.epi-medieninstitut.de
Trans Atlantic Partners (Tap) is designed for experienced film and television producers from Europe, Canada and the U.S. including 3 additional seats for International producers. The 24 Tap 2015 producers below were selected by the Erich Pommer Institut (Epi) (Germany) and the Canadian Media Production Association (Cmpa) (Canada).
European Producers
-Simon Amberger, Germany (Producer, "Eastalgia", Molodist Int. Ff 2012, Tallinn Int. Ff 2013 | Producer, Blockbustaz, 2014, Winner ZDFneo TV Lab 2014 | Producer, Ada, 2014)
-Sebastien Aubert, France ("Patardzlebi" (Brides), 2014, Berlinale 2014, 3rd Audience Award)
-Rudolf Biermann, Czech Republic (Producer, "Kawasaki's Rose," 2009, Berlinale 2010, Ecumenical Award Panorama Section, Czech Lion 2010 | Executive Producer, "I Served the King of England," 2006, Berlinale 2006, Fipresci Critics Award | Producer, "Garden," 1995, Karlovy Vary Iff 1995, Jury Award)
-Jacqueline de Goeij, Belgium (Producer, "Allez, Eddy!," 2012, Chemnitz Ff, Main Prize & Diamant Award For Most Convincing Acting Performance Of A Child, Palm Springs Best of the Fest Selection | Producer, "Zus & Zo," 2002, Academy Awards, Nominee Best Foreign Language Film, Dutch Ff, Golden Calf Best Actor)
-Sylvia Günthner, Germany (Producer, "Bela Kiss: Prologue," 2013, Twisted Celluloid Ff Ireland 2013, Audi Festival of German Films Australia 2014)
-Martin Heisler, Germany (Producer, "Houston," 2013, Sundance Ff 2013, Independent Ff Boston 2013, Special Prize of the Jury | Producer "Forget Me Not," 2012, Ff Locarno, Settima Della Critica 2012, Best film | Producer "David Wants to Fly," 2010, Berlinale 2010)
-Rachel Lysaght, Ireland (Producer, "Patrick's Day," 2015, Ifta 2014, Best Script, Best Actor in a Leading Role, Best Sound | Producer, "One Million Dubliners," 2014, TV Award Sandford Saint Martin Trust, UK, Irish Ff Boston 2015, Director's Choice, Galway Film Fleadh Ireland 2014, Best Feature Documentary)
-Christof Neracher, Switzerland (Producer, "War" (Chrieg), 2014, San Sebastian Ff 2014, Max Ophüls 2014, Max Ophüls Prize | Producer Vitus, 2006, Shortlist Academy Awards Best Foreign Language Film 2006, Berlinale 2006, AFI Fest 2006, Audience Award)
-Diarmid Scrimshaw, UK (Producer / Production Co., "Tyrannosaur," 2012, Sundance 2011, Best Director, Satellite Awards 2011, Best First Feature)
Canadian Producers
-Coral Aiken, Canada (Producer, Big Muddy, 2014, Toronto Iff 2014, Arizona Iff 2015 | Producer, "The People Garden")
-Patrick Banister, Canada (Executive Producer, "Bitten," 2014 | Executive Producer, "Whistler," 2006)
-John Barbisan, Canada (Executive Producer, "Bitten," 2014 | Executive Producer, "Whistler," 2006)
-Amy Belling, Canada (Producer / DoP / Cam Op / Post Supervisor, Songs She Wrote About People She Knows, 2014, Toronto Iff 2014, Santa Barbara Iff 2015 | Producer / DoP / Cam Op / Post Super, Stress Position, 2013, Sci Fi London 2013, Las Vegas Ff 2013, Best Cinematography / Best Supporting Actor)
-Isaac Clements, Canada (Senior Production Executive, "The Pinkertons," 2014-15 | Production Executive, "Sunnyside,"2014-15 | Associate Producer, "Silent Night," 2012)
-Jeff Kopas, Canada (Producer / Director / Writer, "An Insignificant Harvey," 2011, Busan Iff 2012, Audience Award)
-Linda Ludwick, Canada (Exec. Producer/Producer: "Mohawk Girls Season 2," 2014, Yorkton Ff 2015, Banff Media Festival 2015 | Exec. Producer/Producer, "Smoke Traders," 2012, Yorkton Ff 2013 | Exec. Producer/Producer, "Reel Injun," 2009, 3 Gemini awards 2010 | Exec. Producer/Producer, "Moose TV," 2006, "Cfpta" 2008)
-Robyn Wiener, Canada (Producer, "Numb," 2015 | Producer, "Black Fly," 2014, Viff 2014 , Marché du Film Telefilm Perspective Canada Cannes 2015| Co-Producer / Line Producer, "Lawrence & Holoman," 2013, "Viff" 2013, Best Director | Co-Producer / Line Producer, "American Mary," 2012, London Fright Ff 2012)
American Producers
-Mollye Asher, USA (Producer, "Fort Tilden," 2015, SXSW 2014 Grand Jury Prize | Producer, "She's Lost Control," Independent Spirit Award Nominee 2015, Berlinale 2014 | Producer, "Songs My Brother Taught Me," 2015, Sundance 2015, Cannes 2015)
-Diane Houslin, USA (Producer, "Yelling to the Sky," 2011)
-Tommy Oliver, USA (Producer, 1982, 2015, Toronto Ff 2013, Austin Ff 2013, Marquee Audience Award | Producer, "The Perfect Guy," 2015 | Producer, "Kinyarwanda," 2011, Sundance Ff 2011, World Audience Award, AFI Fest 2011, Audience Award)
-Riel Roch Decter, USA (Producer, "The Wait," 2014, South by Southwest 2013, Deauville 2013 | Producer, "Bottled Up," 2014, Tribeca Film Festival 2013 | Producer, "Life After Death from Above 1979," 2014.
International Producers
-Vivek Kajaria, India (Producer, "Fandry," 2014, Indian Ff of La 2014, Grand Jury Prize Best Film, Fipresci India 2014, Film Critic Award Best Indian Film 2013 | Presenter, "Anumati," 2013, National Film Award for Best Actor 2013, New York Indian Ff 2013, Best Film Award | Producer, "Siddhant," 2015, Mumbai 2014)
-Ozcar Ramirez Gonzalez, Mexico (Producer, "Ciclo," 2013, DocsDF 2012, Vancouver Latino Iff 2013, Audience Award | Producer, "The Compass is Carried by the Dead Man," 2013, Tokyo Iff 2011, La Iff 2012 | Producer, "Days of Grace," 2012, Cannes Iff 2011, Guadalajara Iff 2012, Best Director, Best Score, Press Award)
-Lisa Shaunessy, Australia (Executive Producer, "Killing Ground," 2016 | Co-Producer, "Black & White & Sex," 2012, Iff Rotterdam 2012, Sydney Ff 2011, Best Experimental Film | Producer, "Hipsters," Sbs Australia, 2015)
Who is Jan Miller and how did she arrange such an organization?
It’s in Jan’s nature to look for opportunities to support the individual filmmaker, her local industry and work internationally as well. Most recently Jan served as an international consultant for the Canadian Media Production Association helping to develop their international strategy and contributing to Cmpa led delegations to Berlin and Rio de Janeiro. In March she led a delegation of 18 production companies to the Hk Filmart for Creative BC and Cmpa BC.
Jan divides her time on Tap, on international contracts, on teaching and on Wift-at.
How do you see the place of women in the film industry?
Recognizing that there was a real need in Atlantic Canada for women to come together and support, celebrate and learn from each other in the industry, I started Women in Film and Television - Atlantic which I headed up as Founding Chair and architect for six years. During this time I was working with a remarkable team to launch Women Making Waves an annual Conference that brings in the best female talent to offer master classes, panels, conversations and networking opportunities to men and women in the industry. I continue as one of the organization’s primary resources and mentors. And most recently, strongly believing that women in the industry need to strengthen their entrepreneurial skills and business strategies, I worked with Mount Saint Vincent University’s Centre for Women in Business, to launch Wift-at’s first six month Advanced Management and Mentoring Program.
Can you explain your connection to the music business?
Close to a decade ago, I was approached by Canada’s vibrant east coast music industry to adapt my pitching workshop into a program that has become “export readiness for the music industry”... During this intensive workshop I work with artists, bands and managers to develop their communication and pitch skills to present their work to international music supervisors, festival programrs and tour managers in 1-2-1 meetings. It was a very steep learning curve, but I loved the challenge of redesigning her training to fit a new market.
Can you explain your connection to romance writers?
When the Music Export Readiness workshops took off, other disciplines began approaching me to ask if I could adapt her teaching for a workshop for Romance Writers wanting to pitch to potential film and TV producers and then theatre practitioners wanting to pitch their properties internationally. My un-designed career path came full circle!
How did you come into the film world?
I first came into the entertainment industry through my theatre troupe that performed clown and mask shows internationally for 10 years as one of Canada’s cultural calling cards. During this period I successfully auditioned for a short film and the seed was planted …
What do you do in Nova Scotia? (or What did you do?)
Amazingly I call home Nova Scotia. Living 40 feet from the ocean, I connect daily to the world and travel the world almost as often. I am an international resource for the local industry and mentor talent both for the short term and long term as the demand requires. My husband and I also breed standard poodles!
How would you sum up your “portfolio”?
I am an initiator, a passionate connector devoted to helping people do what they want to do well.
- 6/22/2015
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Exclusive: 24 producers from across Europe, Canada, Us and beyond to take part in this year’s training programme.
Internationally renowned training programme Trans Atlantic Partners (Tap) has unveiled its participants for this year’s edition.
The 24 producers were selected by the Erich Pommer Institut (Epi) (Germany) and partner Canadian Media Production Association (Cmpa) (Canada).
Although designed for independent producers from Europe, Canada, and the Us, Tap also offers three positions for producers from all over the world, which this year come from India, Australia and Mexico.
Tap’s seventh edition will be incorporated into two training modules taking place in Berlin (June 16-21) and Halifax (Sept 14-20), and the producers will also participate as full delegates at the Atlantic Film Festival’s Strategic Partners co-pro market.
For the first time, Tap has included TV drama projects in addition to its traditional feature film focus.
Experts for this year’s edition include Belladona Productions’ René Bastian (Cold In July); [link...
Internationally renowned training programme Trans Atlantic Partners (Tap) has unveiled its participants for this year’s edition.
The 24 producers were selected by the Erich Pommer Institut (Epi) (Germany) and partner Canadian Media Production Association (Cmpa) (Canada).
Although designed for independent producers from Europe, Canada, and the Us, Tap also offers three positions for producers from all over the world, which this year come from India, Australia and Mexico.
Tap’s seventh edition will be incorporated into two training modules taking place in Berlin (June 16-21) and Halifax (Sept 14-20), and the producers will also participate as full delegates at the Atlantic Film Festival’s Strategic Partners co-pro market.
For the first time, Tap has included TV drama projects in addition to its traditional feature film focus.
Experts for this year’s edition include Belladona Productions’ René Bastian (Cold In July); [link...
- 6/12/2015
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Noomi Rapace will play the most influential female opera singer of the 20th century in what is set to be one of the most glamorous projects on the market as Content commences talks with buyers this week.
Niki Caro is attached to direct the Maria Callas biopic from a screenplay she adapted from Alfonso Signorini’s biography Too Proud, Too Fragile.
Callas centres on the American-born Greek soprano’s relationship in her final years with shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis, whom she met while married to Giovanni Battista Meneghini.
Guido, Nicola and Marco De Angelis of Italy’s De Angelis Group are producing alongside René Bastian, Linda Moran and Victoria Bousis of New York-based Belladonna Productions and Ben Latham-Jones of the UK’s Ealing Studios and Londinium Films.
James Spring of Ealing Studios, Brett Thornquest of Eclectic Vision in Australia, Jason Van Eman of Weathervane and Content film president Jamie Carmichael serve as executive producers.
“This movie is...
Niki Caro is attached to direct the Maria Callas biopic from a screenplay she adapted from Alfonso Signorini’s biography Too Proud, Too Fragile.
Callas centres on the American-born Greek soprano’s relationship in her final years with shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis, whom she met while married to Giovanni Battista Meneghini.
Guido, Nicola and Marco De Angelis of Italy’s De Angelis Group are producing alongside René Bastian, Linda Moran and Victoria Bousis of New York-based Belladonna Productions and Ben Latham-Jones of the UK’s Ealing Studios and Londinium Films.
James Spring of Ealing Studios, Brett Thornquest of Eclectic Vision in Australia, Jason Van Eman of Weathervane and Content film president Jamie Carmichael serve as executive producers.
“This movie is...
- 5/13/2015
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Niki Caro is set to direct the biopic Callas, charting the tragic relationship between the opera diva and Aristotle Onassis.
Caro, currently in post on McFarland, is writing the story of love and betrayal and said: “I have a great fascination for Maria Callas, who was such a powerful woman and artist, but also troubled and stuck in this very destructive relationship.”
Producers on the Europe-Australia co-production are Gudio, Nicola and Marco De Angelis of Italy’s De Angelis Group, René Bastian and Linda Moran of New York-based Belladonna Productions and Brett Thornquest of Eclectic Vision in Australia.
Filming is set to commence in late autumn on location in Italy, France and the Czech Republic.
Caro, currently in post on McFarland, is writing the story of love and betrayal and said: “I have a great fascination for Maria Callas, who was such a powerful woman and artist, but also troubled and stuck in this very destructive relationship.”
Producers on the Europe-Australia co-production are Gudio, Nicola and Marco De Angelis of Italy’s De Angelis Group, René Bastian and Linda Moran of New York-based Belladonna Productions and Brett Thornquest of Eclectic Vision in Australia.
Filming is set to commence in late autumn on location in Italy, France and the Czech Republic.
- 5/19/2014
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
When I walked in to photograph Linda Moran at her office at Belladona Productions in Chelsea, she was on the phone making magic happen. Her film Cold in July, which she produced, was speedily getting picture locked for Sundance and her office, that she runs with fellow producer René Bastian, was abuzz with activity and inclusiveness: it has what I call the “Google Effect” – which is to say that the office is so cool and fun to work in, employees love coming to work. Linda promptly introduced me to the office mascots: her dogs Zombie and Coco who insisted on […]...
- 1/21/2014
- by Danielle Lurie
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
When I walked in to photograph Linda Moran at her office at Belladona Productions in Chelsea, she was on the phone making magic happen. Her film Cold in July, which she produced, was speedily getting picture locked for Sundance and her office, that she runs with fellow producer René Bastian, was abuzz with activity and inclusiveness: it has what I call the “Google Effect” – which is to say that the office is so cool and fun to work in, employees love coming to work. Linda promptly introduced me to the office mascots: her dogs Zombie and Coco who insisted on […]...
- 1/21/2014
- by Danielle Lurie
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
By Terence Johnson
Managing Editor
Cold in July is a classic study on when expectations for a film don’t meet reality. That’s not to say that is a bad thing as the film, a celebration of 80s pastiche and pulp noirs, the film is just different than what you think. But isn’t that what ones looks for a film, an interesting exploration of themes that aren’t what you expected?
Which is probably why this film is so difficult to review (and why there will be a spoiler section at the end of this review). The movie shows how a life can change in an instant. Richard Dane (Michael C. Hall), a mild mannered owner of a frame store, goes to investigate noises in his house one night in 1989 and ends up shooting a small time burglar Freddy Russell. After pleading self defense, he goes on about his life,...
Managing Editor
Cold in July is a classic study on when expectations for a film don’t meet reality. That’s not to say that is a bad thing as the film, a celebration of 80s pastiche and pulp noirs, the film is just different than what you think. But isn’t that what ones looks for a film, an interesting exploration of themes that aren’t what you expected?
Which is probably why this film is so difficult to review (and why there will be a spoiler section at the end of this review). The movie shows how a life can change in an instant. Richard Dane (Michael C. Hall), a mild mannered owner of a frame store, goes to investigate noises in his house one night in 1989 and ends up shooting a small time burglar Freddy Russell. After pleading self defense, he goes on about his life,...
- 1/19/2014
- by Terence Johnson
- Scott Feinberg
It’s that time again. The biggest American film festival is upon us, and this year the Ioncinema crew will be descending on Park City with eight feet on the ground and eight eyes on Park City’s various and plentiful screens. Eric Lavallee, Nicholas Bell, Caitlin Coder and I will be covering just about every inch of this year’s festival here at Ioncinema.com, as well as on that ever increasingly vibrant instanews network – Twitter. Be sure to follow @ioncinema and, as stated above, my personal handle @Rectangular_Eye, as we’ll be tweeting throughout the festival with breaking news, reviews, and sightings, all the while trying to keep up with the massive amount of content sure to be coming from this year’s Sundance filmmakers themselves, most of which have their own Twitter accounts and are listed at length below (minus the world & short programs). Whether you...
- 1/16/2014
- by Jordan M. Smith
- IONCINEMA.com
The first in this year’s Guide to the Sundance Twitterverse series is the complete U.S. Dramatic Competition, which just at first glance has an immense amount of tweeting going on. Don’t miss the Hellion crew, headed by Writer/Director Kat Candler (@katcandler), nor the official Dear White People feed, (@DearWhitePeople). There’s more to come throughout the day.
U.S. Dramatic Competition
Camp X-Ray - @CampXRayMovie
Cold in July
Producer René Bastian - @renebastian
Dear White People - @DearWhitePeople
Writer/Director Justin Simien - @JSim07
Producer Lena Waith - @hillmangrad
Producer Julia Lebedev - @thisisresearch
Actor Tyler James Williams - @TylerJamesWill
Actress Teyonah Parris - @TeyonahParris
Fishing Without Nets - @fishing
Writer/Director Cutter Hodierne – @MyNameIsCUTTER
Writer/Producer John Hibey - @somaliproduced
Producer Raphael Swann - @raphaelswann
Producer Brian Glazen - @bglazen
Cinematographer Alex Disenhof – @adisenhof
God’s Pocket
Producer Sam Bisbee - @sambisbee
Composer Nathan Larson...
U.S. Dramatic Competition
Camp X-Ray - @CampXRayMovie
Cold in July
Producer René Bastian - @renebastian
Dear White People - @DearWhitePeople
Writer/Director Justin Simien - @JSim07
Producer Lena Waith - @hillmangrad
Producer Julia Lebedev - @thisisresearch
Actor Tyler James Williams - @TylerJamesWill
Actress Teyonah Parris - @TeyonahParris
Fishing Without Nets - @fishing
Writer/Director Cutter Hodierne – @MyNameIsCUTTER
Writer/Producer John Hibey - @somaliproduced
Producer Raphael Swann - @raphaelswann
Producer Brian Glazen - @bglazen
Cinematographer Alex Disenhof – @adisenhof
God’s Pocket
Producer Sam Bisbee - @sambisbee
Composer Nathan Larson...
- 1/16/2014
- by Jordan M. Smith
- IONCINEMA.com
Following up on the news that came out of the recently concluded Cannes Film Festival that filming on Jim Mickle's adaptation of Joe R. Lansdale's Cold in July is set to begin in late July, we now have word on the first actor to join the cast.
Per Deadline, Michael C. Hall, whose final season as Showtime’s signature serial killer "Dexter" starts June 30th, has just landed the lead role in the film. He'll play the protagonist, Richard Dane, who shoots and kills an armed burglar in his living room. It’s a clear-cut case of self-defense to everyone but the burglar’s father, who vows Old Testament-style eye-for-an-eye justice, which means son for son. The cops, the feds, and the Dixie Mafia all play a part in the ensuing mayhem.
Paris-based Backup Media has teamed up with Memento Films International to finance Cold in July. Adapted by Nick Damici and Mickle,...
Per Deadline, Michael C. Hall, whose final season as Showtime’s signature serial killer "Dexter" starts June 30th, has just landed the lead role in the film. He'll play the protagonist, Richard Dane, who shoots and kills an armed burglar in his living room. It’s a clear-cut case of self-defense to everyone but the burglar’s father, who vows Old Testament-style eye-for-an-eye justice, which means son for son. The cops, the feds, and the Dixie Mafia all play a part in the ensuing mayhem.
Paris-based Backup Media has teamed up with Memento Films International to finance Cold in July. Adapted by Nick Damici and Mickle,...
- 5/30/2013
- by The Woman In Black
- DreadCentral.com
Backup Media's B Media Global is set to fully finance "Stakeland" and "We Are What We Are" director Jim Mickle's next project, the character-driven thriller "Cold in July".
Nick Damici and Mickle are penning the adaptation of the Joe Lansdale 1989 cult novel about a man who, after killing an armed burglar in his living room in self-defense, finds his own son the target of the burglar's father who wants eye-for-an-eye style revenge.
Linda Moran and Rene Bastian will produce and shooting begins in July.
Source: Deadline...
Nick Damici and Mickle are penning the adaptation of the Joe Lansdale 1989 cult novel about a man who, after killing an armed burglar in his living room in self-defense, finds his own son the target of the burglar's father who wants eye-for-an-eye style revenge.
Linda Moran and Rene Bastian will produce and shooting begins in July.
Source: Deadline...
- 5/20/2013
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
It's been exactly a year since we last had an update on Jim Mickle's (Stake Land, We Are What We Are) adaptation of the Joe R. Lansdale novel Cold in July, but with Cannes in full swing, news has come that filming is set to begin in late July with an early 2014 delivery.
Per Deadline, Paris-based Backup Media has teamed up with Memento Films International to finance Cold in July. Adapted by Nick Damici and Mickle, the film is being produced by Belladonna Productions’ Rene Bastian, Adam Folk, and Linda Moran — frequent Mickle collaborators.
Book Synopsis:
When Richard Dane shoots and kills a burglar in his living room, he sets off a strange sequence of events, starting with a threat by the thief's father to kill Richard's son and leading to a dark, horrible truth.
"It was important to us to find partners on the movie who would help...
Per Deadline, Paris-based Backup Media has teamed up with Memento Films International to finance Cold in July. Adapted by Nick Damici and Mickle, the film is being produced by Belladonna Productions’ Rene Bastian, Adam Folk, and Linda Moran — frequent Mickle collaborators.
Book Synopsis:
When Richard Dane shoots and kills a burglar in his living room, he sets off a strange sequence of events, starting with a threat by the thief's father to kill Richard's son and leading to a dark, horrible truth.
"It was important to us to find partners on the movie who would help...
- 5/19/2013
- by The Woman In Black
- DreadCentral.com
Exclusive: Paris-based Backup Media has teamed up with Memento Films International to finance Cold In July, an adaptation of the Joe Lansdale cult novel that will be director Jim Mickle‘s next film. Mickle’s We Are What We Are is playing in Directors’ Fortnight section here at Cannes. Shooting on Cold In July begins in late July with an early 2014 delivery. Adapted by Nick Damici and Mickle, the film is being produced by Belladonna Productions’ Rene Bastian, Adam Folk, and Linda Moran — frequent Mickle collaborators. The plot: Richard Dane shoots and kills an armed burglar in his living room. It’s a clear-cut case of self defense to everyone but the burglar’s father, who vows Old Testament-style eye-for-an-eye justice. Here, that means son for son. The cops, the feds, and the Dixie mafia all play a part in the ensuing mayhem. “It was important to us to find...
- 5/19/2013
- by MIKE FLEMING JR
- Deadline
Now that Sundance and Berlin are over, what do we have to look forward to? Cannes of course. However, in terms of continuing business, I want to put a spotlight on what to look forward to next Sundance (and Berlin) as an example of long lasting effects of filmmakers/ actors/ buyers and sellers. I will begin this depiction of a long journey beginning with my friend, Rodrigo Bellot -- writer, director, producer and casting agent . Rodrigo made his first film, Sexual Dependency, in 2003 with producers Ara Katz and Sam Engelbart who brought us on to find festival and international representation. Rigo was pleased with the work and we have become fast friends since then. When I first spoke with Rigo about We Are What We Are, he referred me to Memento, his international sales agent.
During Cannes 2012, I went to Memento to write more about this film which is the first remake in a long time of a film from Mexico, Somos lo que hay by Mexican director Jorge Michel Grau. At Memento, Tanja Meissner ♀ and Emilie Georges ♀ referred me to their American colleague and producer of the film, Nicholas Shumaker who gave me more of the film's history. During Afm 2011, Rodrigo and his professional partner Andrew D. Corkin who previously produced Martha Marcy May Marlene had come to Memento with the idea of remaking the English language version of this Mexican (Spanish language) film about a family of cannibals. They were, predictably, looking for financial partners. Memento said they would support the remake. They had wanted to work with the director Jim Mickle since seeing the Tiff 2010 Midnight Madness Audience Award winner, Stake Land which has become a cult vampire picture. Mickle has transposed the story to a poor part of the Catskills region in New York State. Memento sees the horror genre as an ambitious genre when it is created with good ideas, not exploitative but an elevated sort of horror, along the lines of Let the Right One In. Memento wants to do horror films only with directors and authors they like. It has taken seven years to establish their brand, and the principals Emilie Georges and Tanja Meissner are not looking for horror per se. They long for smart horror because there is a consistent market for intelligent horror stories. Their horror films will stand out for their buyers because of the director-driven aspect, not for the horror itself. Memento is putting together two other films with bigger budgets for Jim which will go over the next six to nine months. These next two, Night Hunter and Cold in July were announced during by Screen International around the time of Cannes 2012 and are both being produced with Linda Moran's ♀ and Rene Bastian's New York company Belladonna. To hear Jim Mickle speak about the use of Adobe technology in the making We Are What We Are, visit Adobe TV at Sundance. More on Mickle is in Screen. We Are What We Are will costar Ambyr Childers ♀ who was the milk skinned blonde in Gangster Squad and played Elizabeth Dodd in The Master, and Julia Garner ♀, who recently picked up rave reviews for her performance as a naïve Morman girl in Rebecca Thomas’ Electrik Children, a Berlinale 2012 hit. She will next be seen in Stephan Chobsky’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower and is in StudioCanal’s The Last Exorcism 2. Film industry veteran Jack Turner is also producing. Mfi chief Emilie Georges and international sales head Tanja Meissner are executive producing alongside Mo Noorali and Linda Moran ♀ of Belladonna Productions, who previously produced Mickle’s other films, and Brett Fitzgerald. Mfi’s Nicholas Kaiser has a co-producer credit. We Are What We Are was shot in the Catskills, starting May 29, 2012 for a January 2013 delivery in time for its projected Sundance premier. With that intent, Mfi began carefully preselling the film, first at Berlin’s Efm 2011 where it was prebought by Entertainment One for U.K, Scandinavia, South Africa and France. Koch Media prebought Germany. New York and Los Angeles-based Three Point Capital and Hsbc provided additional funding. At Afm 2013, the film sold to Transformer for Japan and Zamie for So. Korea. Middle East is also been sold along with Turkey (Callinos Films). Memento's marketing and finance plan allowed for the U.S. to be sold during Sundance 2013 and as we all know now, (From Deadline Hollywood): "In a low seven-figure deal for U.S. rights, eOne acquired the Jim Mickle-directed We Are What We Are, which premiered last Friday at the Library Center Theatre in the Park City At Midnight section. The plot: a devastating storm washes up clues that lead authorities closer to unraveling the dark secrets of the Parker family, who are cannibals. That premise is Not treated as slasher fare, it’s far more stylish and the buyer crowd and audience at the premiere screening ate it up and feel they’ve found a director with a voice worth hearing. The film stars Ambyr Childers, Bill Sage, Julia Garner, Michael Parks, Wyatt Russell and Kelly McGillis. It has gotten strong reviews beyond the genre crowd, and it gives eOne a good theatrical offering. Deal was finished on the flight back to Los Angeles. I’ve heard both the Wme Global and eOne teams were on the same flight back from Park City. They haggled but by the time the plane landed, eOne hit the asks made by the agents, who denied this colorful story. Somehow, it fits with the frenzied pace of deals due to the influx of new buyers. eOne will put it out in a platform theatrical release." Since Cannes 2012, eOne acquired Alliance and is poised to make a very splashy release of this film. EOne had not pursued the film for U.S. until Sundance and the deal was verifiably finalized and upped on the plane as described above. Memento has consistent relations with its directors. It is now transitioning though natural growth into handling larger films. It will still handle about 8 films a year and it will maintain the same strategy, though films of second and third time directors will be larger. Memento still wants newcomers and so it has 2 divisions with Artscope aiming more for the festival circuit for new directors like Natalia Smirnoff ♀ of The Puzzle which premiered in '09 at San Sebastian and was picked up for U.S. by IFC, Circles (see my past blog), In the Name Of by Malgorzata Szumowska ♀ which won the 2013 Teddy Award for daring to “challenge the stereotypes of homosexuality versus religion with a personal story, told in a deeply humane way”. It was picked up in Berlin where it premiered in Competition by Film Movement, and Lore by Cate Shortland ♀.
During Cannes 2012, I went to Memento to write more about this film which is the first remake in a long time of a film from Mexico, Somos lo que hay by Mexican director Jorge Michel Grau. At Memento, Tanja Meissner ♀ and Emilie Georges ♀ referred me to their American colleague and producer of the film, Nicholas Shumaker who gave me more of the film's history. During Afm 2011, Rodrigo and his professional partner Andrew D. Corkin who previously produced Martha Marcy May Marlene had come to Memento with the idea of remaking the English language version of this Mexican (Spanish language) film about a family of cannibals. They were, predictably, looking for financial partners. Memento said they would support the remake. They had wanted to work with the director Jim Mickle since seeing the Tiff 2010 Midnight Madness Audience Award winner, Stake Land which has become a cult vampire picture. Mickle has transposed the story to a poor part of the Catskills region in New York State. Memento sees the horror genre as an ambitious genre when it is created with good ideas, not exploitative but an elevated sort of horror, along the lines of Let the Right One In. Memento wants to do horror films only with directors and authors they like. It has taken seven years to establish their brand, and the principals Emilie Georges and Tanja Meissner are not looking for horror per se. They long for smart horror because there is a consistent market for intelligent horror stories. Their horror films will stand out for their buyers because of the director-driven aspect, not for the horror itself. Memento is putting together two other films with bigger budgets for Jim which will go over the next six to nine months. These next two, Night Hunter and Cold in July were announced during by Screen International around the time of Cannes 2012 and are both being produced with Linda Moran's ♀ and Rene Bastian's New York company Belladonna. To hear Jim Mickle speak about the use of Adobe technology in the making We Are What We Are, visit Adobe TV at Sundance. More on Mickle is in Screen. We Are What We Are will costar Ambyr Childers ♀ who was the milk skinned blonde in Gangster Squad and played Elizabeth Dodd in The Master, and Julia Garner ♀, who recently picked up rave reviews for her performance as a naïve Morman girl in Rebecca Thomas’ Electrik Children, a Berlinale 2012 hit. She will next be seen in Stephan Chobsky’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower and is in StudioCanal’s The Last Exorcism 2. Film industry veteran Jack Turner is also producing. Mfi chief Emilie Georges and international sales head Tanja Meissner are executive producing alongside Mo Noorali and Linda Moran ♀ of Belladonna Productions, who previously produced Mickle’s other films, and Brett Fitzgerald. Mfi’s Nicholas Kaiser has a co-producer credit. We Are What We Are was shot in the Catskills, starting May 29, 2012 for a January 2013 delivery in time for its projected Sundance premier. With that intent, Mfi began carefully preselling the film, first at Berlin’s Efm 2011 where it was prebought by Entertainment One for U.K, Scandinavia, South Africa and France. Koch Media prebought Germany. New York and Los Angeles-based Three Point Capital and Hsbc provided additional funding. At Afm 2013, the film sold to Transformer for Japan and Zamie for So. Korea. Middle East is also been sold along with Turkey (Callinos Films). Memento's marketing and finance plan allowed for the U.S. to be sold during Sundance 2013 and as we all know now, (From Deadline Hollywood): "In a low seven-figure deal for U.S. rights, eOne acquired the Jim Mickle-directed We Are What We Are, which premiered last Friday at the Library Center Theatre in the Park City At Midnight section. The plot: a devastating storm washes up clues that lead authorities closer to unraveling the dark secrets of the Parker family, who are cannibals. That premise is Not treated as slasher fare, it’s far more stylish and the buyer crowd and audience at the premiere screening ate it up and feel they’ve found a director with a voice worth hearing. The film stars Ambyr Childers, Bill Sage, Julia Garner, Michael Parks, Wyatt Russell and Kelly McGillis. It has gotten strong reviews beyond the genre crowd, and it gives eOne a good theatrical offering. Deal was finished on the flight back to Los Angeles. I’ve heard both the Wme Global and eOne teams were on the same flight back from Park City. They haggled but by the time the plane landed, eOne hit the asks made by the agents, who denied this colorful story. Somehow, it fits with the frenzied pace of deals due to the influx of new buyers. eOne will put it out in a platform theatrical release." Since Cannes 2012, eOne acquired Alliance and is poised to make a very splashy release of this film. EOne had not pursued the film for U.S. until Sundance and the deal was verifiably finalized and upped on the plane as described above. Memento has consistent relations with its directors. It is now transitioning though natural growth into handling larger films. It will still handle about 8 films a year and it will maintain the same strategy, though films of second and third time directors will be larger. Memento still wants newcomers and so it has 2 divisions with Artscope aiming more for the festival circuit for new directors like Natalia Smirnoff ♀ of The Puzzle which premiered in '09 at San Sebastian and was picked up for U.S. by IFC, Circles (see my past blog), In the Name Of by Malgorzata Szumowska ♀ which won the 2013 Teddy Award for daring to “challenge the stereotypes of homosexuality versus religion with a personal story, told in a deeply humane way”. It was picked up in Berlin where it premiered in Competition by Film Movement, and Lore by Cate Shortland ♀.
- 2/21/2013
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
More casting news has come for the next needless remake of a recent foreign film, We Are What We Are (review here), but given the talent involved, we're actually kind of excited for this one.
Screen Daily reports that Riley Keough, Julia Garner, Bill Sage, and Wyatt Russell have joined the cast of the flick, which is to be directed by Stake Land's Jim Mickle.
"Keough and Garner will play a pair of sisters who are secluded from mainstream society. Following the untimely death of their mother, their father, played by Sage, forces them to perform a depraved ritual, carried out by their ancestors for generations. Russell will play a young deputy who is in love with Keough’s character."
Andrew Corkin of New York-based Uncorked Productions (Martha Marcy May Marlene, Afterschool) and Bolivian director/producer Rodrigo Bellott (Sexual Dependency) are producing alongside Mfi's Nicholas Shumaker and Linda Moran...
Screen Daily reports that Riley Keough, Julia Garner, Bill Sage, and Wyatt Russell have joined the cast of the flick, which is to be directed by Stake Land's Jim Mickle.
"Keough and Garner will play a pair of sisters who are secluded from mainstream society. Following the untimely death of their mother, their father, played by Sage, forces them to perform a depraved ritual, carried out by their ancestors for generations. Russell will play a young deputy who is in love with Keough’s character."
Andrew Corkin of New York-based Uncorked Productions (Martha Marcy May Marlene, Afterschool) and Bolivian director/producer Rodrigo Bellott (Sexual Dependency) are producing alongside Mfi's Nicholas Shumaker and Linda Moran...
- 5/2/2012
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
"Stake Land" director Jim Mickle will helm a remake of cult cannibal picture "We Are What We Are" at Memento Films International says Screen Daily.
Mexican director Jorge Michel Grau’s helmed the 2010 original about a family of cannibals in Mexico City. Mickle's remake shifts the action to the poorer parts of New York State's Catskills region.
Mickle and Nick Damici are writing the script while shooting kicks off in June. Andrew Corkin, Rodrigo Bellott, Nicholas Shumaker, Linda Moran and Rene Bastian are producing.
Mexican director Jorge Michel Grau’s helmed the 2010 original about a family of cannibals in Mexico City. Mickle's remake shifts the action to the poorer parts of New York State's Catskills region.
Mickle and Nick Damici are writing the script while shooting kicks off in June. Andrew Corkin, Rodrigo Bellott, Nicholas Shumaker, Linda Moran and Rene Bastian are producing.
- 2/10/2012
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Once again a remake is on its way of a perfectly good foreign film that most American audience members are too lazy to watch because it has subtitles. Read on for the latest.
Screen Daily reports that Stake Land director Jim Mickle is set to sink his teeth into a remake of cult cannibal picture We Are What We Are (review here).
Mickle will transpose Mexican director Jorge Michel Grau’s picture about a family of cannibals from its original setting of Mexico City to a poor part of the Catskills region in New York state. Principal photography starts in June.
"It’s a cool challenge to do justice to Jorge’s story but also explore things from an unexpected angle," said Mickle, who is writing the script with Nick Damici.
Andrew Corkin of New York-based Uncorked Productions (Martha Marcy May Marlene, Afterschool) and Bolivian director/producer Rodrigo Bellott (Sexual...
Screen Daily reports that Stake Land director Jim Mickle is set to sink his teeth into a remake of cult cannibal picture We Are What We Are (review here).
Mickle will transpose Mexican director Jorge Michel Grau’s picture about a family of cannibals from its original setting of Mexico City to a poor part of the Catskills region in New York state. Principal photography starts in June.
"It’s a cool challenge to do justice to Jorge’s story but also explore things from an unexpected angle," said Mickle, who is writing the script with Nick Damici.
Andrew Corkin of New York-based Uncorked Productions (Martha Marcy May Marlene, Afterschool) and Bolivian director/producer Rodrigo Bellott (Sexual...
- 2/9/2012
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
Stake Land director Jim Mickle is set to sink his teeth into a remake of cult cannibal picture We Are What We Are, Paris-based Memento Films International (Mfi) has announced. Mickle will transpose Mexican director Jorge Michel Graus picture about a family of cannibals from its original setting of Mexico City, to a poor part of the Catskills region in New York State. Principal photography starts in June. "Its a cool challenge to do justice to Jorges story, but also explore things from an unexpected angle," said Mickle, who is writing the script with Nick Damici. Andrew Corkin of New York-based Uncorked Productions (Martha Marcy May Marlene, Afterschool) and Bolivian director/producer Rodrigo Bellott (Sexual Dependency) are producing alongside Mfi's Nicholas Shumaker and Linda Moran and Rene Bastian of Belladonna Productions, who produced Mickle's first two films.
- 2/9/2012
- bloody-disgusting.com
- Film Independent checks in with producer and Find Fellow René Bastian -
Over the years, Spirit Award-winning producer René Bastian has worked to make a name for himself in the independent film world. Named one of Variety's 10 Producers to Watch in 2005, René, under his banner Belladonna Productions, which he runs alongside producer Linda Moran, has produced films including L.I.E., Transamerica, A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints, as well as Michael Haneke's American remake of Funny Games. Linda and René are two-time Spirit Award nominees for L.I.E. and Transamerica, and René was 2001 Spirit Award recipient of the Motorola Producers Award. He is currently in pre-production on Neither the Veil Nor the Four Walls, by writer/director Afia Nathaniel, which was selected for Film Independent's 2009 Fast Track financing market.
By Josh Welsh
Let's start with Neither the Veil Nor the Four Walls. This is a remarkable project, set in post 9/11 Pakistan,...
- 12/2/2010
- by maint
- Film Independent
Screen Australia has awarded producers Aidan O’Bryan and Stuart Parkyn six month internships in New York.
O’Bryan and Parkyn will be working in the development and production departments of Belladonna and Killer Films respectively. Both will receive $60,000 from Screen Australia.
Aidan O’Bryan’s first feature film Wasted on the Young is currently screening at the Toronto International Film Festival. Young has also been selected to show at the Pusan International Film festival in Korea next month.
Stuart Parkyn is known for his short films – Academy Award nominated The Saviour and Canne Jury Prize winner Jerrycan.
Martha Coleman, head of development at Screen Australia said: ” “We are so thrilled at the selection of Aidan and Stuart from a very high standard of applicants. Exposure at this time to the independent film scene in New York, under the guidance of Rene Bastian at Belladonna and David Kaplan at Killer Films,...
O’Bryan and Parkyn will be working in the development and production departments of Belladonna and Killer Films respectively. Both will receive $60,000 from Screen Australia.
Aidan O’Bryan’s first feature film Wasted on the Young is currently screening at the Toronto International Film Festival. Young has also been selected to show at the Pusan International Film festival in Korea next month.
Stuart Parkyn is known for his short films – Academy Award nominated The Saviour and Canne Jury Prize winner Jerrycan.
Martha Coleman, head of development at Screen Australia said: ” “We are so thrilled at the selection of Aidan and Stuart from a very high standard of applicants. Exposure at this time to the independent film scene in New York, under the guidance of Rene Bastian at Belladonna and David Kaplan at Killer Films,...
- 9/15/2010
- by georginap
- Encore Magazine
Shooting starts November 16th in Louisiana for Belladonna and Stealth Media's The Mortician, which will be helmed by Gareth Maxwell Roberts from his own screenplay. The redemption tale in which kindness triumphs over cruelty falls within the urban noir, contemporary fairy tale and psychological thriller genres. Method Man (The Wackness, How High, Garden State) and Angelic Zambrana (Fighting) both star with Tom Hardy (Bronson, RocknRolla, Mad Max 4) and Edward Furlong (Night of the Demons) in talks. From Belladonna (Rene Bastian, Linda Moran and Adam Folk), the producers who brought you hit indie films such as Transamerica, Funny Games, The Caller and The Good Guy, in association with Molinare, Film and Music Entertainment Ltd and Full Circle Films (Rhys Thomas, Gareth Maxwell Roberts) producers of the award-winning Kill Kill Faster Faster, comes The Mortician 3D a gritty, urban drama in the style of David Finchers Seven.
- 11/6/2009
- bloody-disgusting.com
Santa Monica -- Hip-hop star Method Man ("The Wackness") and Angelic Zambrana ("Precious") have joined the cast for "The Mortician 3D."
Billed as a gritty, urban drama, the backers also said they are in talks with Tom Hardy ("Bronson") and Edward Furlong ("American History X") to join the cast.
"Mortician" is produced by New York label Belladonna Prods.' Rene Bastian, Linda Moran and Adam Folk, the team behind "Transamerica," and U.K.-based Full Circle Films.
The picture is set to shoot this month in Louisiana.
The film also counts Molinare and the U.K.'s Film and Music Entertainment as backing partners and is being repped at Afm by startup sales and finance house Stealth Media Group.
The $6 million project is written and will be helmed by Gareth Maxwell Roberts and produced by Rhys Thomas.
Smg was formed in November 2008 by Sean O'Kelly, founder of...
Billed as a gritty, urban drama, the backers also said they are in talks with Tom Hardy ("Bronson") and Edward Furlong ("American History X") to join the cast.
"Mortician" is produced by New York label Belladonna Prods.' Rene Bastian, Linda Moran and Adam Folk, the team behind "Transamerica," and U.K.-based Full Circle Films.
The picture is set to shoot this month in Louisiana.
The film also counts Molinare and the U.K.'s Film and Music Entertainment as backing partners and is being repped at Afm by startup sales and finance house Stealth Media Group.
The $6 million project is written and will be helmed by Gareth Maxwell Roberts and produced by Rhys Thomas.
Smg was formed in November 2008 by Sean O'Kelly, founder of...
- 11/5/2009
- by By Stuart Kemp
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Roadside Attractions has acquired worldwide rights to writer-director Julio DePietro's "The Good Guy," starring Alexis Bledel, Scott Porter, Anna Chlumsky and Bryan Greenberg.
Described as a romantic dramedy, "Guy" centers on Bledel's character, a Manhattan urban conservationist who falls for a Wall Street operator (Porter).
"This is an entertaining, provocative film about three great subjects: love, money and New York City," Roadside's Howard Cohen said.
The film, which debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival, will be released theatrically in March.
"Guy" was produced by Linda Moran and Rene Bastian of Belladonna Prods. as well as DePietro. Mandate International is handling foreign sales.
The acquisition was brokered by Greg Bernstein and Cohen for Roadside and Andrew Herwitz of the Film Sales Co. on behalf of the filmmakers.
Described as a romantic dramedy, "Guy" centers on Bledel's character, a Manhattan urban conservationist who falls for a Wall Street operator (Porter).
"This is an entertaining, provocative film about three great subjects: love, money and New York City," Roadside's Howard Cohen said.
The film, which debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival, will be released theatrically in March.
"Guy" was produced by Linda Moran and Rene Bastian of Belladonna Prods. as well as DePietro. Mandate International is handling foreign sales.
The acquisition was brokered by Greg Bernstein and Cohen for Roadside and Andrew Herwitz of the Film Sales Co. on behalf of the filmmakers.
- 10/15/2009
- by By Gregg Kilday
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Roadside Attractions has acquired worldwide rights to Julio DePietro’s “The Good Guy,” which premiered earlier this year at the Tribeca Film Festival. The film stars Alexis Bledel, Scott Porter, Anna Chlumsky and Bryan Greenberg, and will be released the theatrically in March 2010, with Mandate International handling foreign sales. The film was produced by Linda Moran and Rene Bastian of Belladonna Productions as well as DePietro. The film follows Beth (Bledel), …...
- 10/15/2009
- Indiewire
Film Independent, the Los Angeles-based nonprofit that produces the Spirit Awards and the Los Angeles Film Festival, has chosen 10 projects for its seventh annual Fast Track program, which connects filmmakers with film industry professionals.
Kelly Duane de la Vega and Katie Galloway's "Better This World," one of the projects chosen, has also been awarded the second annual HBO Documentary Films Fellowship.
"Better" follows the journey of two childhood friends from Midland, Texas, who set out to prove their manhood to themselves and to Brandon Darby, a revolutionary activist turned FBI informant. The fellowship combines HBO's funding with Find's year-round support services to give documentary filmmakers the necessary tools to develop their craft.
The Fast Track Program, sponsored by Eastman Kodak Co., takes place during Laff, which runs through June 28.
Industry participants include representatives from Paramount, Sony, Lionsgate, the Weinstein Co., Participant Prods., Roadside Attractions, Yari Film Group, the Film Department,...
Kelly Duane de la Vega and Katie Galloway's "Better This World," one of the projects chosen, has also been awarded the second annual HBO Documentary Films Fellowship.
"Better" follows the journey of two childhood friends from Midland, Texas, who set out to prove their manhood to themselves and to Brandon Darby, a revolutionary activist turned FBI informant. The fellowship combines HBO's funding with Find's year-round support services to give documentary filmmakers the necessary tools to develop their craft.
The Fast Track Program, sponsored by Eastman Kodak Co., takes place during Laff, which runs through June 28.
Industry participants include representatives from Paramount, Sony, Lionsgate, the Weinstein Co., Participant Prods., Roadside Attractions, Yari Film Group, the Film Department,...
- 6/19/2009
- by By Gregg Kilday
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
"Gilmore Girl" Alexis Bledel has found a good guy in "Friday Night Lights" star Scott Porter.
The pair will join Bryan Greenberg, Andrew McCarthy, Aaron Yoo and Anna Chlumsky in Julio DePietro's romantic comedy "The Good Guy."
Porter plays Tommy, a rising Wall Street star in a budding romance with a new girlfriend, Beth (Bledel). He begins mentoring a seemingly hapless new salesman (Greenberg) who befriends Beth, starting a chain of events that might ultimately lead to his downfall.
McCarthy plays Tommy's vicious boss, Yoo plays his crass co-worker and Chlumsky plays Beth's unlucky-in-love friend.
Linda Moran and Rene Bastian of Belladonna Prods. ("Transamerica") are producing with DePietro's Whitest Pouring Films. Production is under way in New York.
DePietro's writing and directing debut is partly based on his experience as a partner at hedge fund outfit Citadel Investment Group. He executive produced the Sundance docu prize winner "Manda Bala."
Porter, who most recently appeared in "Speed Racer," is repped by Gersh and Brillstein Entertainment Partners. Bledel, star of "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2," is repped by Endeavor and Flutie Entertainment.
The pair will join Bryan Greenberg, Andrew McCarthy, Aaron Yoo and Anna Chlumsky in Julio DePietro's romantic comedy "The Good Guy."
Porter plays Tommy, a rising Wall Street star in a budding romance with a new girlfriend, Beth (Bledel). He begins mentoring a seemingly hapless new salesman (Greenberg) who befriends Beth, starting a chain of events that might ultimately lead to his downfall.
McCarthy plays Tommy's vicious boss, Yoo plays his crass co-worker and Chlumsky plays Beth's unlucky-in-love friend.
Linda Moran and Rene Bastian of Belladonna Prods. ("Transamerica") are producing with DePietro's Whitest Pouring Films. Production is under way in New York.
DePietro's writing and directing debut is partly based on his experience as a partner at hedge fund outfit Citadel Investment Group. He executive produced the Sundance docu prize winner "Manda Bala."
Porter, who most recently appeared in "Speed Racer," is repped by Gersh and Brillstein Entertainment Partners. Bledel, star of "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2," is repped by Endeavor and Flutie Entertainment.
- 7/28/2008
- by By Gregg Goldstein
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
By now the phenomenon of a director remaking one of his own movies is hardly novel.
Alfred Hitchcock made two versions of The Man Who Knew Too Much, and Frank Capra turned Lady for a Day into the more lavish Pocketful of Miracles.
There even are cases of foreign directors helming the American remakes of their own hit movies. Francis Veber directed both the original French version of Les Fugitifs and the Hollywood version, Three Fugitives, with Nick Nolte and Martin Short.
But I'm not sure there has ever been anything comparable to the new version of Funny Games, in which Austrian director Michael Haneke has produced a shot-for-shot replica of his 1997 German-language movie.
Some will question whether we needed even one version of this unsavory story. No doubt Haneke would argue that the original had such a limited audience in America that a remake starring Oscar nominees Naomi Watts and Tim Roth, along with Michael Pitt, will bring the story to lots of new viewers. But does this exercise in sadism and psychological torture deserve a larger audience, or any audience at all?
That point will be argued by critics, though there's no disputing the fact that this film, like the original, is compelling and exceptionally well acted. It probably will develop a cult following, like all of Haneke's work.
Ann (Watts), her husband George (Roth), and their son Georgie (Devon Gearhart) arrive at their secluded vacation home on Long Island in the movie's opening scene. As they are settling in, they are greeted by two polite but slightly creepy young men (Pitt, Brady Corbet), who claim to be visiting one of their neighbors and need to borrow some eggs.
The interlopers, who call themselves Paul and Peter, quickly insinuate themselves into the household, incapacitate George, and hold the family captive as they initiate a series of increasingly sadistic games. The tension mounts as Georgie and Ann try to escape, which only stokes the cruelty of their captors. Haneke keeps the most horrific violence offscreen, but that does not mute the impact of these degrading and ruthless exercises.
Viewers who hope to glean some sociological or psychological insights will be disappointed. At one point Paul gives a lengthy, completely fictitious profile of his cohort, just to mock those who seek an explanation for such violent antisocial behavior. The two boys dressed in white are meant to be evil incarnate -- motiveless, unfathomable, inescapable.
The only comprehensible comment that the film makes is about itself and the role of cinema in encouraging voyeurism and tolerance for violence. (This theme also was at the heart of Haneke's most acclaimed film, Cache.)
There's an intriguing moment, identical in both the Austrian and American films, in which Paul uses a TV remote control to rewind the action we have seen and replay a different version. Even though the director might want us to contemplate the audience's role in sanctioning violence, he can't escape the whiff of exploitation that infects both movies.
Still, this version, like the earlier one, is skillfully executed. Roth doesn't match the gravitas of the late Ulrich Muhe, who played the husband in the 1997 film, but he's affecting. Watts is superb in conveying the emotional anguish of her character. Pitt demonstrates his versatility with an electrifying portrayal of the sinister, soulless Paul. The only weak link in the cast is Corbet, who was convincing in more sympathetic roles in "thirteen" and Mysterious Skin, but doesn't exude enough menace as Pitt's baby-faced accomplice.
Cinematographer Darius Khondji gives an ominous edge to the sun-dappled locations, which look remarkably like the settings in the European film. Even the music selections are virtually identical in the two films. Perhaps the best way to appreciate the picture, its few intellectual pretensions notwithstanding, is as a classy horror film with a particularly nasty edge. It's not exactly entertainment, but it casts a poisonous spell.
FUNNY GAMES U.S.
Warner Independent Pictures
Celluloid Dreams, Halcyon Pictures, Tartan Films, X-Filme International
Credits:
Screenwriter-director: Michael Haneke
Producers: Chris Coen, Hamish McAlpine, Hengameh Panahi, Christian Baute, Andro Steinborn
Executive producers: Naomi Watts, Philippe Aigle, Carole Siller, Douglas Steiner
Director of photography: Darius Khondji
Production designer: Kevin Thompson
Co-producers: Andrea Occhipinti, Rene Bastian, Linda Moran, Adam Brightman, Jonathan Schwartz
Costume designer: David Robinson
Editor: Monika Willi
Cast:
Ann: Naomi Watts
George: Tim Roth
Paul: Michael Pitt
Peter: Brady Corbet
Georgie: Devon Gearhart
Fred: Boyd Gaines
Betsy: Siobhan Fallon Hogan
Running time -- 110 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
Alfred Hitchcock made two versions of The Man Who Knew Too Much, and Frank Capra turned Lady for a Day into the more lavish Pocketful of Miracles.
There even are cases of foreign directors helming the American remakes of their own hit movies. Francis Veber directed both the original French version of Les Fugitifs and the Hollywood version, Three Fugitives, with Nick Nolte and Martin Short.
But I'm not sure there has ever been anything comparable to the new version of Funny Games, in which Austrian director Michael Haneke has produced a shot-for-shot replica of his 1997 German-language movie.
Some will question whether we needed even one version of this unsavory story. No doubt Haneke would argue that the original had such a limited audience in America that a remake starring Oscar nominees Naomi Watts and Tim Roth, along with Michael Pitt, will bring the story to lots of new viewers. But does this exercise in sadism and psychological torture deserve a larger audience, or any audience at all?
That point will be argued by critics, though there's no disputing the fact that this film, like the original, is compelling and exceptionally well acted. It probably will develop a cult following, like all of Haneke's work.
Ann (Watts), her husband George (Roth), and their son Georgie (Devon Gearhart) arrive at their secluded vacation home on Long Island in the movie's opening scene. As they are settling in, they are greeted by two polite but slightly creepy young men (Pitt, Brady Corbet), who claim to be visiting one of their neighbors and need to borrow some eggs.
The interlopers, who call themselves Paul and Peter, quickly insinuate themselves into the household, incapacitate George, and hold the family captive as they initiate a series of increasingly sadistic games. The tension mounts as Georgie and Ann try to escape, which only stokes the cruelty of their captors. Haneke keeps the most horrific violence offscreen, but that does not mute the impact of these degrading and ruthless exercises.
Viewers who hope to glean some sociological or psychological insights will be disappointed. At one point Paul gives a lengthy, completely fictitious profile of his cohort, just to mock those who seek an explanation for such violent antisocial behavior. The two boys dressed in white are meant to be evil incarnate -- motiveless, unfathomable, inescapable.
The only comprehensible comment that the film makes is about itself and the role of cinema in encouraging voyeurism and tolerance for violence. (This theme also was at the heart of Haneke's most acclaimed film, Cache.)
There's an intriguing moment, identical in both the Austrian and American films, in which Paul uses a TV remote control to rewind the action we have seen and replay a different version. Even though the director might want us to contemplate the audience's role in sanctioning violence, he can't escape the whiff of exploitation that infects both movies.
Still, this version, like the earlier one, is skillfully executed. Roth doesn't match the gravitas of the late Ulrich Muhe, who played the husband in the 1997 film, but he's affecting. Watts is superb in conveying the emotional anguish of her character. Pitt demonstrates his versatility with an electrifying portrayal of the sinister, soulless Paul. The only weak link in the cast is Corbet, who was convincing in more sympathetic roles in "thirteen" and Mysterious Skin, but doesn't exude enough menace as Pitt's baby-faced accomplice.
Cinematographer Darius Khondji gives an ominous edge to the sun-dappled locations, which look remarkably like the settings in the European film. Even the music selections are virtually identical in the two films. Perhaps the best way to appreciate the picture, its few intellectual pretensions notwithstanding, is as a classy horror film with a particularly nasty edge. It's not exactly entertainment, but it casts a poisonous spell.
FUNNY GAMES U.S.
Warner Independent Pictures
Celluloid Dreams, Halcyon Pictures, Tartan Films, X-Filme International
Credits:
Screenwriter-director: Michael Haneke
Producers: Chris Coen, Hamish McAlpine, Hengameh Panahi, Christian Baute, Andro Steinborn
Executive producers: Naomi Watts, Philippe Aigle, Carole Siller, Douglas Steiner
Director of photography: Darius Khondji
Production designer: Kevin Thompson
Co-producers: Andrea Occhipinti, Rene Bastian, Linda Moran, Adam Brightman, Jonathan Schwartz
Costume designer: David Robinson
Editor: Monika Willi
Cast:
Ann: Naomi Watts
George: Tim Roth
Paul: Michael Pitt
Peter: Brady Corbet
Georgie: Devon Gearhart
Fred: Boyd Gaines
Betsy: Siobhan Fallon Hogan
Running time -- 110 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
- 3/10/2008
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
NEW YORK -- Freshly minted Tony Award winner Frank Langella, Elliott Gould and Laura Harring will star in Richard Ledes' corporate thriller On the Hook.
Langella, who won a Tony on Sunday night for his role as Richard Nixon in Frost/Nixon, will play an energy company whistleblower who hires a private eye (Gould) to protect him from killers and tell his story. Harring plays his jazz singer ex-girlfriend.
The indie feature is produced by Linda Moran and Rene Bastian for Belladonna Prods. from a screenplay by Alan Didier-Weill and Ledes. It will shoot beginning in New York next week and wrap July 27, accommodating Langella's theater schedule.
Hook is Ledes' sophomore feature. He wrote and directed the comedy A Hole in One starring Michelle Williams and Meat Loaf, which received a limited theatrical release last year.
Langella starred in the Sundance Film Festival entry Starting Out in the Evening, which was just acquired by Roadside Attractions for theatrical release in November. Gould appears in Warner Bros.' Ocean's Thirteen. Harring starred in David Lynch's Mulholland Dr. and will appear in the upcoming films Bitter Grapes, Nancy Drew and Love in the Time of Cholera.
Langella is repped by Innovative Artists.
Langella, who won a Tony on Sunday night for his role as Richard Nixon in Frost/Nixon, will play an energy company whistleblower who hires a private eye (Gould) to protect him from killers and tell his story. Harring plays his jazz singer ex-girlfriend.
The indie feature is produced by Linda Moran and Rene Bastian for Belladonna Prods. from a screenplay by Alan Didier-Weill and Ledes. It will shoot beginning in New York next week and wrap July 27, accommodating Langella's theater schedule.
Hook is Ledes' sophomore feature. He wrote and directed the comedy A Hole in One starring Michelle Williams and Meat Loaf, which received a limited theatrical release last year.
Langella starred in the Sundance Film Festival entry Starting Out in the Evening, which was just acquired by Roadside Attractions for theatrical release in November. Gould appears in Warner Bros.' Ocean's Thirteen. Harring starred in David Lynch's Mulholland Dr. and will appear in the upcoming films Bitter Grapes, Nancy Drew and Love in the Time of Cholera.
Langella is repped by Innovative Artists.
- 6/12/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
On the big screen, "Desperate Housewives" star Felicity Huffman often has been relegated to the supporting category of friend/sister/neighbor. With the poignant and often deliriously funny road-trip feature "Transamerica", she steps into the challenging lead role of a solitary, preoperative transsexual and delivers an extraordinary portrait. The film marks an auspicious debut for writer-director Duncan Tucker, whose fresh, character-driven story-telling should make this December release from the Weinstein Co. an art house favorite.
Whatever it says about the zeitgeist, the theme of unexpected fatherhood has informed the work of a number of filmmakers this year, among them Jim Jarmusch ("Broken Flowers"), Wim Wenders ("Don't Come Knocking") and Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne ("L'Enfant"). In this case, the reluctant but curious dad who learns he has a son happens to be a woman in tasteful pastels. The transgender spin avoids gimmickry thanks to Tucker's deft touch and the subtle work of Huffman and the rest of the pitch-perfect cast, especially Kevin Zegers as the lost-and-found offspring.
Gender politics is an element of the film but by no means its subject. Tucker's concerns are loneliness, emotional honesty and the simple need for human kindness. Bree, nee Stanley (Huffman), is self-contained in her little Los Angeles bungalow, and her closest friend is her compassionate therapist, Margaret (Elizabeth Pena). A week before the ultimate surgical step in her gender transformation, she receives a phone call from a 17-year-old New York inmate who claims to be Stanley's son. Single-minded in her countdown to the operating room, Bree dismisses the unwanted disruption, but Margaret refuses to OK the medical procedure until Bree goes to New York to address the matter.
Bree bails out the brooding Toby (Zegers) but hasn't the nerve to divulge why she's there and plays along when he assumes she's a church missionary. A photograph confirms that the boy, a good-looking street hustler who ran away from home after his mother died, is the product of a college coupling, and a sense of responsibility takes hold of Bree. Instead of flying home, she buys a chartreuse station wagon to drive Toby cross-country to Los Angeles, where he expects to find his father living large and hopes to break into movies -- of the San Fernando Valley sort.
Bree maintains her "deep stealth" (living as a genetic female), keeping two secrets from Toby -- her biological history and his. She's a fascinating character, and Huffman brilliantly embodies the complex layers of self-awareness and denial in this prim yet gutsy individual, who each day must paint on a face and put on a voice to become more truly herself. Self-consciousness is a constant, as the film powerfully demonstrates when a child's innocent but discerning question plunges Bree into despair.
As a boy who considers sex his chief talent, Zegers (of the "Air Bud" films and last year's "Dawn of the Dead" remake) conveys Toby's essential sweetness and hunger for real affection, making him much more than just a vain or damaged kid.
Instead of settling into quirky odd-couple shtick, the film is full of unexpected turns, with every character the duo encounters surprising and well observed, from a free-spirited hitcher (Grant Monohon) to a New Mexico rancher (Graham Greene) who gallantly comes to Bree's assistance, more than a bit smitten.
Tucker's astute script and direction weave laugh-out-loud humor into his characters' longing for acceptance, particularly when their journey takes them to the Phoenix McMansion of Bree's family -- whose kitsch collectibles, part of Mark White's excellent production design, supply one of the funniest moments in the film. You don't have to be a transsexual to understand the way Bree's parents (Fionnula Flanagan and Burt Young) and sister (Carrie Preston) feed her self-doubt. But even the wonderful Flanagan's turquoise-bedecked, monstrously materialistic Elizabeth is afforded her humanity because Duncan lets emotions unfold instead of merely scoring points and moving on.
David Mansfield's Americana-tinged score underlines the optimism and the plaintiveness of a journey that's memorably captured in director of photography Stephen Kazmierski's sensitive camerawork.
TRANSAMERICA
The Weinstein Co.
Belladonna Prods. production
Credits:
Screenwriter-director: Duncan Tucker
Producers: Linda Moran, Rene Bastian, Sebastian Dungan
Executive producer: William H. Macy
Director of photography: Stephen Kazmierski
Production designer: Mark White
Music: David Mansfield
Costume designer: Danny Glicker
Editor: Pam Wise
Cast:
Bree: Felicity Huffman
Toby: Kevin Zegers
Elizabeth: Fionnula Flanagan
Margaret: Elizabeth Pena
Calvin: Graham Greene
Murray: Burt Young
Sydney: Carrie Preston
Arletty: Venida Evans
Hitchhiker: Grant Monohon
Running time -- 103 minutes
No MPAA rating...
Whatever it says about the zeitgeist, the theme of unexpected fatherhood has informed the work of a number of filmmakers this year, among them Jim Jarmusch ("Broken Flowers"), Wim Wenders ("Don't Come Knocking") and Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne ("L'Enfant"). In this case, the reluctant but curious dad who learns he has a son happens to be a woman in tasteful pastels. The transgender spin avoids gimmickry thanks to Tucker's deft touch and the subtle work of Huffman and the rest of the pitch-perfect cast, especially Kevin Zegers as the lost-and-found offspring.
Gender politics is an element of the film but by no means its subject. Tucker's concerns are loneliness, emotional honesty and the simple need for human kindness. Bree, nee Stanley (Huffman), is self-contained in her little Los Angeles bungalow, and her closest friend is her compassionate therapist, Margaret (Elizabeth Pena). A week before the ultimate surgical step in her gender transformation, she receives a phone call from a 17-year-old New York inmate who claims to be Stanley's son. Single-minded in her countdown to the operating room, Bree dismisses the unwanted disruption, but Margaret refuses to OK the medical procedure until Bree goes to New York to address the matter.
Bree bails out the brooding Toby (Zegers) but hasn't the nerve to divulge why she's there and plays along when he assumes she's a church missionary. A photograph confirms that the boy, a good-looking street hustler who ran away from home after his mother died, is the product of a college coupling, and a sense of responsibility takes hold of Bree. Instead of flying home, she buys a chartreuse station wagon to drive Toby cross-country to Los Angeles, where he expects to find his father living large and hopes to break into movies -- of the San Fernando Valley sort.
Bree maintains her "deep stealth" (living as a genetic female), keeping two secrets from Toby -- her biological history and his. She's a fascinating character, and Huffman brilliantly embodies the complex layers of self-awareness and denial in this prim yet gutsy individual, who each day must paint on a face and put on a voice to become more truly herself. Self-consciousness is a constant, as the film powerfully demonstrates when a child's innocent but discerning question plunges Bree into despair.
As a boy who considers sex his chief talent, Zegers (of the "Air Bud" films and last year's "Dawn of the Dead" remake) conveys Toby's essential sweetness and hunger for real affection, making him much more than just a vain or damaged kid.
Instead of settling into quirky odd-couple shtick, the film is full of unexpected turns, with every character the duo encounters surprising and well observed, from a free-spirited hitcher (Grant Monohon) to a New Mexico rancher (Graham Greene) who gallantly comes to Bree's assistance, more than a bit smitten.
Tucker's astute script and direction weave laugh-out-loud humor into his characters' longing for acceptance, particularly when their journey takes them to the Phoenix McMansion of Bree's family -- whose kitsch collectibles, part of Mark White's excellent production design, supply one of the funniest moments in the film. You don't have to be a transsexual to understand the way Bree's parents (Fionnula Flanagan and Burt Young) and sister (Carrie Preston) feed her self-doubt. But even the wonderful Flanagan's turquoise-bedecked, monstrously materialistic Elizabeth is afforded her humanity because Duncan lets emotions unfold instead of merely scoring points and moving on.
David Mansfield's Americana-tinged score underlines the optimism and the plaintiveness of a journey that's memorably captured in director of photography Stephen Kazmierski's sensitive camerawork.
TRANSAMERICA
The Weinstein Co.
Belladonna Prods. production
Credits:
Screenwriter-director: Duncan Tucker
Producers: Linda Moran, Rene Bastian, Sebastian Dungan
Executive producer: William H. Macy
Director of photography: Stephen Kazmierski
Production designer: Mark White
Music: David Mansfield
Costume designer: Danny Glicker
Editor: Pam Wise
Cast:
Bree: Felicity Huffman
Toby: Kevin Zegers
Elizabeth: Fionnula Flanagan
Margaret: Elizabeth Pena
Calvin: Graham Greene
Murray: Burt Young
Sydney: Carrie Preston
Arletty: Venida Evans
Hitchhiker: Grant Monohon
Running time -- 103 minutes
No MPAA rating...
- 9/15/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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