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 May 5, 2008 TRIBECA '08 | Catching up on 20 Interviews, Critics Notebooks Dispatches and More from the Festival
The 2008 Tribeca Film Festival came to a close over the weekend in New York City and indieWIRE is wrapping up its coverage from the 12-day event. Our festival dispatches, interviews, critics notebooks amounted to twenty related articles on this year's festival, which took place April 23 - May 4 in addition to iPOP photos and buzz items. We invite you to check out iW's coverage from Tribeca. [ read more in On The Scene ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Lead Story, New York, Wrap Ups ]   TRIBECA '08 | The Peeps with the $$
Tribeca Film Festival founders Jane Rosenthal and Robert DeNiro toward the end of the awards ceremony at the Target Room, which you know... Honestly, was a surprisingly a good show. The awards were fun. And congrats! to Tomas Alfredson for "Let the Right One In" who won the big bucks (even with the shitty dollar-- thanks Bush) who won the Founders Award for Best Narative Feature and to Gini Reticker for "Pray the Devil Back to Hell" taking best doc.... (also big bucks -- $25 Ks all around, not bad!). To check out all the winners and all that, go to this. [ read more in iPOP ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under New York, Tribeca Film Festival ]  TRIBECA '08 | Korine and b
More from Tribeca '08: Probably the best chance to ever get in the hottest place one earth at the moment with a low ceiling is this joint (and somehow immune from the no smoking law in NYC?) Plus, the clientele is honestly sort of too much... though in a sort of Us kind of way... Though some of that rumor may be just from the chattering classes.... Anyway, we digress... A cool part of last week was hanging (or seeing) "Mr. Lonely" director Harmony Korine with fashion designer Agnes b. (um, Agnes f'n b god damnit!!! And we owe her lots of $$$$ -euros-) at the Beatrice Inn in Greenwich Village in New York. (Go there... 285 W. 12th St. -- you won't believe the warm reception...) A DAMN good party for "Lonely," merci Agnes and ifc. Where's Andy? [ read more in iPOP ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under New York, Tribeca Film Festival ] May 4, 2008 iW NEWS | "War Child" Wins Tribeca Audience Prize
C. Karim Chrobog's' "War Child" won The Cadillac Award, receiving a $25,000 cash prize after being named the audience favorite at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival. The event, which concludes today in Manhattan, presented jury prizes earlier in the week, naming Tomas Alfredson's "Let the Right One In" (Lat den ratte komma in) the best narrative feature, while Gini Reticker's "Pray the Devil Back to Hell" won best documentary feature prize. Complete coversage of the festival is available in indieWIRE's special section.  [permalink] [ filed under Honors, New York ] May 2, 2008 Schamus in the Spotlight
Focus Features CEO James Schamus (center), pictured with filmmaker Ang Lee and Focus president Andrew Karpen, was honored during a black tie event hosted by the Museum of the Moving Image on Wednesday night in New York City. Also honored was Showtime Networks CEO Matt Blank. While serving in the executive ranks at a leading studio specialty division, Schamus is also an acclaimed producer and screenwriter. His longtime collaboration with Ang Lee has yielded such films as "Brokeback Mountain," "Lust, Caution," and "Sense and Sensibility," among many others. A co-founder of Good Machine, which was later acquired by Universal Studios to create Focus Features, Schamus is a professor at Columbia University's School of the Arts. [ read more in iPOP ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under NYC Parties & Events 2008, New York ] indieWIRE PRESENTS | TODAY: Adam Yauch and Tribeca Student Filmmakers@ Apple Store SoHo
Apple and indieWIRE daily Filmmaker Talks CONTINUE at the Apple Store, SoHo during the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival. Adam Yauch: Friday, May 2, 6:30 p.m. Before turning to film and directing--first with Awesome; I Shot That! and then with Gunnin' for That #1 Spot (now screening at the Tribeca Film Festival)--Adam Yauch also remains a founding member of the hip-hop trio Beastie Boys. He brings a unique perspective to filmmaking, which you'll discover as he discusses his latest project and fields questions from the audience. ABC News Radio's Movie Critic David Blaustein will moderate the discussion.
Student Filmmaker Panel: Friday, May 2, 8:00 p.m. Read the entire lineup here. [permalink] [ filed under Events, New York ] May 1, 2008 TRIBECA '08 | "Let the Right One In" and "Pray the Devil" Among Top Tribeca Fest Winners
Swedish director Tomas Alfredson's "Let the Right One In" (Lat den ratte komma in), recently acquired by Magnolia Pictures' genre label Magnet, won the Founders Award for Best Narative Feature tonight at the Tribeca Film Festival's awards event held at the Target-Tribeca Filmmaker Lounge in downtown New York City. The prize includes $25,000 in cash and an art award entitled, "Maternal Nocture: Clearing Storm" created by Stephen Hannock. Director Gini Reticker's "Pray the Devil Back to Hell" won best documentary feature, also receiving $25,000 and a piece of art called "Liza Minnelli" by Timothy White. [ read more in On The Scene ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Festival News, Lead Story, New York ] iW NEWS | TV Deal for "Waiting for Hockney"
Channel 4 and More 4 have announced a UK television deal for Julia Checkoway's "Waiting For Hockney," about American artist Billy Pappas. The film had its world premiere in the Discovery section at the Tribeca Film Festival. [permalink] [ filed under Acquisitions, New York ] indieWIRE PRESENTS | TODAY: Harmony Korine @ Apple Store SoHo
Apple and indieWIRE daily Filmmaker Talks continue at the Apple Store, SoHo during the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival. Harmony Korine: Thursday, May 1, 6:30 p.m. Hear screenwriter, director, and producer Harmony Korine (Gummo, Julien Donkey-Boy) discuss Mister Lonely, his third feature film. Screening at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival, Mister Lonely debuted at Cannes, and is scheduled for release by IFC Films on May 2, 2008. Film Producer Scott Macaulay (Gummo, Julien Donkey-Boy, Raising Victor Vargas) will moderate the discussion. Read the entire lineup here. [permalink] [ filed under Events, New York ] April 30, 2008 TRIBECA CRITICS NOTEBOOK 3 | Some Gems at TFF: "Bitter & Twisted," "Bart Got a Room," "Days in Sintra"
Now that I have seen dozens and dozens of films in this 7th Tribeca Film Festival, I want to correct myself. I was wrong in my first report. Tribeca is unique, and occupies a certain niche in New York that belongs to it alone. It is neither film festival nor film market. It is closer to Las Vegas's Showest, or Orlando's Show East, which are more mainstream in their focus than, say, artier events like the New York Film Festival, although it is eclectic enough to include "high art" movies, too. [ read more in On The Scene ] [ 4 comments ] [ filed under Festival Dispatches, Lead Story, New York ]  TRIBECA '08 INTERVIEW | "Old Man Bebo" Director Carlos Carcas and "Donkey in Lahore" Director Faramarz K-Rahber
EDITORS NOTE: This is part of a series of interviews, conducted via email, profiling directors who have films screening at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival. Carlos Carcas' "Old Man Bebo and Faramarz K-Rahber's "Donkey in Lahore" are both screening in the World Documentary Competition at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival. "Bebo," a Spanish doc, follows the career of legendary musician Bebo Baldes, a key figure in the development of mambo. "Donkey," from Australia, details couple Brian and Amber, who are tested when Brian has to convert to Islam to marry Amber. Both directors talked to indieWIRE about their films and their expectations for Tribeca. [ read more in People ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Interviews, New York ] indieWIRE PRESENTS | TODAY: Greg Mottola @ Apple Store SoHo
Apple and indieWIRE daily Filmmaker Talks CONTINUE at the Apple Store, SoHo during the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival. Greg Mottola: Wednesday, April 30, 6:30 p.m. The director of last year's smash hit Superbad, Greg Mottola (The Daytrippers, Undeclared, Arrested Development) has written and directed a new film, Adventureland, scheduled for release by Miramax later this year. Greg will discuss his latest comedy with audience members. indieWIRE Editor in Chief Eugene Hernandez will moderate the discussion. Read the entire lineup here. [permalink] [ filed under Events, New York ] April 29, 2008iW NEWS | Filmax Goes with "Paraiso Travel"
Filmax has acquired international sales rights and Spanish theatrical rights to Simon Brand's "Paraiso Travel." Screening as a North American premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival, Filmax will have the title in the Cannes Market next month. CAA is handling North American rights. Based on Jorge Franco's book, the film has already been a hit in Colombia, where it was one of the two two grossing films ever in the country. [Eugene Hernandez] [permalink] [ filed under Acquisitions, New York ]  TRIBECA '08 INTERVIEW | "Baghdad High" Co-Directors Ivan O'Mahoney and Laura Winter
EDITORS NOTE: This is part of a series of interviews, conducted via email, profiling directors who have films screening at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival. Ivan O'Mahoney and Laura Winter's "Baghdad High" follows the lives of ordinary Iraqis during the war. Screening in the World Documentary Competition at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival, O'Mahoney and Winter gave four Iraqi high school seniors a digital camera to record a year in the lives. The result is a film that shows how remarkably similar these teenagers' lives are compared to those in the Western world. indieWIRE talked to both filmmakers about the film and their expectations for its North American Premiere at Tribeca. [ read more in People ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Interviews, New York ] VAR | IFC Takes "Fermat's Room"
IFC has acquired North American rights to Luis Piedrahita and Rodrigo Sopena's "Fermat's Room," according to Variety. The film is currently screening in the Discovery section at the Tribeca Film Festival. [permalink] [ filed under Acquisitions, New York ]  TRIBECA '08 INTERVIEW | "57,000 Kilometers Between Us" Director Delphine Kreuter
EDITORS NOTE: This is part of a series of interviews, conducted via email, profiling directors who have films screening at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival. Screening in the World Narrative Competition at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival, director Delphine Kreuter makes her feature film debut with "57,000 Kilometers Between Us." Kreuter, a photographer and video artist, takes on the idea of connecting in today's world by following one dysfunctional family. Kreuter talked to indieWIRE about the film and her hopes for its North American premiere at Tribeca. [ read more in People ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Interviews, New York ]  TRIBECA PROFILE | "My Winnipeg" Director Guy Maddin
[EDITOR'S NOTE: Guy Maddin's "My Winnipeg" is screening at the 7th Tribeca Film Festival, currently underway. IFC First Take will release the film in theaters beginning in June in the U.S.] "I was going in the direction that all indie directors go," said filmmaker Guy Maddin, reflecting on his career. "It was fun to do a U-turn and go in the opposite direction. Ironically, if I go to Hollywood, I'd be happier going this way. I'll get there on my own strengths, if I get there at all." Maddin, talking to a moderator Dennis Lim in front of a crowd that gathered at the Apple Store SoHo Sunday night (co-hosted with indieWIRE), is referring to the primitive nature of his recent films, most particularly "My Winnipeg," which is making its U.S. debut at the Tribeca Film Festival this week. [ read more in People ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under New York, Profiles ] indieWIRE PRESENTS | TODAY: Tom Kalin and Isabella Rossellini @ Apple Store SoHo
Apple and indieWIRE daily Filmmaker Talks CONTINUE at the Apple Store, SoHo during the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival. Tom Kalin: Tuesday, April 29, 6:30 p.m. Screenwriter, director, and producer Tom Kalin (Swoon) comes to the Tribeca Film Festival to screen Savage Grace, which tells the story of the Barbara Daly Baekeland murder case. Starring Julianne Moore, Savage Grace is scheduled for release by IFC Films on May 30, 2008. During his Filmmaker Talk, Tom will discuss his latest film project and answer audience questions. indieWIRE Editor in Chief Eugene Hernandez will moderate the discussion. Isabella Rossellini: Tuesday, April 29, 8:00 p.m. Successful model and actress Isabella Rossellini (Blue Velvet, Big Night, Fearless) wrote My Dad Is 100 Years Old and makes her directorial debut in the experimental Green Porno, a series of short films she also conceived, wrote, and appears in. She produced Green Porno in association with the Sundance Channel. Comical but insightful studies of the sex lives of various creatures, Green Porno screens at this year's Tribeca Film Festival, and Isabella will discuss the series during her Filmmaker Talk. US Weekly film critic Thelma Adams will moderate the discussion. Read the entire lineup here. [permalink] [ filed under Events, New York ] April 28, 2008 TRIBECA CRITICS NOTEBOOK 2 | Docs: Topical or Art? Or Both? The Highs and Lows
EDITOR'S NOTE: In the second of three critics notebooks, New York-based film critic Howard Feinstein takes a look at some of the documentary offerings at this year's Tribeca Film Festival. Feinstein, a former editor at the Village Voice and a current programmer at the Sarajevo Film Festival, also offers up some opinion on presenting docs as vehicles for discussion vs. their worthiness as art. [ read more in On The Scene ] [ 1 comments ] [ filed under Festival Dispatches, Lead Story, New York ]  TRIBECA '08 | Moore and Kalin do "Savage Grace"
Director Tom Kalin (left) and star Julianne Moore joined about 150 for a dinner hosted by IFC in Manhattan's Meatpacking District for their film, "Savage Grace," which screened at the Tribeca Film Festival over the weekend. The film is a dramatization of the shocking Barbara Daly Baekeland murder case, which happened in a posh London flat on November 17, 1972. Joining Moore and Kalin before sitting down to eat were IFC Entertainment's Lisa Schwartz, Comcast's Diana Kerekus and IFC Entertainment president, Jonathan Sehring. [ read more in iPOP ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under New York, Tribeca Film Festival ]  TRIBECA '08 | Mitchell and Hilton
Director John Cameron Mitchell ("Shortbus") arrived about 1am at the "Squeezebox" party after giving a chat at Yale. He performed a song with friend/collaborator Stephen Trask from "Hedwig and the Angry Inch," which had its beginnings at the '90s nightclub of the same name. Hanging out with Mitchell at the party was super blogger Perez Hilton. [ read more in iPOP ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under New York, Tribeca Film Festival ]  TRIBECA '08 | Karen Black Takes it Off
The Voluptuous Horror of Karen Black made their grand entrance all painted up and ready to cast spells over the weekend at the "Squeezebox" premiere. The group performed a nice little set at the party along with other denizens of the night. [ read more in iPOP ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under New York, Tribeca Film Festival ]  TRIBECA '08 INTERVIEW | "Trucker" Director James Mottern
EDITORS NOTE: This is part of a series of interviews, conducted via email, profiling directors who have films screening at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival. Screening in the World Narrative Competition at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival, John Mottern makes his feature directorial debut with "Trucker." The film follows Diane Ford (Michelle Monaghan), a truck driver with a tendency for bar benders and one-night stands. That changes when her estranged 11-year old son shows up at her door when her ex-husband (Benjamin Bratt) is hospitalized. Mottern, who previously wrote and directed documentaries for BBC and Discovery, talked to indieWIRE about the film and his expectations for its world premiere at Tribeca. [ read more in People ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Interviews, New York ] indieWIRE PRESENTS | TODAY: Filmmaker Morgan Spurlock @ Apple Store SoHo
Apple and indieWIRE are again proud to present daily Filmmaker Talks at the Apple Store, SoHo during the upcoming 2008 Tribeca Film Festival. Morgan Spurlock: Monday, April 28, 6:30 p.m. With Where in the World Is Osama Bin Laden?, screenwriter and documentary filmmaker Morgan Spurlock (Super Size Me) seeks to do what the CIA, FBI, and U.S. military have not been able to: find Osama. Join Morgan as he discusses the film (being released this month by the Weinstein Company). The event will be moderated by indieWIRE Editor in Chief Eugene Hernandez. Read the entire lineup here. [permalink] [ filed under Events, New York ] April 27, 2008 TRIBECA '08 DISPATCH | Clive Owen, Film Critics and "Squeezebox!"
Recalling a night at former New York City club Motherfucker back in 2002 where he watched early footage of "Squeezebox!," Tribeca Film Festival programming head David Kwok saluted a group of local filmmakers (and their fans) for their perserverance and patience in bringing the documentary to the big screen. At the time, the group -- including directors Steve Saporito & Zach Schaffer and producer Lyle Derek -- expected to finish their film by the end of 2002. Yet, even back then they warned that it might take longer than that, "This is a personal project for all of us," Derek told indieWIRE six years go, "We want to really just take our time, this is a labor of love." [ read more in On The Scene ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Festival Dispatches, Lead Story, New York ] April 26, 2008indieWIRE Presents: Filmmaker Guy Maddin @ Apple Store SoHo
Apple and indieWIRE are again proud to present daily Filmmaker Talks at the Apple Store, SoHo during the upcoming 2008 Tribeca Film Festival. Guy Maddin: Sunday, April 27, 5:30 p.m. Filmmaker Guy Maddin (The Saddest Music in the World, Brand Upon the Brain!) discusses his latest film, My Winnipeg. A docu-fantasia, as he calls it, My Winnipeg won the Best Canadian Feature Film award at the Toronto International Film Festival. After screening at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival, it will be released by IFC Films on June 13, 2008. The event will be moderated by film journalist and regular indieWIRE contributor Dennis Lim. Read the entire lineup here. [permalink] [ filed under Events, New York ]  TRIBECA '08 INTERVIEW | "My Marlon and Brando" Director Huseyin Karabey
EDITORS NOTE: This is part of a series of interviews, conducted via email, profiling directors who have films screening at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival. Huseyin Karabey's "My Marlon and Brando retells the true story of Turkish actress Ayca Damgaci, who heads to Baghdad in search of her husband (her "marlon and brando"), Kurdish actor Hama Ali Khan. Damgaci co-wrote the script with Karabey and stars as herself i the film, which also features Khan's actual love letter videos he sent to Damgaci. indieWIRE talked to Karabey about the film, which is screening in the World Narrative Competition at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival. [ read more in People ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Interviews, New York ]  TRIBECA '08 INTERVIEW | "Newcastle" Director Dan Castle
EDITORS NOTE: This is part of a series of interviews, conducted via email, profiling directors who have films screening at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival. Screening in the World Narrative Competition at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival, Dan Castle makes his directorial debut with "Newcastle." Previously helming a number of award-winning short films, Castle tells the story of three Australian brothers, each struggling to find a role in a world centered around surfing culture. indieWIRE talked to Castle about the film and its world premiere at Tribeca. [ read more in People ] [ 1 comments ] [ filed under Interviews, New York ] indieWIRE Presents: Filmmaker Tony Gilroy and Actress Amy Poehler @ Apple Store SoHo
Apple and indieWIRE are again proud to present daily Filmmaker Talks at the Apple Store, SoHo during the upcoming 2008 Tribeca Film Festival. Tony Gilroy: Saturday, April 26, 6:30 p.m. Nominated for two Academy Awards for Michael Clayton--for directing and original screenplay--Tony Gilroy wrote the scripts for Dolores Claiborne, Devil's Advocate, and all three Bourne movies. He'll speak with us about his next film, Duplicity (starring Clive Owen and Julia Roberts), which he wrote and is directing. SPECIAL GUEST MODERATOR! The event will be moderated by director/screenwriter Nora Ephron(When Harry Met Sally..., Sleepless in Seattle, Bewitched.) Amy Poehler Saturday, April 26, 8:00 p.m. Currently in her seventh season of Saturday Night Live, Amy Poehler (Blades of Glory, Shrek the Third, Mr. Woodcock) has a busy year ahead of her. With filming under way on Hoodwinked 2: Hood vs. Evil, four of her films--Hamlet 2, Horton Hears a Who!, Baby Mama, and Spring Breakdown--will debut in theaters in 2008. Hear the comedienne and actress talk about her various roles and film and TV projects. SPECIAL GUEST MODERATOR! The event will be moderated by actor and Saturday Night Live cast member Fred Armisen. [permalink] [ filed under Events, New York ] iW NEWS | "$Free.99," "Stuart Hornsley," "Matador," and "Bardos" Win All Access Awards in Tribeca
The 2008 Tribeca Film Festival, along with the Tribeca Film Institute, announced the winners of the fifth annual Tribeca All Access Creative Promise Awards. Tribeca All Access (TAA) is a program designed to help "foster relationships between film industry executives and filmmakers from traditionally underrepresented communities." The winners were announced earlier this evening at a ceremony at Budakkan in New York City. Pete Chatmon won the narrative section prize for his current screenplay, "$Free.99," co-written by Candice Sanchez McClaren. The emerging narrative section prize went to Leigh Dana Jackson for "The Infinite Life of Stuart Hornsley," with producer Moira Griffin." Gemma Cubero and Celeste Carrasco won the documentary section award for their work-in-progress, "She Wants to Be A Matador," while Anslem Richardson won the screenwriting section prize for "Bardos. The winners were selected from 31 eligible projects. The first three come with $12,000 prizes, while the latter is awarded $8,500. "We continue to be impressed at the caliber of our Tribeca All Access filmmakers," said Jane Rosenthal, co-founder of the Tribeca Film Institute, in a statement. "In just five years the TAA program has proved to be a vibrant marketplace at the Festival where strong narrative, documentary and screenwriting is presented year after year." [Peter Knegt] [permalink] [ filed under Festivals, Honors, New York ] April 25, 2008 TRIBECA '08 | Padilha's Weinstein Dinner
The Weinstein Company hosted an intimate dinner in TriBeCa for Brazilian director Jose Padilha's ("Bus 174") action drama "The Elite Squad," (Tropa de Elite) which is screening at the Tribeca Film Festival. The film centers on two childhood friends who decide to enlist in Rio de Janeiro's Military Police Department. After juggling their police jobs and college, both make up their minds to try out for a Special Operations Squad whose mission is to take down the drug-lords that plague the city. Both men struggle to survive, facing the daily challenges of dealing with pressure at home and fighting an unnamed war on the streets. The film has its critics and even Padilha was joking during the dinner that a Variety critic had labeled his film "fascist." "What bothers "Elite Squad"'s critics is the perceived glorification of Nascimento's kill-first, ask-later approach to crime fighting," writes Michael Gibbons for iW in a recent dispatch from Brazil for indieWIRE. [ read more in iPOP ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under New York, Tribeca Film Festival ]  TRIBECA '08 | Apple Chat with Morris
"Standard Operating Procedure" director Errol Morris kicked off indieWIRE's filmmaker chats at the Apple store in SoHo during the Tribeca Film Festival. About the film, which investigates the story behind the notorious Abu Ghraib scandal, Morris says, "The movie was not meant to attack anybody. It was meant to explore a story that, I felt, no one had bothered to tell: the story of the pictures and the people who took them," in a recent interview with Howard Feinstein for iW. [ read more in iPOP ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under New York, Tribeca Film Festival ] BBC: Madonna launches Malawi Aids film
On the red carpet at the Tribeca Film Festival, Madonna told reporters how "I Am Because We Are" contains a message of obligation. Tom Brook reports. [permalink] [ filed under New York, People ]  TRIBECA '08 INTERVIEW | "War, Love, God & Madness" Director Mohamed Al-Daradji
EDITORS NOTE: This is part of a series of interviews, conducted via email, profiling directors who have films screening at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival. Four years ago, Baghdad-born Mohamed Al-Daradjireturned how after Saddam Hussein was overthrown, and directed the award-winning narrative feature "Ahlaam." The experience of shooting in the film was so challenging that Al-Daradji made a documentary about it. The result, "War, Love, God & Madness," is screening in the World Documentary Feature Competition at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival. Al-Daradji talked to indieWIRE about the film, and his hopes for the festival. [ read more in People ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Interviews, New York ] indieWIRE PRESENTS | TODAY: Clive Owen @ Apple Store SoHo
Apple and indieWIRE are again proud to present daily Filmmaker Talks at the Apple Store, SoHo during the upcoming 2008 Tribeca Film Festival. Clive Owen: Friday, April 25, 6:30 p.m. Academy Award-nominated actor Clive Owen (Closer, Gosford Park, Inside Man, Children of Men) comes to the Apple Store, SoHo, to talk about two upcoming film projects--The International (with Naomi Watts) and Tony Gilroy's Duplicity (opposite Julia Roberts)--and to take audience questions. SPECIAL GUEST MODERATOR! The event will be moderated by filmmaker Mary Harron (American Psycho, I Shot Andy Warhol, The Notorious Betty Page.) Read the entire lineup here. [permalink] [ filed under Events, New York ] April 24, 2008Reuters: Madonna shines light on Malawi with documentary
A single phone call prompted Madonna to begin charity work in Malawi and it was while making a documentary on the African country's 1 million orphans that she found a baby she decided to adopt. Michelle Nichols reports. [permalink] [ filed under New York, People ]  NY NY | Bailey Talks TIFF, Prostitution in NY and Kim Ki-Duk Takes MoMA
This was a relatively quiet week for film in New York, as the city prepared for the Tribeca Film Festival. Cameron Bailey gave a little 'hello' from the Toronto, where he is the new co-director of that city's renowned festival, while fellow TIFF programmer Thom Powers used his weekly "Stranger Than Fiction" series to highlight the problems of sexual exploitation in New York. And South Korean filmmaker Kim Ki-Duk brought even more prostitutes to MoMA's screens with the start of his full retrospective. [ read more in On The Scene ] [ 1 comments ] [ filed under Lead Story, New York, New York Weekly ]  TRIBECA CRITICS NOTEBOOK 1 | Taking on Art vs. Biz and Finding Some Gems--and then some
EDITOR'S NOTE: In the first of three critics notebooks, New York-based film critic Howard Feinstein takes a look at some of the fiction offerings at this year's Tribeca Film Festival. Feinstein, a former editor at the Village Voice and a current programmer at the Sarajevo Film Festival, also offers up some opinion on the event itself, now in its seventh year. [ read more in On The Scene ] [ 1 comments ] [ filed under Festival Dispatches, Lead Story, New York ]  TRIBECA '08 INTERVIEW | "Guest of Cindy Sherman" Directors Paul H-O and Tom Donahue
EDITORS NOTE: This is part of a series of interviews, conducted via email, profiling directors who have films screening at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival. Screening in the World Documentary Feature Competition, "Guest of Cindy Sherman" is a series of interviews between Paul H-O and press-shy artist Cindy Sherman that began in the early 1990s. During the interviews, H-O, a fixture in the New York art scene, attains not only gains unique access to Sherman's artistic process, but also develops a romantic attachment to her. Filmed over 15 years, H-O and co-director Tom Donahue have turned in the sessions into a film, adding interviews with a wide array of personalities (including John Waters, Carol Kane and Danny deVito). Both directors talked to indieWIRE about their experience and the film's screening at Tribeca. [ read more in People ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Interviews, New York ]  TRIBECA '08 INTERVIEW | "Pray The Devil Back To Hell" Director Gini Reticker
EDITORS NOTE: This is part of a series of interviews, conducted via email, profiling directors who have films screening at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival. Screening in the World Documentary Feature Competition at the Tribeca Film Festival, Gini Reticker's "Pray The Devil Back To Hell" tells the often overlooked story of how thousands of women in Liberia helped end a horrific civil war. Under the dictatorship of Charles Taylor, hundreds of thousands of citizens were being raped, murdered and terrorized. The women of Liberia used nonviolent and peaceful protest, culminating in the election of Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, Africa's first elected female head of state. indieWIRE talked to Reticker about the film and its screening at Tribeca. [ read more in People ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Interviews, New York ] Apple & indieWIRE Daily Filmmaker Talks Kick Off This Week
Apple and indieWIRE are again proud to present daily Filmmaker Talks at the Apple Store, SoHo during the upcoming 2008 Tribeca Film Festival. Get a peek behind the scenes from leading filmmakers and actors. Come to Apple Store, SoHo to hear these filmmakers share their stories: Tony Gilroy, Paul Haggis, Tom Kalin, Harmony Korine, Guy Maddin, Matthew Modine, Greg Mottola, Clive Owen, Amy Poehler, Isabella Rossellini, Morgan Spurlock, and Adam Yauch.
Read the entire lineup here.  TRIBECA '08 | Diversity, Tina Fey, and New Yorkers as 7th Tribeca Fest Kicks Off
"Holy shit, its Tiny Fey!" screamed a stock broker looking New Yorker on 54th St. in Midtown this evening (Wednesday), walking by the Zeigfeld theater with a female companion on a warm Spring night. A large crowd of onlookers were watching the half-block long red carpet arrivals for the Tribeca Film Festival's opening night screening Michael McCullers's "Baby Mama," starring Fey and Amy Poehler. As the couple watched the arrivals for a moment, an older woman wandered up to the scene. Studying the crowd for just a moment, she asked nobody in particular, "Does anyone know what's going on here?" After a few moments in which not a single person responded to her she turned and made her way toward 5th Ave. and wandered off. With a mix of enthusiasm and slight disorientation the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival officially kicked off on Wednesday night. [ read more in On The Scene ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Festival Dispatches, Lead Story, New York ] April 23, 2008 TRIBECA '08 INTERVIEW | "Kassim The Dream" Director Kief Davidson
EDITORS NOTE: This is part of a series of interviews, conducted via email, profiling directors who have films screening at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival. American director Kief Davidson's Tribeca Film Festival world documentary competition film "Kassim the Dream" is the story of world champion boxer Kassim "The Dream" Ouma. Born in Uganda and kidnapped at the age of six to be a child story, Kassim was forced to commit horrific atrocities. He also discovered the army's boxing team and realized it could be his way to freedom. After living with 12 years of war, he defected to the United States and quickly rose through the boxing ranks and became junior middleweight champion of the world... [ read more in People ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Interviews, New York ]  TRIBECA '08 INTERVIEW | "Milosevic on Trial" Director Michael Christofersen
EDITORS NOTE: This is part of a series of interviews, conducted via email, profiling directors who have films screening at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival. Director Michael Christoffersen's doc competition film "Milosevic on Trial" is based on 2000 hours of tape from court proceedings pf tje four year-long trial of former Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic before the international tribunal in the Hague. The former leader is the first sitting head of state to be indicted by an international court and the case itself proved dramatic when Milosevic himself refused to be represented by counsel, and then later died in prison shortly before the conclusion of the trial. Incorporating interviews with people involved in the case, including prosecutor Geoffrey Nice and Milosevic lawyer Dragoslav Ognjanovic, the film presents the case and its controversy in full detail. [ read more in People ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Interviews, New York ] INSIDE WORD | TRIBECA '08: "The List"
Over at Gawker, Nick Denton blows the lid off that infamous party list that always makes the rounds right before a larger fest. But, beware, the roster of Tribeca Film Festival bashes warns ominously, "Never trust the list, it often lies..." [permalink] [ filed under Festivals, New York ] April 22, 2008 TRIBECA '08 INTERVIEW | "An Omar Broadway Film" Co-Director Douglas Tirola
EDITORS NOTE: This is part of a series of interviews, conducted via email, profiling directors who have films screening at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival. Screening in the World Documentary Feature Competition, first-time director Omar Broadway collaborated with director Douglas Tirola on the "outside" to create "An Omar Broadway Film." The film documents Broadway's life as an inmate inside Newark's high-security Northern State Prison. Broadway had secretly got a hold of a video camera in 2004 and began to film his experiences, before joining forces with Tirola to bring the footage into a film. indieWIRE spoke to Tirola about his experiences and hopes for its screening at Tribeca. [ read more in People ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Interviews, New York ]  TRIBECA '08 | Eating, Drinking, and Shopping in New York: An indieWIRE Insiders Guide
EDITORS NOTE: This article was originally published one year ago. We invite indieWIRE readers to post comments, suggestions and updates to the recommendations included here. Last year, the Tribeca Film Festival stretched across Manhattan, from the Cathedral of St. John the Divine to the Winter Garden in Manhattan, and into the surrounding boroughs for the "Spiderman 3" premiere. This year the event is anchored near Union Square and in Tribeca. That means for locals and visitors alike, attending TFF has involved exploring parts unfamiliar. How can you encapsulate a city of with so many wonders? Not easily -- everyone's got their own opinion on everything, especially food, which triggers all sorts of rhapsodic recollection. [ read more in On The Scene ] [ 1 comments ] [ filed under Festival Dispatches, New York ]  TRIBECA '08 INTERVIEW | "My Life Inside" Director Lucia Gaja
EDITORS NOTE: This is part of a series of interviews, conducted via email, profiling directors who have films screening at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival. Screening in the World Documentary Feature Competition, director Lucia Gaja's "My Life Inside" chronicles the journey of 17 year old Rosa Jimenez. Rosa immigrated to the United States from Mexico as a teenager, finding work and a husband in Texas. But tragedy struck when an incident involving a two year-old boy Rosa was babysitting resulted in her incarceration in a Texas prison. For murder. indieWIRE talked to Gaja about the film and her expectations for its screening at Tribeca. [ read more in People ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Interviews, New York ] indieWIRE Presents: Errol Morris at Apple Stores in NYC and San Francisco
Join Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker, Errol Morris ("The Fog of War") at the Apple Store as he screens clips and discusses the making of his latest film, "Standard Operating Procedure." The film explores how photographs taken by soldiers in Abu Ghraib prison have changed the war in Iraq and changed America's image of itself. After the discussion, Morris will take questions from the audience. Sony Pictures Classics will release the film on April 25. indieWIRE contributor and journalist Anthony Kaufman will moderate the NYC discussion. Apple Store, SoHo Apple Store, San Francisco [permalink] [ filed under Events, New York ] April 21, 2008AP: Tribeca hopes for rebound after criticism last year
In 2007, the Tribeca Film Festival underwent a modern-day rite of passage: the backlash. Jake Coyle reports. [permalink] [ filed under Festivals, New York ] April 18, 2008NYT: High-Wire Act for a Film Festival
In this year's Tribeca Film Festival, which begins on Wednesday and runs through May 4 at theaters around New York, that balance has tilted more toward art, although there are still plenty of bells and whistles. Stephen Holden reports. [permalink] [ filed under Festivals, New York ] April 17, 2008 NY NY | Lincoln Center Sings the Praises of Meryl Streep and Turns a Spotlight on Romania
This week in New York, throngs of admirers flocked to Lincoln Center, tuxedo-clad patrons shelled out hundreds of dollars for good seats, and trumpeters proceeded ceremonially down the aisle at Avery Fisher Hall to celebrate one fundamental fact: Meryl Streep is rad. With considerably less heraldry, Lincoln Center also confirmed that the history of Romanian Cinema is, likewise, rad. Mid-April reminds Upper West Siders of two things: taxes, and tax-deductible ways to spend refunds. Enter the Film Society of Lincoln Center, with its annual Gala Tribute, an all-star parade that has celebrated a different living legend every year since it began in 1972, with Charlie Chaplin. [ read more in On The Scene ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Lead Story, New York, New York Weekly ] April 16, 2008HR | Vivendi acquires 'New York' rights
aunching a new theatrical distribution arm, Vivendi Entertainment is partnering with Palm Pictures to acquire U.S. rights to the anthology, "New York, I Love You," which is currently filming in the city, according to The Hollywood Reporter. [permalink] [ filed under Acquisitions, New York ] April 11, 2008iW NEWS | Institute for Critics and Journalists Continues in New York City
Thirteen writers from around the U.S. are participating in the second annual Museum of the Moving Image Institute in Film Criticism and Feature Writing which began last night and is running through Monday in Queens, NY. A New York Times Company Foundation Institute, the program includes panels and workshops for a group of print and online journalists exploring, in the words of the Museum of the Moving Image, "the art, business, and history of film, and a global view of the complex and rapidly evolving nature of the film and entertainment industry." Participating journalists include: Aaron Aradillas from Movie Geeks United, Stephen Becker from The Dallas Morning News, Doug Cummings from MastersofCinema, Cynthia Fuchs from George Mason University and PopMatters, Jette Kernion from Cinematical and the Slackerwood blog, David Kipen from The Bob Edwards Show, regular indieWIRE contributor Eric Kohn from The New York Press, Dan Kois from New York Magazine's Vulture blog, critic and filmmaker Kevin Lee, Karina Longworth from SpoutBlog, writer for numerous publications Artemisia Ng, Peter Noble-Kuchera from the Bloomington Herald-Times, and Karen vanMeenen from Afterimage. For more information, visit the MMI website. [Eugene Hernandez] [permalink] [ filed under Events, New York ] April 10, 2008 NY NY | Gotham Fetes United Artists, Africa and a Bit of Religion
As spring lured New Yorkers outside this week, the Film Forum lured them back in again with its month-long tribute to United Artists. Zeitgeist's reception for the Israeli film "Jellyfish" was a bit overshadowed by the neighboring celebrity nuptials, Ondi Timoner's "Join Us" put the fear of God into its audience, and the New York African Film Festival got started, with some help from Danny Glover and Charles Burnett. [ read more in On The Scene ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Lead Story, New York, New York Weekly ] IFP Abandons "Market" Moniker, Moves NYC Event Uptown
The nearly thirty year old IFP Market, once also known as the Independent Feature Film Market (IFFM), has been entirely re-named Independent Film Week by the IFP and its core works-in-progress screening component will now simply be called a "Project Forum." The New York non-profit is also leaving the event's longtime downtown home and moving it to the Fashion Institute of Technology (F.I.T.) in Chelsea. Set for September 14th - 19th, Independent Film Week will include the Project Forum and the Independent Filmmakers Conference, as well as special screenings and the annual awards ceremony. "In the film industry, the word 'Market' suggests business transactions, but IFP's commitment to filmmakers and their projects extends long beyond the six days of Independent Film Week," said IFP exec director Michelle Byrd, in a statement. "Our goal is to provide a launching pad for career-spanning relationships, and we wanted our new name to encompass that broader mission." The organization is accepting project submissions through May 2nd via their website. [Eugene Hernandez] [permalink] [ filed under Events, New York ] April 9, 2008 TFF '08 | Van Peebles, La'Bassiere, and Byrd
With just two weeks to go, the Tribeca Film Festival kicked things off with a reception downtown with IFP, saluting a number of films that have gone through IFP programs over the years. Snapped at the Greene Steet Films office during the party last night are filmmaker Melvin Van Peebles, Tribeca industry relations director Julie La'Bassiere, and IFP head Michelle Byrd. [ read more in iPOP ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under New York, Tribeca Film Festival ]  TFF '08 | "Squeezebox" Folks
More than six years in the making, "SqueezeBox!" directed by Zach Shaffer (center) and Steve Saporito (left), was produced Lyle Derek (right), a one-time dancer at the popular weekly downtown nightspot. Chatting with indieWIRE back in 2002 at the birth of the documentary, Derek said, "For me, coming from a small town in Texas, finding Squeezebox was like finding the ultimate freedom. There were no judgments, you could be whatever you wanted and do what every you wanted -- it was just pure and fun and free." The film later went to the IFP Market and will now have its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival, chatting with iW at TFF/IFP party on Tuesday night in Manhattan, the guys quipped that the club lasted as long as it took to make their film about it. [ read more in iPOP ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under New York, Tribeca Film Festival ]  TFF '08 | Tirola and Bedusa
From 4th Row Films, president Doug Tirola and director of developement Susan Bedusa, hanging out at the TFF/IFP party at Greene Street Films on Tuesday night in New York, previewing some of the movies set for this year's Tribeca Film Festival. Tirola co-directed "An Omar Broadway Film" with Omar Broadway. The doc competition title is described by the festival: "Using a contraband video camera inside the notorious gang unit at Newark's Northern State Prison, incarcerated Bloods member Omar Broadway puts his life on the line to document guards' corruption and excessive force. His groundbreaking footage exposes the violent and unseen world behind bars." [ read more in iPOP ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under New York, Tribeca Film Festival ]  TFF '08 | H-O, Donahue and Boehm
At Tuesday's pre-Tribeca Film Festival bash (hosted with IFP) are (left to right) filmmakers Paul Hasegawa-Overacker and Tom Donahue with IFP's Susan Boehm. Paul H-O and Donahue are in the TFF doc competition with "Guest of Cindy Sherman," described by the festival: Analyzing his relationship with reclusive artist Cindy Sherman leads videographer Paul H-O to confront his own ego and identity in this personal and often humorous documentary, which features unprecedented access to Sherman and a unique view of the New York art world. [ read more in iPOP ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under New York, Tribeca Film Festival ] April 8, 2008 iW ANNOUNCEMENT: Apple & indieWIRE Unveil Daily Filmmaker Talks At Apple Store, Soho During '08 Tribeca Fest
[EDITORS NOTE: The following is an announcement from indieWIRE.] Apple and indieWIRE are again proud to present daily Filmmaker Talks at the Apple Store, SoHo during the upcoming 2008 Tribeca Film Festival. Get a peek behind the scenes from leading filmmakers and actors. Come to Apple Store, SoHo to hear these filmmakers share their stories: Tony Gilroy, Paul Haggis, Tom Kalin, Harmony Korine, Guy Maddin, Matthew Modine, Greg Mottola, Clive Owen, Amy Poehler, Isabella Rossellini, Morgan Spurlock, and Adam Yauch. [ read more in On The Scene ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Festival News, New York ] iW NEWS | Tribeca Film Institute Announces New Sloan Initiative and Other Programs
With the Tribeca Film Festival looming, the Tribeca Film Institute unveiled its programs and grants to be awarded during the event taking place April 23 - May 4. Collaborating with the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation for the inaugural TFI Sloan Filmmaker Fund, the grant will provide $140,000 to U.S. based filmmakers who incorporate science and technology into their films. This program seeks to "cultivate narrative films in any stage of their development that creatively explore how science and technology impact everyday life or depict the lives of scientists, engineers and mathematicians in fresh ways." TFI is also planning to announce plans for a filmmaker exchange program with the Rwandan Cinema Center (RCC) in which both groups will support the development of the film industry in Rwanda. TFI will send six U.S. filmmakers to Rwanda this fall to study with six students from RCC in a series of workshops. Subsequently, the six Rwandan filmmakers will travel to the U.S. during Tribeca Film Festival 2009. And finally, TFI's Tribeca Film Fellows program will continue into a fourth year in which 20 young filmmakers are given an "all-access" look at TFF with programs that include mentorship, workshops, panels and other special events. New this year is the first annual Tribeca Youth Achievement Awards that will honor two fellows who show "extraordinary promise." The prize includes grants and filmmmaking equipment. [Brian Brooks] [permalink] [ filed under Festivals, New York ] April 3, 2008 ND/NF '08 INTERVIEW | "Falling From Earth" Director Chadi Zenneddine
In the sixth installment of short interviews spotlighting emerging filmmakers in the current series New Directors/New Films, indieWIRE received remarks from "Falling From Earth" director Chadi Zenneddine, about his film that details four lonely people in 1958 Beirut. The films is screening in ND/NF, co-hosted by the Film Society of Lincoln Center and the Museum of Modern Art through April 6 in New York. [ read more in People ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Interviews, Lead Story, New York ] April 2, 2008 ND/NF '08 INTERVIEW | "Valse Sentimentale" Director Constantina Voulgaris and "XXY" Director Lucia Puenzo
In the fifth installment of short interviews spotlighting emerging filmmakers in the current series New Directors/New Films, indieWIRE received remarks from "Valse Sentimentale" director Constantina Voulgaris, about her film that focuses on a summer of love in Athens as well as Lucia Puenzo's film about an intersex adolescent, "XXY." Both films are screening in ND/NF, co-hosted by the Film Society of Lincoln Center and the Museum of Modern Art through April 6 in New York. [ read more in People ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Interviews, Lead Story, New York ] iW NEWS | Tribeca Fest to Close with "Speed Racer"
The 2008 Tribeca Film Festival will close on May 3rd with the Wachowski brothers's "Speed Racer," starring Emile Hirsch, Christina Ricci, John Goodman, Susan Sarandon and Matthew Fox. The Warner Bros. film opens in theaters on May 9th. [permalink] [ filed under Festivals, New York ] April 1, 2008 ND/NF '08 INTERVIEW | "Slingshot Hip Hop" Director Jackie Reem Salloum and "Water Lilies" Director Celina Sciamma
In the fourth installment of short interviews spotlighting emerging filmmakers in the current series New Directors/New Films, indieWIRE received remarks from "Slingshot Hip Hop" director Jackie Reem Salloum about her film which focuses on the universality of hip hop as well as Celina Sciamma's film on teenage girls, "Water Lilies." Both films are screening in ND/NF, co-hosted by the Film Society of Lincoln Center and the Museum of Modern Art through April 6 in New York. [ read more in People ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Interviews, New York ]  The Evolution of the Underground Film Festival: Changes at NYUFF, CUFF, BUFF...
Fixtures on the fest circuit for many years, underground film festivals are facing major changes. Some events are closing down, while others are moving. In Illinois, IFP/Chicago will engage in a strategic partnership to head the Chicago Underground Film Festival (CUFF). Although the fest will primarily remain the same, it will move later into the fall to run in conjunction with IFP's annual filmmaker summit. But this isn't the only rift within underground festivals. The New York Underground Film Festival (NYUFF) is ending as it celebrates the launch of its 15th fest on Wednesday. And, across the river, the Brooklyn Underground Film Festival (BUFF) ended last year. [ read more in On The Scene ] [ 6 comments ] [ filed under Festival News, Lead Story, New York ]  |