By David Poland poland@moviecitynews.com
Hamptons, Tribeca and New York Film Festivals Collide in Publicity Three-Way
Three of New York’s biggest film festivals made a flurry of newsworthy announcements Monday, with Tribeca and New York setting their respective festival dates while the lovely folks at the Hamptons announced producer Ted Hope (right) as the recipient of their annual Industry Toast.
HIFF director Denise Kasell broke the news from Cannes, joining indieWIRE to celebrate Hope’s two decades producing films for the likes of Ang Lee, Todd Solondz and Hal Hartley. His producing partnership with James Schamus resulted in the Good Machine shingle, which evolved into Focus Features after the pair sold it to Universal in 2002; Hope now runs This is That with Anthony Bregman and Anne Carey. He will receive his toast and probably some hardware for the mantel at a dinner slated for Oct. 19.
The New York Film Festival does not have anything nearly as fabulous planned, unless you count a 50-year retrospective of Janus Films its own sort of honor. But at least we know that the 2006 festival–the 44th annual, incidentally–will run Sept. 29 to Oct. 15; the Janus series coincides with the event, running Sept. 30 to Oct. 27. And all told, it is a great-looking program–essentially a world cinema hall of fame featuring Renoir (The Rules of the Game), Bergman (Monika, The Seventh Seal), Antonioni (L’Eclisse) and a few rarely screened gems not yet available on video, such as Carlos Saura’s Cria Cuervos. Still no word on which Warner Brothers film modern masterpiece will open the festival, but I have my ear to the ground.
Finally, as though you were clamoring for Tribeca news so soon after the festival’s most recent go-around, organizers sent word that the 2007 event is booked from April 25-May 6. Better yet, submissions open Sept. 5, with shorts due by Dec. 8 and features due by Dec. 15. I like your chances, so get shooting.