It’s been over three years since Netflix announced it bought LA’s iconic Egyptian Theatre, the Hollywood Boulevard landmark that opened in 1922 and hosted the first-ever Hollywood premiere for Allan Dwan’s “Robin Hood” starring Douglas Fairbanks.
Now, after an extensive renovation, the Egyptian’s reopening date is set: November 9 is when Netflix, in partnership with the American Cinematheque, will open the doors of this landmark once more. It’ll do so with quite the event: a screening of David Fincher’s “The Killer,” one of the streamer’s top Oscar contending titles this fall, followed by a Q&a with the filmmaker himself.
That day, Netflix will also stream a short documentary titled “Temple of Film: 100 Years of the Egyptian Theatre” in celebration of the event. The film features interviews with Rian Johnson, Guillermo del Toro, Lynette Howell Taylor, Autumn Durald Arkapaw, and the theater’s restoration architect Peyton Hall.
Now, after an extensive renovation, the Egyptian’s reopening date is set: November 9 is when Netflix, in partnership with the American Cinematheque, will open the doors of this landmark once more. It’ll do so with quite the event: a screening of David Fincher’s “The Killer,” one of the streamer’s top Oscar contending titles this fall, followed by a Q&a with the filmmaker himself.
That day, Netflix will also stream a short documentary titled “Temple of Film: 100 Years of the Egyptian Theatre” in celebration of the event. The film features interviews with Rian Johnson, Guillermo del Toro, Lynette Howell Taylor, Autumn Durald Arkapaw, and the theater’s restoration architect Peyton Hall.
- 10/18/2023
- by Christian Blauvelt
- Indiewire
AMC Networks is bolstering the leadership team for its film group, which is comprised of IFC Films, Rlje Films, and Shudder. The company has added two new executives and promoted others, including one executive formerly with A24.
The hires come in the wake of an exodus of departures at IFC Films that began in March, including president Arianna Bocco after a 17-year run. The hires compose the team assembled under new film group head Scott Shooman, who took the job last month.
Nicole Weis, who previously worked at A24 as its VP of sales and distribution, is joining the team as VP of Distribution, managing the theatrical rollout of the film group’s output, and Judy Woloshen, who has been with AMC Networks, is moving over to the film group and is the VP of Public Relations. Weis will report to Scott Shooman, head of the film group, and Woloshen will promote to Olivia Dupuis,...
The hires come in the wake of an exodus of departures at IFC Films that began in March, including president Arianna Bocco after a 17-year run. The hires compose the team assembled under new film group head Scott Shooman, who took the job last month.
Nicole Weis, who previously worked at A24 as its VP of sales and distribution, is joining the team as VP of Distribution, managing the theatrical rollout of the film group’s output, and Judy Woloshen, who has been with AMC Networks, is moving over to the film group and is the VP of Public Relations. Weis will report to Scott Shooman, head of the film group, and Woloshen will promote to Olivia Dupuis,...
- 8/10/2023
- by Brian Welk
- Indiewire
IFC has a new leader. AMC Networks has named Scott Shooman the head of its Film Group, encompassing IFC Films, Rlje Films, and films for the Shudder streaming service, the company announced Tuesday.
Shooman nabs the official, full-time role following serving as interim head since the end of March of this year. He was elevated to the interim role in the wake of an exodus of veteran talent from the indie distributor, which included president Arianna Bocco, PR head Laura Sok, senior publicist Kate McEdwards, director of sales Jasper Bach, and IFC Center lead John Vanco, all within weeks of each other.
In his new role, Shooman will oversee acquisitions, theatrical film distribution, production, and development across all three brands, as well as the IFC Center. He reports to Dan McDermott, president of entertainment and AMC Studios for parent company AMC Networks.
“Movies are an important focal point for our company,...
Shooman nabs the official, full-time role following serving as interim head since the end of March of this year. He was elevated to the interim role in the wake of an exodus of veteran talent from the indie distributor, which included president Arianna Bocco, PR head Laura Sok, senior publicist Kate McEdwards, director of sales Jasper Bach, and IFC Center lead John Vanco, all within weeks of each other.
In his new role, Shooman will oversee acquisitions, theatrical film distribution, production, and development across all three brands, as well as the IFC Center. He reports to Dan McDermott, president of entertainment and AMC Studios for parent company AMC Networks.
“Movies are an important focal point for our company,...
- 7/11/2023
- by Brian Welk
- Indiewire
When the Gotham Awards paid tribute to then-IFC Films president Jonathan Sehring, his speech contained a passage that could have been written by Cassandra, the Trojan priestess fated to speak true prophecies that would not be believed.
“Traditional theatrical distribution isn’t dead, but film distributors large and small are competing with more and more entertainment options on a daily basis,” he said. “The digital revolution is now.”
It was easy to overlook the warning in 2008. That year saw the release of Fox Searchlight’s “Slumdog Millionaire,” which won eight Oscars, including Best Picture, and grossed $378 million worldwide. Barry Jenkins made his debut on the festival circuit with “Medicine for Melancholy,” which later would be distributed by IFC.
Sehring left the company in 2018. Five years later, IFC faces a turning point in the specialty film ecosystem it helped create. With the abrupt departure of president Arianna Bocco at the end of last month,...
“Traditional theatrical distribution isn’t dead, but film distributors large and small are competing with more and more entertainment options on a daily basis,” he said. “The digital revolution is now.”
It was easy to overlook the warning in 2008. That year saw the release of Fox Searchlight’s “Slumdog Millionaire,” which won eight Oscars, including Best Picture, and grossed $378 million worldwide. Barry Jenkins made his debut on the festival circuit with “Medicine for Melancholy,” which later would be distributed by IFC.
Sehring left the company in 2018. Five years later, IFC faces a turning point in the specialty film ecosystem it helped create. With the abrupt departure of president Arianna Bocco at the end of last month,...
- 5/3/2023
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
IFC Films has officially appointed a new general manager for the New York City-based IFC Center.
Longtime executive Harris Dew has been announced as the new Senior Vice President and General Manager for the arthouse theater. Dew will oversee all operations and programming for the IFC Center. Dew previously worked as IFC Center’s Vice President of Programs and Promotions; he will now report to Scott Shooman, Interim President of IFC Films.
The news comes amid unfolding reshuffling at IFC, as Arianna Bocco stepped down as President of IFC Films after a 17-year run that included two years in the company’s top job. Dew replaces John Vanco, who vacated his role as Senior VP and General Manager of IFC Center for a theatrical programming role with Netflix. On Monday this week, Laura Sok announced she would depart her role as IFC Films’ publicity head.
“Harris has played a key...
Longtime executive Harris Dew has been announced as the new Senior Vice President and General Manager for the arthouse theater. Dew will oversee all operations and programming for the IFC Center. Dew previously worked as IFC Center’s Vice President of Programs and Promotions; he will now report to Scott Shooman, Interim President of IFC Films.
The news comes amid unfolding reshuffling at IFC, as Arianna Bocco stepped down as President of IFC Films after a 17-year run that included two years in the company’s top job. Dew replaces John Vanco, who vacated his role as Senior VP and General Manager of IFC Center for a theatrical programming role with Netflix. On Monday this week, Laura Sok announced she would depart her role as IFC Films’ publicity head.
“Harris has played a key...
- 4/25/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Executive will oversee all operations and programming for New York City arthouse cinema.
Longtime company executive and IFC Center’s VP of programmes and promotions Harris Dew has been promoted to SVP and general manager at the New York City arthouse cinema.
Dew will oversee all operations and programming for IFC Center and will report to Scott Shooman, interim president of IFC Films.
His appointment follows the recent departure of John Vanco to lead programming at Netflix cinemas.
“Harris has played a key role establishing IFC Center as a beloved cultural institution for the independent and documentary film communities, particularly...
Longtime company executive and IFC Center’s VP of programmes and promotions Harris Dew has been promoted to SVP and general manager at the New York City arthouse cinema.
Dew will oversee all operations and programming for IFC Center and will report to Scott Shooman, interim president of IFC Films.
His appointment follows the recent departure of John Vanco to lead programming at Netflix cinemas.
“Harris has played a key role establishing IFC Center as a beloved cultural institution for the independent and documentary film communities, particularly...
- 4/25/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
IFC Films on Tuesday announced their promotion of longtime company executive Harris Dew to the role of Senior Vice President and General Manager of IFC Center.
Dew, who most recently served as IFC Center’s Vice President of Programs and Promotions, will now oversee all operations and programming for the NYC arthouse theater, reporting to IFC Films’ Interim President, Scott Shooman. He takes over his role from John Vanco, another longtime veteran of IFC Center who departed in April to head up film programming for Netflix-owned cinemas including NYC’s Paris Theatre, and the Egyptian and Bay Theatre in Los Angeles.
“Harris has played a key role establishing IFC Center as a beloved cultural institution for the independent and documentary film communities, particularly in bringing to life our hugely successful Doc NYC festival and ensuring a diverse and inclusive line-up of films and events,” said Shooman in a statement.
Dew, who most recently served as IFC Center’s Vice President of Programs and Promotions, will now oversee all operations and programming for the NYC arthouse theater, reporting to IFC Films’ Interim President, Scott Shooman. He takes over his role from John Vanco, another longtime veteran of IFC Center who departed in April to head up film programming for Netflix-owned cinemas including NYC’s Paris Theatre, and the Egyptian and Bay Theatre in Los Angeles.
“Harris has played a key role establishing IFC Center as a beloved cultural institution for the independent and documentary film communities, particularly in bringing to life our hugely successful Doc NYC festival and ensuring a diverse and inclusive line-up of films and events,” said Shooman in a statement.
- 4/25/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
As the independent film landscape continues to feel the effects of a changing marketplace, IFC has lost another key executive. Laura Sok, who has served as IFC Films’ vice president of publicity for the past five years, is leaving the independent distributor. Sok confirmed to IndieWire that her departure was her decision and that she plans to announce a new opportunity soon.
News of Sok leaving IFC Films was first reported by Deadline. A representative for AMC Networks, IFC Films’ parent company, also confirmed with IndieWire Sok’s departure.
Sok has been at IFC Films for seven years. Since assuming her current role in 2018, Sok has run public relations for theatrical labels IFC Films, IFC Midnight, Sundance Selects, and the streaming service IFC Films Unlimited. In late 2022, she also began overseeing publicity for Shudder and Rlje Films labels. A 17-year veteran of indie film publicity, Sok previously held roles at Cinetic Media,...
News of Sok leaving IFC Films was first reported by Deadline. A representative for AMC Networks, IFC Films’ parent company, also confirmed with IndieWire Sok’s departure.
Sok has been at IFC Films for seven years. Since assuming her current role in 2018, Sok has run public relations for theatrical labels IFC Films, IFC Midnight, Sundance Selects, and the streaming service IFC Films Unlimited. In late 2022, she also began overseeing publicity for Shudder and Rlje Films labels. A 17-year veteran of indie film publicity, Sok previously held roles at Cinetic Media,...
- 4/24/2023
- by Christian Zilko
- Indiewire
Exclusive: Deadline has learned that IFC Films’ longtime Head of PR Laura Sok will be departing the indie distribution company.
Sok has been Head of PR for the last five years in an overall seven-year career at IFC (she worked there from 2008-2010), and was first hired by Jonathan Sehring to run the department. She led public-relations efforts for IFC Films, IFC Midnight, Sundance Selects and streaming service IFC Films Unlimited. Last December, her oversight was expanded to include the labels Shudder and Rlje Films.
Sok led 20th anniversary efforts for IFC Films and was integral in constructing the 2020 drive-in release and promotion strategy during the pandemic. She also led publicity strategy and campaigns for all films during the most successful financial years in IFC Films history.
While Sok is one of many executives to recently leave IFC including distribution head Jasper Basch,...
Sok has been Head of PR for the last five years in an overall seven-year career at IFC (she worked there from 2008-2010), and was first hired by Jonathan Sehring to run the department. She led public-relations efforts for IFC Films, IFC Midnight, Sundance Selects and streaming service IFC Films Unlimited. Last December, her oversight was expanded to include the labels Shudder and Rlje Films.
Sok led 20th anniversary efforts for IFC Films and was integral in constructing the 2020 drive-in release and promotion strategy during the pandemic. She also led publicity strategy and campaigns for all films during the most successful financial years in IFC Films history.
While Sok is one of many executives to recently leave IFC including distribution head Jasper Basch,...
- 4/24/2023
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Filmmakers and executives, creatives of music, theater and art remembered Tom Luddy as friend and mentor, tastemaker and cultural force who deployed an astonishingly vast network to nurture talent and bring people and projects together over decades.
The co-founder of the Telluride Film Festival passed away in February.
“I am thinking of getting a tattoo of you on my arm,” said Irish director Mark Cousins at tribute event at the Paris Theatre over the weekend. “Here is Hitchcock on my arm, and here is and Kira Muratova. Maybe you would fit between the two?” He added, “For the rest of my life, I will see partly through your eyes. I miss you and I love you.”
“Tom Luddy was a constant presence. The sun around which so many of us have revolved,” said Ken Burns. The two met when Burns screened Huey Long at Telluride in 1985. “For the next 35-plus years,...
The co-founder of the Telluride Film Festival passed away in February.
“I am thinking of getting a tattoo of you on my arm,” said Irish director Mark Cousins at tribute event at the Paris Theatre over the weekend. “Here is Hitchcock on my arm, and here is and Kira Muratova. Maybe you would fit between the two?” He added, “For the rest of my life, I will see partly through your eyes. I miss you and I love you.”
“Tom Luddy was a constant presence. The sun around which so many of us have revolved,” said Ken Burns. The two met when Burns screened Huey Long at Telluride in 1985. “For the next 35-plus years,...
- 4/17/2023
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
Jasper Basch, director of sales and distribution for IFC Films, is leaving at week’s end to become Variance Films’ new head of distribution, marking the third high-profile departure for the indie studio in two weeks.
Basch began his career at Variance, eventually becoming manager of distribution. His exit follows those of former president Arianna Bacco and former SVP and Gm of IFC Center John Vanco.
Basch joined IFC in 2020, where he oversaw 30 releases per year. This included a slew of overperforming titles in the summer of 2020, where mostly-closed theaters and mostly delayed tentpoles left the box office dominated by drive-in flicks like “The Wretched” and “The Rental.” During this time, he also handled theatrical distribution for Shudder and Rlje Films. As recently as January of 2023, he helped push the microbudget horror sleeper “‘Skinamarink” to $1.5 million in domestic earnings.
Also Read:
Taika Waititi’s Soccer Drama ‘Next Goal Wins’ Pushed...
Basch began his career at Variance, eventually becoming manager of distribution. His exit follows those of former president Arianna Bacco and former SVP and Gm of IFC Center John Vanco.
Basch joined IFC in 2020, where he oversaw 30 releases per year. This included a slew of overperforming titles in the summer of 2020, where mostly-closed theaters and mostly delayed tentpoles left the box office dominated by drive-in flicks like “The Wretched” and “The Rental.” During this time, he also handled theatrical distribution for Shudder and Rlje Films. As recently as January of 2023, he helped push the microbudget horror sleeper “‘Skinamarink” to $1.5 million in domestic earnings.
Also Read:
Taika Waititi’s Soccer Drama ‘Next Goal Wins’ Pushed...
- 4/11/2023
- by Scott Mendelson
- The Wrap
Exclusive: Distribution executive Jasper Basch is returning to Variance Films, this time as its new Head of Distribution. He will be departing his role as IFC Films’ as its’ Director of Sales and Distribution toward the end of this week, marking the third senior staff departure for the company in two weeks.
Basch originally started his career at Variance rising to become Manager of Distribution. Basch will work with Variance Films Founder and President Dylan Marchetti, partner Kristen Osborne, and distribution executive Ryan Markowitz.
“I’m thrilled to be rejoining Dylan and Kristen at Variance Films. Variance was my first employer after graduating college, and growing with them was a wonderful experience. To get to do so for a second time is a privilege beyond anything I could have hoped for,” said Basch.
“The industry is increasingly realizing how critical proper theatrical distribution is to the success of a film,...
Basch originally started his career at Variance rising to become Manager of Distribution. Basch will work with Variance Films Founder and President Dylan Marchetti, partner Kristen Osborne, and distribution executive Ryan Markowitz.
“I’m thrilled to be rejoining Dylan and Kristen at Variance Films. Variance was my first employer after graduating college, and growing with them was a wonderful experience. To get to do so for a second time is a privilege beyond anything I could have hoped for,” said Basch.
“The industry is increasingly realizing how critical proper theatrical distribution is to the success of a film,...
- 4/11/2023
- by Andreas Wiseman and Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Netflix is dipping its toe into the pilot development model with Little Sky, a single-camera comedy starring and executive produced by Samara Weaving (Scream VI). The streamer has ordered a pilot for the project, from creator Rightor Doyle (Down Low) who is also set to direct.
Related Story Omar Epps Boards Netflix’s Limited Series ‘The Perfect Couple’ Related Story Lisa Nishimura's Netflix Exit Shocks Documentary World: "She Has Massively Helped Grow This Industry" Related Story IFC Center's John Vanco Joins Netflix To Oversee Programming For Streamer's Theaters
Sources caution that this does not signal a permanent development shift. Little Sky is currently the only pilot planned at Netflix, which has been employing a straight-to-series model exclusively since venturing into original programming 12 years ago. I hear the decision was specific to Little Sky as executives were high on the concept but wanted to see a pilot to make...
Related Story Omar Epps Boards Netflix’s Limited Series ‘The Perfect Couple’ Related Story Lisa Nishimura's Netflix Exit Shocks Documentary World: "She Has Massively Helped Grow This Industry" Related Story IFC Center's John Vanco Joins Netflix To Oversee Programming For Streamer's Theaters
Sources caution that this does not signal a permanent development shift. Little Sky is currently the only pilot planned at Netflix, which has been employing a straight-to-series model exclusively since venturing into original programming 12 years ago. I hear the decision was specific to Little Sky as executives were high on the concept but wanted to see a pilot to make...
- 4/3/2023
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
When you cover the arthouse business, you get used to familiar faces more than famous ones. Programmers, distributors, and sales agents may not walk the red carpet alongside their stars, but they’re at all the afterparties, in the trenches of every major film festival, constantly plotting ways to get new work seen. Their ubiquity makes it possible to visualize this pocket of the entertainment industry so when the faces change places, it stands out.
In that respect, this week was extraordinary. Within 48 hours, news broke of senior independent film executives leaving jobs they held for years, in some cases not of their own volition. Welcome to the great indie contraction.
First came John Vanco, the 18-year veteran of the IFC Center, heading to Netflix to take over the booking of New York’s Paris Theater, as well as the Bay Cinema and the Egyptian in L.A.. On its...
In that respect, this week was extraordinary. Within 48 hours, news broke of senior independent film executives leaving jobs they held for years, in some cases not of their own volition. Welcome to the great indie contraction.
First came John Vanco, the 18-year veteran of the IFC Center, heading to Netflix to take over the booking of New York’s Paris Theater, as well as the Bay Cinema and the Egyptian in L.A.. On its...
- 4/1/2023
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
Netflix executive Lisa Nishimura backed some of the streamer’s biggest successes – Tiger King, The Tinder Swindler, The Power of the Dog, Making a Murderer, and American Factory – but in an era of corporate cost-cutting, it wasn’t enough to save her job.
Related Story Netflix Vets Lisa Nishimura & Ian Bricke Depart In Film Group Reorg Related Story Omar Epps Boards Netflix's Limited Series 'The Perfect Couple' Related Story IFC Center's John Vanco Joins Netflix To Oversee Programming For Streamer's Theaters
Her imminent departure as VP of independent film and documentary features, after a 16-year stint at Netflix, has come as a particular shock to the nonfiction film community, which saw her build Netflix into a dominant force in documentary and become, in the process, one of Netflix’s most visible execs.
(L-r) Lisa Nishimura, Taylor Swift and Ted Sarandos attend the Netflix 2019 Golden Globes After Party
“Lisa...
Related Story Netflix Vets Lisa Nishimura & Ian Bricke Depart In Film Group Reorg Related Story Omar Epps Boards Netflix's Limited Series 'The Perfect Couple' Related Story IFC Center's John Vanco Joins Netflix To Oversee Programming For Streamer's Theaters
Her imminent departure as VP of independent film and documentary features, after a 16-year stint at Netflix, has come as a particular shock to the nonfiction film community, which saw her build Netflix into a dominant force in documentary and become, in the process, one of Netflix’s most visible execs.
(L-r) Lisa Nishimura, Taylor Swift and Ted Sarandos attend the Netflix 2019 Golden Globes After Party
“Lisa...
- 3/31/2023
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Scott Shooman to serve as interim head.
In a shock departure, Arianna Bocco has stepped down as president of IFC Films after 17 years at the New York-based company.
Bocco, who was named president in December 2020 and has been a regular face on the festival and distribution circuit for many years, will be replaced in the interim by head of acquisitions Scott Shooman until a permanent successor is installed.
“I have big news to share! After much thought, I have stepped down from my post as President of IFC Films to pursue other opportunities,” Bocco posted on Facebook on Friday. “I...
In a shock departure, Arianna Bocco has stepped down as president of IFC Films after 17 years at the New York-based company.
Bocco, who was named president in December 2020 and has been a regular face on the festival and distribution circuit for many years, will be replaced in the interim by head of acquisitions Scott Shooman until a permanent successor is installed.
“I have big news to share! After much thought, I have stepped down from my post as President of IFC Films to pursue other opportunities,” Bocco posted on Facebook on Friday. “I...
- 3/31/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
The exodus at IFC Films continues. Less than 24 hours after longtime executive John Vanco stepped down from his role at the IFC Center for a programming gig at Netflix, IFC Films president Arianna Bocco has left the company, IndieWire has confirmed.
AMC Networks, which owns IFC Films, plans to conduct an extensive search for Bocco’s replacement. In the interim, leadership duties will be handled by IFC head of acquisitions Scott Shooman.
“IFC Films is a vibrant and vital part of our business and we will continue to acquire, produce and distribute films across our IFC Films, Shudder and Rlje Films ecosystems,” AMC Networks said in a statement provided to IndieWire. “We have full and total confidence in Scott’s ability to run the business as Interim head and know that our film team will not miss a beat as it proceeds forward with a robust slate of releases and acquisitions.
AMC Networks, which owns IFC Films, plans to conduct an extensive search for Bocco’s replacement. In the interim, leadership duties will be handled by IFC head of acquisitions Scott Shooman.
“IFC Films is a vibrant and vital part of our business and we will continue to acquire, produce and distribute films across our IFC Films, Shudder and Rlje Films ecosystems,” AMC Networks said in a statement provided to IndieWire. “We have full and total confidence in Scott’s ability to run the business as Interim head and know that our film team will not miss a beat as it proceeds forward with a robust slate of releases and acquisitions.
- 3/31/2023
- by Christian Zilko
- Indiewire
Exclusive: Omar Epps (Power Book III: Raising Kanan) has closed a deal to join the star-studded ensemble of Netflix‘s limited series The Perfect Couple, based on the New York Times bestseller by Elin Hilderbrand.
In the six-episode murder mystery drama, he’ll be playing Chief of Police, Dan Carter. Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Meghann Fahy, Dakota Fanning, Eve Hewson and Jack Reynor are also set to star, as we told you first.
Related Story Logan Miller Joins ‘Barbarian’s Georgina Campbell In New Regency Horror-Thriller ‘Psycho Killer’ Related Story IFC Center's John Vanco Joins Netflix To Oversee Programming For Streamer's Theaters Related Story 'Murder Mystery 2' Review: Adam Sandler And Jennifer Aniston Are Back For More Sleuthing – French Style
The Perfect Couple follows Amelia Sacks, who is about to marry into one of the wealthiest families on Nantucket. Her disapproving future mother-in-law, famous novelist Greer Garrison Winbury,...
In the six-episode murder mystery drama, he’ll be playing Chief of Police, Dan Carter. Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Meghann Fahy, Dakota Fanning, Eve Hewson and Jack Reynor are also set to star, as we told you first.
Related Story Logan Miller Joins ‘Barbarian’s Georgina Campbell In New Regency Horror-Thriller ‘Psycho Killer’ Related Story IFC Center's John Vanco Joins Netflix To Oversee Programming For Streamer's Theaters Related Story 'Murder Mystery 2' Review: Adam Sandler And Jennifer Aniston Are Back For More Sleuthing – French Style
The Perfect Couple follows Amelia Sacks, who is about to marry into one of the wealthiest families on Nantucket. Her disapproving future mother-in-law, famous novelist Greer Garrison Winbury,...
- 3/31/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
John Vanco, longtime SVP and Gm of arthouse IFC Center in NYC has joined Netflix as film programmer for the streamer’s cinemas.
“I’m thrilled to share the news that after 18 years of presenting the world’s best films at IFC Center, I will be moving to Netflix on April 10 to help lead their efforts to celebrate the next age of cinema, at the Paris in NYC and the Egyptian and the Bay in Los Angeles,” Vanco tweeted.
Vanco started at the NYC arthouse institution IFC Center in 2005. Before that he was at Freedonia Pictures, Cowboy Picture, Miramax and New Yorker Films.
Netflix stepped into the theatrical space in 2019 when it entered a lease agreement for the Paris Theatre in NYC. It acquired the historic Egyptian Theatre in 2020 and launched an extensive rennovation of the movie palace opened by Sid Grauman on Hollywood Boulevard in 1922. That’s set to reopen this year.
“I’m thrilled to share the news that after 18 years of presenting the world’s best films at IFC Center, I will be moving to Netflix on April 10 to help lead their efforts to celebrate the next age of cinema, at the Paris in NYC and the Egyptian and the Bay in Los Angeles,” Vanco tweeted.
Vanco started at the NYC arthouse institution IFC Center in 2005. Before that he was at Freedonia Pictures, Cowboy Picture, Miramax and New Yorker Films.
Netflix stepped into the theatrical space in 2019 when it entered a lease agreement for the Paris Theatre in NYC. It acquired the historic Egyptian Theatre in 2020 and launched an extensive rennovation of the movie palace opened by Sid Grauman on Hollywood Boulevard in 1922. That’s set to reopen this year.
- 3/31/2023
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
Longtime IFC Center senior VP and general manager John Vanco is leaving his post at the Manhattan arthouse institution to lead programming for all Netflix movie theaters. That includes New York City’s Paris Theater, the Egyptian Theatre in Los Angeles, and the Bay Theater in Pacific Palisades. He starts April 10.
He’ll focus on Netflix programming at the Egyptian Theatre, which is undergoing an extensive renovation. The iconic venue, originally known as Grauman’s Egyptian Theatre, opened in 1922. Long the home of the American Cinematheque, the theater fell into decline. Netflix purchased it in May 2020, but a reopen date following the renovation hasn’t been announced.
The Paris Theater in Manhattan, located adjacent to the Plaza Hotel, has been a home for Netflix programming for several years, especially as a place to theatrically exhibit Netflix’s awards-contending titles for voters. It’s currently programmed by former Museum of the...
He’ll focus on Netflix programming at the Egyptian Theatre, which is undergoing an extensive renovation. The iconic venue, originally known as Grauman’s Egyptian Theatre, opened in 1922. Long the home of the American Cinematheque, the theater fell into decline. Netflix purchased it in May 2020, but a reopen date following the renovation hasn’t been announced.
The Paris Theater in Manhattan, located adjacent to the Plaza Hotel, has been a home for Netflix programming for several years, especially as a place to theatrically exhibit Netflix’s awards-contending titles for voters. It’s currently programmed by former Museum of the...
- 3/31/2023
- by Christian Blauvelt
- Indiewire
Former director of Toronto International Film Festival died on January 25, aged 55.
Filmmakers James Schamus, Atom Egoyan and Hirokazu Kore-eda have led tributes from across the industry to Noah Cowan, the influentional former director of Toronto International Film Festival who died last week.
Former TIFF colleagues, long-time business partner John Vanco and key figures from the film industry, festivals and arts institutions also paid tribute to Cowan, who died aged 55 on January 25 in Los Angeles, after an illness.
Veteran US producer Schamus said: “Noah’s resume oddly conceals as much as it reveals. It would be easy to conflate his roles...
Filmmakers James Schamus, Atom Egoyan and Hirokazu Kore-eda have led tributes from across the industry to Noah Cowan, the influentional former director of Toronto International Film Festival who died last week.
Former TIFF colleagues, long-time business partner John Vanco and key figures from the film industry, festivals and arts institutions also paid tribute to Cowan, who died aged 55 on January 25 in Los Angeles, after an illness.
Veteran US producer Schamus said: “Noah’s resume oddly conceals as much as it reveals. It would be easy to conflate his roles...
- 1/30/2023
- by Screen staff
- ScreenDaily
Noah Cowan, a veteran film festival director and indie film specialty distributor, most recently with San Francisco International Film Festival, has died. He was 55.
Cowan died Wednesday in Los Angeles after a battle with glioblastoma multiforme that was first diagnosed in December 2021.
During a career that began in 1981 as a summer volunteer working in the box office at the Toronto International Film Festival, Cowan went on to be a veteran film festival programmer and director, a curator of visual art and film-related exhibitions, a film distribution executive and a journalist covering international film festivals and other events.
Veteran Hollywood producer James Schamus paid tribute to Cowan, emphasizing that the indie film champion represented far more than his many job titles over a long career.
“He was not simply one of the most important curators, institution builders, distributors, grantors, and festival heads of our era — although he was all these,” he...
Cowan died Wednesday in Los Angeles after a battle with glioblastoma multiforme that was first diagnosed in December 2021.
During a career that began in 1981 as a summer volunteer working in the box office at the Toronto International Film Festival, Cowan went on to be a veteran film festival programmer and director, a curator of visual art and film-related exhibitions, a film distribution executive and a journalist covering international film festivals and other events.
Veteran Hollywood producer James Schamus paid tribute to Cowan, emphasizing that the indie film champion represented far more than his many job titles over a long career.
“He was not simply one of the most important curators, institution builders, distributors, grantors, and festival heads of our era — although he was all these,” he...
- 1/26/2023
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Critic and writer led San Francisco Film Society; launched film consultancy.
Noah Cowan, the charismatic and widely influential former director of the Toronto International Film Festival, has died aged 55 after an illness.
Cowan, identified for so long with TIFF – he took a summer job there while still at high school before rising to become co-director of the festival and founding artistic director of TIFF Lightbox –was a popular and much-loved figure on the international film circuit. A former critic and writer, he went on to head up the San Francisco Film Society after leaving TIFF in 2014 before founding his own...
Noah Cowan, the charismatic and widely influential former director of the Toronto International Film Festival, has died aged 55 after an illness.
Cowan, identified for so long with TIFF – he took a summer job there while still at high school before rising to become co-director of the festival and founding artistic director of TIFF Lightbox –was a popular and much-loved figure on the international film circuit. A former critic and writer, he went on to head up the San Francisco Film Society after leaving TIFF in 2014 before founding his own...
- 1/26/2023
- by Fionnuala Halligan
- ScreenDaily
Film premiere and headlines spilling from a trio of fests in full swing (Venice), just starting (Telluride) and queued up (Toronto) have indie exhibitors and distributors the most hopeful since Covid hit that a stream of new films could fire up the arthouse market.
Tod Fields’ Cate Blanchett-starrer Tár (debuted to a six-minute standing ovation in Venice), Timothée Chalamet in Luca Guadagnino’s Bones And All (also just screened on the Lido), and Empire of Light with Olivia Colman, set to world premiere at Telluride, and a raft of others are slated for fall theatrical release. A deluge of specialty films from Sundance and Cannes will also move into U.S. cinemas later this month.
“Arthouse theaters are behind where they were in 2019, but I think this fall things will come racing back. These festivals have the goods,” said John Vanco, Gm of New York’s IFC Center.
Tod Fields’ Cate Blanchett-starrer Tár (debuted to a six-minute standing ovation in Venice), Timothée Chalamet in Luca Guadagnino’s Bones And All (also just screened on the Lido), and Empire of Light with Olivia Colman, set to world premiere at Telluride, and a raft of others are slated for fall theatrical release. A deluge of specialty films from Sundance and Cannes will also move into U.S. cinemas later this month.
“Arthouse theaters are behind where they were in 2019, but I think this fall things will come racing back. These festivals have the goods,” said John Vanco, Gm of New York’s IFC Center.
- 9/2/2022
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
Viva Maestro, a documentary starring the charismatic music and artistic director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Gustavo Dudamel, opened on a high note taking in 14,310 on two screens — Film Forum/NYC and The Landmark/LA. That’s a PTA of 7,155 for the film directed by Ted Braun and presented by Greenwich Entertainment and Participant Media. It expands to 40+ theaters next weekend.
The doc was #1 at Film Forum and #2 at Landmark (behind A24’s indie smash Everything Everywhere All At Once).
The brilliant Dudamel, now in his 13th season atop the LA Phil (and in his inaugural season as music director of the Paris Opera), is only 41 and one of the few conductors who’s a real cultural phenomenon. He’s been that pretty much since his earliest appointment at age 18 as Music Director of the Simón Bolívar Youth Symphony Orchestra, comprised of graduates of Venezuela...
The doc was #1 at Film Forum and #2 at Landmark (behind A24’s indie smash Everything Everywhere All At Once).
The brilliant Dudamel, now in his 13th season atop the LA Phil (and in his inaugural season as music director of the Paris Opera), is only 41 and one of the few conductors who’s a real cultural phenomenon. He’s been that pretty much since his earliest appointment at age 18 as Music Director of the Simón Bolívar Youth Symphony Orchestra, comprised of graduates of Venezuela...
- 4/10/2022
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
Thirteenth edition of festival set for November 9-17 in New York.
Doc NYC is to launch a search for a new artistic director as founding artistic director Thom Powers shifts to a new role as director of special projects.
The organisation will seek to serve its growing year-round activities as it enters its 13th year. Doc NYC’s core leadership team of executive director Raphaela Neihausen, director of industry and education Malikkah Rollins, and director of filmmaker development Caitlin Boyle remain in place.
“The scope and reach of Doc NYC have dramatically expanded since our first festival in 2010, and it...
Doc NYC is to launch a search for a new artistic director as founding artistic director Thom Powers shifts to a new role as director of special projects.
The organisation will seek to serve its growing year-round activities as it enters its 13th year. Doc NYC’s core leadership team of executive director Raphaela Neihausen, director of industry and education Malikkah Rollins, and director of filmmaker development Caitlin Boyle remain in place.
“The scope and reach of Doc NYC have dramatically expanded since our first festival in 2010, and it...
- 2/17/2022
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Popcorn and all other concessions will not be sold at the IFC Center, at least for now. But films, actual films, will be projected on all five of its screens for the first time in nearly a year.
“The room will be black — you won’t be on your phone!” Kajillionaire director Miranda July marveled in a video testimonial. That’s a big change from the home viewing environment during Covid-19.
The IFC, a Greenwich Village mainstay that took over the abandoned Waverly Theater site in 2005, is among a select number of New York arthouses reopening today. The economics are daunting. With state coronavirus restrictions capping attendance at 25% capacity, theaters can expect no more than a few dozen ticket buyers per show in the early going. Even at such modest scale, the market will be watched closely by the film business, which got a lift last weekend with Tom & Jerry...
“The room will be black — you won’t be on your phone!” Kajillionaire director Miranda July marveled in a video testimonial. That’s a big change from the home viewing environment during Covid-19.
The IFC, a Greenwich Village mainstay that took over the abandoned Waverly Theater site in 2005, is among a select number of New York arthouses reopening today. The economics are daunting. With state coronavirus restrictions capping attendance at 25% capacity, theaters can expect no more than a few dozen ticket buyers per show in the early going. Even at such modest scale, the market will be watched closely by the film business, which got a lift last weekend with Tom & Jerry...
- 3/5/2021
- by Dade Hayes
- Deadline Film + TV
As an actor, Liam Neeson is in rare company these days. He’s one of the few stars with movies that have actually opened in theaters in the past 12 months.
“We have streaming services, and they’re wonderful. But at the end of the day, we’re social beings. We like being with other people,” he says. “There is an inner joy of sitting there with popcorn and seeing a story unfold on the screen. Many of us are missing that.”
On Friday, he’s planning to stop by AMC Lincoln Square — what he calls his “home cinema” — to surprise audience members at a screening of “The Marksman,” one of two Neeson-led action thrillers that debuted theatrically amid the pandemic. It will be the first time in nearly a year that many New Yorkers have seen a movie on the big screen.
Neeson says he’s terrified of public speaking,...
“We have streaming services, and they’re wonderful. But at the end of the day, we’re social beings. We like being with other people,” he says. “There is an inner joy of sitting there with popcorn and seeing a story unfold on the screen. Many of us are missing that.”
On Friday, he’s planning to stop by AMC Lincoln Square — what he calls his “home cinema” — to surprise audience members at a screening of “The Marksman,” one of two Neeson-led action thrillers that debuted theatrically amid the pandemic. It will be the first time in nearly a year that many New Yorkers have seen a movie on the big screen.
Neeson says he’s terrified of public speaking,...
- 3/4/2021
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
The Human Rights Watch Film Festival presents its first full digital edition of bold new films that will be available nationwide, in response to this time of crisis, Human Rights Watch said today. The film festival will feature in-depth online discussions with filmmakers, film subjects, and Human Rights Watch researchers.
As individuals and communities across the world struggle to face the challenges of an unprecedented global pandemic, the restriction of basic human rights – including pathways to medical and economic survival – are felt most severely by those already impacted by stark inequalities. Now more than ever, the world needs powerful and uplifting stories about those demanding justice, equality and safety for themselves, their communities and future generations.
John Biaggi, Director of the Human Rights Watch Film Festival says “At a time when the world is experiencing a profound shared adversity, it is particularly heartening to witness the brave individuals and strong...
As individuals and communities across the world struggle to face the challenges of an unprecedented global pandemic, the restriction of basic human rights – including pathways to medical and economic survival – are felt most severely by those already impacted by stark inequalities. Now more than ever, the world needs powerful and uplifting stories about those demanding justice, equality and safety for themselves, their communities and future generations.
John Biaggi, Director of the Human Rights Watch Film Festival says “At a time when the world is experiencing a profound shared adversity, it is particularly heartening to witness the brave individuals and strong...
- 6/6/2020
- by Rhythm Zaveri
- AsianMoviePulse
The National Association of Theater Owners (Nato), which represents 68,000 Screens in 99 Countries, is tracking theater reopenings around the world, country by country, and checking their market share. On that basis, per a spokesman, they expect some 90 percent of theaters worldwide to be open by July 17, the date still set for Warner Bros.’ release of Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet.”
The $200-million “Tenet” leads the way for the studios to get back into the business of showing movies on the big screen. As markets slowly open in the U.S., led by Texas, the film industry is monitoring audience interest in returning to theaters. But “Is it safe?” is an open question.
Many theaters are in early stages of planning their reopenings; many by late this month will be ramping up with library titles like the “Harry Potter” and “Indiana Jones” series. It’s likely that Nato is releasing this optimistic theater opening data,...
The $200-million “Tenet” leads the way for the studios to get back into the business of showing movies on the big screen. As markets slowly open in the U.S., led by Texas, the film industry is monitoring audience interest in returning to theaters. But “Is it safe?” is an open question.
Many theaters are in early stages of planning their reopenings; many by late this month will be ramping up with library titles like the “Harry Potter” and “Indiana Jones” series. It’s likely that Nato is releasing this optimistic theater opening data,...
- 6/4/2020
- by Tom Brueggemann and Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Memorial Day Weekend usually heralds the height of summer moviegoing. As the film industry heads toward the slow reopening of theaters, from retro programming and drive-ins to the holy trio of “Unhinged,” “The Outpost” and maybe, just maybe, Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet” on July 17, IndieWire is bringing together a panel of industry players to share their knowledge with us.
What are the hazards going forward, as well as the likeliest scenarios? The world is watching as the mighty North American box office, the largest in the world, gets up from its knees. Join our virtual panel discussion hosted by IndieWire this Wednesday at 1 pm Pt, 4 pm Et.
To watch the panel and submit questions for the Q&a, register at this form. Registration is free.
The panel is comprised of Chris Aronson, President of Domestic Theatrical Distribution, Paramount Pictures; Dori Begley, Executive Vice President, Magnolia Pictures; Bob Berney, CEO Picturehouse; Ted Mundorff,...
What are the hazards going forward, as well as the likeliest scenarios? The world is watching as the mighty North American box office, the largest in the world, gets up from its knees. Join our virtual panel discussion hosted by IndieWire this Wednesday at 1 pm Pt, 4 pm Et.
To watch the panel and submit questions for the Q&a, register at this form. Registration is free.
The panel is comprised of Chris Aronson, President of Domestic Theatrical Distribution, Paramount Pictures; Dori Begley, Executive Vice President, Magnolia Pictures; Bob Berney, CEO Picturehouse; Ted Mundorff,...
- 5/26/2020
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
Memorial Day Weekend usually heralds the height of summer moviegoing. As the film industry heads toward the slow reopening of theaters, from retro programming and drive-ins to the holy trio of “Unhinged,” “The Outpost” and maybe, just maybe, Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet” on July 17, IndieWire is bringing together a panel of industry players to share their knowledge with us.
What are the hazards going forward, as well as the likeliest scenarios? The world is watching as the mighty North American box office, the largest in the world, gets up from its knees. Join our virtual panel discussion hosted by IndieWire this Wednesday at 1 pm Pt, 4 pm Et.
To watch the panel and submit questions for the Q&a, register at this form. Registration is free.
The panel is comprised of Chris Aronson, President of Domestic Theatrical Distribution, Paramount Pictures; Dori Begley, Executive Vice President, Magnolia Pictures; Bob Berney, CEO Picturehouse; Ted Mundorff,...
What are the hazards going forward, as well as the likeliest scenarios? The world is watching as the mighty North American box office, the largest in the world, gets up from its knees. Join our virtual panel discussion hosted by IndieWire this Wednesday at 1 pm Pt, 4 pm Et.
To watch the panel and submit questions for the Q&a, register at this form. Registration is free.
The panel is comprised of Chris Aronson, President of Domestic Theatrical Distribution, Paramount Pictures; Dori Begley, Executive Vice President, Magnolia Pictures; Bob Berney, CEO Picturehouse; Ted Mundorff,...
- 5/26/2020
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Updated at 12:15Am Pt with reactions and detail. In The Irishman, mobbed-up characters in need of protection talk about needing “bodies” – shorthand slang for bodyguards – to watch their backs.
Plenty of bodies patrolled Friday’s after-party for director Martin Scorsese’s Netflix release, which had a high-energy world premiere at the New York Film Festival. The inner sanctum at Tavern on the Green, the festival’s annual party venue in Central Park, held cast members including Al Pacino, Robert De Niro and Bobby Cannavale. Entrances were so tightly controlled that even legit VIPs were on the outside looking in and people in the room were holding their phones up to get snapshots of whoever was a few feet in front of them. The crush was such that Netflix content chief Ted Sarandos, upon managing to wriggle free, looked back and joked to Noah Baumbach, “I’d better watch my wallet!”
Leonardo DiCaprio, also looking for a way out of the crush, pulled girlfriend Camila Morrone behind him through the restaurant’s kitchen toward a back exit, entourage in tow. Earlier in the evening, DiCaprio, whose re-teaming with Scorsese, Killers of the Flower Moon, is due to start production soon, let out a “whoop” when his frequent collaborator was introduced at Alice Tully Hall. He even made like a fan and snapped a photo of the director with his phone.
The Irishman, a historic film occasion for several reasons, had a way of turning even jaded industry types and New York City mandarins into ebullient fans. While some naysayers could be heard quailing about the 209-minute running time and contemplative (read: borderline ponderous) tone, the prevailing reaction was that of a warm welcome to a major artistic achievement. As my Deadline colleague Pete Hammond wrote Friday, the film has landed on the Oscar map in a big way after its first day in the public eye, and the party’s energy reflected it. The crowd – studded with notables like Spike Lee, John Turturro, Kirsten Dunst, Jeff Garlin and Maggie Gyllenhaal – kept things going until the wee hours.
Spencer Klein, director of theatrical distribution at Netflix, said he was already having fruitful conversations with exhibitors as Netflix sets about booking the November 1 theatrical release. Because it will hit the streaming service on November 27 (about three times faster than typical studio releases), larger circuits like AMC and Regal won’t play it. Still Klein said even if it racks up fewer than 3,000 runs, it has been well-received and has generated a good number of bookings.
John Vanco, Gm of New York’s IFC Center, is one exhibitor who will play The Irishman, as well as Netflix’s Marriage Story. “I’m not sure about the running time, but we’ll have it on multiple screens,” he said. “Once people see the reaction to it tonight and start reading about it, the reviews and publicity will draw people.”
Previously: Scorsese began his introduction of The Irishman at its world premiere Friday night by noting that his previous narrative film to premiere at the New York Film Festival was Mean Streets in 1973.
“It’s extraordinary to have come full circle,” he said. Later, while introducing the cast, he said, “Everybody’s here from Mean Streets, it’s amazing!” Scorsese noted the long gestational period for the film. “Finally found the people who would back it, and that was Netflix,” he said.
Strikingly, no direct mention was made of the fact that a streaming feature was opening the festival — something still unheard of in Cannes and controversial elsewhere.
Earlier Friday, the film drew upbeat initial reactions from the press at pre-premiere screenings, which started drawing lines at dawn (Los Angeles screenings have been held in tandem with the festival). While embargoes kept a lid on full reviews, critics described an absorbing and deeply felt epic, filled with trademark Scorsese touches. Anticipation has built for a decade for the adaptation of I Heard You Paint Houses, Charles Brandt’s book about a hitman linked to (but never criminally charged in) the death of Teamsters boss Jimmy Hoffa.
The film reunites Scorsese with Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci for the first time since Casino in 1995. Al Pacino, who plays Hoffa, is making his debut in a Scorsese production.
Eric Kohn, chief critic and executive editor at Deadline sister site IndieWire, tweeted that the film resembles “a greatest hits album from a master of the medium. Yes, that’s a positive.” K. Austin Collins of Vanity Fair declared The Irishman “good. I laughed a lot.” He added that its sensibility is distinct from that of GoodFellas, a film that is an obvious comparison given the parallel involvement of Scorsese, De Niro and Pesci. “This is ultimately a movie about the mortality of everyone in it,” he wrote.
Building on a banner 2018, when films like Roma and The Ballad of Buster Scruggs put it at the center of the Oscar conversation, Netflix is committing significant resources to redefining the film release model. In a press conference Friday for The Irishman, Scorsese called the production “an interesting hybrid” that challenged the creative team to discover “how you balance between what a film is and what is viewed at home and in a theater or both. We’re in an extraordinary time of change.”...
Plenty of bodies patrolled Friday’s after-party for director Martin Scorsese’s Netflix release, which had a high-energy world premiere at the New York Film Festival. The inner sanctum at Tavern on the Green, the festival’s annual party venue in Central Park, held cast members including Al Pacino, Robert De Niro and Bobby Cannavale. Entrances were so tightly controlled that even legit VIPs were on the outside looking in and people in the room were holding their phones up to get snapshots of whoever was a few feet in front of them. The crush was such that Netflix content chief Ted Sarandos, upon managing to wriggle free, looked back and joked to Noah Baumbach, “I’d better watch my wallet!”
Leonardo DiCaprio, also looking for a way out of the crush, pulled girlfriend Camila Morrone behind him through the restaurant’s kitchen toward a back exit, entourage in tow. Earlier in the evening, DiCaprio, whose re-teaming with Scorsese, Killers of the Flower Moon, is due to start production soon, let out a “whoop” when his frequent collaborator was introduced at Alice Tully Hall. He even made like a fan and snapped a photo of the director with his phone.
The Irishman, a historic film occasion for several reasons, had a way of turning even jaded industry types and New York City mandarins into ebullient fans. While some naysayers could be heard quailing about the 209-minute running time and contemplative (read: borderline ponderous) tone, the prevailing reaction was that of a warm welcome to a major artistic achievement. As my Deadline colleague Pete Hammond wrote Friday, the film has landed on the Oscar map in a big way after its first day in the public eye, and the party’s energy reflected it. The crowd – studded with notables like Spike Lee, John Turturro, Kirsten Dunst, Jeff Garlin and Maggie Gyllenhaal – kept things going until the wee hours.
Spencer Klein, director of theatrical distribution at Netflix, said he was already having fruitful conversations with exhibitors as Netflix sets about booking the November 1 theatrical release. Because it will hit the streaming service on November 27 (about three times faster than typical studio releases), larger circuits like AMC and Regal won’t play it. Still Klein said even if it racks up fewer than 3,000 runs, it has been well-received and has generated a good number of bookings.
John Vanco, Gm of New York’s IFC Center, is one exhibitor who will play The Irishman, as well as Netflix’s Marriage Story. “I’m not sure about the running time, but we’ll have it on multiple screens,” he said. “Once people see the reaction to it tonight and start reading about it, the reviews and publicity will draw people.”
Previously: Scorsese began his introduction of The Irishman at its world premiere Friday night by noting that his previous narrative film to premiere at the New York Film Festival was Mean Streets in 1973.
“It’s extraordinary to have come full circle,” he said. Later, while introducing the cast, he said, “Everybody’s here from Mean Streets, it’s amazing!” Scorsese noted the long gestational period for the film. “Finally found the people who would back it, and that was Netflix,” he said.
Strikingly, no direct mention was made of the fact that a streaming feature was opening the festival — something still unheard of in Cannes and controversial elsewhere.
Earlier Friday, the film drew upbeat initial reactions from the press at pre-premiere screenings, which started drawing lines at dawn (Los Angeles screenings have been held in tandem with the festival). While embargoes kept a lid on full reviews, critics described an absorbing and deeply felt epic, filled with trademark Scorsese touches. Anticipation has built for a decade for the adaptation of I Heard You Paint Houses, Charles Brandt’s book about a hitman linked to (but never criminally charged in) the death of Teamsters boss Jimmy Hoffa.
The film reunites Scorsese with Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci for the first time since Casino in 1995. Al Pacino, who plays Hoffa, is making his debut in a Scorsese production.
Eric Kohn, chief critic and executive editor at Deadline sister site IndieWire, tweeted that the film resembles “a greatest hits album from a master of the medium. Yes, that’s a positive.” K. Austin Collins of Vanity Fair declared The Irishman “good. I laughed a lot.” He added that its sensibility is distinct from that of GoodFellas, a film that is an obvious comparison given the parallel involvement of Scorsese, De Niro and Pesci. “This is ultimately a movie about the mortality of everyone in it,” he wrote.
Building on a banner 2018, when films like Roma and The Ballad of Buster Scruggs put it at the center of the Oscar conversation, Netflix is committing significant resources to redefining the film release model. In a press conference Friday for The Irishman, Scorsese called the production “an interesting hybrid” that challenged the creative team to discover “how you balance between what a film is and what is viewed at home and in a theater or both. We’re in an extraordinary time of change.”...
- 9/28/2019
- by Dade Hayes and Joe Utichi
- Deadline Film + TV
In its continuing push to swell the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences membership ranks, 842 artists and executives from 59 countries have been invited to join this year. The branches have increasingly actively sought eligible people to become Academy members, but the Board of Governors makes the final call.
People of color (29 percent) and women (50 percent) are among the many invites, as the Academy continues to address its long-term white-male dominance. As always, actors make up the largest branch of the Academy, but many new members also come from overseas.
In 2018, the Academy invited 928 new members.
Twenty-one Oscar winners are among the new invited members, including Guy Nattiv (“Skin”), filmmaker Jimmy Chin (“Free Solo”), Phil Lord, and Chris Miller (“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse”), and 82 Oscar nominees (including newbies like Lady Gaga and “Roma” breakout Marina de Tavira). Ten of the 17 branches invited more women than men. The percentage of women...
People of color (29 percent) and women (50 percent) are among the many invites, as the Academy continues to address its long-term white-male dominance. As always, actors make up the largest branch of the Academy, but many new members also come from overseas.
In 2018, the Academy invited 928 new members.
Twenty-one Oscar winners are among the new invited members, including Guy Nattiv (“Skin”), filmmaker Jimmy Chin (“Free Solo”), Phil Lord, and Chris Miller (“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse”), and 82 Oscar nominees (including newbies like Lady Gaga and “Roma” breakout Marina de Tavira). Ten of the 17 branches invited more women than men. The percentage of women...
- 7/1/2019
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
In its continuing push to swell the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences membership ranks, 842 artists and executives from 59 countries have been invited to join this year. The branches have increasingly actively sought eligible people to become Academy members, but the Board of Governors makes the final call.
People of color (29 percent) and women (50 percent) are among the many invites, as the Academy continues to address its long-term white-male dominance. As always, actors make up the largest branch of the Academy, but many new members also come from overseas.
In 2018, the Academy invited 928 new members.
Twenty-one Oscar winners are among the new invited members, including Guy Nattiv (“Skin”), filmmaker Jimmy Chin (“Free Solo”), Phil Lord, and Chris Miller (“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse”), and 82 Oscar nominees (including newbies like Lady Gaga and “Roma” breakout Marina de Tavira). Ten of the 17 branches invited more women than men. The percentage of women...
People of color (29 percent) and women (50 percent) are among the many invites, as the Academy continues to address its long-term white-male dominance. As always, actors make up the largest branch of the Academy, but many new members also come from overseas.
In 2018, the Academy invited 928 new members.
Twenty-one Oscar winners are among the new invited members, including Guy Nattiv (“Skin”), filmmaker Jimmy Chin (“Free Solo”), Phil Lord, and Chris Miller (“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse”), and 82 Oscar nominees (including newbies like Lady Gaga and “Roma” breakout Marina de Tavira). Ten of the 17 branches invited more women than men. The percentage of women...
- 7/1/2019
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
IFC Films co-president Jonathan Sehring is leaving the company at the end of the year.
The veteran executive announced his plans on Wednesday. He helped launch the Independent Film Channel in 1994 and create IFC Films in 1999.
IFC Films will be led by a trio of remaining IFC Films executives: Sehring’s co-president Lisa Schwartz; Arianna Bocco, the executive vice president of acquisitions and productions; and John Vanco, senior VP/general manager of the IFC Center.
Sehring noted that he has had two careers at AMC Networks, with 20 years in film and 20 years in television. AMC Networks is IFC Films’ parent company. IFC Films encompasses its sister distribution labels Sundance Selects and IFC Midnight, its production label IFC Productions, and the IFC Center.
Under Sehring’s direction, IFC Films financed Richard Linklater’s “Boyhood” for 12 years, leading to six Academy Award nominations, including best picture. Other notable IFC titles include Armando Iannucci...
The veteran executive announced his plans on Wednesday. He helped launch the Independent Film Channel in 1994 and create IFC Films in 1999.
IFC Films will be led by a trio of remaining IFC Films executives: Sehring’s co-president Lisa Schwartz; Arianna Bocco, the executive vice president of acquisitions and productions; and John Vanco, senior VP/general manager of the IFC Center.
Sehring noted that he has had two careers at AMC Networks, with 20 years in film and 20 years in television. AMC Networks is IFC Films’ parent company. IFC Films encompasses its sister distribution labels Sundance Selects and IFC Midnight, its production label IFC Productions, and the IFC Center.
Under Sehring’s direction, IFC Films financed Richard Linklater’s “Boyhood” for 12 years, leading to six Academy Award nominations, including best picture. Other notable IFC titles include Armando Iannucci...
- 11/28/2018
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
Capping off a four-decade career in independent film and television, Jonathan Sehring announced today he was stepping down as co-president of IFC Films, the New York City-based film production and distribution company he helped create exactly 20 years ago. According to Deadline, which broke the news, Sehring is leaving of his own accord, opting to take time for himself, but retaining the right to pursue other endeavors in the independent film space in the future.
Sehring helped launch the Independent Film Channel in 1994 and later created IFC Films, which encompasses IFC Films, Sundance Selects and IFC Midnight. The film distribution labels are owned and operated by AMC Networks.
“I’ve been contemplating this move for several years and on the 20th anniversary of our launching IFC Films, it just felt like the right time,” Sehring said. “I am forever grateful to Jim Dolan and Chuck Dolan, Marc Lustgarten and Josh Sapan...
Sehring helped launch the Independent Film Channel in 1994 and later created IFC Films, which encompasses IFC Films, Sundance Selects and IFC Midnight. The film distribution labels are owned and operated by AMC Networks.
“I’ve been contemplating this move for several years and on the 20th anniversary of our launching IFC Films, it just felt like the right time,” Sehring said. “I am forever grateful to Jim Dolan and Chuck Dolan, Marc Lustgarten and Josh Sapan...
- 11/28/2018
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
IFC Films co-president Jonathan Sehring announced on Wednesday that he has decided to step down after a two decades-long career at the company.
“I’ve been contemplating this move for several years and on the 20th anniversary of our launching IFC Films, it just felt like the right time,” Sehring said in a statement. “I am forever grateful to Jim Dolan and Chuck Dolan, Marc Lustgarten and Josh Sapan for the unbelievable opportunities they afforded me since I joined the organization nearly 40 years ago. I have had two incredible careers at AMC Networks, 20 years in film and 20 years in television, and I am immensely proud of the films and television shows we produced and distributed, the brands we built, the businesses we launched and all that we have accomplished during my time with the organization.”
Sehring has been a champion of independent filmmakers, leading IFC Films in supporting a wide...
“I’ve been contemplating this move for several years and on the 20th anniversary of our launching IFC Films, it just felt like the right time,” Sehring said in a statement. “I am forever grateful to Jim Dolan and Chuck Dolan, Marc Lustgarten and Josh Sapan for the unbelievable opportunities they afforded me since I joined the organization nearly 40 years ago. I have had two incredible careers at AMC Networks, 20 years in film and 20 years in television, and I am immensely proud of the films and television shows we produced and distributed, the brands we built, the businesses we launched and all that we have accomplished during my time with the organization.”
Sehring has been a champion of independent filmmakers, leading IFC Films in supporting a wide...
- 11/28/2018
- by Trey Williams
- The Wrap
Exclusive: Marking the end of a remarkable four decade run at its parent company, IFC Films co-president Jonathan Sehring is stepping down at year end. The decision is his, and he will take some time for himself, but retains the right to do other things in the indie film space where he has been an important figure for years. The affable Long Islander helped launch the Independent Film Channel in 1994 and later created IFC Films.
Stepping up to lead IFC Films into the future is Sehring’s co-president Lisa Schwartz, Arianna Bocco, who’s currently Evp Acquisitions and Productions, and John Vanco, who will continue in his role as Senior Vice President/General Manager of the IFC Center. The company encompasses IFC Films, Sundance Selects and IFC Midnight, the multi-platform film distribution labels owned and operated by AMC Networks.
“I’ve been contemplating this move for several years and on...
Stepping up to lead IFC Films into the future is Sehring’s co-president Lisa Schwartz, Arianna Bocco, who’s currently Evp Acquisitions and Productions, and John Vanco, who will continue in his role as Senior Vice President/General Manager of the IFC Center. The company encompasses IFC Films, Sundance Selects and IFC Midnight, the multi-platform film distribution labels owned and operated by AMC Networks.
“I’ve been contemplating this move for several years and on...
- 11/28/2018
- by Patrick Hipes and Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
With great sadness we report that Dan Talbot's 43 year old company New Yorker Films is ceasing operations. Rumor during the Spirit Awards was that he was asking Palm Pictures, where Bob Berney is nesting currently with Jeannie Bernie, recently of New York Film Society, to take over his collection. No solid news however has hit the press yet. Dan Talbot and New Yorker are legendary and loved. His theater, Lincoln Plaza Cinema is said to be intact. To repeat IndieWire's list of film community members who have worked at New Yorker, are Bingham Ray, Jeff Lipsky, John Vanco, Susan Wrubel, Mary Ann Hult, Mark Lipsky, Sasha Berman, Suzanne Fedak, Rebecca Conget and Harris Dew. Personally, when head of acquisitions at Republic Pictures, he called me and offered me a straight video distribution deal (no advance, no mg) to Juzo Itami's Tampopo and The Funeral from him at at time when he never paid more than $5,000 for U.S. rights to foreign language films. Tampopo was an evergreen seller for us and in fact, it's still showing theatrically in U.S. and it's being offered by Amazon on DVD. And Juzo Itami himself was a national treasure of Japan.
- 2/24/2009
- Sydney's Buzz
NEW YORK -- An A-list of independent filmmakers and industry leaders was announced Wednesday to fill out the advisory panel for the new IFC Center, an independent theater and cultural center in Greenwich Village run by IFC Cos. The board will include filmmakers Steven Soderbergh, Gary Winick, Kevin Smith, John Sayles, Errol Morris, Alfonso Cuaron , Richard Linklater and Rebecca Miller; Noah Cowan, co-director of the Toronto International Film Festival; publicity and marketing executive Cynthia Swartz; and exhibition and distribution executive Dan Tabot. Cowboy Pictures co-founder John Vanco already had been tabbed to run the facility's programming and day-to-day operations.
- 5/26/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
NEW YORK -- After six years, indie distributor Cowboy Pictures will ride into the sunset, according to the company's president, John Vanco. Vanco will announce his plans in the coming weeks. Cowboy was founded in 1997, under the moniker Cowboy Booking, by Vanco and Noah Cowan. Cowan exited his co-president post last year. The unit released more than 40 films theatrically, including the documentaries The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg, The Endurance: Shackleton's Legendary Antarctic Expedition and the Oscar-nominated Promises and the rock docus I Am Trying to Break Your Heart and Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars. The company also rolled out David Gordon Green's George Washington, James Toback's Harvard Man and Lynne Ramsay's Morvern Callar.
- 10/22/2003
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
TORONTO -- Cowboy Pictures, which last year released the alt-country music documentary I Am Trying to Break Your Heart, has picked up another musical documentary. The indie banner has sealed a deal with Danny Goldberg's Artemis Records to distribute the docu Just an American Boy, which follows singer-songwriter Steve Earle. Directed by Amos Poe (The Blank Generation), Boy chronicles the outspoken Earle's life on the road during last year's tour in support of his release Jerusalem. The film includes performance footage of 18 Earle songs, and Artemis will release a soundtrack album this month. "Boy" screened at the North by Northeast festival in June. Cowboy is headed by John Vanco and Greg Williams.
- 9/11/2003
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Greg Williams, CEO of indie distributor Lot 47 Films, has jumped to rival indie shingle Cowboy Pictures to join the outfit as partner. Lot 47 staffers Vicki Loughery and Rick Thiedig will also make the move to Cowboy, which is run by president John Vanco. Vanco said the move will allow him to focus further on film acquisitions and distribution, while Williams will play a key role in Cowboy's business dealings. "It has become clear to me that the team that Greg has worked with over the past year provides exactly the kind of vision, savvy and experience that I've been looking for to mature Cowboy, expand its infrastructure and take the company to the next level," he said. Vanco added that his company will go through a 90-day restructuring and adjustment period while prepping to unveil several new initiatives, including media partnerships, financing structures and film acquisitions. The move seems to effectively mark the final chapter for beleaguered Lot 47, which was dealt a major blow last year when its president -- indie film vet Jeff Lipsky -- resigned from the distribution outfit he co-founded with his brother, Scott Lipsky.
Greg Williams, CEO of indie distributor Lot 47 Films, has jumped to rival indie shingle Cowboy Pictures to join the outfit as partner. Lot 47 staffers Vicki Loughery and Rick Thiedig will also make the move to Cowboy, which is run by president John Vanco. Vanco said the move will allow him to focus further on film acquisitions and distribution, while Williams will play a key role in Cowboy's business dealings. "It has become clear to me that the team that Greg has worked with over the past year provides exactly the kind of vision, savvy and experience that I've been looking for to mature Cowboy, expand its infrastructure and take the company to the next level," he said. Vanco added that his company will go through a 90-day restructuring and adjustment period. The move seems to effectively mark the final chapter for beleaguered Lot 47, which was dealt a major blow in the summer when its president -- indie film vet Jeff Lipsky -- resigned from the distribution outfit he co-founded with his brother, Scott Lipsky. Cowboy's titles include the Oscar-nominated "Promises", Lynne Ramsay's "Morvern Callar" and "The Endurance: Shackleton's Legendary Antarctic Expedition."...
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.