Film telluride festival in religulous release

Deal was done via subsidiary Granada9/30/08 3:27pm Event to be held
April 7-8 in Paris9/30/08 1:54pm “Blind Pig” enters Tiger Awards
race9/30/08 6:45am ‘Changeling,’ ‘Palermo Shooting’ on slate9/29/08
11:34am ‘Assembly, ‘Atonement’ take home top awards9/28/08 11:27pm

TORONTO — Cannes and Sundance are cinephile fests, and Telluride
courts the arty. But the Toronto Film Festival offers something few
other major festivals can boast: real audiences by which to gauge a
film.
That makes Toronto the friendliest of the friendly festivals, both for
buyers and for distributors launching their fall titles.

Heading into this year’s fest, the mood was grim. The specialty box
office has been abysmal since awards season, while the acquisitions
market has been flat.

By Sunday afternoon, however, spirits were actually high — all
because of strong audience reaction to a handful of titles. Some, like
“Slumdog Millionaire” and “Nick and Nora’s Infinite Playlist,” have
distribution. Others, like Darren Aronofsky’s “The Wrestler” and
Jennifer Aniston romantic comedy “Management,” don’t, but that didn’t
stop auds from salivating.

“I think everybody thought Toronto would be off and depressing because
of the general state of indie films,” Picturehouse’s Bob Berney said.
“But I think it is looking really good. I don’t know if there will be
a lot of sales, but the quality of the films looks good, even though
some are very small.”

Deal-wise, the pace has been glacial, with all eyes on Sunday night’s
screening for buyers of “The Wrestler,” the Mickey Rourke comebacker
that just took the Golden Lion in Venice. “Management,” the Sidney
Kimmel romantic comedy with Aniston and Steve Zahn, was also set to
screen Sunday night.

CAA’s Micah Green, who is spearheading sales on “The Wrestler,” did
not screen the title for anyone after its hit run in Venice.
Negotiations with buyers are likely to center on how would-be distribs
would roll it out in Oscar season.

The concept of using Toronto as a springboard into the fall still has
a lot of validity, judging by Focus’ glitzy bow for “Burn After
Reading,” whose gala screening took over the town Friday. As it did
with last year’s “Eastern Promises,” Focus is using the first weekend
of Toronto, especially with this year’s Brad Pitt frenzy, as the
ultimate publicity fuel for a bow the following Friday.

Of course, positive audience reaction doesn’t always translate into
B.O. gold. Fest veterans like to joke that Canadian auds are too
polite to boo. “You could show them your high school movie and they’d
still love it,” one studio exec said.

Even grading on a curve, though, the resonance of the weekend’s preems
proved a tonic for the biz at large. On Saturday night, the Ryerson
theater was packed for a screening of Sony’s Michael Cera-Kat Dennings
comedy “Nick and Nora’s Infinite Playlist,” directed by Peter Sollett
and opening Oct. 3.

Big Sony doesn’t generally use Toronto as a launching pad, but in this
case, it decided to do so precisely because of the audience factor.
Plus, Cera is Canadian.

After the screening, the audience departed from convention and stayed
put for a Q&A; with the director and cast.

Lionsgate’s Bill Maher upcoming docu “Religulous” got a standing
ovation later Saturday. Outside, a small group of protestors picketed
the movie, directed by Larry Charles, who himself decided to speak
with those carrying picket signs decrying the movie as an attack on
religious beliefs. That kind of publicity generally only helps a
studio raise a film’s awareness level.

Among acquisition titles, several docs all had noteworthy debuts and
generated deal talk. That short list included LeBron James basketball
doc “More Than a Game”; “Chorus Line” backstager “Every Little Step,”
late-’60s music pic “Soul Power” and Davis Guggenheim’s star-studded
guitar story “It Could Get Loud.”

Celluloid Dreams bought all international rights to “Soul Power,”
about the landmark concert that preceded the Ali-Foreman fight in
Africa.

A handful of narrative pics like “Me and Orson Welles,” “Lovely,
Still,” “Dean Spanley” and “Daily Show” brainchild “Coopers’ Camera,”
won some admirers, but gun-shy buyers expressed some reservations.

One factor giving buyers pause was the sense that 2008, with all of
its turmoil and economic uncertainty, could go down as the year when
distribution models began their much-ballyhooed shift.

Filmmaker Wayne Wang met those forces of change head-on by announcing
an intriguing experiment with “The Princess of Nebraska.” It will
world-preem exclusively on YouTube Oct. 17 and will not receive a
theatrical release. Wang’s companion film, “A Thousand Years of Good
Prayers,” is scheduled for a theatrical release Sept. 19 by Magnolia.

Another model-disrupting setup came from Participant Films and
publisher PublicAffairs. They announced a deal whereby the publisher
will turn out books based on Participant’s films. The first in line
for the treatment is doc “Food Inc.,” the food industry expose which
had its world preem here Sunday and will be expanded into a paperback
original.

Edward Norton and Tim Blake Nelson also tackled marketplace issues
during a press conference Sunday with Nu Image/Millennium boss Avi
Lerner to tout their new pic, “Leaves of Grass.” A comedy spiked with
genre elements, the $9 million pic seems to risk falling into the zone
that has produced the most headaches lately.

“It’s trickier than it used to be,” Norton said, who also stars in
“Pride and Glory.” That upcoming New Line release was affected by Time
Warner’s shutdown of New Line but will still be released this fall as
a Warners pic.

“It feels so in flux,” Nelson agreed. “Now these companies have to
ask, ‘Is it DVD? Is it VOD?’ It’s certainly beyond me, and I really
study these things.”

Another in-the-works project being talked up during the fest is
Toronto-based helmer Brigitte Berman’s Hugh Hefner doc. The Oscar
winner (for a 1985 Arte Shaw pic) just wrapped shooting and expects to
have a cut ready by April. Canada’s Aver Media is handling sales.

“It’s not a biography that deals with babes and boobs,” Berman said.
Rather, it will revolve around his little-recognized social activism
in arenas such as First Amendment and abortion rights.

Amid all of Toronto 2008’s unexpected angles and the uncertainty
looming outside the fest gates, it was reassuring to know that some
sights were all too familiar. Gifting lounges are growing
exponentially here. Many of the suites are run by regulars at
Sundance, but now prefer the ease and talent concentration of Toronto.

“We want coverage in a cluttered environment,” said one organizer, who
had a laundry list of directors and stars that have hauled out sacks
of goods.

Unlike Sundance, the lounges are located in or near the hotels where
talent sleeps, so it’s easy to avoid the potentially embarrassing
paparazzi picture. Many of the A-listers here have their suite already
lined with gifts, including hundreds of dollars in gift certificates
to local merchants.

The products are all over the map. While Anne Hathaway picked out
threads from French Connection, Zac Efron got ACE “man-sized” grooming
tools (37% more grip!). In a convoluted twist, celebs at some lounges
have the option to re-gift their swag to charity as they leave.

Buyers packed into Toronto’s Elgin Theatre for the North American
premiere of Darren Aronofsky’s “The Wrestler,” which arrived at the
Fest with a Golden Lion from the Venice Film Festival. Aronofsky tried
to cool the crowd down, saying, “There’s no way we’re going to live up
to that hype. It’s a gentle, small film.” French sales company Wild
Bunch believed in the film, he said, and if any North American buyer
“is interested, I have a phone number for you afterward.”

That number belongs to CAA’s Micah Green, who will be taking calls
through the night as buyers decide how much they are willing to commit
to a 2008 late year release with a pricey Rourke Oscar campaign
attached.

Paramount’s John Lesher, New Line’s Toby Emmerich, Harvey Weinstein,
Fox Searchlight, Focus Features, Overture, Miramax, Sony Pictures
Classics, Summit, IFC and others were huddling afterwards. The likely
buyer will be taking a risk on a movie that could win over critics and
Academy actors but would be a challenge to bring to market, observers
agreed.

‘Che’ gets second act at NY Film Fest The makers of “Che” are hoping
the New York Film Festival will provide a fresh opportunity for an
iconic Argentine revolutionary to find new life on American shores.

Bumpy road for Asian film financing Asian film financing is in a
fog. For all its recent marching around, it is difficult to tell
whether it is moving forwards, backwards or simply around in circles.

Sitges fest boosted by rise in genre biz In its 41st edition,
Europe’s largest genre movie event, the Sitges Intl. Film Festival,
shows no signs of age.

An intriguing docu about the intense history of a working-class barrio
in the south of Madrid, “Night Flowers” is a fine study of both a
particular community and the wider history of which it’s a part.

“Flash of Genius” stars Greg Kinnear and Lauren Graham sit down with
Variety at the Telluride Film Festival. ; Director Paul Schrader and
“Adam Resurrected” star Jeff Goldblum chat with Anne Thompson in
Telluride. ; Anne Thompson sits down with “Slumdog Millionaire”
director Danny Boyle at the Telluride Film Festival. ; A view from the
scenic Rocky Mountains in Telluride, Colorado. ; “Happy Go Lucky”
director Mike Leigh speaks to Anne Thompson at the Telluride Film
Festival. ; happy go lucky; telluride film festival; interview; Mike
Leigh; variety; Sony execs Tom Bernard and Michael Barker talk to
Variety at the 2008 Telluride Film Festival. ; sony; michael barker;
telluride film festival; video; variety; tom bernard; “Firaaq”
director and renown Indian actress Nandita Das talks to Mike Jones at
the Telluride Film Festival. ; Salman Rushdie; Firaaq director Nandita
Das; interview; actress; video; variety; ‘Walt With Bashir’ director
Ari Folman sits down with Mike Jones at the Telluride Film Festival. ;
‘Waltz With Bashir’ director Ari Folman; video; variety; Producer Ron
Colby and “Pirate for the Sea” star Paul Watson talk to Variety about
their new anti-whaling documentary. ; Anne Thompson meets some fellow
Telluride enthusiasts in Colorado. ; Anne Thompson; telluride 2008
film festival; variety; ‘Hunger’ director Steve McQueen talks to
Variety at the 2008 Telluride Film Festival.; telluride film festival;
hunger director Steve Mcqueen; video; variety; Director David Fincher
speaks at an outdoor Q&A; at the 2008 Telluride Film Festival in
Colorado. ; panel; zodiac; telluride film festival 2008 david fincher;
Brad Pitt; Benjamin Button; variety;

Movie welles film in religulous movie

(09-10) 04:00 PDT Toronto – — Looking all grown up in a strapless
black cocktail dress, Evan Rachel Woodtold a Toronto International
Film Festival audience that it was her 21st birthday. The crowd burst
into a round of “Happy Birthday.”

The best present she could have received had come over the weekend
when “The Wrestler” – a gritty movie about an aging wrestler in which
she plays his neglected daughter – was awarded the Venice Film
Festival’s highest honor, the Golden Lion. As hard as it is to imagine
MickeyRourkeas fathering the delicately lovely Wood, the two pull it
off.

“The Wrestler” is a comeback for Rourke, who took a bow at the Toronto
screening. Director Darren Aronofskytold the audience that before
hiring him he heard “a lot of baloney” about how problematic Rourke
was to work with. There’s Oscar buzz about his unsparing performance.
Before Aronofsky learned that Fox Searchlight had bought the American
rights for the film (news that came later that day), he joked that if
anyone wished to talk to him, he would be available after the
screening.

— As Bill Maherstrode down the red carpet, he could hear chants of
“Pray for Bill” emanating from protesters gathered nearby. They were
demonstrating against his documentary “Religulous” – his first foray
into filmmaking – in which he takes on organized religion, comparing
it to a comedy routine with its tall tales of talking snakes and Jonah
living in the belly of a whale. Demonstrators carried placards saying
things like “Don’t mock my religion.” Instead of hurting the film,
their presence only drew more publicity for it.

Onstage before a screening, Maher asked how many in the audience were
praying for him. He indicated that his own prayers were answered by
the selection of Sarah Palinas the Republican candidate for vice
president. “When I saw they had nominated a full-fledged Jesus freak,
I knew it was going to be good for my movie,” Maher laughingly told
the crowd.

— Talking about politics, Spike Lee was as omnipresent at the
festival – dashing from bookstores to interviews to news conferences
for his new movie, “Miracle at St. Anna,” based on the novel of the
same name – as he had been at the Democratic Convention a few weeks
back. He was pictured on TV wearing a T-shirt showing Barack
Obamadunking a basketball over JohnMcCain’s head. “Everybody called me
afterwards to find out how to get a T-shirt like that,” said Lee, who
said he plans to do as much campaigning for the Democratic candidate
as he can.

“Miracle at St. Anna” is the filmmaker’s first World War II movie. It
tells the story of the nation’s first African American infantry
division. The Buffalo Soldiers, as they were called, served in Italy.

— It was somehow fitting that “Flash of Genius” should premiere on a
rainy day in Toronto. The deeply affecting movie tells the story of
Robert Kearns, inventor of what is known as the “intermittent
windshield wiper,” the device that stops and starts your wiper so it
doesn’t run continuously.

At a news conference, Greg Kinnear, who gives the performance of his
career as Kearns, suggested everybody turn on their wipers in tribute
to him. Kinnear said he wasn’t concerned about mimicking Kearns’
gestures and voice. “This wasn’t like playing Nixon. Nobody has got an
idea of what the guy who invented the intermittent windshield wiper
looks like.”

— On the other hand, many people know what Orson Welleslooked like,
even if it was just from his wine commercial. Director Richard
Linklaterconsiders himself fortunate to have found someone who looks
uncannily like Welles to play the maddening genius in “Me and Orson
Welles” – a movie about Welles’ early years on the Broadway stage.
When Christian McKaycame onstage before a festival screening, the
audience gasped at the resemblance.

The film also stars Zac Efronas a young actor beguiled by Welles.
Efron is a celebrity among teens for his role in “High School
Musical.” When Linklater tapped him to be in “Me and Orson Welles, “I
was like ‘thank you, somebody, for offering me a serious role,’ ”
Efron told the audience.

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