While “The Death and Life Of John P. Donovan” still needs the finishing touches put on it, writer/director Xavier Dolan has already booked his next gig. However, instead of going behind the camera, he’ll be in front. The filmmaker has long stated he wants to do more acting (his last, non-voiceover role was in 2014’s underwhelming “Elephant Song“) and he’s doing it with one helluva high profile project — his first big Hollywood role — with an eclectic ensemble.
Continue reading Xavier Dolan & Flea Join Joel Edgerton’s ‘Boy Erased’ at The Playlist.
Continue reading Xavier Dolan & Flea Join Joel Edgerton’s ‘Boy Erased’ at The Playlist.
- 8/30/2017
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
Playwright and screenwriter Nicolas Billon has signed with the Alpern Group. His first play Elephant Song debuted at the Stratford Festival in Ottawa, and he scripted its 2014 film adaptation starring Bruce Greenwood, Catherine Keener and Carrie-Anne Moss. Billon won Canada’s prestigious Governor-General’s Award for Drama for his 2013 stage trilogy Fault Lines. He also is set to write for Season 3 of X Company, a period spy thriller that airs on CBC in Canada. Rizwan Manji…...
- 5/5/2016
- Deadline TV
A new VOD service has arrived in the UK with the goal of bringing little-seen gems to home audiences.
Founder and entrepreneur Martin Warner claimed Flix Premiere was the world’s first digital cineplex, although the precise significance of that remained unclear given the increasing prevalence of VOD platforms.
Speaking to Screen International recently, Warner said the launch was the first step in global expansion and that he aimed to be in the Us soon, and in France, Spain, Germany, Australia and Canada by the end of May.
Flix Premiere aims to introduce eight or nine new titles each week and will champion quality films that struggle to make a noise in the over-crowded distribution landscape.
‘Tickets’ cost £3.99 (approximately $5.81 at time of writing) and special packages are available.
Once purchased, the film is available for 24 hours and can be viewed on all browsers. A mobile version will be offered shortly.
Launch titles...
Founder and entrepreneur Martin Warner claimed Flix Premiere was the world’s first digital cineplex, although the precise significance of that remained unclear given the increasing prevalence of VOD platforms.
Speaking to Screen International recently, Warner said the launch was the first step in global expansion and that he aimed to be in the Us soon, and in France, Spain, Germany, Australia and Canada by the end of May.
Flix Premiere aims to introduce eight or nine new titles each week and will champion quality films that struggle to make a noise in the over-crowded distribution landscape.
‘Tickets’ cost £3.99 (approximately $5.81 at time of writing) and special packages are available.
Once purchased, the film is available for 24 hours and can be viewed on all browsers. A mobile version will be offered shortly.
Launch titles...
- 4/28/2016
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Bella Thorne, Rupert Grint, Jerry Ferrara titles among deal.
UK distribution outfits Icon Film Distribution (Ifd) and Alarm Pictures have struck a deal for Ifd to represent all future Alarm Pictures titles for digital, TV and other home entertainment exploitation.
The first titles scheduled for a Q1, 2016 release through Ifd’s digital partners include SXSW comedy Moonwalkers, starring Rupert Grint, Ron Perlman and Robert Sheehan, thriller Big Sky with Bella Thorne, and drama Club Life, featuring Jerry Ferrara, Jessica Szohr and Busta Rhymes.
Also on the slate are Dead Within, The Nymphets, Jamie Marks Is Dead, After The Fall and Enter The Dangerous Mind.
Alex Mandell, former Paramount and Wrekin Hill executive, and founder of Alarm Pictures, said: “I am incredibly excited to being working with the Icon team on my growing and rapidly expanding slate of content. 2016 is due to be a very busy year for Alarm and I am delighted that Icon are my...
UK distribution outfits Icon Film Distribution (Ifd) and Alarm Pictures have struck a deal for Ifd to represent all future Alarm Pictures titles for digital, TV and other home entertainment exploitation.
The first titles scheduled for a Q1, 2016 release through Ifd’s digital partners include SXSW comedy Moonwalkers, starring Rupert Grint, Ron Perlman and Robert Sheehan, thriller Big Sky with Bella Thorne, and drama Club Life, featuring Jerry Ferrara, Jessica Szohr and Busta Rhymes.
Also on the slate are Dead Within, The Nymphets, Jamie Marks Is Dead, After The Fall and Enter The Dangerous Mind.
Alex Mandell, former Paramount and Wrekin Hill executive, and founder of Alarm Pictures, said: “I am incredibly excited to being working with the Icon team on my growing and rapidly expanding slate of content. 2016 is due to be a very busy year for Alarm and I am delighted that Icon are my...
- 12/21/2015
- by andreas.wiseman@screendaily.com (Andreas Wiseman)
- ScreenDaily
★★★☆☆ Xavier Dolan proves once again that the world revolves around him (and that's a good thing) in the quiet Canadian drama Elephant Song (2014). The wunderkind is once again the secret spice that brings the best bout of other ingredients, allowing what was originally shaky and well-trod become something watchable and - dare it be said - intriguing. While the rest of the cast are respective standouts in their own rights, it is Dolan that is worth the price of admission. It's been two years since he has had a meaty acting gig (2013's Tom at the Farm); here again, he proves he's got credibility all over the place. Its Christmas Eve in blustery Canada.
- 7/14/2015
- by CineVue UK
- CineVue
The light outside the window bleeds into the asylum, but it’s only a glimmer. The hope remains on the other side of the pane; its glow enlightening the entrapping interior. Every character in Elephant Song is incarcerated in a mental institution, some doctors, others patients, yet the thing that unites them is that on this cold Christmas day there is the unshakable feeling that past trauma is returning. This year, they aren’t spending the holiday inside their warm homes. Instead, they’re investigating a doctor’s disappearance as well as their inner selves.
Dr. Lawrence has vanished and the head of the hospital, Dr. Green, interrogates a manipulative patient named Michael, who may know the missing doctor’s whereabouts. The patient suffers from an undisclosed mental disability yet he is clearly intelligent, thoughtful and capable of pushing buttons to get what he wants. Michael complies and agrees with Dr.
Dr. Lawrence has vanished and the head of the hospital, Dr. Green, interrogates a manipulative patient named Michael, who may know the missing doctor’s whereabouts. The patient suffers from an undisclosed mental disability yet he is clearly intelligent, thoughtful and capable of pushing buttons to get what he wants. Michael complies and agrees with Dr.
- 3/6/2015
- by Josh Cabrita
- We Got This Covered
It was a great night for Xavier Dolan at the Canadian Screen Awards today, where the wunderkind's latest film, "Mommy," won nine awards, nearly sweeping every category. The only fields the film lost in were crafts categories conceded the critically reviled (but it's Canadian!) "Pompeii," which took home five awards. Check out the full list of winners below, the nominees here and everything else you can possibly imagine (more or less) at The Circuit. Best Motion Picture "Mommy" Achievement in Direction Xavier Dolan, "Mommy" Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role Antoine Olivier-Pilon, "Mommy" Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role Anne Dorval, "Mommy" Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role Suzanne Clément, "Mommy" Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role John Cusack, "Maps to the Stars" Adapted Screenplay "Elephant Song" Original Screenplay "Mommy" Achievement in Art Direction "Pompeii" Achievement in Cinematography "Mommy" Achievement in Costume...
- 3/2/2015
- by Kristopher Tapley
- Hitfix
Catherine Keener on Elephant SongXavier Dolan does that other thing he does – acting – in Charles Binamé’s Elephant Song, a noir-ish psychological drama set in a mental institution in which he plays Michael, a patient who may be behind the disappearance of his psychiatrist. The missing man is replaced by another doctor (Colm Feore) but he’s cowed by Michael’s manipulative mental powers and unable to restore patient/doctor balance. The hospital chief (Bruce Greenwood) doesn’t fare much better. Holding it all together is Nurse Peterson, a jealous, strong and withholding caregiver with more than a passing resemblance to Louise Fletcher’s […]...
- 2/24/2015
- by Anne Brodie
- Monsters and Critics
"I'll make you a deal - I want three things..." With this film now playing in theaters in Canada, there's no better time to feature the first official trailer for Elephant Song from Canadian distributor eOne Films. Elephant Song is a psychological drama starring Xavier Dolan, the same filmmaker who made Mommy and Laurence Anyways, as a rather eerie patient with a mysterious past. Captain Pike of Star Trek, actor Bruce Greenwood, also stars as the hospital's director, and both Catherine Keener and Carrie-Anne Moss appear as well. I don't want to give away anything else in the plot, but the trailer should give you a good idea what's going on. I missed seeing this at Tiff, and I've been waiting to catch it. I've got to say, this trailer makes me more intrigued, even if I prefer Dolan as a director he certainly can act, too. Take a look.
- 2/20/2015
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Xavier Dolan may have been miffed that his "Mommy" was left off the list of finalists for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar, but he's surely pleased today that his film led the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television's film slate. It picked up 13 nominations total. David Cronenberg's "Maps to the Stars" was also strong. Check out the full list of nominees below. Winners will be revealed on March 1. And catch the rest at The Circuit! Best Motion Picture "Cast No Shadow" "Fall" "In Her Place" "Maps to the Stars" "Mommy" "Tu dors Nicole" Achievement in Direction Atom Egoyan, "Captive" Albert Shin, "In Her Place" David Cronenberg, "Maps to the Stars" Xavier Dolan, "Mommy" Stéphane Lafleur, "Tu dors Nicole" Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role Ryan Reynolds, "The Captive" Bruce Greenwood, "Elephant Song" Michael Murphy, "Fall" Evan Bird, "Maps to the Stars" Antoine Olivier-Pilon, "Mommy" Performance by an...
- 1/13/2015
- by Kristopher Tapley
- Hitfix
The Vancouver critics have just joined the party, always offering an interesting assortment of nominations given their practice of splitting off a whole separate section for Canadian films. "Birdman" led the way in the international list, while Xavier Dolan's "Mommy" led the way in the Canadian section (which will probably be cold comfort after his film was unceremoniously snubbed by the Academy's foreign film committee). Check out the full list of nominees below. Winners will be announced on Jan. 5. And, you know: The Circuit. International Best Film "Birdman" "Boyhood" "Whiplash" Best Director Wes Anderson, "The Grand Budapest Hotel" Alejandro González Iñárritu, "Birdman" Richard Linklater, "Boyhood" Best Actor Benedict Cumberbatch, "The Imitation Game" Jake Gyllenhaal, "Nightcrawler" Michael Keaton, "Birdman" Best Actress Marion Cotillard, "The Immigrant" Tilda Swinton, "Only Lovers Left Alive" Reese Witherspoon, "Wild" Best Supporting Actor Edward Norton, "Birdman" Mark Ruffalo, "Foxcatcher" J.K. Simmons, "Whiplash" Best Supporting Actress Patricia Arquette,...
- 12/22/2014
- by Kristopher Tapley
- Hitfix
Industry@Tallinn will feature discussions involving the likes of Jessica Switch of Lionsgate and Jeff Barry & Nigel Meiojas of ICM Partners.
Industry@Tallinn has announced its full programme for its upcoming edition, running Nov 24-28 during the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival.
Organised by Black Nights and Baltic Event, the programme is targeted to over 500 regional film industry professionals.
This year’s industry talks will look into the impact of feature-length television on the film industry, business customs and practices for Asian collaboration, strategies of linking small scale talent and post production pools to major players, and rebel release tactics in distribution.
Speakers at this year’s event include Jessica Switch, director of development, Lionsgate; Jeff Barry & Nigel Meiojas, ICM Partners; Judy Ahn, head of international, Showbox/MediaPlex Entertainment; Matteo Solaro, Creative Europe/Media; and Sylvia Wroblewska, business and marketing director, Sheffield Doc/Fest.
The Film Festivals Confab will return in collaboration with Independent Cinema Office, focusing...
Industry@Tallinn has announced its full programme for its upcoming edition, running Nov 24-28 during the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival.
Organised by Black Nights and Baltic Event, the programme is targeted to over 500 regional film industry professionals.
This year’s industry talks will look into the impact of feature-length television on the film industry, business customs and practices for Asian collaboration, strategies of linking small scale talent and post production pools to major players, and rebel release tactics in distribution.
Speakers at this year’s event include Jessica Switch, director of development, Lionsgate; Jeff Barry & Nigel Meiojas, ICM Partners; Judy Ahn, head of international, Showbox/MediaPlex Entertainment; Matteo Solaro, Creative Europe/Media; and Sylvia Wroblewska, business and marketing director, Sheffield Doc/Fest.
The Film Festivals Confab will return in collaboration with Independent Cinema Office, focusing...
- 11/8/2014
- by ian.sandwell@screendaily.com (Ian Sandwell)
- ScreenDaily
Séville International has announced a slew of sales ahead of the Afm on The Dark Horse, Elephant Song and An Eye For Beauty.
Rights on The Dark Horse have gone in Benelux (Imagine Film), France (Zed), Germany (Koch Media), Scandinavia (Scanbox), Switzerland (Praesens), Turkey (Fabula), UK (Koch Media), Israel (Shoval Film), Middle East (Shooting Stars), Colombia (Babilla Cine) and airlines (Jaguar).
eOne will directly distribute in Canada writer-director James Napier Robertson’s story of a man who struggles to overcome challenges and pass on his gift to children in his community. Cliff Curtis stars.
Séville’s vice-president of international sales Anick Poirier (pictured) and her team have closed deals on Elephant Song, the psychological thriller starring Xavier Dolan that premiered in Toronto.
Deals closed in Japan (UpLink), South Korea (At Nine Film), Turkey (Bir Film), Israel (Shoval Film) and China (Blue Media Times). Séville is in negotiations for Benelux and confirmed it will handle Charles Binamé’s film...
Rights on The Dark Horse have gone in Benelux (Imagine Film), France (Zed), Germany (Koch Media), Scandinavia (Scanbox), Switzerland (Praesens), Turkey (Fabula), UK (Koch Media), Israel (Shoval Film), Middle East (Shooting Stars), Colombia (Babilla Cine) and airlines (Jaguar).
eOne will directly distribute in Canada writer-director James Napier Robertson’s story of a man who struggles to overcome challenges and pass on his gift to children in his community. Cliff Curtis stars.
Séville’s vice-president of international sales Anick Poirier (pictured) and her team have closed deals on Elephant Song, the psychological thriller starring Xavier Dolan that premiered in Toronto.
Deals closed in Japan (UpLink), South Korea (At Nine Film), Turkey (Bir Film), Israel (Shoval Film) and China (Blue Media Times). Séville is in negotiations for Benelux and confirmed it will handle Charles Binamé’s film...
- 11/6/2014
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Depending which critics you choose to believe, Xavier Dolan is either the wunderkind or enfant terrible of Canadian cinema. This critic finds his talent both humbling and energizing, a rare excellence that's easily the equal to some of the best in world cinema.
"Mommy" is the fifth feature for the 25-year-old Dolan, who turned a quarter-century just two months before his third Cannes premiere. Joining Canadian luminaries such as Atom Egoyan and David Cronenberg at the festival, it was Dolan's film that took home one of the major festival prizes, with some murmuring that he should have been granted the Palme D'or award for this astonishing film about family, betrayal, and culture.
"Mommy" is slowing rolling out across the country, and it was recently selected as Canada's official Oscar entry, with many thinking it stands an excellent chance at winning a golden trophy. Moviefone Canada spoke to Dolan during the Toronto Film Festival in September.
"Mommy" is the fifth feature for the 25-year-old Dolan, who turned a quarter-century just two months before his third Cannes premiere. Joining Canadian luminaries such as Atom Egoyan and David Cronenberg at the festival, it was Dolan's film that took home one of the major festival prizes, with some murmuring that he should have been granted the Palme D'or award for this astonishing film about family, betrayal, and culture.
"Mommy" is slowing rolling out across the country, and it was recently selected as Canada's official Oscar entry, with many thinking it stands an excellent chance at winning a golden trophy. Moviefone Canada spoke to Dolan during the Toronto Film Festival in September.
- 10/6/2014
- by Jason Gorber
- Moviefone
25-year-old Canadian wunderkind director Xavier Dolan is having a banner year. He’s already directed five feature-length films, and his next will star Jessica Chastain. Talk about a big co-sign —she's basically the first big Hollywood actor to work with the young writer/director and is apparently a huge fan. He starred alongside Canadian acting icon Bruce Greenwood in “Elephant Song,” which screened at the Toronto International Film Festival this year, and he had his first film, “Mommy” (his mother and mothers in general are among his favorite subjects) in competition at the Cannes Film Festival, after years of being in the Un Certain Regard section. To cap it all off, the film has been selected as the Canada’s official Oscar entry (and it’s nice to see someone other than an obvious hitter like Atom Egoyan chosen for once). A new U.S. trailer has arrived, and while...
- 9/24/2014
- by Edward Davis
- The Playlist
Directing and releasing five films across the last four years, with three of them premiering at Cannes, and another at Venice, you might understand why Xavier Dolan might not have time to return phone calls. And given the limited stateside distribution of his films, it might also be easy to forget that in addition to writing and directing, Dolan is a pretty good actor, having appeared in three of his features (“I Killed My Mother,” “Heartbeats” and “Tom At The Farm”). He’s a charismatic and playful screen presence, and when Charles Binamé called with a role in his two-hander “Elephant Song,” Dolan’s attraction to the part seems obvious. It’s a scenery-chewing, spotlight-ready role, and he nimbly makes the most of it. Unfortunately, the film around Dolan’s performance is as static and restrained as he is energetic and loose. Based on the play by award-winning playwright Nicolas Billon,...
- 9/13/2014
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
I caught Charles Biname's Elephant Song at the Toronto Film Festival and in my review called the film a little "lackluster", but noted the performances from Xavier Dolan and Bruce Greenwood as particularly strong as the two go toe-to-toe in an adaptation of the Nicolas Billon play of the same name. Now a trailer for the flick has arrived and can be viewed below. Set in the mid'60s, the story centers on a psychiatrist that has gone missing and the last person he spoke to was a disturbed patient by the name of Michael Aleen (Dolan) and in an effort to get to the bottom of his disappearance Dr. Green (Greenwood) intends to have a chat with the young man, not knowing anything about his history or his desire to play mind games with those he comes in contact with. Catherine Keener, Carrie-Anne Moss and Colm Feore co-star.
- 9/11/2014
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
Coming off the acclaim at Toronto for two films, the Cannes darling Mommy and his starring vehicle Elephant Song, actor and filmmaker Xavier Dolan’s next film will mark his English language debut.
Joining his cast is none other than Jessica Chastain, herself having risen to prominence over the past few years, with her 2011 features The Tree of Life and Take Shelter followed by roles in films such as Zero Dark Thirty, Mama, and the upcoming features A Most Violent Year and Crimson Peak.
The film itself, titled The Death and Life of John F. Donovan, revolves around an American movie star who secretly corresponds with an 11-year-old in England, and Chastain will be playing the editor-in-chief of a gossip magazine. Chastain can be seen next in theatres in the Christopher Nolan film Interstellar, while Xavier Dolan’s Mommy will be opening in wide release in Canada later this month,...
Joining his cast is none other than Jessica Chastain, herself having risen to prominence over the past few years, with her 2011 features The Tree of Life and Take Shelter followed by roles in films such as Zero Dark Thirty, Mama, and the upcoming features A Most Violent Year and Crimson Peak.
The film itself, titled The Death and Life of John F. Donovan, revolves around an American movie star who secretly corresponds with an 11-year-old in England, and Chastain will be playing the editor-in-chief of a gossip magazine. Chastain can be seen next in theatres in the Christopher Nolan film Interstellar, while Xavier Dolan’s Mommy will be opening in wide release in Canada later this month,...
- 9/11/2014
- by Deepayan Sengupta
- SoundOnSight
Charles Binamé's Elephant Song has released its first trailer.
Xavier Dolan and Bruce Greenwood star in the psychological thriller, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Greenwood stars as a psychiatrist who takes on a troubled new inpatient (Dolan).
When another doctor goes missing, the patient promises to help with the investigation, on certain conditions.
Catherine Keener, Carrie-Anne Moss and Colm Feore also feature in the movie.
Jessica Chastain has been announced to star in Dolan's next directorial project, The Death And Life Of John F Donovan.
Elephant Song is yet to be given a release date.
Xavier Dolan and Bruce Greenwood star in the psychological thriller, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Greenwood stars as a psychiatrist who takes on a troubled new inpatient (Dolan).
When another doctor goes missing, the patient promises to help with the investigation, on certain conditions.
Catherine Keener, Carrie-Anne Moss and Colm Feore also feature in the movie.
Jessica Chastain has been announced to star in Dolan's next directorial project, The Death And Life Of John F Donovan.
Elephant Song is yet to be given a release date.
- 9/11/2014
- Digital Spy
Jessica Chastain will star in Xavier Dolan's The Death And Life Of John F Donovan.
The actress has joined the Mommy director's English language debut.
"It was this friend of mine - a journalist - who had brought to my attention that Jessica Chastain had seen Mommy in Cannes and had liked it and tweeted about it," Dolan told Bent.
"I went back and scrolled down the tweets and there was this lovely tweet where Jessica was saying that she had liked Mommy.
"It dawned on me that I should ask Jessica about playing the 'villain' role in John F Donovan," he continued. "There is this character of the editor-in-chief of a gossip magazine.
"The movie really is a satire of the business - more dramatic than humorous. And there's this antagonistic figure that wants to ruin the lives of every star, especially that of the lead character. And...
The actress has joined the Mommy director's English language debut.
"It was this friend of mine - a journalist - who had brought to my attention that Jessica Chastain had seen Mommy in Cannes and had liked it and tweeted about it," Dolan told Bent.
"I went back and scrolled down the tweets and there was this lovely tweet where Jessica was saying that she had liked Mommy.
"It dawned on me that I should ask Jessica about playing the 'villain' role in John F Donovan," he continued. "There is this character of the editor-in-chief of a gossip magazine.
"The movie really is a satire of the business - more dramatic than humorous. And there's this antagonistic figure that wants to ruin the lives of every star, especially that of the lead character. And...
- 9/11/2014
- Digital Spy
Xavier Dolan first attracted international attention when his first film I Killed My Mother (J’ai tué ma mère) won three awards at the Director’s Fortnight program of the 2009 Cannes Film Festival. His following three pics have also been highly rated by industry professionals, earning acclaim at prestigious international festivals around the world. Now the Quebec actor and filmmaker stars in Elephant Song, a big screen adaptation of Canadian writer Nicolas Billon’s play of the same name. Billon’s play debuted in 2004 at the Stratford Festival in Ontario. A native of Ottawa who grew up in Montreal, he also wrote the acclaimed play Greenland.
The drama follows a psychiatrist investigating the disappearance of his colleague who questions a disturbed patient (Dolan) and finds himself caught in a complex mind game. With the film screening at Tiff, the first trailer has arrived.
Elephant Song is directed by Charles Binamé...
The drama follows a psychiatrist investigating the disappearance of his colleague who questions a disturbed patient (Dolan) and finds himself caught in a complex mind game. With the film screening at Tiff, the first trailer has arrived.
Elephant Song is directed by Charles Binamé...
- 9/11/2014
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
In 2009, Xavier Dolan broke out with his directorial debut, "I Killed My Mother," and while the title is provocative, his lead character actually did no such a thing. In the forthcoming "Elephant Song," Dolan takes a rare acting-only gig and gets to fulfill the title of his first film. And with the film screening at Tiff, the first trailer has arrived presenting the director in a rather villainous turn. Directed by Charles Binamé ("The Rocket"), and featuring a cast that includes Bruce Greenwood, Catherine Keener, Carrie-Anne Moss and Colm Feore, the film is a psychological thriller about about a psychiatric patient and a psychiatrist who go head-to-head when a colleague of the latter goes missing. What follows is a mind game, with both patient and doctor looking to gain the advantage, all while trying to solve the mystery at the film's core. No release date for this one yet. Watch below.
- 9/10/2014
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
EW has an exclusive trailer for the psychological drama Elephant Song, which will be making its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival on Wednesday, Sept 10.
Based on the 2004 play by Nicolas Billion, the film directed by Charles Biname follows a game of quid pro quo between psychiatrist and patient that devolves into manipulation. Psychiatrist Dr. Toby Green (Bruce Greenwood) is tasked with interrogating the enigmatic and troubled Michael (Xavier Dolan), after the last psychiatrist Michael met with mysteriously disappears from his office.
Despite Green’s attempts to control the situation, the disaffected and disturbed Michael starts a game of...
Based on the 2004 play by Nicolas Billion, the film directed by Charles Biname follows a game of quid pro quo between psychiatrist and patient that devolves into manipulation. Psychiatrist Dr. Toby Green (Bruce Greenwood) is tasked with interrogating the enigmatic and troubled Michael (Xavier Dolan), after the last psychiatrist Michael met with mysteriously disappears from his office.
Despite Green’s attempts to control the situation, the disaffected and disturbed Michael starts a game of...
- 9/9/2014
- by Teresa Jue
- EW - Inside Movies
Dr. Lawrence has gone missing and the only person that might know where he is is an elephant-obsessed and troubled patient by the name of Michael Aleen (Xavier Dolan). In an effort to get any information Michael may be withholding, Dr. Green (Bruce Greenwood) sits down with him, but Green's ego and the fact he didn't read Michael's file before beginning the interview leaves him at a serious disadvantage. Set in the mid-'60s and based on the Nicolas Billon play of the same name, Elephant Song is a psychological drama in which Michael plays mind games with the good doctor, preying on what he knows of Dr. Green's personal life, including his past relationship with Michael's nurse, Susan Peterson (Catherine Keener). Billon adapted his own play for the screen and it's easily recognizable as something intended for the stage, though the benefit of telling the story on the big...
- 9/8/2014
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
The 34th annual Atlantic Film Festival (Aff) announced its full festival program, featuring over 190 films and a full slate of special events, to be presented over eight days in Halifax, September 11-18.
"A film festival’s primary reason for existing is to celebrate film and to say this year’s line up of films and events is a celebration is a dramatic understatement,” said Wayne Carter, Executive Director. “The sheer breadth and quality of films from both our Atlantic region and beyond offers something for everyone and when you match that with special events that deliver an experience to remember we confidently feel we are raising the bar like never before."
“Our Government is pleased to support this iconic event through the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, as part of our commitment to building a strong, competitive regional economy, said the Honorable Rob Moore, Minister of State (Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency). The Festival generates tangible benefits for our region, opening new doors to international markets for local artists and industry professionals.”
The Atlantic Film Festival’s Gala Red Carpet Opening Night will take place at a new venue this year, the Dalhousie Arts Centre’s Rebecca Cohn Auditorium. Sponsored by NBC Universal, Telefilm Canada and the Canada Media Fund, this star-studded evening will feature the
Opening Gala presentation of "Elephant Song," directed by Charles Binamé ("The Rocket," "Seraphin" ).
Set in 1966, a psychiatrist (Bruce Greenwood) cautiously pries one secret after another from a charismatic but unbalanced patient (Xavier Dolan) concerning the disappearance of the patient’s doctor. What begins as a psychological cat-and-mouse game quickly becomes a far more serious exchange about loss, memory and mystery, with deadly consequences all around. Fuelled by moving performances from an all-star cast, including Bruce Greenwood, Xavier Dolan, Catherine Keener and Carrie-Ann Moss, "Elephant Song" is an exceptional trip into the world of imagination and desire. "Elephant Song" is produced Richard Goudreau and Melenny Productions and is distributed in Canada by Entertainment One.
Following the Opening Gala film presentation is the Opening Night Party. Penned as one of Halifax’s ‘most anticipated parties of the year’, the red-carpet event is once again sponsored by NBCUniversal and will take place at the Cunard Centre on Thursday, Sept. 11.
The Festival's Closing Gala presentation on Thursday, Sept. 18 will be "Maps to the Stars" by director, David Cronenberg. His latest feature film sees the veteran horror director veering into satire, comedy, and social commentary while still providing enough shocks to satisfy his old audience as he courts the new. This time out it is Hollywood itself that is the Toronto filmmaker’s target, telling multiple tales of past-it thespians, desperate wannabees and out-of-control child actors all colliding in a fast-paced, fame-obsessed world where nobody holds anything back. Both funny and terrifying, "Map To the Stars" sees "All About Eve" accelerated into Entourage on steroids.
"Maps to the Stars" is distributed in Canada by Entertainment One.
Featuring the newest and most anticipated films of the year, moviegoers will want to be first in line to see the eight films comprising the
2014 Rogers Special Presentations. Savour the sights and sounds of soon to be award-winning films: ’71 , a moving combat film set during a terrifying riot on the streets of Belfast in 1971; "Foxcatcher," starring Steve Carell, Channing Tatum and Mark Ruffalo; Simon Pegg as a disillusioned psychiatrist on the hunt for meaning in "Hector and the Search for Happiness;" Mike Leigh’s "Mr. Turner," featuring the award-winning performance of Timothy Spall; the hilarious and heart-warming film, "My Old Lady" with Kevin Kline, Kristen Scott Thomas and Maggie Smith; Jake Gyllenhaal’s career-defining performance in Dan Gilroy’s "Nightcrawler;" and Ruba Nadda’s
"October Gale," starring Patricia Clarkson, Scott Speedman and Tim Roth.
The Aff will once again feature French films from Canada and around the world. This year’s Cinéma En Français S.V.P. program will take place from Friday, Sept. 12 to Monday, Sept. 15 and will feature two Gala Presentations. Xavier Dolan’s "Mommy" will be the Gala Français Canadien and Jean-Luc Godard’s "Adieu au langage 3D" ("Goodbye to Language 3D") will be the Gala Français International – reuniting the two Jury Prize winners from this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
Rounding out this year’s complete program is a top-tier line up of features and documentaries from Canada and throughout the world. Viewers will delight in a wide range of features such as: François Girard’s "Boychoir;" Kristen Stewart in both "Camp X-Ray" and "Clouds of Sils Maria;" Chinese director Zhang Yimou’s "Coming Home" (Gui Lai); "God Help the Girl" by Belle & Sebastien’s Stuart Murdoch; Cannes opener, "Grace of Monaco;" Sundance winner, "Whiplash;" Palme d’Or winner, "Winter Sleep;" and many more.
Select documentaries include: Nick Cave-focussed "20,000 Days on Earth;" a career-spanning look at one of film’s greatest directors in
"Altman;" the story of Russian hockey dominance in "Red Army;" a look inside Sesame Street’s most beloved character in "I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story;" and an exposé of bird poaching in "Emptying the Skies," among many other captivating and enlightening titles.
Also included in this year’s line up are Short Film Programs, featuring both a Canadian and international selection, a ViewFinders: Films for Youth program, film retrospectives at the Dalhousie Art Gallery, and the Festival’s always popular Late Shift program, which this year will screen the 40th Anniversary Restoration of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.
The 2014 Festival will host several one-of-a kind special events and parties to celebrate the movies, the people and the city of Halifax. In addition to the Opening Night Party and debuting at this year’s festival is the Festival Music House Atlantic presented by Radio Starmaker Fund . The event offers some of the hottest music acts in the country (open exclusively to Festival Passholders and Festival Delegates).
The event will also feature A State of Mine Exhibition , an exhibition from photographer, Chris Geworsky exploring the personal, intimate and unique place each subject visits when he/she loses themselves in their own music; the Ofe@Aff – an Aff Outdoor Film Experience screening of Aff’s 2012 Atlantic Gala film, The Disappeared on the Dartmouth Waterfront; and the 34th Atlantic Film Festival Awards Reception , honoring the amazing talents of Atlantic Canadian film industry professionals.
Strategic Partners , a one-of-a-kind event focusing on film, television and digital fiction, from across Canada and around the world, will take place as part of Aff, Sept. 11-14. Each year, top Canadian and international industry players, including producers, investors, sales agents, funding agencies, broadcasters, aggregators and distributors are selected to attend. Recognized as one of the world’s pre-eminent co-production markets and celebrating its 17th year, Strategic Partners 2014 is shining the Country Spotlight brightly on Latin America and the U.S., and offering delegates over 1,000 pre-scheduled 1-2-1 meetings, co-production focused roundtable sessions, cutting edge panels, visionary keynote speakers, screenings and receptions as well as the popular Film & Creative Industries Nova Scotia Lobster Dinner By the Sea.
Keynote speakers include: Peter Gerard , Head of Content and Audience Engagement at Vimeo and Mariela Besuievsky , Academy award-winning producer at Tornasol Films. In addition there will be a case study of The Games Maker , a Canada/Agentina co-production success story; digital panel: Web Series Wizards Weigh In , with moderator Catherine Tait (Guidestones, Sos: Save Our Skins ) which will give independent producers insight on how to create/finance successful online content; and TV panel: Beyond Broadcast , with moderator Damon D’Oliveira ( What We Have, The Book of Negroes ) who will explore the changing broadcast landscape and original television programming in an increasingly digital-first world.
Financed with the support of the Canada/Atlantic Provinces Agreement on International Business Development and Telefilm Canada as the Presenting Partner, Strategic Partners is a convergence of talent and innovation, producing tangible results. For more information, visit: atlanticfilm.com/sp
About the Atlantic Film Festival
The Atlantic Film Festival (Aff) is an eight-day celebration of film, media and music from around the world. It’s a festival that turns Halifax – a charming and historic coastal city – into an international Mecca for the arts, abuzz with filmmakers, industry types and film lovers. This year’s event takes place from September 11-18.
Offering a first-look at the best international films of the festival season, the Aff is a champion of local filmmakers, committed to bridging the gap. We attract some of the biggest players in film, media and music from around the world. All of our film selections are chosen with our community in mind and our special events are designed to bring us all together. A not-for-profit organization, the Aff depends heavily upon its strong ties to the surrounding and thriving arts community.
The Atlantic Film Festival began as a tiny, grassroots operation in St. John’s, Newfoundland in 1981, relocating to Halifax the following year. Just three decades later, the Atlantic film Festival has blossomed into one of Canada’s premier film festivals. Whether for industry folk, unabashed film lovers or curious onlookers, the Festival offers a slew of opportunities to engage through film. Today’s Atlantic Film Festival is now a year-round celebration, growing beyond our eight-day cornerstone event in September to include: ViewFinders: Atlantic Film Festival for Youth, Aff Outdoor Film Experience, and Strategic Partners.
Receive the most up-to-date information about the Atlantic Film Festival and its Family of Programs:
atlanticfilm.com , on Facebook page:
/atlanticfilmfestival , on Twitter account:...
"A film festival’s primary reason for existing is to celebrate film and to say this year’s line up of films and events is a celebration is a dramatic understatement,” said Wayne Carter, Executive Director. “The sheer breadth and quality of films from both our Atlantic region and beyond offers something for everyone and when you match that with special events that deliver an experience to remember we confidently feel we are raising the bar like never before."
“Our Government is pleased to support this iconic event through the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, as part of our commitment to building a strong, competitive regional economy, said the Honorable Rob Moore, Minister of State (Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency). The Festival generates tangible benefits for our region, opening new doors to international markets for local artists and industry professionals.”
The Atlantic Film Festival’s Gala Red Carpet Opening Night will take place at a new venue this year, the Dalhousie Arts Centre’s Rebecca Cohn Auditorium. Sponsored by NBC Universal, Telefilm Canada and the Canada Media Fund, this star-studded evening will feature the
Opening Gala presentation of "Elephant Song," directed by Charles Binamé ("The Rocket," "Seraphin" ).
Set in 1966, a psychiatrist (Bruce Greenwood) cautiously pries one secret after another from a charismatic but unbalanced patient (Xavier Dolan) concerning the disappearance of the patient’s doctor. What begins as a psychological cat-and-mouse game quickly becomes a far more serious exchange about loss, memory and mystery, with deadly consequences all around. Fuelled by moving performances from an all-star cast, including Bruce Greenwood, Xavier Dolan, Catherine Keener and Carrie-Ann Moss, "Elephant Song" is an exceptional trip into the world of imagination and desire. "Elephant Song" is produced Richard Goudreau and Melenny Productions and is distributed in Canada by Entertainment One.
Following the Opening Gala film presentation is the Opening Night Party. Penned as one of Halifax’s ‘most anticipated parties of the year’, the red-carpet event is once again sponsored by NBCUniversal and will take place at the Cunard Centre on Thursday, Sept. 11.
The Festival's Closing Gala presentation on Thursday, Sept. 18 will be "Maps to the Stars" by director, David Cronenberg. His latest feature film sees the veteran horror director veering into satire, comedy, and social commentary while still providing enough shocks to satisfy his old audience as he courts the new. This time out it is Hollywood itself that is the Toronto filmmaker’s target, telling multiple tales of past-it thespians, desperate wannabees and out-of-control child actors all colliding in a fast-paced, fame-obsessed world where nobody holds anything back. Both funny and terrifying, "Map To the Stars" sees "All About Eve" accelerated into Entourage on steroids.
"Maps to the Stars" is distributed in Canada by Entertainment One.
Featuring the newest and most anticipated films of the year, moviegoers will want to be first in line to see the eight films comprising the
2014 Rogers Special Presentations. Savour the sights and sounds of soon to be award-winning films: ’71 , a moving combat film set during a terrifying riot on the streets of Belfast in 1971; "Foxcatcher," starring Steve Carell, Channing Tatum and Mark Ruffalo; Simon Pegg as a disillusioned psychiatrist on the hunt for meaning in "Hector and the Search for Happiness;" Mike Leigh’s "Mr. Turner," featuring the award-winning performance of Timothy Spall; the hilarious and heart-warming film, "My Old Lady" with Kevin Kline, Kristen Scott Thomas and Maggie Smith; Jake Gyllenhaal’s career-defining performance in Dan Gilroy’s "Nightcrawler;" and Ruba Nadda’s
"October Gale," starring Patricia Clarkson, Scott Speedman and Tim Roth.
The Aff will once again feature French films from Canada and around the world. This year’s Cinéma En Français S.V.P. program will take place from Friday, Sept. 12 to Monday, Sept. 15 and will feature two Gala Presentations. Xavier Dolan’s "Mommy" will be the Gala Français Canadien and Jean-Luc Godard’s "Adieu au langage 3D" ("Goodbye to Language 3D") will be the Gala Français International – reuniting the two Jury Prize winners from this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
Rounding out this year’s complete program is a top-tier line up of features and documentaries from Canada and throughout the world. Viewers will delight in a wide range of features such as: François Girard’s "Boychoir;" Kristen Stewart in both "Camp X-Ray" and "Clouds of Sils Maria;" Chinese director Zhang Yimou’s "Coming Home" (Gui Lai); "God Help the Girl" by Belle & Sebastien’s Stuart Murdoch; Cannes opener, "Grace of Monaco;" Sundance winner, "Whiplash;" Palme d’Or winner, "Winter Sleep;" and many more.
Select documentaries include: Nick Cave-focussed "20,000 Days on Earth;" a career-spanning look at one of film’s greatest directors in
"Altman;" the story of Russian hockey dominance in "Red Army;" a look inside Sesame Street’s most beloved character in "I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story;" and an exposé of bird poaching in "Emptying the Skies," among many other captivating and enlightening titles.
Also included in this year’s line up are Short Film Programs, featuring both a Canadian and international selection, a ViewFinders: Films for Youth program, film retrospectives at the Dalhousie Art Gallery, and the Festival’s always popular Late Shift program, which this year will screen the 40th Anniversary Restoration of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.
The 2014 Festival will host several one-of-a kind special events and parties to celebrate the movies, the people and the city of Halifax. In addition to the Opening Night Party and debuting at this year’s festival is the Festival Music House Atlantic presented by Radio Starmaker Fund . The event offers some of the hottest music acts in the country (open exclusively to Festival Passholders and Festival Delegates).
The event will also feature A State of Mine Exhibition , an exhibition from photographer, Chris Geworsky exploring the personal, intimate and unique place each subject visits when he/she loses themselves in their own music; the Ofe@Aff – an Aff Outdoor Film Experience screening of Aff’s 2012 Atlantic Gala film, The Disappeared on the Dartmouth Waterfront; and the 34th Atlantic Film Festival Awards Reception , honoring the amazing talents of Atlantic Canadian film industry professionals.
Strategic Partners , a one-of-a-kind event focusing on film, television and digital fiction, from across Canada and around the world, will take place as part of Aff, Sept. 11-14. Each year, top Canadian and international industry players, including producers, investors, sales agents, funding agencies, broadcasters, aggregators and distributors are selected to attend. Recognized as one of the world’s pre-eminent co-production markets and celebrating its 17th year, Strategic Partners 2014 is shining the Country Spotlight brightly on Latin America and the U.S., and offering delegates over 1,000 pre-scheduled 1-2-1 meetings, co-production focused roundtable sessions, cutting edge panels, visionary keynote speakers, screenings and receptions as well as the popular Film & Creative Industries Nova Scotia Lobster Dinner By the Sea.
Keynote speakers include: Peter Gerard , Head of Content and Audience Engagement at Vimeo and Mariela Besuievsky , Academy award-winning producer at Tornasol Films. In addition there will be a case study of The Games Maker , a Canada/Agentina co-production success story; digital panel: Web Series Wizards Weigh In , with moderator Catherine Tait (Guidestones, Sos: Save Our Skins ) which will give independent producers insight on how to create/finance successful online content; and TV panel: Beyond Broadcast , with moderator Damon D’Oliveira ( What We Have, The Book of Negroes ) who will explore the changing broadcast landscape and original television programming in an increasingly digital-first world.
Financed with the support of the Canada/Atlantic Provinces Agreement on International Business Development and Telefilm Canada as the Presenting Partner, Strategic Partners is a convergence of talent and innovation, producing tangible results. For more information, visit: atlanticfilm.com/sp
About the Atlantic Film Festival
The Atlantic Film Festival (Aff) is an eight-day celebration of film, media and music from around the world. It’s a festival that turns Halifax – a charming and historic coastal city – into an international Mecca for the arts, abuzz with filmmakers, industry types and film lovers. This year’s event takes place from September 11-18.
Offering a first-look at the best international films of the festival season, the Aff is a champion of local filmmakers, committed to bridging the gap. We attract some of the biggest players in film, media and music from around the world. All of our film selections are chosen with our community in mind and our special events are designed to bring us all together. A not-for-profit organization, the Aff depends heavily upon its strong ties to the surrounding and thriving arts community.
The Atlantic Film Festival began as a tiny, grassroots operation in St. John’s, Newfoundland in 1981, relocating to Halifax the following year. Just three decades later, the Atlantic film Festival has blossomed into one of Canada’s premier film festivals. Whether for industry folk, unabashed film lovers or curious onlookers, the Festival offers a slew of opportunities to engage through film. Today’s Atlantic Film Festival is now a year-round celebration, growing beyond our eight-day cornerstone event in September to include: ViewFinders: Atlantic Film Festival for Youth, Aff Outdoor Film Experience, and Strategic Partners.
Receive the most up-to-date information about the Atlantic Film Festival and its Family of Programs:
atlanticfilm.com , on Facebook page:
/atlanticfilmfestival , on Twitter account:...
- 9/6/2014
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
For the first time ever, Toronto International Film Festival along with Telefilm Canada had a pre-Toronto reception for the trade. Held at Soho House on a flawless L.A. day, with views of West Hollywood and Beverly Hills all the way to the Pacific Ocean, the trade had the happy hours to greet and catch up with each other and to preview trailers of the films Canada will be showing at the festival. And best of all, Tiff gave everyone a 2 lb. 4 oz. catalog (even more than one to gift to other colleagues) to take home instead of having to pack them into our suitcases to take back from Toronto.
Maybe it’s the drought here in L.A. that gives me the yearning for rain, but the films on my must-see list include a couple about rain: the Tiff Doc, “Monsoon” by Surla Gunnarsson and “October Gale” by Ruba Nadda (“Cairo Time”) starring Patricia Clarkson and Scott Speedman, a Special Presentation being sold by Myriad.
Canada has the most coproduction treaties of any other nation, and Seoul Korea is the chosen city in this year’s City to City program. The coproduction between Canada and So. Korea, “In Her Place” by writer-director Albert Shin, showing in the Discovery Section looks very compelling. Elle Driver is selling this drama about a wealthy couple secretly seeking to adopt the unborn child of an impoverished and troubled rural teenager.
Other trailers we watched included Contemporary World Cinema entries, “Felix and Meira” by Maxime Giroux, being sold by Udi – Urban Distribution International, “Love in the Time of Civil War” by Rodrigue Jean (Isa: Les Films du 3 Mars) and “Heartbeat” by Andrea Dorfman.
In Midnight Madness, “The Editor” looks pretty good. Park Entertainment is selling it. Xavier Dolan, Bruce Greenwood and Catherine Keener star in “Elephant Song” by Charles Biname which is a Special Presentation. Another Special Presentation is “Preggoland” by Jacob Tierney (“The Trotsky”).
Trailers from Discovery included “Guidance”, the debut film by Pat Mills, “Big Muddy”, “The Valley Below” by Kyle Thomas, “Wet Bum” by Lindsay Mackay, (Isa: Traction Media), “Backcountry” by Adam MacDonald, (Isa: Event Film Distribution, Us: contact Cinetic), “Bang Bang Baby” a surreal, fever-dream fusion of small-town musical and 1950s sci-fi debut feature which writer-director Jeffrey St. Jules developed from his own short at the Cannes Film Festival Residence Program.
Peter Goldwyn of The Samuel Goldwyn Company and Matt Dentler of iTunes, talked up the unprecedented (for a foreign language film) success reaching the top 20 films on iTunes of “ The German Doctor” directed by Lucia Puenzo.
Paul Federbush and I spoke of new horizons of the international labs of Sundance Institute. Sundance Industry’s Rosy Wong introduced me to Lisa Ogdie, Sundance Ff’s Shorts Programmer. Strand’s Marcus Hu, who has two films in the festival (Films Distribution’s “Girlhood” and Pyramide’s “Xenia”) was there, Frank Wuliger looking at the Gersh trailer of “October Gale”, Rebecca (Bec) Smith of UTA as were so many others.
New acquisitions gigs were discussed: Bobby Rock looking for international sales agent,Cinema Management Group ( Dene Anderberg, Cmg’s VP of Sales and Operations, was also there schmoozing) and for Random Media, the new U.S. distribution company founded by Eric Doctorow (formerly head of Paramount Home Video) in November 2013, which will release films through Cinedigm.
Telefilm and Tiff have held a similar soiree for four years in NewYork. I’m sure Andrew Karpen, former Co-ceo of Focus Features, who is launching the new distribution company Bleecker Street was there in N.Y.
Rachel Shapiro, also happily working on many projects at once and her friend, producer Melanie Backer, Laurie Woodrow of RightsTrade a global online marketplace for film, television and digital rights licensing whose “Market On Demand” streamlines film, television, and digital rights sales and acquisitions for content owners, sales agents and distributors who can reach thousands of industry buyers, and buyers can search, screen, and license rights from sellers of thousands of titles.
Bonnie Voland with her hands full for Im Global and its many lines, reminisced with Carolle Brabant, Executive Director of Telefilm Canada and Brigitte Hubmann of Telefilm about the five (!) regimes of the Toronto International Film Festival she has known…from before Helga Stephenson all the way to Cameron Bailey who was there talking up the upcoming festival and hearing peoples’ raves or rants.
Also reminiscing with Brigitte about their days at Goethe Institut was Margit Kleinman who is now director of Villa Aurora, the artist-in-residence program for artists in Germany housed in the Pacific Palisades former home of German émigré, the novelist Lion Furchtwanger. I didn’t have time to ask if they would host the German Academy Award party this year for their submission for Best Foreign Language film, Dominik Graf’s “Beloved Sister”. Since its premiere at the Berlinale this year, international sales agent Global Screen has sold the rights to Music Box for U.S. who will release it in December, and to Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Poland and Croatia thus far.
Our dear friend, Ian Birnie, programmer for Mumbai Film Festival and the Louisiana International Film Festival was there with so many others. It was a wonderful moment to catch up and to forget the pressure we are all under preparing our screenings and meetings for Tiff.
Even though he wasn’t there, I want to mention a brief interchange I had with producer rep Cassian Elwes of Elevated Film Sales, who is repping “Black and White” with Kevin Costner and co-repping the Paul Bettany movie with Jennifer Connelly, “Shelter”, with UTA at Tiff. “In Venice I have Bogdanovich’s ‘She's Funny that Way’ which is in a three way split between me, CAA and UTA and Joe Dante's movie ‘Burying the Ex’ which I'm doing with CAA.”
Steven Raphael and Mj Pekos were fronting for the reception and also are repping “Voiceover” and “Dark Horse” at Tiff.
There was no need to show trailers to the buzz films like the Gala film “Foxcatcher”, which has Oscar expectations are already swirling around it and which premiered in Cannes and is being sold by Kimberly Fox’s Panorama Media and Annapurna (already sold to Sony Pictures Classics for U.S. as well as to Canada-Métropole Films Distribution and Mongrel Media Inc., France-Mars Films, Germany-Koch Media Gmbh, Japan-Longride Inc. So. Korea-Green Narae Media, Switzerland-Ascot Elite Entertainment Group, Taiwan-Long Shong International, United Kingdom- Entertainment One Uk. The film has already earned Bennett Miller the Best Director prize at Cannes.
Another not previewing was Benedict Cumberbatch starring in the much talked about Alan Turing biopic “ The Imitation Game”, and his portrayal of the legendary British code breaker and mathematician is generating talk of a Best Actor nod at this year's Academy Awards. FilmNation is repping this and has already sold it to The Weinstein Company for U.S., Belgium to Paradiso Filmed Entertainment, Greece to Seven Films, Hong Kong (China) to Edko Films Ltd, Israel to Lev Films (Shani Films), Italy toVidea - Cde S.P.A., Japan toGaga Corporation, So. Korea to Medialog Corp., Sweden to Svensk Filmindustri, Ab, Switzerland to Ascot Elite Entertainment Group, Taiwan to Applause Entertainment Ltd. Taiwan Branch, Thailand to M Pictures Co., Ltd.
Two other hot films are Lone Scherfig's “The Riot Club” repped by Hanway and already sold to Universal Pictures for No. America, Belgium-Lumière, France-Selective Films, Germany-Prokino Filmverleih Gmbh, Hong Kong (China)-Golden Scene Company Limited, Italy-Notorious Pictures, Benelux-Lumiere, Poland-Kino Swiat, Switzerland-Pathe Films Ag, United Arab Emirates-Front Row Filmed Entertainment and the U.K. Kingdom-Universal Pictures International and Noah Baumbach's “ While We're Young”, produced by Scott Rudin and repped by FilmNation (again!), with no sales on record yet.
See Cameron Bailey on CBC News discussing Tiff:
Video | TIFF2014: 4 buzz-worthy films at the fest If you want to know more about sales in Toronto, please check back with www.SydneysBuzz.com/Reports for the Toronto By Numbers Report and after the festival for the Toronto Rights Roundup.
Maybe it’s the drought here in L.A. that gives me the yearning for rain, but the films on my must-see list include a couple about rain: the Tiff Doc, “Monsoon” by Surla Gunnarsson and “October Gale” by Ruba Nadda (“Cairo Time”) starring Patricia Clarkson and Scott Speedman, a Special Presentation being sold by Myriad.
Canada has the most coproduction treaties of any other nation, and Seoul Korea is the chosen city in this year’s City to City program. The coproduction between Canada and So. Korea, “In Her Place” by writer-director Albert Shin, showing in the Discovery Section looks very compelling. Elle Driver is selling this drama about a wealthy couple secretly seeking to adopt the unborn child of an impoverished and troubled rural teenager.
Other trailers we watched included Contemporary World Cinema entries, “Felix and Meira” by Maxime Giroux, being sold by Udi – Urban Distribution International, “Love in the Time of Civil War” by Rodrigue Jean (Isa: Les Films du 3 Mars) and “Heartbeat” by Andrea Dorfman.
In Midnight Madness, “The Editor” looks pretty good. Park Entertainment is selling it. Xavier Dolan, Bruce Greenwood and Catherine Keener star in “Elephant Song” by Charles Biname which is a Special Presentation. Another Special Presentation is “Preggoland” by Jacob Tierney (“The Trotsky”).
Trailers from Discovery included “Guidance”, the debut film by Pat Mills, “Big Muddy”, “The Valley Below” by Kyle Thomas, “Wet Bum” by Lindsay Mackay, (Isa: Traction Media), “Backcountry” by Adam MacDonald, (Isa: Event Film Distribution, Us: contact Cinetic), “Bang Bang Baby” a surreal, fever-dream fusion of small-town musical and 1950s sci-fi debut feature which writer-director Jeffrey St. Jules developed from his own short at the Cannes Film Festival Residence Program.
Peter Goldwyn of The Samuel Goldwyn Company and Matt Dentler of iTunes, talked up the unprecedented (for a foreign language film) success reaching the top 20 films on iTunes of “ The German Doctor” directed by Lucia Puenzo.
Paul Federbush and I spoke of new horizons of the international labs of Sundance Institute. Sundance Industry’s Rosy Wong introduced me to Lisa Ogdie, Sundance Ff’s Shorts Programmer. Strand’s Marcus Hu, who has two films in the festival (Films Distribution’s “Girlhood” and Pyramide’s “Xenia”) was there, Frank Wuliger looking at the Gersh trailer of “October Gale”, Rebecca (Bec) Smith of UTA as were so many others.
New acquisitions gigs were discussed: Bobby Rock looking for international sales agent,Cinema Management Group ( Dene Anderberg, Cmg’s VP of Sales and Operations, was also there schmoozing) and for Random Media, the new U.S. distribution company founded by Eric Doctorow (formerly head of Paramount Home Video) in November 2013, which will release films through Cinedigm.
Telefilm and Tiff have held a similar soiree for four years in NewYork. I’m sure Andrew Karpen, former Co-ceo of Focus Features, who is launching the new distribution company Bleecker Street was there in N.Y.
Rachel Shapiro, also happily working on many projects at once and her friend, producer Melanie Backer, Laurie Woodrow of RightsTrade a global online marketplace for film, television and digital rights licensing whose “Market On Demand” streamlines film, television, and digital rights sales and acquisitions for content owners, sales agents and distributors who can reach thousands of industry buyers, and buyers can search, screen, and license rights from sellers of thousands of titles.
Bonnie Voland with her hands full for Im Global and its many lines, reminisced with Carolle Brabant, Executive Director of Telefilm Canada and Brigitte Hubmann of Telefilm about the five (!) regimes of the Toronto International Film Festival she has known…from before Helga Stephenson all the way to Cameron Bailey who was there talking up the upcoming festival and hearing peoples’ raves or rants.
Also reminiscing with Brigitte about their days at Goethe Institut was Margit Kleinman who is now director of Villa Aurora, the artist-in-residence program for artists in Germany housed in the Pacific Palisades former home of German émigré, the novelist Lion Furchtwanger. I didn’t have time to ask if they would host the German Academy Award party this year for their submission for Best Foreign Language film, Dominik Graf’s “Beloved Sister”. Since its premiere at the Berlinale this year, international sales agent Global Screen has sold the rights to Music Box for U.S. who will release it in December, and to Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Poland and Croatia thus far.
Our dear friend, Ian Birnie, programmer for Mumbai Film Festival and the Louisiana International Film Festival was there with so many others. It was a wonderful moment to catch up and to forget the pressure we are all under preparing our screenings and meetings for Tiff.
Even though he wasn’t there, I want to mention a brief interchange I had with producer rep Cassian Elwes of Elevated Film Sales, who is repping “Black and White” with Kevin Costner and co-repping the Paul Bettany movie with Jennifer Connelly, “Shelter”, with UTA at Tiff. “In Venice I have Bogdanovich’s ‘She's Funny that Way’ which is in a three way split between me, CAA and UTA and Joe Dante's movie ‘Burying the Ex’ which I'm doing with CAA.”
Steven Raphael and Mj Pekos were fronting for the reception and also are repping “Voiceover” and “Dark Horse” at Tiff.
There was no need to show trailers to the buzz films like the Gala film “Foxcatcher”, which has Oscar expectations are already swirling around it and which premiered in Cannes and is being sold by Kimberly Fox’s Panorama Media and Annapurna (already sold to Sony Pictures Classics for U.S. as well as to Canada-Métropole Films Distribution and Mongrel Media Inc., France-Mars Films, Germany-Koch Media Gmbh, Japan-Longride Inc. So. Korea-Green Narae Media, Switzerland-Ascot Elite Entertainment Group, Taiwan-Long Shong International, United Kingdom- Entertainment One Uk. The film has already earned Bennett Miller the Best Director prize at Cannes.
Another not previewing was Benedict Cumberbatch starring in the much talked about Alan Turing biopic “ The Imitation Game”, and his portrayal of the legendary British code breaker and mathematician is generating talk of a Best Actor nod at this year's Academy Awards. FilmNation is repping this and has already sold it to The Weinstein Company for U.S., Belgium to Paradiso Filmed Entertainment, Greece to Seven Films, Hong Kong (China) to Edko Films Ltd, Israel to Lev Films (Shani Films), Italy toVidea - Cde S.P.A., Japan toGaga Corporation, So. Korea to Medialog Corp., Sweden to Svensk Filmindustri, Ab, Switzerland to Ascot Elite Entertainment Group, Taiwan to Applause Entertainment Ltd. Taiwan Branch, Thailand to M Pictures Co., Ltd.
Two other hot films are Lone Scherfig's “The Riot Club” repped by Hanway and already sold to Universal Pictures for No. America, Belgium-Lumière, France-Selective Films, Germany-Prokino Filmverleih Gmbh, Hong Kong (China)-Golden Scene Company Limited, Italy-Notorious Pictures, Benelux-Lumiere, Poland-Kino Swiat, Switzerland-Pathe Films Ag, United Arab Emirates-Front Row Filmed Entertainment and the U.K. Kingdom-Universal Pictures International and Noah Baumbach's “ While We're Young”, produced by Scott Rudin and repped by FilmNation (again!), with no sales on record yet.
See Cameron Bailey on CBC News discussing Tiff:
Video | TIFF2014: 4 buzz-worthy films at the fest If you want to know more about sales in Toronto, please check back with www.SydneysBuzz.com/Reports for the Toronto By Numbers Report and after the festival for the Toronto Rights Roundup.
- 9/1/2014
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
The luxurious banquet hall in Toronto’s Royal York hotel was electric with excitement as Tiff senior programmers including Steve Gravestock and Agata Smoluch Del Sorbo announced the robust lineup of Canadian films (several world preems) at this year’s Tiff plus the 40+ short titles (out of an astounding 840 short films — an increase of over 200 titles from last year) that will screen at the prestigious festival. With features populating almost every section at the fest, among the headliner items from English Canada, Cairo Time‘s Ruba Nadda returns to the fest with October Gale, while also world preeming is Bang Bang Baby — Jeffrey St. Jules marks his feature film debut with a film that is equal parts Rocky Horror Picture Show and early Cronenberg. Starring Jane Levy of the recent About Alex, it revolves around a small-town teenager in the ’60s whose dream of becoming a famous singer is dashed...
- 8/6/2014
- by Leora Heilbronn
- IONCINEMA.com
New work by Sturla Gunnarsson, Denys Arcand, Ruba Nadda and Xavier Dolan are among the selection set to premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (Tiff) next month.
“These are filmmakers at the top of their craft, bringing fresh perspectives to traditional genres like comedies and less traditionally Canadian genres, such as musicals,” said Toronto International Film Festival (Tiff) senior programmer Steve Gravestock. “This year’s slate truly showcases the diversity of talent in our country, featuring films from coast to coast.”
“We are inspired by the number of exceptional debut features from Canadian directors, reflecting the depth of talent in this country,” said Tiff’s Canadian features programmer Agata Smoluch Del Sorbo.
“Extremely exciting is also the fact that female-driven narratives play a significant part in this year’s programming, highlighting the strong, rich tapestry of our storytelling.”
The Canada Goose Award for Best Canadian Feature Film is up for grabs, as is the...
“These are filmmakers at the top of their craft, bringing fresh perspectives to traditional genres like comedies and less traditionally Canadian genres, such as musicals,” said Toronto International Film Festival (Tiff) senior programmer Steve Gravestock. “This year’s slate truly showcases the diversity of talent in our country, featuring films from coast to coast.”
“We are inspired by the number of exceptional debut features from Canadian directors, reflecting the depth of talent in this country,” said Tiff’s Canadian features programmer Agata Smoluch Del Sorbo.
“Extremely exciting is also the fact that female-driven narratives play a significant part in this year’s programming, highlighting the strong, rich tapestry of our storytelling.”
The Canada Goose Award for Best Canadian Feature Film is up for grabs, as is the...
- 8/6/2014
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Toronto - The Toronto International Film Festival on Wednesday revealed its Canadian lineup, including world premieres for homegrown films by Ruba Nadda, Sturla Gunnarsson and Kyle Thomas. Away from its Hollywood star-making machine, the September event will debut Nadda's October Gale, which stars Patricia Clarkson and Tim Roth, Gunnarsson's long-awaited feature documentary Monsoon, about India's monsoon season, and Kyle Thomas' The Valley Below, an Alberta badlands drama that stars Stephen Bogaert, Kris Demeanor and Alejandro Rae. The Special Presentations sidebar also booked world premieres for Charles Binane's The Elephant Song, which stars Xavier Dolan and Bruce Greenwood, and Jacob
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- 8/6/2014
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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