Press Releases Archive for January, 2012

FOCUS FEATURES ACQUIRES WORLDWIDE RIGHTS TO FOR A GOOD TIME, CALL…, DIRECTED BY JAMIE TRAVIS AND STARRING ARI GRAYNOR AND LAUREN ANNE MILLER

FOCUS FEATURES ACQUIRES WORLDWIDE RIGHTS TO FOR A GOOD TIME, CALL…, DIRECTED BY JAMIE TRAVIS AND STARRING ARI GRAYNOR AND LAUREN ANNE MILLER COMEDY WORLD-PREMIERED AT THIS YEAR’S SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL NEW YORK, January 24, 2012 – Focus Features has acquired worldwide rights to AdScott Pictures’ contemporary comedy For a Good Time, Call…, the debut…

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Oscar Nominations by Picture

The Adventures of Tintin Paramount Pictures and Columbia Pictures Production (Paramount) Original Score Albert Nobbs Trillium Productions, Mockingbird Pictures and Parallel Films Production (Roadside Attractions) Glenn Close – Actress in a Leading Role Janet McTeer – Actress in a Supporting Role Makeup Anonymous Columbia Pictures Production (Sony Pictures Releasing) Costume Design The Artist La Petite…

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84th Academy Award Nominees (2012)

Best Picture “The Artist” Thomas Langmann, Producer “The Descendants” Jim Burke, Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor, Producers “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close” Scott Rudin, Producer “The Help” Brunson Green, Chris Columbus and Michael Barnathan, Producers “Hugo” Graham King and Martin Scorsese, Producers “Midnight in Paris” Letty Aronson and Stephen Tenenbaum, Producers “Moneyball” Michael De Luca,…

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The Sundance Institute On Bingham Ray

The Sundance Institute Issues the following statement: It is with great sadness that the Sundance Institute acknowledges the passing of Bingham Ray, cherished independent film executive and most recently Executive Director of the San Francisco Film Society.  On behalf of the independent film community here  in Park City for the 2012 Sundance Film Festival and…

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KATIE ASELTON’S “BLACK ROCK” ROCKS SUNDANCE AT EXPLOSIVE MIDNIGHT SCREENING; LD ENTERTAINMENT ACQUIRES NORTH AMERICAN DISTRIBUTION RIGHTS

LD Entertainment announced today the North American acquisition of Katie Aselton’s female-driven thriller BLACK ROCK, which premiered last night in the Park City at Midnight section of the 2012 Sundance Film Festival.  The film, about three friends who reunite for a girls’ weekend getaway on a remote island that goes horribly awry, stars Aselton alongside…

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The Sundance Institute Issues the following statement About Bingham Ray

The Sundance Institute Issues the following statement: Sundance Institute has learned that Bingham Ray, beloved friend of independent film, and Executive Director of the San Francisco Film Society, has been hospitalized while in Utah for the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. We have reached out to Bingham and his family and San Francisco Film Society to…

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SONY PICTURES CLASSICS SEARCHES FOR SUGAR MAN

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE NEW YORK, NY (January 20, 2012) – Sony Pictures Classics announced today that they have acquired the rights in North America to Malik Bendjelloul’s directorial debut, SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN.  The film is produced by Simon Chinn of Red Box Films (PROJECT NIM, MAN ON WIRE) and executive produced by John Battsek of…

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Joint Statement from AFM, AFTRA, DGA, IATSE, IBT and SAG Regarding the PROTECT IP Act (S. 968) and the STOP Online Piracy Act (HR 3261)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 20, 2012 The following statement was issued by the American Federation of Musicians (AFM), American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA), Directors Guild of America (DGA), International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts of the United States, Its Territories and Canada (IATSE), Screen Actors…

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LIONSGATE AND WREKIN HILL ENTERTAINMENT, IN ASSOCIATION WITH ROW 1 PRODUCTIONS, UNREEL DARK TIDE, STARRING HALLE BERRY, WITH MULTI-TIER RELEASE STRATEGY

Film To Debut On Ultra VOD March 8 Prior To US Theatrical Run March 30 With Packaged Media To Follow SANTA MONICA, CA, and LOS ANGELES, CA (January 20, 2012) – LIONSGATE® (NYSE: LGF), a leading diversified global entertainment company, and Wrekin Hill Entertainment, an LA based film production and distribution company, in association with Row 1…

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Open for entries: Getty Images announces annual global ‘Mishmash’ remix challenge

CALLING ALL FILM AND MUSIC CREATIVES! New York, NY, January 17, 2012 – Getty Images has today announced the launch of its Mishmash music video remix competition for 2012, helping to inspire and foster video creatives of the future. This unique competition offers film and music creatives from around the world complete creative freedom to…

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The Film Society of Lincoln Center and The Museum of Modern Art Announce Seven Official Selections for the 41st edition of New Directors/New Films

PRESS RELEASE New York, NY, January 18, 2012—The Film Society of Lincoln Center and The Museum of Modern Art today announced seven official selections for the 2012 New Directors/New Films Festival (March 21–April 1). Dedicated to the discovery of new works by emerging and dynamic filmmaking talent, the 2012 edition marks the film festival’s 41st…

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13 Films Make Their Digital Premieres Through Sundance Institute Artist Services Program

Festival Favorites and New Discoveries Now Playing iTunes │ Amazon Instant Video │ Hulu │ Netflix │ SundanceNOW │ YouTube Los Angeles, CA (January 18, 2012) — Sundance Institute announced thirteen films supported by the Institute that are for the first time available to rent, download and stream. Look for the films on iTunes, Amazon…

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9 FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILMS VIE FOR OSCAR®

January 18, 2012 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Beverly Hills, CA – Nine films will advance to the next round of voting in the Foreign Language Film category for the 84th Academy Awards®. Sixty-three films had originally qualified in the category. The films, listed in alphabetical order by country, are: Belgium, “Bullhead,” Michael R. Roskam, director; Canada,…

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Facebook Introduces Its “Social Cinema” By Streaming The Uncut Entirety Of Human Centipede 2 Into Your Lap

Facebook Introduces Its “Social Cinema” By Streaming The Uncut Entirety Of Human Centipede 2 Into Your Lap

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THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE 2 (FULL SEQUENCE) PREMIERES UNCUT VIA FACEBOOK SOCIAL CINEMA

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Special One-Month Showing Leads to Film’s DVD Release on Feb 14 New York, NY (January 17, 2012) – IFC Midnight announced today that the un-cut version of Tom Six’s controversial horror film THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE PART 2 (FULL SEQUENCE), featuring one of the most graphic scenes in cinematic history, is available to…

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The Film Society of Lincoln Center announces CINEMATIC GODDESS: AMERICAN SEX SYMBOL, THE FILMS OF RAQUEL WELCH, February 10-14

In-person at ONE MILLION YEARS BC, THE LAST OF SHEILA, MYRA BRECKINRIDGE, THE THREE MUSKETEERS, HANNIE CAULDER and KANSAS CITY BOMBER New York, NY, January 17, 2011-The Film Society of Lincoln Center announced details today for the upcoming film series, Cinematic Goddess: American Sex Symbol, The Films of Raquel Welch (February 10-14). Screening at the…

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NEIL YOUNG, JONATHAN DEMME, AND STAN LEE HEADLINE MASTER CLASSES AT THE 2012 SLAMDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE LOS ANGELES – Slamdance Film Festival announced today its popular annual Park City series of Morning Coffee Master Classes at the 2012 Slamdance Film Festival – a series of intimate public conversations with world class, visionary artists and filmmakers. This year’s series of classes features musician/filmmaker Neil Young and filmmaker Jonathan Demme…

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MPAA Accuses Wikipedia Of “Gimmick” In SOPA Blackout

WASHINGTON —The following is a statement by Senator Chris Dodd, Chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association of America, Inc. (MPAA) on the so-called “Blackout Day” protesting anti-piracy legislation: “Only days after the White House and chief sponsors of the legislation responded to the major concern expressed by opponents and then called for all…

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32nd London Critics’ Circle Film Awards nominations announced

London, Tuesday 20 December: The London Critics’ Circle is delighted to announce the nominations today for its 32nd annual Film Awards in partnership with Virgin Atlantic. Voted for by over 120 UK film critics, broadcasters and writers, the nominations are lead by TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY and DRIVE, which both receive 6 nominations each. British…

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ORANGE BRITISH ACADEMY FILM AWARDS IN 2011 NOMINATIONS

The Artist receives 12 nominations. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is nominated in 11 categories, Hugo has nine nominations, My Week with Marilyn has six nominations and The Help and War Horse are each nominated five times. Drive, The Iron Lady and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 have four nominations. The Descendants,…

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Press Releases

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It shows how out of it I was in trying to be in it, acknowledging that I was out of it to myself, and then thinking, “Okay, how do I stop being out of it? Well, I get some legitimate illogical narrative ideas” — some novel, you know?

So I decided on three writers that I might be able to option their material and get some producer, or myself as producer, and then get some writer to do a screenplay on it, and maybe make a movie.

And so the three projects were “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep,” “Naked Lunch” and a collection of Bukowski. Which, in 1975, forget it — I mean, that was nuts. Hollywood would not touch any of that, but I was looking for something commercial, and I thought that all of these things were coming.

There would be no Blade Runner if there was no Ray Bradbury. I couldn’t find Philip K. Dick. His agent didn’t even know where he was. And so I gave up.

I was walking down the street and I ran into Bradbury — he directed a play that I was going to do as an actor, so we know each other, but he yelled “hi” — and I’d forgot who he was.

So at my girlfriend Barbara Hershey’s urging — I was with her at that moment — she said, “Talk to him! That guy really wants to talk to you,” and I said “No, fuck him,” and keep walking.

But then I did, and then I realized who it was, and I thought, “Wait, he’s in that realm, maybe he knows Philip K. Dick.” I said, “You know a guy named—” “Yeah, sure — you want his phone number?”

My friend paid my rent for a year while I wrote, because it turned out we couldn’t get a writer. My friends kept on me about, well, if you can’t get a writer, then you write.”
~ Hampton Fancher

“That was the most disappointing thing to me in how this thing was played. Is that I’m on the phone with you now, after all that’s been said, and the fundamental distinction between what James is dealing with in these other cases is not actually brought to the fore. The fundamental difference is that James Franco didn’t seek to use his position to have sex with anyone. There’s not a case of that. He wasn’t using his position or status to try to solicit a sexual favor from anyone. If he had — if that were what the accusation involved — the show would not have gone on. We would have folded up shop and we would have not completed the show. Because then it would have been the same as Harvey Weinstein, or Les Moonves, or any of these cases that are fundamental to this new paradigm. Did you not notice that? Why did you not notice that? Is that not something notable to say, journalistically? Because nobody could find the voice to say it. I’m not just being rhetorical. Why is it that you and the other critics, none of you could find the voice to say, “You know, it’s not this, it’s that”? Because — let me go on and speak further to this. If you go back to the L.A. Times piece, that’s what it lacked. That’s what they were not able to deliver. The one example in the five that involved an issue of a sexual act was between James and a woman he was dating, who he was not working with. There was no professional dynamic in any capacity.

~ David Simon