Press Releases Archive for June, 2015

20TH ANNUAL NANTUCKET FILM FESTIVAL WINNERS ANNOUNCED

  AUDIENCE AWARD WINNERS INCLUDE ME AND EARL AND THE DYING GIRL, HARRY & SNOWMAN and PINK BOY   ANIMATED FEATURE SHAUN THE SHEEP THE MOVIE RUNNER UP AUDIENCE AWARD WINNER   Nantucket, MA (June 28, 2015) – The 20th Anniversary Nantucket Film Festival (NFF) today announced the winners of the prestigious Showtime Tony Cox Screenplay…

Read the full article »

Academy Invites 233 New Members

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is extending invitations to join the organization to 322 artists and executives who have distinguished themselves by their contributions to theatrical motion pictures.  Those who accept the invitations will be the only additions to the Academy’s membership in 2015. “It’s gratifying to acknowledge the extraordinary range of…

Read the full article »

FSLC Salutes “Richard Lester: The Running Jumping Pop Cinema Iconoclast”

THE FILM SOCIETY OF LINCOLN CENTER ANNOUNCES RICHARD LESTER: THE RUNNING JUMPING POP CINEMA ICONOCLAST  (AUGUST 7-13) Lineup includes classics A Hard Day’s Night, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Petulia, Robin and Marian, the U.S. Premiere of The Return of the Musketeers, and many more on 35mm New York, NY…

Read the full article »

PRODUCTION BEGINS ON TODD SOLONDZ’S ‘WIENER-DOG’

Principal photography has begun on Todd Solondz’s WIENER-DOG, Annapurna Pictures announced today. Solondz wrote and directs the film, which stars Julie Delpy, Greta Gerwig, Kieran Culkin, Danny DeVito, Brie Larson, Ellen Burstyn, Zosia Mamet and Tracy Letts. Megan Ellison is producing through her Annapurna Pictures alongside Christine Vachon of Killer Films. David Distenfeld is the…

Read the full article »

Los Angeles City Council Approves Academy Museum Design

  CONSTRUCTION SCHEDULED TO BEGIN THIS SUMMER   LOS ANGELES, CA – The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced today that the Los Angeles City Council, in a unanimous vote, approved plans for the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. Construction will begin this summer, and ceremonial groundbreaking festivities will occur this fall. “I…

Read the full article »

Small Number Of Academy Changes Most Add Oscar Slots; Marketing Changes Again Afoot

The Academy’s Board of Governors approved Oscars rules and campaign regulations for the 88th Academy Awards® at their most recent Board meeting (Tuesday night, 6/23). In the Best Picture category, to qualify as a producer nominee for a nominated picture, the producer must have been determined eligible for a Producers Guild of America (PGA) award…

Read the full article »

THE FILM SOCIETY OF LINCOLN CENTER PRESENTS  I FOUND THIS FUNNY: THE COMEDY WORLD OF JUDD APATOW July 10-14

Includes An Evening with Apatow and Lena Dunham; FREE Freaks and Geeks marathon; a complete showcase of the films he’s directed, selected films he’s produced, and two from Hal Ashby that have influenced him On July 14 the series concludes with the World Premiere of Apatow’s latest film from Universal Pictures, Trainwreck, which will screen…

Read the full article »

KARTEMQUIN, VHX AND INDIEGOGO TO RELEASE “SAVING MES AYNAK” FILM FREE TO ALL PEOPLE OF AFGHANISTAN

AWARD-WINNING DOCUMENTARY EXPOSES CHINESE COMPANY’S PLAN TO TURN  5,000 YEAR-OLD ARCHEOLOGICAL SITE IN AFGHANISTAN INTO COPPER MINE, DESTROYING PRICELESS BUDDHIST RELICS   JUNE 23 2015 (Chicago) — Acclaimed Chicago not-for-profit documentary collective Kartemquin Films announced today that they will make director Brent E. Huffman’s film Saving Mes Aynak available for free to the people of…

Read the full article »

AFI DOCS FILM FESTIVAL AUDIENCE AWARD WINNERS:

Best Feature goes to WHAT HAPPENED, MISS SIMONE? Best Short goes to A CONVERSATION WITH MY BLACK SON Festival Convenes Global Filmmakers With U.S. and International Leaders FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, Washington, DC, June 22, 2015 — AFI DOCS announced today its Audience Award winners, concluding the five-day festival in the Washington, DC area. This year’s…

Read the full article »

The 22nd Chicago Underground Film Festival Wraps With Record Attendance, Jury Awards Announced

(Logan Square, June 17, 2015) – The Chicago Underground Film Festival, presented by Jameson Irish Whiskey with additional support from Lagunitas Brewing Company, Tribeca Flashpoint Academy and SAG-AFTRA, concluded its 22nd edition with another year of increased attendance. More than 2,000 cinephiles converged on the Logan Theatre for the five-day event, which drew an unprecedented…

Read the full article »

Sundance Institute Adds Five New Trustees

Fred Dust  |  Philipp Engelhorn  |  Caterina Fake  |  Gigi Pritzker  |  Alejandro Ramírez Magaña New Trustees Bring Experience in Creative Design, Social Innovation, Philanthropy,  Technology, Culture, Producing, Financing and Film Exhibition Los Angeles, CA — Sundance Institute today announced five new members of the Institute’s Board of Trustees: Fred Dust, Philipp Engelhorn, Caterina Fake,…

Read the full article »

James Wan Hires Michael Clear to Head Production Company Atomic Monster

James Wan today announced the hiring of Michael Clear to head his Atomic Monster production company.  Clear will oversee day-to-day operations reporting directly to Wan. “Michael is a great addition to the Atomic Monster team,” said Wan.  “Michael is a savvy decision-maker and a dynamic executive.  He and I have a similar taste in films…

Read the full article »

ANIMATION VETERAN ERIC GOLDBERG JOINS USC SCHOOL OF CINEMATIC ARTS’ JOHN C. HENCH DIVISION OF ANIMATION AND DIGITAL ARTS

 LOS ANGELES, CA JUNE 16, 2015– Veteran animator Eric Goldberg joins USC School of Cinematic Arts’ John C. Hench Division of Animation and Digital Arts. Goldberg will teach classes on the fundamentals of character animation beginning in the fall of 2015, it was announced by Tom Sito, Chair of SCA’s John C. Hench Division of…

Read the full article »

MARK ROMANEK TO DIRECT ADAIR COLE’S SCRIPT “NORCO”

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA — (June 15, 2015) — MadRiver Pictures announced today thatMark Romanek (NEVER LET ME GO) is in final negotiations to direct NORCO. MadRiver Pictures will finance and produce the actioner, which is based off a script written by Adair Cole (SAN PATRICIOS). Producers are Marc Butan and Mason Novick (JUNO, RICKI AND…

Read the full article »

OPEN ROAD FILMS, MOVIETICKETS.COM AND GOCOIN PARTNER FOR FIRST EVER BITCOIN FILM TICKETS PARTNERSHIP FOR UPCOMING NATIONWIDE RELEASE OF DOPE

Moviegoers can purchase tickets for DOPE using digital currency Bitcoin exclusively through MovieTickets.com NEW YORK (June 15, 2015) – For the upcoming nationwide release of the highly anticipated comedy DOPE, Open Road Films has partnered with MovieTickets.com, and the leading international payment platform GoCoin to accept Bitcoin as payment when purchasing movie tickets at participating…

Read the full article »

SEATTLE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES AUDIENCE & COMPETITION AWARDS

  And the Golden Space Needle Audience Awards Are… “The Dark Horse” wins Best Film & Best Actor (Cliff Curtis) Alfonso Gomez-Rejon of “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl” wins Best Director “Romeo is Bleeding” wins Best Documentary; Nina Hoss (“Phoenix”) wins Best Actress “Liza, The Fox-Fairy,” “The Great Alone,” and “Chatty Catties” Win…

Read the full article »

Lost Jules Feiffer Script Set For Production

Bugeater Films and director Dan Mirvish announced today that they have acquired the rights to Pultizer/Oscar/Obie winner Jules Feiffer’s screenplay “Bernard and Huey” and are launching a Kickstarter campaign to generate early support for the film.  Mirvish is attached to direct, and is producing with Mike S. Ryan and Dana Altman.  “Bernard and Huey” is…

Read the full article »

NYFF To Open With Zemeckis 3D Philippe Petit Picture

THE FILM SOCIETY OF LINCOLN CENTER ANNOUNCED TODAY THE WORLD PREMIERE OF ROBERT ZEMECKIS’S THE WALK AS THE OPENING NIGHT SELECTION OF THE 53rd NEW YORK FILM FESTIVAL      New York, NY (June 4, 2015) – The Film Society of Lincoln Center announced today that Robert Zemeckis’s The Walk will make its World Premiere…

Read the full article »

Wes Anderson Awarded Chevalier Of The French Order Of Arts And Letters

AWARD-WINNING DIRECTOR WES ANDERSON TO BE AWARDED CHEVALIER OF THE FRENCH ORDER OF ARTS AND LETTERS NEW YORK, June 03, 2015 — Wes Anderson, award-winning screenwriter and director, will be awarded Chevalier of the French Order of Arts and Lettersby Cultural Counselor of the French Embassy Bénédicte de Montlaur on June 9in New York. Anderson…

Read the full article »

Santa Barbara Film Festival Announces 2016 Dates, Ticket Sale Date

31ST ANNUAL SANTA BARBARA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL TO RUN FEBRUARY 3 – FEBRUARY 13, 2016   Discount passes and ticket packages go on sale July 27th Santa Barbara, CA – The Santa Barbara International Film Festival has announced dates for its 31st year. The festival will kick off on Wednesday, February 3rd, and will run…

Read the full article »

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