Press Releases Archive for September, 2013

Music Box Films Takes U.S. and Canadian Rights For Pawel Pawlikowski’s IDA

For Immediate Release Second Quarter 2014 Release Planned Chicago, IL (September 25, 2013) – Music Box Films announced today that it has acquired all U.S. and Canadian rights to Pawel Pawlikowski’s Polish Communist-era drama IDA, which riveted festival audiences at its premiere screenings in Telluride and Toronto. IDA tells the story of a young orphaned novice nun exposed to…

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IDA To Honor Alex Gibney, Laura Poitras and Geralyn Dreyfous

Top honorary awards.

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SETH ROGEN AND EVAN GOLDBERG LET IT ALL HANG OUT WITH “SAUSAGE PARTY”

SETH ROGEN AND EVAN GOLDBERG LET IT ALL HANG OUT WITH “SAUSAGE PARTY,” AN OUTRAGEOUS, NOT-FOR-KIDS ANIMATED MOVIE, FROM SONY PICTURES ENTERTAINMENT, ANNAPURNA PICTURES AND POINT GREY   CULVER CITY, Calif., September  24, 2013 – Sony Pictures Entertainment and Annapurna Pictures will partner on what is expected to be an R-rated animated film titled Sausage Party, written by Seth…

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CINEDIGM ACQUIRES KELLY REICHARDT’S “NIGHT MOVES,” STARRING JESSE EISENBERG, DAKOTA FANNING AND PETER SARSGAARD

Cinedigm takes all North American rights to eco-terrorism thriller, with U.S. theatrical release planned for 2014  LOS ANGELES, CA (September 20, 2013) – Cinedigm (NASDAQ: CIDM) has acquired all North American rights to NIGHT MOVES, directed by acclaimed American independent filmmaker Kelly Reichardt.  The film, starring Jesse Eisenberg, Dakota Fanning and Peter Sarsgaard made its…

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Salinger Film Reedited For National Release In 62 Cities

NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN MATERIAL ADDED TO SALINGER DOCUMENTARY FOR NATIONAL RELEASE WEINSTEIN COMPANY ALSO DEVELOPING LIVE ACTION J.D. SALINGER BIOPIC New York, NY (September 18, 2013) – The Weinstein Company (TWC) announced today that their latest documentary release, SALINGER, will have a special edition debuted for its national release on Friday, September 20. The film, which opened in New York and Los Angeles on September…

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FSLC SETS COMPLETE LINEUP OF JEAN-LUC GODARD – THE SPIRIT OF THE FORMS, 3-Week Retrospective

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE New York, NY (September 17, 2013) — The Film Society of Lincoln Center announced today the full schedule and complete lineup for the upcoming film series, Jean-Luc Godard – The Spirit of the Forms. The three-week retrospective of the legendary director’s work will begin during the second week of this year’s New…

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DALIAN WANDA GROUP DONATES $20 MILLION TO THE ACADEMY MUSEUM OF MOTION PICTURES

September 17, 2013 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE BEVERLY HILLS, CA – The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced today that it has received a $20 million gift from the Dalian Wanda Group for the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. The gift was made as part of the Academy Museum’s $300 million capital campaign and…

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THE CW TO BROADCAST THE “CRITICS’ CHOICE MOVIE AWARDS” AND “CRITICS’ CHOICE TELEVISION AWARDS” IN 2014

September 16, 2013 (Burbank, CA) – The CW Television Network has partnered with the Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA) and the Broadcast Television Journalists Association (BTJA) to broadcast the 19th annual “Critics’ Choice Movie Awards” for the second consecutive year, and also the 4th annual “Critics’ Choice Television Awards” in 2014, it was announced today by Joey…

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ANDREW DOSUNMU TO DIRECT FELA KUTI, DRAMA WITH MUSIC ABOUT MUSICIAN AND ACTIVIST FELA KUTI, FOR FOCUS FEATURES

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE NEW YORK, September 16, 2013 – Andrew Dosunmu will direct Focus Features’ drama with music Fela Kuti, which is currently in development. Focus CEO James Schamus and co-CEO Andrew Karpen made the announcement today. A human rights activist, sexual revolutionary, and political maverick, Fela Kuti was one of the most influential musicians…

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THOMAS VINTERBERG TO DIRECT “FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD” FOR FOX SEARCHLIGHT

CAREY MULLIGAN, MATTHIAS SCHOENAERTS, MICHAEL SHEEN, TOM STURRIDGE AND JUNO TEMPLE TO STAR IN “FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD” FOR FOX SEARCHLIGHT PICTURES THOMAS VINTERBERG TO DIRECT   FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE LOS ANGELES, CA September 16, 2013 – Fox Searchlight Pictures announced that Thomas Vinterberg’s FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD has begun principal photography in the UK today, September 16th.  The…

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BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH AND KEIRA KNIGHTLEY LEAD A TOP-FLIGHT CAST IN “THE IMITATION GAME”

September 15, 2013 Start of Principal Photography in the UK Announced by Black Bear Pictures  LONDON, 16 SEPTEMBER, 2013: THE IMITATION GAME, which began principal photography in the UK yesterday, is a dramatic portrayal of the life and work of one of Britain’s most extraordinary unsung heroes, Alan Turing. The pioneer of modern-day computing, Turing is credited with…

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ROADSIDE ATTRACTIONS TAKES U.S. RIGHTS TO FRED SCHEPISI’S ‘WORDS AND PICTURES’ STARRING CLIVE OWEN AND JULIETTE BINOCHE

(LOS ANGELES, CA) September 15, 2013 – Following its acclaimed world premiere as a Gala Presentation at the Toronto International Film Festival, Roadside Attractions has acquired US rights to director Fred Schepisi’s adult romance, WORDS AND PICTURES, written by Gerald Di Pego and starring Oscar nominee Clive Owen (KILLER ELITE, BLOOD TIES) and Oscar winner…

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FSLC NAMES DIRECTOR-WRITER ANDREA ARNOLD AS THE 2013 FILMMAKER IN RESIDENCE DURING THE 51ST NEW YORK FILM FESTIVAL

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  New York, NY (September 12, 2013) – The Film Society of Lincoln Center names director/writer, Andrea Arnold, as the 2013 Filmmaker in Residence, to take place during the 51st New York Film Festival. The initiative is in partnership with luxury brand Jaeger-LeCoultre, to further the goals of filmmakers at an earlier stage in…

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OWN: OPRAH WINFREY NETWORK TO RELEASE OSCAR-WINNER BARBARA KOPPLE’S ‘RUNNING FROM CRAZY’ THEATRICALLY ON NOVEMBER 1

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 10, 2013 Starring Academy Award-Nominated Actress and Advocate Mariel Hemingway Los Angeles, CA – The acclaimed documentary “Running From Crazy,” the latest project from two-time Academy Award winner Barbara Kopple (“Harlan County USA,” “American Dream”), which world premiered at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, will be released theatrically on November 1, 2013, and will…

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WORLDWIDE RIGHTS TO COMEDY BAD WORDS, DIRECTED BY AND STARRING JASON BATEMAN, ACQUIRED BY FOCUS FEATURES FOR 2014 RELEASE

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   TORONTO, September 7, 2013 – Worldwide rights to the comedy Bad Words, directed by and starring Jason Bateman, have been acquired by Focus Features for a 2014 theatrical release. Focus CEO James Schamus and co-CEO Andrew Karpen made the announcement today at the Toronto International Film Festival, where the movie is having its…

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FILM SOCIETY OF LINCOLN CENTER TO HOST 3-WEEK RETROSPECTIVE OF JEAN-LUC GODARD DURING 51ST NYFF

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 20TH ANNIVERSARY SCREENING OF DIRECTOR RICHARD LINKLATER’S DAZED AND CONFUSED ALSO ANNOUNCED New York, NY (September 5, 2013) — The Film Society of Lincoln Center announced today that the 51st New York Film Festival (NYFF, September 27 – October 13) will serve as the launching pad for a retrospective of filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard’s work….

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TELLURIDE FILM FESTIVAL’S 40TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION COMES TO A CLOSE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Telluride, CO, September 2, 2013 – Telluride Film Festival (August 29-September 2, 2013), presented by the National Film Preserve, draws to a close today following a spectacular five-day anniversary presentation of diverse programming, surprise screenings and special guests attended by more than 4,000 movie lovers. Telluride Film Festival curated over 100 programs…

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CHARLIE HUNNAM CAST AS CHRISTIAN GREY IN UNIVERSAL PICTURES AND FOCUS FEATURES’ FILM ADAPTATION OF “FIFTY SHADES OF GREY”

NEWS RELEASE UNIVERSAL CITY, CA, September 2, 2013 — Charlie Hunnam will star as Christian Grey, the lead male character in Universal Pictures and Focus Features’ highly anticipated film adaptation of “Fifty Shades of Grey,” it was announced today.  He joins Dakota Johnson, who will star opposite him as Anastasia Steele.  The film, which will…

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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