Press Releases Archive for September, 2015

A+E Blends Broadcast Film Critics’ Ass’n’s TV And Movie Awards

A+E NETWORKS EXPANDS PARTNERSHIP WITH THE BROADCAST FILM CRITICS ASSOCIATION AND THE BROADCAST TELEVISION JOURNALISTS ASSOCIATION TO COMBINE ‘THE CRITICS’ CHOICE TELEVISION & MOVIE AWARDS’ INTO ONE UNFORGETTABLE SHOW ‘THE 21St ANNUAL CRITICS’ CHOICE AWARDS’ TO SIMULCAST LIVE ON A&E, LIFETIME AND LMN ON SUNDAY, JANUARY 17 AT 8 PM ET/PT  New York, NY—September 30, 2015…

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Michael Moore’s Latest Lands At New Shingle Headed By Tom Quinn-Jason Janego-Tim League

Oscar-winning filmmaker Michael Moore announced this morning he’s chosen the distributor for his hotly-pursued new film WHERE TO INVADE NEXT — and ended up breaking some news in the process.   RADiUS Founders and former Co-Presidents Tom Quinn and Jason Janego are teaming with Alamo Drafthouse Founder and CEO Tim League to form a new distribution label — and are…

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Poitras-Schnack-Cook “Field Of Vision” Series Launches First Weekly Mini-Docs

 Co-creators Laura Poitras, AJ Schnack and Charlotte Cook are proud to announce their launch today of Field of Vision, a new, filmmaker-driven documentary unit that will commission and create forty to fifty original episodic and individual short-form nonfiction films each year, pairing filmmakers with developing and ongoing stories around the globe. The program of commissioned short-form documentaries…

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THE FILM SOCIETY OF LINCOLN CENTER ANNOUNCES FELLOWS AND MENTORS FOR NYFF53 ARTIST ACADEMY

Artist mentors include Julie Taymor, Christine Vachon, James Schamus, NYFF53 Filmmaker in Residence Athina Rachel Tsangari, and more New York, NY (September 29, 2015) – The Film Society of Lincoln Center announced today the details for this year’s NYFF Artist Academy, which offers an immersive and creative experience for 26 up-and-coming and established filmmakers from…

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ACADEMY REVEALS WINNING NICHOLL SCREENWRITERS

Scripts to be performed at live read in November LOS ANGELES, CA – Five individuals have been selected as winners of the 2015 Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting competition.  The Academy is celebrating the 30th anniversary of the global competition which aims to identify and encourage talented new screenwriters.  Each winner will receive a $35,000…

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SONY PICTURES CLASSICS ACQUIRES MAGGIE’S PLAN 

Sony Pictures Classics announced today that they acquired all rights in North America, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, CIS, Hungary, Romania, China and various other Asian territories to Rebecca Miller’s MAGGIE’S PLAN. Written and directed by Miller (PERSONAL VELOCITY) with a script based on a story by Karen Rinaldi, the film premiered at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival and will screen…

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NORTHWESTERN MFA PUSHES BOUNDARIES IN DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKING

NORTHWESTERN MFA PUSHES BOUNDARIES IN DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKING Builds on School of Communication’s storied reputation in film, writing for screen and stage Documentary MFA focuses on the interaction between fiction and reality Students will learn from, work alongside active, world-class filmmakers MFA program accepts a cohort of 12 students per year Deadline to submit application for…

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Aurora Alliance Films To Produce $300 Million Of English-Language Pics Co-Partnering U. S.-Australia-China

China’s Leading Entertainment Group Joins Top International Film Company in Joint Venture with Aurora Alliance Films that will Create, Sell and Distribute A Slate of High-Profile International Co-Productions   Huace Group and Arclight Films Form Strategic Alliance with New Production Company, Aurora Alliance Films, Featuring a $300M Slate of Chinese, American & Australian English Language Co-Productions with Top-Tier Directors…

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THE FILM SOCIETY OF LINCOLN CENTER TO CO-HOST TRIBUTE  ALBERT MAYSLES 

The Film Society of Lincoln Center will co-host a tribute to the late legendary documentarian Albert Maysles at Alice Tully Hall on Sunday, October 4 at 10AM. It will coincide with the 53rd New York Film Festival (September 25 – October 11), and all tickets will be free to the public. The event will be…

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John Malkovich Branches Out Into Music With “Like A Puppet Show”

John Malkovich + Sandro + Eric Alexandrakis to Release New Music Project Like a Puppet Show  On November 27 Trio Shares Track Mixed by The Cars’ Ric Ocasek Vinyl-Only Release for RSD Will Also Feature OMD, Yoko Ono, Sean Lennon, Dweezil Zappa, Harry Waters, Sameer Gadhia, Efterklang, Dandy Warhols, Chris Stein, Placebo, Dolores O’Riordan Like a…

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Diane Warren, Lady Gaga And Catherine Hardwicke Team On PSA On Sexual Assault, Spurred by “The Hunting Ground”

ARTISTS JOIN FORCES TO SPOTLIGHT THE EPIDEMIC OF SEXUAL ASSAULT ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES AS SEEN IN RADiUS’ HIGHLY ACCLAIMED DOCUMENTARY ‘THE HUNTING GROUND’ SONGWRITER DIANE WARREN, LADY GAGA AND DIRECTOR CATHERINE HARDWICKE TEAM UP ON PSA FOR RADiUS’ HIGHLY ACCLAIMED ‘THE HUNTING GROUND’ FEATURING ORIGINAL SONG “TIL IT HAPPENS TO YOU” WRITTEN BY DIANE WARREN…

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Mission:Impossible Goes Two:For:One On Tickets

      SEE “MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – ROGUE NATION” IN THEATERS AGAIN WITH A LIMITED TIME BUY ONE, GET ONE FREE TICKET OFFER AT PARTICIPATING U.S. THEATERS   HOLLYWOOD, CA (September 16, 2015) – Paramount Pictures and Skydance Media are partnering with theater exhibitors in the U.S. for a special Buy One, Get One Free…

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Paramount Picks ANOMALISA Worldwide

PARAMOUNT PICTURES TO DISTRIBUTE WORLDWIDE THE ACCLAIMED FILM “ANOMALISA” FROM DIRECTORS CHARLIE KAUFMAN AND DUKE JOHNSON THE VENICE FILM FESTIVAL GRAND JURY PRIZE WINNING FILM WILL RELEASE DOMESTICALLY ON DECEMBER 30, 2015 IN NEW YORK & LOS ANGELES   HOLLYWOOD (September 16, 2015) – Paramount Pictures, a division of Viacom, announced it will distribute worldwide the…

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GLASS EYE PIX CELEBRATES THREE DECADES OF FIERCE, AUTEUR-DRIVEN FILMMAKING

GLASS EYE PIX CELEBRATES THREE DECADES OF FIERCE, AUTEUR-DRIVEN FILMMAKING This October, Revel at 30 Terrifying Years Inside Larry Fessenden’s World of Horror! “Fessenden is a talent to watch. That he is able to see himself with such objectivity is almost frightening.” – Roger Ebert   On the delirious, dangerous streets of old New York, as…

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SAG-AFTRA Mourns Dick Moore, 90

 SAG-AFTRA mourns the passing of former child star and AFTRA public relations consultant Dick Moore, who was married to screen star Jane Powell. He contributed to AFTRA’s public relations and communications teams for more than three decades. Moore died less than a week from celebrating his 90th birthday. Moore was an indispensable asset to AFTRA…

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Eleanor Coppola Wraps Fiction Feature Debut At A Spry 79

  AMERICAN ZOETROPE’S AND LIFETIME FILMS’ BONJOUR ANNE, STARRING ACADEMY AWARD® NOMINEE DIANE LANE AND ARNAUD VIARD, WRAPS PRODUCTION Oscar® Nominee and Golden Globe® and Emmy® Winner Alec Baldwin Also Appears in Drama Written and Directed by Eleanor Coppola LOS ANGELES, CA (September 11, 2015) – American Zoetrope’s and Lifetime Films’ upcoming feature film Bonjour Anne, starring Academy…

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24 “Sugar Artists” To Celebrate Robin Williams

–​Sugar artists are often inspired to lend their talents to cake collaborations — a tradition in the world of sugar art — by a cause, an event or a personality. Robin Williams, someone who delighted the world with his talent and his generosity, was chosen by Mary Tomczak, Laura Peterson and Jane Reyes to celebrate his…

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Laura Poitras, AJ Schnack And Charlotte Cook Launch Breaking-News Filmmaker Project “Field of Vision” With The Intercept 

      Today we announce Field of Vision, a new, filmmaker-driven documentary unit that will commission and create forty to fifty original episodic and individual short-form nonfiction films each year, pairing filmmakers with developing and ongoing stories around the globe. Field of Vision is co-created by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Laura Poitras, filmmaker AJ Schnack,…

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Palm Springs Int’l Names Former Film Critic David ANSEN Lead Programmer

2016 Festival Scheduled From January 1-11 Palm Springs, CA (September 3, 2015) – The Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF) is pleased to announce that former Newsweek film critic David Ansen is joining the festival team as Lead Programmer. Working with a team of six other programmers under the direction of festival Artistic Director, Helen…

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2015 Governors Awards Gets Producers

Producers Julie Lynn and Bonnie Curtis will produce the 7th Annual Governors Awards for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs announced today. The Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award will be presented to Debbie Reynolds, and Honorary Awards will be presented to Spike Lee and Gena Rowlands, on Saturday, November…

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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