Press Releases Archive for August, 2013

Sundance favorite GOD LOVES UGANDA to receive theatrical release from Variance Films

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Academy Award winner Roger Ross Williams’ exposé of US Evangelical influence in Ugandan anti-homosexuality laws to hit theaters October 11, 2013.  New York, August 29, 2013 – Variance Films announced today that Roger Ross Williams’ GOD LOVES UGANDA will be released theatrically beginning in New York City on October 11, 2013, followed…

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DRAFTHOUSE FILMS, VICE, VHX & THE FILMMAKERS TO DELIVER ‘THE ACT OF KILLING’ FREE TO THE PEOPLE OF INDONESIA

To Help Spur Social Change, The Year’s Most Acclaimed Documentary Will Be Made Available For All Of Indonesia August 28, 2013 –  Award-winning and critically acclaimed documentary film The Act Of Killing will be made available for free to the people of Indonesia in perpetuity, through the joint efforts of the US distributor Drafthouse Films,VICE Media, integrated digital platform VHX, Danish…

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40th TELLURIDE FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES PROGRAM LINEUP

27 new feature films in main program.

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SCREEN MEDIA FILMS AND FOCUS WORLD ACQUIRE ADVENTURE COMEDY A BIRDER’S GUIDE TO EVERYTHING, STARRING KODI SMIT-McPHEE, BEN KINGSLEY

New York, August 27, 2013 – Focus World, the alternative distribution initiative owned and operated by Focus Features, and Screen Media Films have partnered for a third time on U.S. distribution rights to a feature film, acquiring the U.S. rights to A Birder’s Guide to Everything, which made its debut at the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival and was a…

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ACADEMY CELEBRATES 40 YEARS OF THE TELLURIDE FILM FESTIVAL

Continuing its sponsorship of the Telluride Film Festival with a series of special events.

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TOMORROWLAND is Today

Principal photography on Brad Bird’s film, edited by Walter Murch.

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THE FILM SOCIETY OF LINCOLN CENTER announces Spotlight on Documentaries and Film Restoration at the 2013 NY FILM FESTIVAL

PRESS RELEASE HOW DEMOCRACY WORKS NOW, APPLIED SCIENCES, and MOTION PORTRAITS comprise the new documentary section and restorations of works by Leos Carax, Martin Scorsese, Nicholas Ray, Alain Resnais, Luchino Visconti and many more in the REVIVALS section NEW YORK, August 26, 2013 —The Film Society of Lincoln Center announced today the details of the additional programming that will…

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THE FILM SOCIETY OF LINCOLN CENTER announces Gala Tributes to honor Cate Blanchett and Ralph Fiennes at the 2013 NEW YORK FILM FESTIVAL

NEW YORK, August 22, 2013 —The Film Society of Lincoln Center announced today that Cate Blanchett and Ralph Fiennes will be the subjects of this year’s NYFF Gala Tributes. The Gala Tribute to Cate Blanchett will take place on Wednesday, October 2, and the Gala Tribute to Ralph Fiennes will take place on Wednesday, October…

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WEINSTEIN COMPANY AND SIMON & SCHUSTER ANNOUNCE UNCOVER THE MYSTERY BUT DON’T SPOIL THE SECRETS’ CAMPAIGN

Tthose seeing it before its official release date are being asked to sign nondisclosure agreements.

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SONY PICTURES CLASSICS TO EXPAND WOODY ALLEN’S BLUE JASMINE TO OVER 1,200 SCREENS NATIONWIDE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                   New York, NY (August 21, 2013) –  Sony Pictures Classics announced today that they will expand Woody Allen’s latest box office success BLUE JASMINE from 229 to over 1,200 screens nationwide this weekend.  This surpasses…

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SUNDANCE SELECTS TO RELEASE KECHICHE’S PALME D’OR WINNER BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOR WITH NC-17 RATING IN U.S.

NEW YORK, NY (August 20, 2013) – Sundance Selects announced today that they will release Abdellatif Kechiche’s 2013 Cannes Film Festival Palme D’Or Winner BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOR with the MPAA rating of NC-17 in the United States, as opposed to trimming the film or releasing the film Unrated. With a screenplay by Kechiche…

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SAMUEL L. JACKSON JOINS PRESENTERS OF WONG KAR-WAI’s THE GRANDMASTER

FILMMAKER MARTIN SCORSESE ALSO BACKING FILM New York, NY – August 20, 2013 – The Weinstein Company (TWC) announced today that acclaimed actor Samuel L. Jackson is joining previously announced filmmaker Martin Scorsese in presenting their upcoming release, THE GRANDMASTER. Jackson, who attended the film’s New York premiere on August 13th, will be adding his name to…

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OSCILLOSCOPE PICKS UP AWARD-WINNING DOCUMENTARY “THE KILL TEAM”

The devastating moral tensions that tear at soldiers’ psyches.

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PRODUCERS DISTRIBUTION AGENCY TO RELEASE “ESCAPE FROM TOMORROW”

Provocative Sundance Film To Hit Theaters and VOD This Fall PDA’s Follow Up To EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP, SENNA, BROOKLYN CASTLE and THE WAY (New York, NY) August 19, 2013 –Producers Distribution Agency (PDA) announced today it will be releasing Randy Moore’s directorial debut ESCAPE FROM TOMORROW in the U.S. this fall, in partnership…

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A TASTE OF THE 49th CHICAGO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

First Round of Titles Announced.

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FILM SOCIETY OF LINCOLN CENTER announces Main Slate of selections for the 2013 NEW YORK FILM FESTIVAL

PRESS RELEASE 35 Features include new films by Catherine Breillat, J.C. Chandor, Joel & Ethan Coen, Richard Curtis, Claire Denis, Arnaud Desplechin, Ralph Fiennes, James Gray, James Franco, Jim Jarmusch, Claude Lanzmann, Alexander Payne, Hong Sang-soo, Frederick Wiseman, and Jia Zhangke   NEW YORK, August 19, 2013 —The Film Society of Lincoln Center announced today…

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JOEL AND ETHAN COEN AND T BONE BURNETT TO PRESENT ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER TIME: CELEBRATING THE MUSIC OF “INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS”

ONE-NIGHT-ONLY CONCERT EVENT TO BE HELD AT NEW YORK CITY’S TOWN HALL ON SEPTEMBER 29 Performers To Include The Avett Brothers, Joan Baez, Rhiannon Giddens of Carolina Chocolate Drops, Lake Street Dive, Colin Meloy of The Decemberists, Milk Carton Kids, Marcus Mumford, Conor Oberst, Punch Brothers, Secret Sisters, Patti Smith, Gillian Welch & Dave Rawlings,…

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14 SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENTS UNDER CONSIDERATION FOR 2013 ACADEMY AWARDS

“Non-explosive car flipping devices.”

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SONY PICTURES CLASSICS PINS ANNAPURNA’S FOXCATCHER

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  NEW YORK (August 15, 2013) – Sony Pictures Classics announced today that they will distribute Bennett Miller’s FOXCATCHER in North America, currently in post-production.  The film is produced by Megan Ellison under her company Annapurna Pictures, as well as, Miller and Anthony Bregman and will be released on December 20. Miller’s prestigious cast…

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DIRECTING ICONS WONG KAR WAI AND MARTIN SCORSESE CELEBRATE THE GRANDMASTER

DIRECTING ICONS WONG KAR WAI AND MARTIN SCORSESE CELEBRATE THE GRANDMASTER IN NYC New York, NY – August 15, 2013 – Filmmaking legends Wong Kar Wai and Martin Scorsese met in New York yesterday to celebrate the upcoming release of Wong’s kung fu epic THE GRANDMASTER. The Weinstein Company, who is releasing the film theatrically, recently announced…

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Press Releases

Quote Unquotesee all »

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