Film School Rejects » Film Festivals

See What’s Playing at Telluride This Weekend

Neil Miller — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 16:32:23 +0000

Just a day after Variety film critic Todd McCarthy dropkicked it into the ether with a nasty first review, John Hillcoat’s much-anticipated Cormac McCarthy adaptation The Road was added to the lineup for the 36th Telluride Film Festival. That should make for some interesting (and potentially reactionary) responses from critics in the Colorado mountain paradise. The Road is joined in Telluride by an assortment of Cannes and Sundance winners, as well as a few other new entries. Among the likely to be talked about are Jacques Audiard’s A Prophet, Lone Sherfig’s Sundance darling An Education, Michael Haneke’s big Cannes winner The White Ribbon and Werner Herzog’s Nic Cage-led sequel Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans.

As it does every year, Telluride will also feature a series of surprise screenings as the week goes on. Director Edgar Wright has already hilariously addressed rumors about a Scott Pilgrim vs. The World screening via Twitter — that’s not happening. Last year, David Fincher showed up to show off an unfinished version of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button several months in advance. As well, films such as Juno and The Last King of Scotland have also started their Oscar campaigns in the Colorado Rockies in recent years. So needless to say, Telluride is one fall festival worth keeping an eye on. Which is what we’ll be doing, from the comfort of our own homes. But as we do so very well, we’ll keep an eye on the buzz for you.

For a complete listing of the films playing Telluride, check out the update from IndieWire.

The 6 Films of Cinemapocalypse 2009

Dr. Cole Abaius — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 22:59:19 +0000

Friends, I have seen the Promised Land. And that Promised Land is on a downtown Austin street that smells like urine and old falafel. It’s always the last place you’d look for it, eh? But there, in the Alamo Drafthouse Downtown Location, I bore witness to the glory of the First Annual Cinemapocalypse.

Tim League and the crew over at the Alamo Drafthouse know how to throw one hell of a party. Of course, paired with Quentin Tarantino, they also know how to pummel an audience into their seats with increasing intensity.

Over the course of 14 hours, we were all subjected to bloody, ball-chopping, machine-gun-spitting, firebombingly excellent violence alongside some cool Q&As and far too many buckets of Schlitz. Since you didn’t have a chance to be there, and I pity that you didn’t, I’ve decided to share some thoughts on the movies we saw so that you might be able to hold your very own DVD-style marathon at home when the time comes. I also hope that these words are taken down, canonized and bound into leather books that shall be used on some sort of weekly day of worship. Let’s say Tuesday since it’s the start of the weekend.

Hold on to your butts:

Inglourious Basterds (2009)

Health Status: Ready. Willing. Able.

Film Love: This movie is a hell of a fun ride. Tarantino has always had a strong ear for dialog and it’s on display here in a big way alongside some heart-poundingly tense moments and some visceral violence. There are a few problems – like too much of that dialog monopolizing the set pieces and far too much stroking of the director’s own movie knowledge – but over all, it’s a really fun movie that is far different than what the trailers and marketing materials are showing. It was also a fantastic experience to watch the last act of the film after the Alamo crew dropped massive Swastika banners down to adorn the walls of the theater. They loomed large over the rest of the fest, which was actually pretty jarring, but a damn unique film watching experience. It was also interesting seeing the film before a host of cult/pulp/exploitation films because it taught me something. Most of those films have major stretches of boredom and exposition before getting to the wanton violence. Inglourious Basterds can feel draggy from time to time, but the dialog and acting are world’s better than those other films which elevates it into a seriously enjoyable experience. The look of Inglourious Basterds fluctuates from high art to gritty realism, the acting is fantastic (and extra points go to casting German actors as Germans and French actors as French characters), and the story is over-the-top but still personal. I was really pumped by the time the credits rolled.

The Losers **aka Nam’s Angels (1970)**

Health Status: Really pumped.

Film Love: The second film of the night chosen by Quentin Tarantino, The Losers is a truly ridiculous movie built on the premise that the Army has called upon the might of a motorcycle gang to go into the shit in Vietnam and rescue a kidnapped man who everyone seems to hate for some reason. The print of the flick had lost most of its color, so it was shown in glorious pink, but it seemed appropriate for how dated and absurd the movie is. Especially considering that it makes absolutely no goddamned sense. The story is as lacking as the acting – perfect for what it is. Unleashing bikers into the whore houses of Vietnam (which looks surprisingly like The Philippines!) and having them build bikes with machine guns secured to the handlebars are the true main focus for the movie, although if you want to look deeply into the reality of soldiers raping/falling in love with local women during war, you can. You’re probably better off just watching for the horrid spectacle of it all. Granted, it’s laughable, but you’ll probably fall in love with (or to) the haunting, Carole King-style hippie theme song that compliments the blood-splatter like a tuxedo at a garbage dump. It’s better than average as a biker-war movie, but something to consider: The Losers was one of the first Vietnam war movies – so see if you can spot the elements that would later become cliches!

The Siege of Firebase Gloria (1989)

Health Status: Eying the menu. Downing a fourth Dr. Pepper. Mostly sane.

Film Love: This, my friends, was the surprise stand out of the entire marathon and stands as a gleaming exception to my hotly-debated dislike of most 1980s films. I’d never heard of this Vietnam war piece (that still looks shockingly like the Philippines!), but it blew me the fuck away. R. Lee Ermey shows off some serious acting chops (alongside some of the most quotable solider lines on the planet. Yes, Sgt. Hafner! I will defend this base like it’s my daughter’s cherry!) and Wings Hauser is a usual brand of bad ass with a heart that works really well. The team meets up at a firebase where the C.O. has gone pretty insane, so they take over and fortify in time for a three-day attack launched by the Viet Cong. Director Brian Trenchard-Smith’s name alone should get you excited about it, and he delivers in a big way with a strong story and some really bloody battles. The Viet Cong soldier attempting to crawl away while dragging what was left of his leg (his Tibia) was one of my favorites, but the sheer amount of heads on spikes takes the cake. And, as you might guess, a three-day assault with massive numbers turns the firebase and the fields outside of it into a slaughterhouse in the most satisfying way possible. Firebase Gloria is one hell of a film.

Vigilante (1983)

Health Status: Mind slowly going, but a mysterious stranger in a powder blue jumpsuit offers me some pills. I’m only slightly disappointed to find out they are Advil Liquigels.

Film Love: This movie is not the best film on the planet, but it holds a special place in my heart because I saw it when I was in high school – part of the film education that my father shared with me – and it works as a sort of poor man’s version of Death Wish. Iconic actor Robert Forster was on hand to answer some questions and to do a hilarious impression of John Huston, and the guy is just as likable as a human being gets. To the huge round of applause he received, he smiled and responded, “It’s great to be overrated.” How cool is that? Of course, his character in Vigilante shoots a guy in the chest at close range with a shotgun, but the asshole totally had it coming to him. Essentially, the movie is about a man whose wife and son are attacked, the system that fails to punish the guilty, and a group of men who take the law into their own hands. But the plot really doesn’t matter. It’s a loose reasoning for showing scene after escalating scene of getting the kind of cathartic, break-every-bone-in-his-body-and-leave-him-in-a-parking-lot revenge that someone might want after their family is attacked. Like I said, not really a great movie, but there’s a compelling reason to see it: Fred Williamson kicking the ass out of just about everyone. Plus, the legendary Woody Strode has a small role kicking the ass out of a gang of prisoners in the shower.

The Black Gestapo (1975)

Health Status: Soul hurts.

Film Love: I never, ever, ever thought that I’d get to see this movie in my life, let alone on the big screen. I’d heard rumors and tale of this blacksploitation film from fellow film fans for a while, but never imagined I’d have the pleasure to see it myself. Before checking out, if you can, you should ask yourself: do you want to see a bunch of senseless nudity? Black people dressed up like SS members? a guy held down in a bathtub and relieved of the burdens of testicle ownership? The answer, my friends, is yes. The Black Gestapo is a terrible, awful, needlessly bad film – and you should run out and see it immediately. Charles Robinson (the bailiff from “Night Court” (Seriously)) rises to power within the ranks of the People’s Army and creates a violent group of thugs that save the neighborhood from the white drug dealers and bookies that rape the black women and harass the store owners. Thankfully, once the white oppressors are gone, the militant group takes over running the numbers and raping the women if need be. It’s up to one man to infiltrate their training facility and murder a ton of dudes with make-shift weaponry or hog-tie them with not-make-shift ropes. Definitely slow at points, but it’s so head-slappingly impossible as a premise, that it must be watched.

Ip Man (2008)

Health Status: Getting my third wind, wondering how many vitamins are in fried pickles, shaking slightly from a severe lack of sleep.

Film Love: What a fantastic movie to end on. Ip Man was previously celebrated on our site with a review from foreign film (and all things Asian) enthusiast Rob Hunter, and I agree with him wholeheartedly. Donnie Yen steps up his acting slightly to play the title character – a man who would go on to teach Bruce Lee – during the tumultuous World War II-era China. The fight scenes of Ip Man are numerous and exciting – leading up to a final confrontation between the evil Japanese General and Master Ip where the wire work is done deftly and the fists move so fast that you can almost feel the force of the punches in your own chest. For classic kung fu fans, there are a few jokes – particularly dealing with the quarreling of the different schools – that work really well and show off an understanding of the genre history. But, damn, this movie is just a really great display of martial arts painted lovingly on the backdrop of oppression and the end of an era.

In Which I Survive Cinemapocalypse

What a fan-fucking-tastic time. A ton of great movies all lined up and shot down one by one by a hungry audience whose blood-lust knew no bounds! A great audience where film geeks could roam around chatting about carving up flesh and launching rockets at helicopters while making new friends. And all of it topped off with an ice-cold Schlitz (in the can!) in the lobby at 11a.m. A movie marathon well worth the lack of sleep and the fever-dreams that still haunt me. In short, I’m already marking my calendar for next year’s end of the world. Hopefully they leave the Nazi banners up in the theater for family film day.

Mystery Team Sets a Date to Inspect Austin’s Alamo Drafthouse

Neil Miller — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 15:28:38 +0000

And here, I thought Thursday was going to be a wash. The awesome folks at the Alamo Drafthouse have officially announced today that the Sundance sensation Mystery Team will be making its debut here in Austin at the Alamo Ritz on Friday, August 28th.

This is something that director Dan Eckman mentioned in an interview with our own Kevin Kelly at Comic-Con last week (watch that video here), but it is nice to get some official confirmation from our friends at the Alamo. I couldn’t be more excited, as Mystery Team is still one of my favorite films of the year — and easily one of the funniest films to be shown in any theater, anywhere in 2009.

From the Derrick Comedy group, the same kids who brought you Bro Rape and Blowjob Girl online, Mystery Team is the story of three high school seniors who never let go of their days as Encyclopedia Brown-esque gumshoes. It is an absurd story about mal-adjusted youths, drug kingpins and what happens in the back, back room of a local strip club. As I said in my Sundance review, it is “irreverent, dark and beautifully self aware.” Oh, and it is absolutely hilarious. Not the kind of movie that any lover of dark comedy should miss.

The opening night screening will take place at the Alamo Ritz (320 E 6th Street) at 7:00p. Tickets go on sale the Monday before the screening. For more, check out the Alamo Drafhouse website. Also, check out the trailer for Mystery Team below.

Fantastic Fest Brings Inglourious Basterds Premiere to Austin

Neil Miller — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 21:30:30 +0000

The official Fantastic Fest blog has announced today that Quentin Tarantino’s latest film Inglourious Basterds will be coming to Austin for a premiere event on August 15 at 9 PM at The Alamo Drafthouse Downtown (320 E 6th Street). Tarantino will also be on hand for Q&A after the film.

The film screened to surprised crowds this past weekend at Comic-Con in San Diego and made its official world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, but the Austin audience will still be one of the first audiences to see the film in the United States.

The screening will kick of Cinemapocalypse, a dusk-til dawn movie marathon. Basterds will be followed by a double feature of repertory films programmed by Quentin Tarantino. Tickets for Cinemapocalypse are $65 and will be available to Austin Film Society members and 2009 Fantastic Fest badge holders on Thursday, July 30 at noon CST. Remaining tickets will be available to the general public starting Friday, July 31 at noon CST. Tickets can be purchased here.

As can be expected, we will be there in force to see what all the fuss is about.

About the Film
In the first year of the German occupation of France, Shosanna Dreyfus (Melanie Laurent) witnesses the execution of her family at the hand of Nazi Colonel Hans Landa (Christoph Waltz). Shosanna narrowly escapes and flees to Paris where she forges a new identity as the owner and operator of a cinema. Elsewhere in Europe, Lieutenant Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt) organizes a group of Jewish American soldiers to perform swift, shocking acts of retribution. Later known to their enemy as “the basterds,” Raine’s squad joins German actress and undercover agent Bridget von Hammersmark (Diane Kruger) on a mission to take down the leaders of the Third Reich. Fates converge under a cinema marquis, where Shosanna is poised to carry out a revenge plan of her own… Employing pulp and propaganda in equal measure, Quentin Tarantino’s INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS weaves together the infamous, oppressed, real and larger-than-life stories of WWII.

LA Shorts Film Festival Features Scarlett Johansson, Demi Moore & Courteney Cox’s Shorts

Bethany Perryman — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 23:49:56 +0000

San Diego Comic-Con is on and in full force! So, as the tumbleweeds blow across the City of Angels, The 13th Annual LA Shorts Film Festival began Thursday night with…a little bit less than a bang. Some prominent Hollywood women, however, are showcasing their talents with world premieres of their directorial debuts:

These Vagabond Shoes stars a-now-completely-broke-thanks-to-Bernie-Madoff Kevin Bacon and is directed by Scarlett Johansson.
The Spleenectomy stars Anna Faris, and leaves a scar as the first film directed by Kirsten Smith. Smith is a Hollywood screenwriter and producer whose credits include 10 Things I Hate About You, Legally Blonde, The House Bunny, summer’s newest rom-com, The Ugly Truth.
The Monday Before Thanksgiving stars Laura Dern and Courteney Cox. This short is Cox’s directorial debut, not including David Arquette’s wardrobe. If I were to place my bets, I’d say that 1) the film is set in the spring, and 2) because Laura Dern is in it, it probably features velociraptors cooking turkey in a kitchen.

These three directors participated in an opening night Q & A session.

Today, Demi Moore will attend the world premiere of her Streak, which we hope is about what it sounds like it’s about.

The LA Shorts Film Festival runs through July 31st, and will feature other short films populated by stars such as Zachary Quinto, Isabella Rossellini, Kanye West (yes, that Kanye West), Elizabeth Perkins, Bill Engvall, Nick Cave (of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds), and REM’s Michael Stipe.

For more on the LA Shorts Festival, check out their official website: LAShortsFest.com

CineVegas Announces ‘09 Lineup, Closes with ‘World’s Greatest Dad’

Neil Miller — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 15:04:27 +0000

The folks at CineVegas have officially announced their 2009 film lineup for their 11th annual engagement, set to run from June 10-15, 2009. Among the selections are some awesome Sundance and SXSW graduates, including Duncan Jones’ Moon, Mark Webb’s lovely romantic comedy 500 Days of Summer, Scott Sanders’ awesome blaxploitation parody Black Dynamite, Lynn Shelton’s awkward but super-fun comedy Humpday and Max Mayer’s very sweet Sundance darling Adam, starring Hugh Dancy and Rose Byrne. The festival will close with a screening of Bobcat Goldthwait’s World’s Greatest Dad, my absolute favorite film from this year’s Sundance Film Festival. If you didn’t get a chance to hit Sundance or SXSW this year, CineVegas should definitely be on your agenda as it has scored many of the best films from both festivals.

The festival will also feature a round of screenings in what they call the “Area 52″ section, an underground collection of cult and midnight movies that will break up some of the regular festival fare. Among these screenings will be a big screen presentation of the 1958 Nathan Juran film Attack of the 50 Foot Woman, which is sure to be a treat. That alone has me thinking about buying a ticket to Vegas.

Check out the fest’s entire film listing below and head over to CineVegas.com for more information.

OPENING NIGHT FILM

Saint John of Las Vegas (USA, 2009)
Director: Hue Rhodes
Cast: Steve Buscemi, Sarah Silverman, Romany Malco, Peter Dinklage, Tim Blake Nelson, John Cho and Emmanuelle Chriqui
Steve Buscemi plays John, an ex-gambler-turned fraud investigator who must return to Las Vegas to investigate an insurance claim.

CLOSING NIGHT FILM

World’s Greatest Dad (USA, 2009)
Director: Bobcat Goldthwait
Cast: Robin Williams, Daryl Sabara, Alexie Gilmore, Tom Kenny, Geoffrey Pierson, Henry Simmons, Toby Huss
After a freak accident, Lance (Robin Williams) suddenly faces both the worst tragedy of his life, and the greatest opportunity. Determined to make lemonade from life’s lemons, Lance treads a path that could land him everything he’s ever dreamed of, as long as he can live with the knowledge of how he got there.

JACKPOT PREMIERES
A collection of highly anticipated world premieres

Asylum Seekers (USA, 2008)
Director: Rania Ajami
Cast: Pepper Binkley, Bill Dawes, Judith Hawking, Daniel Irizarry, Stella Maeve, Camille O’Sullivan, Lee Wilkof
Six people on the verge of a breakdown decide to check themselves into an insane asylum, only to discover there is just room for one.

Daylight (USA, 2009)
Director: David Barker
Cast: Alexandra Meierhans, Michael Godere, Aidan Redmond, Ivan Martin
When pregnant newlywed Irene is violently taken hostage, she confronts the truth about her marriage – and finds a state of unexpected grace – in her fight to survive.

Easier with Practice (USA, 2009)
Director: Kyle Patrick Alvarez
Cast: Brian Geraghty, Kel O’Neill, Marguerite Moreau, Jeanette Brox, Jenna Gavigan
While on a road trip to promote his unpublished novel, Davy Mitchell finds himself falling for a mysterious phone sex caller.

Etienne! (USA, 2009)
Director: Jeff Mizushima
Cast: Richard Vallejos, Megan Harvey, Caveh Zahedi, Rachel Stolte, Solon Bixler
After Richard’s best and only friend, a dwarf hamster named Etienne, is diagnosed with terminal cancer, he decides to take his pocket pet on a bicycle road trip up the California coast to show it the world before he must put it to sleep.

Godspeed (USA, 2009)
Director: Robert Saitzyk
Cast: Joseph McKelheer, Cory Knauf, Courtney Halverson, Ed Lauter, Jesse Ward, Hallock Beals
An intense, dramatic thriller set in the lingering light of the Alaskan midnight sun.

Mercy (USA, 2008)
Director: Patrick Hoelck
Cast: Scott Caan, Wendy Glenn, Troy Garity, Erika Christensen, Alexie Gilmore and John Boyd, with Dylan McDermott and James Caan
A successful but cynical young writer writes about love but does not really believe in it until he meets Mercy, who turns his world upside down.

Patriotville (USA, 2008)
Director: Talmage Cooley
Cast: Justin Long, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Rob Corddry, Keir O’Donnell, Missi Pyle
An idealistic museum manager and a beautiful troublemaker go to war with a corrupt mayor to stop a casino from being built on their town’s “historic” battlefield.

Redland (USA, 2008)
Director: Asiel Norton
Cast: Lucy Adden, Mark Aaron, Sean Thomas, Kathan Fors, Bernadette Murray, Toben Seymour
As a family struggles to survive in rural isolation during the Great Depression, their daughter’s secret affair begins a journey into the unknown.

PIONEER DOCUMENTARIES
Documentary features capturing subjects who defy odds and expectations

All In (USA, 2009)
World Premiere
Director: Douglas Tirola
Cast: Matt Damon, Frank DeFord, Annie Duke, Ira Glass, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Phil Hellmuth, Howard Lederer, James McManus, Chris Moneymaker, Daniel Negreanu, Jennifer Tilly
Tells the story of poker focusing on why one of our nation’s oldest games has had a renaissance in the past decade and why for so many people poker is a way to chase the American Dream.

Beautiful Darling (USA, 2009)
Work-in-Progress
Director: James Rasin
Cast: Julie Newmar, Tennessee Williams, Holly Woodlawn, Peter Beard, Gerard Malanga, Ron Delsener, Glenn O’Brien, Michael J. Pollard
Beautiful Darling features never-seen-before footage and photographs, as well as interviews with the people who knew Andy Warhol Superstar Candy Darling.

Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo (USA, 2009)
Director: Jessica Oreck
Working backwards through history, Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo solves the mystery of the development of Japan’s cultural obsession with bugs.

It Came From Kuchar (USA, 2009)
Director: Jennifer Kroot
Cast: George Kuchar, Mike Kuchar, John Waters, Buck Henry, Atom Egoyan, Wayne Wang, Guy Maddin, B Ruby Rich, Bill Griffith, Christopher Coppola
The definitive feature documentary about the legendary, underground filmmaking twins, the Kuchar brothers.

Sea of Darkness (USA, 2009)
World Premiere
Director: Michael Oblowitz
Cast: Martin Daly, Peter McCabe, Jeff Chitty, Shaun Thompson, Kelly Slater, Greg Noll, Bruce Raymond, Bob McKnight, Rory Russel
A modern day pirate tale of exploration, adventure, and the discovery of jungle surf spots off the remote Indonesian coastline in the 1970s. The film also explores the smuggling missions that funded these journeys of discovery and the terrifying price some of these men paid for their passion.

Winnebago Man (USA, 2009)
Director: Ben Steinbauer
Cast: Jack Rebney
Jack Rebney’s outrageously funny outtakes from a Winnebago sales video became an underground phenomenon and made him an Internet superstar. Filmmaker Ben Steinbauer sets out to find him.

Youth Knows No Pain (USA, 2009)
Director: Mitch McCabe
Cast: Erica Rose, Julia Allison, Norman Deesing, Lea Deesing, Paris Deesing
The daughter of a plastic surgeon takes us inside America’s $60 billion-a-year anti-aging world as she spends 2 years traveling across America, painting a funny but troubling portrait of our youth obsessed culture.

DIAMOND DISCOVERIES
The best new independent films available for U.S. distribution

Harmony And Me (USA, 2009)
Director: Robert Byington
Cast: Kristen Tucker, Justin Rice, Alex Karpovsky, Pat Healy, Suzy Nakamura, Bob Schneider, Nick Offerman, Kevin Corrigan, Robert Byington, Allison Latta
When Harmony gets dumped he’s supposed to do a lot of things –be sad, date other girls, have flings. Instead he falls into a funk that shows no signs of lifting for most of a year.

Palermo Shooting (Germany, 2008)
Director: Wim Wenders
Cast: Campino, Dennis Hopper, Giovanna Mezzogiorno, Lou Reed
As a successful photographer of worldwide renown, Finn leads a life that is as prominent as it is hectic. But when his life suddenly spins out of control, he takes off and leaves everything behind.

The Square (Australia, 2009)
Director: Nash Edgerton
Cast: Nash Edgerton, Mirrah Foulkes, Chum Ehelepola, Bruno Xavier, Tony Lynch, Joel Edgerton
A man’s life begins to unravel when his mistress brings him a bag of cash.

Stingray Sam (USA, 2008)
Director: Cory McAbee
Cast: David Hyde Pierce (narrator), Cory McAbee, Crugie, Joshua Taylor, Willa Vy McAbee, Bobby Lurie, Frank Swart, Caleb Scott, Jessica Jelliffee, Ron Crawford, Michael DeNola, Michael Wiener
He does the things that folks don’t do that need to be done.

Vegas: Based on a True Story (USA, 2008)
Director: Amir Naderi
Cast: Mark Greenfield, Alexis Hart, Nancy La Scala, Zach Thomas, Walt Turner, Benjamin Weil
In a town that breeds obsession, the dream of home turns into a family’s nightmare.

SURE BETS
Advance screenings of high profile independent studio films

500 Days of Summer (USA, 2009)
Director: Marc Webb
Cast: Zooey Deschanel, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Geoffrey Arend, Chloe Grace Moritz, Matthew Gray Gubler, Clark Gregg, Rachel Boston, Minka Kelly
Funny, true-to-life and unique dissection of the unruly and unpredictable year-and-a-half of one young man’s no-holds-barred love affair.

Adam (USA, 2009)
Director: Max Mayer
Cast: Hugh Dancy, Rose Byrne, Peter Gallagher, Amy Irving, Frankie Faison
Heartfelt romantic comedy, starring Hugh Dancy as Adam, a handsome but intriguing young man who has all his life led a sheltered existence – until he meets his new neighbor, Beth, a beautiful, cosmopolitan young woman who pulls him into the outside world, with funny, touching and entirely unexpected results.

Black Dynamite (USA, 2008)
Director: Scott Sanders
Cast: Michael Jai White, Tommy Davidson, Salli Richardson-Whitfield, Arsenio Hall, Byron Minns, Kym Whitley
When “The Man” murders his brother, pumps heroin into local orphanages, and floods the ghetto with adulterated malt liquor, Black Dynamite is the one hero willing to fight all the way from the blood-soaked city streets to the hallowed halls of the Honky House.

Bronson (UK, 2008)
Director: Nicolas Winding Refn
Cast: Tom Hardy, Matt King, James Lance, Kelly Adams, Amanda Burton
With an intelligent, provocative and stylized approach, Bronson (based on a true story) follows the metamorphosis of Mickey Peterson into Britain’s most dangerous prisoner, Charles Bronson.

The Headless Woman (Argentina, 2008)
Director: Lucrecia Martel
Cast: María Onetto, Claudia Cantero, Inés Efron, Daniel Genoud, César Bordón, Guillermo Arengo
In the days following a jarring car accident, a woman is dazed and emotionally disconnected from the people and events in her life.

Humpday (USA, 2009)
Director: Lynn Shelton
Cast: Mark Duplass, Josh Leonard, Alycia Delmore, Lynn Shelton, Trina Willard
Sometimes male bonding can be taken a little too far.

In the Loop (UK, 2008)
Director: Armando Iannucci
Cast: Peter Capaldi, James Gandolfini, Tom Hollander, David Rashe, Gina McKee, Chris Addison, Anna Chulmsky, Mimi Kennedy
The US President and UK Prime Minister fancy a war. But not everyone agrees that war is a good thing.

Moon (UK, 2008)
Director: Duncan Jones
Cast: Sam Rockwell, Kevin Spacey, Dominique McElligott, Benedict Wong, Matt Berry, Kaya Scodelario, Malcolm Stewart
250,000 miles from home, Sam Bell is about to come face to face with his biggest challenge – himself.

AREA 52
An underground collection of cult and midnight movies for the most hardcore fans

Attack of the 50 Foot Woman (USA, 1958)
Director: Nathan Juran
Cast: Allison Hayes, William Hudson, Yvette Vickers, Roy Gordon, George Douglas, Ken Terrell, Otto Waldis, Eileen Stevens, Michael Ross, Frank Chase
When an abused wife grows to giant size because of an alien encounter and an aborted murder attempt, she goes after cheating husband with revenge on her mind. The film will be presented in an outdoor drive-in theater in downtown Las Vegas.

Impolex (USA, 2009)
Director: Alex Perry
Cast: Riley O’Bryan
At the end of WWII, the United States sent soldiers across Europe to locate and retrieve the rockets and rocket science that Germany perfected before losing the war. Impolex is the story of one soldier and his mission to find the last two undetonated German rockets.

Modus Operandi (USA, 2009)
World Premiere
Director: Frankie Latina
Cast: Randy Russell, Mark Borchardt, Michael Sottile, Danny Trejo, Barry Poltermann, Sarah Price, Xavier Leplae, Ayesha Mohan
Modus Operandi is a revenge tale about a desperate CIA agent on a mission to find the man who murdered his wife.

The Revenant (USA, 2009)
World Premiere
Director: Kerry Prior
Cast: Chris Wylde, David Anders, Louise Griffiths, Jacy King
A Satirical treatise on friendship, regret, and the nature of evil under the guise of a rootin’-tootin’ vampire buddy movie.

Watts and Volts from Across the Field
Director: Brent Green
A collection of films with live music from animator Brent Green and friends.

NEVADA FILMMAKING FEATURE
Feature produced in Nevada by a local filmmaker

Thor at the Bus Stop (USA, 2008)
World Premiere
Director: Jerry Thompson
Cast: Mike Thompson, Jerry Thompson
Comedy about the mythical Thor, who is making his final journey through a suburban neighborhood on the day he knows he is going to die fighting a giant serpent to save the world.

NEVADA FILMMAKING SHORTS
Short films produced in Nevada or by local filmmakers

& Teller (Director: Frank Ippolito)
& Teller 2 (Director: Frank Ippolito)
Communion (Director: Markus Kirschner)
DAISy (Director: Tyler Hymanson)
Jodi (Director: Jordan Auten)
Nancy Boy (Director: Jonpaul Lewis)
Path (Director: E.S. Frushtick)
The Secret Life of Orange Traffic Cone Assassins (Director: Anthony Maranville)
Tokyo Rose (Director: A.J. Ovio)
The Unfortunate Story of a Lost Soul 2 (Director: Joel Schoenbach)
Where Da Girls At: CineVegas Clubhouse Project (Director: Jonpaul Lewis)

The Festival will also feature a selection of student films from the CSN and UNLV programs.

SHORTS PROGRAM
These short films embody the creative nature of independent filmmaking. Some will be shown before features, while others are combined to make feature-length programs.

Acting For The Camera (Director: Justin Nowell)
The Adventures of Ledo and Ix (Director: Emily Carmichael)
Asshole (Director: Chad Harbold)
Captain Coulier (Space Explorer) (Director: Lyndon Casey)
Countertransference (Director: Madeleine Olnek)
The Dirty Ones (Director: Brent Stewart)
The Feast of Stephen (Director: James Franco)
Fiddlestixx, Episode 1: Brain Powerz (Directors: Zellner Brothers)
Fiddlestixx, Episode 2: Habeas-Schmabeas (Directors: Zellner Brothers)
Fiddlestixx, Episode 3: Larry Blindon (Directors: Zellner Brothers)
From Burger It Came (Director: Dominic Bisignano)
The Ghost and Us (Director: Emily Carmichael)
Kings of London (Director: Sean Conway)
Logorama (Director: H5)
My Mom Smokes Weed (Director: Clay Liford)
Offshore Bank (Director: Tom Barndt)
Short Term 12 (Director: Destin Cretton)
Team Taliban (Director: Benjamin Kegan)
TEN: THIRTYONE (Director: Lev Gorn, Co-Director: Gabe Fazio)
The Transformation of Genesis P-Orridge (Directors: Eline Jongsma and Kel O’Neill)
Uprush (Director: Kim Hall)
Whiskeypriest, Episode 1 (Director: Randy Walker)
The Young and Evil (Director: Julian Breece)

Find out more at CineVegas.com

SXSW 2009 to Open with Paul Rudd in ‘I Love You, Man’

Neil Miller — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 16:12:07 +0000

The folks at South by Southwest (SXSW), the American film festival second only to Sundance in my mind, have announced that John Hamburg’s I Love You, Man starring Paul Rudd and Jason Segel will open next year’s festival, which takes place March 13-21. As you might recall, we had all kinds of fun at SXSW this past year where Brian and I took in an amazing assortment of films, including Dear Zachary, Forgetting Sarah Marshall and The Promotion. SXSW has a very unique flavor to it with the coinciding music and technology festivals, making it one of the most interesting and fun weeks of the year. If you’re anywhere near Austin, Texas or are a huge movielover you should really try and get there this March. And hey, maybe you can grab a drink with yours truly.

Check out the full SXSW press release below:

Austin, Texas — December 15, 2008 — The South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Conference and Festival announced today that the DreamWorks Pictures film “I Love You, Man” will be the 2009 Opening Night film. The De Line Pictures comedy, co-written and directed by John Hamburg (“Along Came Polly,” co-writer of “Meet The Parents,” “Meet The Fockers,” and “Zoolander”) stars Paul Rudd, Jason Segel and Rashida Jones. The film centers on a man who, upon getting engaged, realizes he has no close male friends and must find someone to be the Best Man at his wedding. The South by Southwest Film Conference and Festival runs March 13 – 21, 2009 in Austin, Texas.

“We are thrilled to have ‘I Love You, Man’ kick off the 2009 festival. The film is the perfect representation of the kind of smart and unconventional humor that SXSW audiences flock to,” said Film Conference and Festival Producer Janet Pierson, “and we are happy to welcome back SXSW Alumni Paul Rudd and Jason Segel.” Rudd appeared in three films at the 2007 Festival (“Knocked Up,” “The Ten” and “Diggers”) and Segel attended in 2008 with “Forgetting Sarah Marshall.” In true SXSW synergy where film, music and new media intersect, Rashida Jones’ father, legendary music producer Quincy Jones, will serve as Keynote speaker for the SXSW Music 2009. 2008 SXSW Opening Night film “21” opened theatrically to $24.1 million following its highly successful debut at the festival.

“I Love You, Man” follows Peter Klaven (Rudd), a successful real estate agent who, upon getting engaged to the woman of his dreams, Zooey, (Jones), discovers that he has no male friend close enough to serve as his Best Man, so he embarks on a series of bizarre and awkward “man-dates,” before meeting Sydney Fife (Segel). But the closer the two men get, the more Peter’s relationship with Zooey suffers, ultimately forcing him to choose between his fiancée and his newfound “bro,” in a story that comically explores what it truly means to be a “friend.” The film opens wide on March 20th, 2009.

DreamWorks Pictures Presents A De Line Pictures Bernard Gayle Productions Montecito Pictures Company Production A John Hamburg Movie “I Love You, Man” starring Paul Rudd, Jason Segel, Rashida Jones, Andy Samberg, J.K. Simmons, Jane Curtin, Jon Favreau and Jaime Pressly. The film is directed by John Hamburg. Screenplay by John Hamburg and Larry Levin. Story by Larry Levin. The producers are Donald De Line and John Hamburg. The executive producers are Ivan Reitman, Tom Pollock, Jeffrey Clifford, Andrew Haas and Bill Johnson. The director of photography is Larry Sher. The production designer is Andrew Laws. The film is edited by William Kerr. The costume designer is Leesa Evans. The music is by Theodore Shapiro. The film is distributed through DreamWorks/Paramount Distribution. This film has not yet been rated.

Previously announced panelists for the 2009 SXSW Film Conference & Festival include acclaimed writer/directors Todd Haynes and Richard Linklater in conversation together, longtime Stanley Kubrick producer Jan Harlan, as well as a rare appearance by Col Needham, Vice President of IMDb.com Service Limited. The complete festival lineup will be announced in early February 2009.

SXSW offers a uniquely creative space for filmmakers, film fans, and even cinephiles to partake in the big and small picture discussions about filmmaking today. The Conference hosts a five-day adventure in the latest filmmaking trends and new technology, featuring Conversations with film icons, intimate mini-meetings and one-on-one mentor sessions with industry veterans. The internationally-acclaimed, nine-day Festival boasts some of the most wide-ranging programming of any US event of its kind, from provocative documentaries to subversive Hollywood comedies, with a special focus on emerging talents. Learn more at sxsw.com/film.

SXSW Film Conference and Festival is sponsored by Miller Lite, The Independent Film Channel (IFC), The Austin Chronicle, Fuze Beverage and Zone Perfect.

Sundance Preview: 2009 Spectrum Dramatic and Doc Films

Neil Miller — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 02:24:03 +0000

One more article today in our preview of the 2009 Sundance Film Festival, I promise. In this final article we are going to take a brief look at this year’s Frontier and Spectrum films. Have a look at the complete lineups below with pictures (click to enlarge).

SPECTRUM
A tribute to the abundance of compelling new voices and the creative spirit in independent filmmaking, the Spectrum program presents out-of-competition dramatic and documentary films from some of the most promising filmmakers in the world today.

Dramatic films screening in Spectrum are:

Against the Current / USA (Director and Screenwriter: Peter Callahan)—Facing the anniversary of his pregnant wife’s tragic death, thirty-five-year old Paul Thompson enlists the help of two friends to help him swim the length of the Hudson River. Cast: Joseph Fiennes, Justin Kirk, Elizabeth Reaser, Mary Tyler Moore, Michelle Trachtenberg. World Premiere

The Anarchist’s Wife (La Mujer del Anarquista) / Germany/Spain (Directors: Marie Noelle and Peter Sehr; Screenwriters: Marie Noelle and Ray Loriga)—During the Spanish Civil War an idealistic young lawyer combating Franco’s Fascist troops is separated from his wife and children. Cast: Maria Valverde, Juan Diego Botto, Nina Hoss, Ivana Baquero, Jean-Marc Barr. North American Premiere

Barking Water / USA (Director and Screenwriter: Sterlin Harjo)—Irene and Frankie have had a tumultuous relationship for forty years. As Frankie lies on his deathbed, Irene comes back to him one last time to break him from the hospital and take him home. Cast: Richard Ray Whitman, Casey Camp-Horenik. World Premiere

Children of Invention / USA (Director and Screenwriter: Tze Chun)—Two young children are left to fend for themselves when their mother is arrested for unwittingly taking part in an illegal pyramid scheme. Cast: Cindy Cheung, Michael Chen, Crystal Chiu. World Premiere

Everything Strange and New / USA (Director and Screenwriter: Frazer Bradshaw)—Trapped by a life he never intended, a man struggles to navigate family, sexuality and drug addiction. Cast: Jerry McDaniel, Beth Lisick, Rigo Chacon Jr., Luis Saguar. World Premiere

Helen / Canada/Germany (Director and Screenwriter: Sandra Nettelbeck)—A successful psychiatrist fights her own clinical depression. Cast: Ashley Judd, Goran Visnijic. World Premiere

The Immaculate Conception of Little Dizzle / USA (Director and Screenwriter: David Russo)—After losing his high-paying job, Dory takes a gig as a night janitor in order to pay rent. Alone late at night inside a market research firm, he discovers something worse than his new job cleaning toilets – a conniving corporate executive has made him the subject of a bizarre experiment. Cast: Marshall Allman, Vince Vieluf, Natasha Lyonne, Tania Raymonde, Tygh Runyan. World Premiere

Johnny Mad Dog / France (Director: Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire; Screenwriters: Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire and Jacques Fieschi)—A fifteen-year-old kid-soldier fighting in Africa is armed to the hilt and inhabited by the mad dog he dreams of becoming. Cast: Christophe Minie, Daisy Victoria Vandy. North American Premiere

La Mission / USA (Director and Screenwriter: Peter Bratt)—A traditional, Latino father in San Francisco’s Mission District struggles to come to terms with his teenage son’s homosexuality. Cast: Benjamin Bratt, Erika Alexander, Jeremy Ray Valdez, Talisa Soto Bratt, Jesse Borrego. World Premiere

Lymelife / USA. (Director: Derick Martini; Screenwriters: Derick Martini and Steven Martini)—Set in the 1970s, a unique take on the dangers of the American dream seen through the innocent eyes of a fifteen-year-old boy. Cast: Alec Baldwin, Kieran Culkin, Timothy Hutton, Cynthia Nixon, Emma Roberts. U.S. Premiere

The Missing Person / USA (Director and Screenwriter: Noah Buschel)—Private detective John Rosow is hired to tail a man on a train from Chicago to Los Angeles. En route, Rosow uncovers that the man’s identity is one of the thousands presumed dead after the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. Cast: Michael Shannon, Amy Ryan, Frank Wood. World Premiere

Once More with Feeling / USA (Director: Jeff Lipsky; Screenwriter: Gina O’Brien)—A comedy about a psychiatrist who undergoes a midlife crisis and pursues his long-lost ambition of becoming a singer through karaoke. Cast: Drea de Matteo, Linda Fiorentino, Chazz Palminteri, Susan Miser, Lauren Bittner. World Premiere

The Only Good Indian / USA (Director: Kevin Willmott; Screenwriter: Tom Carmody)—Set in early 1900s Kansas, a teenage Native American boy is taken from his family and forced to attend an Indian ‘training’ school to assimilate into White society. Cast: Wes Studi, Winter Fox Frank, J. Kenneth Campbell. World Premiere

Pomegranates and Myrrh (Al Mor wa al Rumman) / Palestinian Territories (Director and Screenwriter: Najwa Najjar)—The wife of a Palestinian prisoner searches for freedom. Cast: Ali Suliman, Yasmine Al Massri, Ashraf Farah, Hiam Abbass. North American Premiere

The Vicious Kind / USA (Director and Screenwriter: Lee Toland Krieger)—Suffering insomnia and testy by nature, Caleb Sinclaire reluctantly picks up his brother Peter at college and brings him and his new girlfriend Emma home to his estranged father’s house for Thanksgiving. Cast: Brittany Snow, Adam Scott, J.K. Simmons, Alex Frost. World Premiere

World’s Greatest Dad / USA (Director and Screenwriter: Bobcat Goldthwait)—A comedy about a high school poetry teacher who learns that the things you want most may not be the things that make you happy. Cast: Robin Williams, Daryl Sabara, Alexie Gilmore, Tom Kenny, Geoffrey Pierson. World Premiere

The films screening in Spectrum: Documentary Spotlight are:

It Might Get Loud / USA (Director: Davis Guggenheim)—The history of the electric guitar from the point of view of three legendary rock musicians. Cast: The Edge, Jimmy Page, Jack White. U.S. Premiere

No Impact Man / USA (Directors: Laura Gabbert and Justin Schein)—The documentary follows the Beavan family as they abandon their high consumption Fifth Avenue lifestyle in an attempt to make a no-net environmental impact for the course of one year. Cast: Michelle Conlin, Colin Beavan. World Premiere

Passing Strange / USA (Director: Spike Lee; Lyrics: Stew; Music: Stew and Heidi Rodewald)—A musical documentary about the international exploits of a young man from Los Angeles who leaves home to find himself and ‘the real’. A theatrical stage production of the original Tony-Award winning book by Stew. Cast: De’Adre Aziza, Daniel Breaker, Eisa Davis, Colman Domingo, Stew. World Premiere

Tyson / USA (Director: James Toback)—An intimate look at the complex life of former heavyweight champ Mike Tyson. Cast: Mike Tyson. North American Premiere

Why We Laugh: Black Comedians on Black Comedy / USA (Director: Robert Townsend)—Using rare archival clips along with provocative interviews with many of today’s leading comedians and social critics, Why We Laugh celebrates the incredible cultural influence and social impact black comedy has wielded over the past 400 years. Cast: Chris Rock, Bill Cosby, Keenan Ivory Wayans, Steve Harvey, Dick Gregory. World Premiere

Wounded Knee / USA (Director: Stanley Nelson; Screenwriter: Marcia Smith)—In 1973, American Indian groups took over the town of Wounded Knee, South Dakota to draw attention the 1890 massacre. Though the federal government failed to keep many of the promises that ended the siege, the event succeeded in bringing to the world’s attention the desperate conditions of Indian reservation life. World Premiere

The Yes Men Fix the World / France/ USA (Directors: Andy Bichlbaum, Mike Bonanno and Kurt Engfehr)—A pair of notorious troublemakers sneak into corporate events disguised as captains of industry, then use their momentary authority to expose the biggest criminals on the planet. Cast: Andy Bichlbaum, Mike Bonanno. World Premiere

Sundance Preview: 2009 Park City at Midnight Lineup

Neil Miller — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 01:27:05 +0000

Even more preview materials coming down the pipe for the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. Just a little while ago we gave you the rundown of the Premieres Lineup and yesterday we laid down the Dramatic Competition list. We now move on to the Park City at Midnight lineup, which generally features some edgier and often genre-based films. Last year saw all sorts of great films at Midnight, including Donkey Punch, Hell Ride, Diary of the Dead and Timecrimes. While it is hard to say whether this year will live up to that, we do have some information and photos for your reading pleasure below.

PARK CITY AT MIDNIGHT
Park City at Midnight offers eight films that are likely to amuse, surprise, or shock the bleary-eyed viewer and offer a lively last stop in the nightly film-going circuit.

The films screening in Park City at Midnight this year are:

Black Dynamite / USA (Director: Scott Sanders; Screenwriters: Michael Jai White, Scott Sanders, and Byron Minns)—When ‘The Man’ murders his brother, pumps heroin into local orphanages, and floods the ghetto with adulterated malt liquor, 1970s African-American action legend Black Dynamite is the one hero willing to take him on. Cast: Michael Jai White, Tommy Davidson, Salli Richardson-Whitfield, Byron Minns, James McManus. World Premiere

The Carter / USA (Director: Adam Bhala Lough)—An in-depth, intimate look at the artist Dwayne “Lil’ Wayne” Carter Jr, proclaimed by many as the “greatest rapper alive” Cast: Lil’ Wayne, Brian Williams, Cortez Bryant. World Premiere

Død Snø (Dead Snow) / Norway (Director: Tommy Wirkola; Screenwriters: Tommy Wirkola and Stig Frode Henriksen)—A group of teenagers had all they needed for a successful ski vacation; cabin, skis, snowmobile, toboggan, copious amounts of beer and a fertile mix of the sexes. Certainly, none of them anticipated not returning home alive! However, the Nazi-zombie battalion haunting the mountains had other plans. Cast: Vegard Hoel, Stig Frode Henriksen, Charlotte Frogner, Jenny Skavlan, Jeppe Beck Laursen. North American Premiere

Grace / USA (Director and Screenwriter: Paul Solet)—After losing her unborn child, Madeline Matheson insists on carrying the baby to term. Following the delivery, the child miraculously returns to life, but when the baby develops a desperate appetite for human blood, Madeline is faced with a mother’s ultimate decision. Cast: Jordan Ladd, Samantha Ferris, Gabrielle Rose, Malcom Stewart, Stephen Park, Serge Houde. World Premiere

The Killing Room / USA (Director: Jonathan Liebesman; Screenwriters: Gus Krieger and Ann Peacock)—Four individuals sign up for a psychological research study only to discover that they are now subjects of a brutal, classified government program. Cast: Chloe Sevigny, Peter Stormare, Clea DuVall, Timothy Hutton, Nick Cannon. World Premiere

Mystery Team / USA (Director: Dan Eckman; Screenwriters: Dominic Dierkes, Donald Glover, and DC Pierson)—A group of kid detectives called The Mystery Team struggle to solve a double murder to prove they can be real detectives before they graduate from high school. Cast: Dominic Dierkes, D.C. Pierson, Donald Glover, Aubrey Plaza, Glenn Kalison. World Premiere

Spring Breakdown / USA (Director: Ryan Shiraki; Screenwriters: Ryan Shiraki and Rachel Dratch)—Three thirtysomething friends attempt to break the monotony of their uninspired lives by vacationing at a popular spring break getaway for college students. Cast: Rachel Dratch, Amy Poehler, Parker Posey, Will Arnett, Rachel Hamilton. World Premiere

White Lightnin’ / UK (Director: Dominic Murphy; Screenwriters: Shane Smith and Eddy Moretti)—The outrageous cult story of Jesco White, the dancing outlaw. Cast: Ed Hogg, Carrie Fisher, Muse Watson, Wallace Merck, Clay Steakley. World Premiere

Sundance Preview: 2009 Premieres Lineup

Neil Miller — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 00:58:49 +0000

We continue our preview of the 2009 Sundance Film Festival with today’s announcement of the Premieres and the Park City at Midnight lineups (list coming shortly). Also announced were the Spectrum and New Frontier films, a listing which will be posted shortly. We will be focusing on some of the more high profile stuff, including the premieres listed below. The two standouts, at least to me, are Greg Mattola’s Adventureland and Duncan Jones’ Moon, both of which we’ve talked about on the site before. Check out the Premiers lineup below, complete with clickable and enlargeable images.

PREMIERES

To showcase the diversity of contemporary independent cinema, the Sundance Film Festival Premieres section offers the latest work from American and international directors and world premieres of highly anticipated films. Films screening in Premieres are:

500 Days of Summer / USA. (Director: Marc Webb; Screenwriters: Scott Neustadter, Michael H. Weber)—When an unlucky greeting card copywriter is dumped by his girlfriend, the hopeless romantic shifts back and forth through various periods of their 500 days ‘together’ in hopes of figuring out where things went wrong. Cast: Zooey Deschanel, Joseph Gordon-Levitt. World Premiere

Adventureland / USA (Director and Screenwriter: Greg Mottola)—In 1987, a recent college graduate takes a nowhere job at his local amusement park and discovers the job is perfect preparation for the real world. Cast: Kristen Stewart, Ryan Reynolds, Bill Hader. World Premiere

Brooklyn’s Finest / USA (Director: Antoine Fuqua; Screenwriter: Michael C. Martin)—After enduring vastly different career paths, three unconnected Brooklyn cops wind up at the same deadly location. Cast: Richard Gere, Ethan Hawke, Wesley Snipes, Don Cheadle, Ellen Barkin. World Premiere

Earth Days / USA (Director: Robert Stone)—The history of our environmental undoing through the eyes of nine Americans whose work and actions launched the modern environmental movement. World Premiere. Closing Night Film

Endgame / UK (Director: Pete Travis; Screenwriter: Paula Milne)—A political thriller in which a businessman initiates covert discussions between the African National Congress and white intellectuals to try and find a peaceful solution to the Apartheid regime. Cast: William Hurt, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Jonny Lee Miller, Mark Strong. World Premiere

I Love You Philip Morris / USA (Directors and Screenwriters: Glenn Ficarra and John Requa)—The true story about con artist and imposter Steven Jay Russell, a married father whose exploits land him in the Texas criminal justice system. Based on the novel by Houston Chronicle crime reporter Steve McVicker. Cast: Jim Carrey, Ewan McGregor, Leslie Mann, Rodrigo Santoro. World Premiere

The Informers / USA (Director: Gregor Jordan; Screenwriters: Bret Easton Ellis and Nicholas Jarecki)—A drama based on Bret Easton Ellis’ novel, set in the 1980s, focusing on wealthy Angelinos consumed by a decadent lifestyle. Cast: Billy Bob Thornton, Kim Basinger, Winona Ryder, Mickey Rourke. North American Premiere

In the Loop / UK (Director: Armando Iannucci; Screenwriters: Armando Iannucci and Jesse Armstrong)—A fast-paced film about Britain and America’s special relationship in the lead-up to a war no one seems to be able to stop. Cast: Peter Capaldi, James Gandolfini, Tom Hollander. World Premiere

Manure / USA (Director: Michael Polish; Screenwriters: Mark Polish and Michael Polish)—A comic tale centered on manure salesmen in the early 1960s. Cast: Téa Leoni, Billy Bob Thornton, Kyle MacLachlan. World Premiere

Mary and Max / Australia (Director and Screenwriter: Adam Elliot)—The tale of two unlikely pen pals: Mary, a lonely, eight-year-old girl living in the suburbs of Melbourne, and Max, a forty-four-year old, severely obese man living in New York. Cast: Philip Seymour Hoffman (voice), Toni Collette (voice), Barry Humphries (voice). World Premiere, Opening Night Film

The Messenger / USA (Director: Oren Moverman; Screenwriters: Alessandro Camon and Oren Moverman)—Two soldiers from different generations form a unique bond as they cope with their assignment with the Army Casualty Notification department. Cast: Ben Foster, Woody Harrelson, Samantha Morton, Jena Malone, Eamonn Walker. World Premiere

Moon / UK (Director: Duncan Jones; Screenwriter: Nathan Parker)—Before returning to Earth after three years on the moon, things go horribly wrong for astronaut Sam Bell. Cast: Sam Rockwell, Kevin Spacey. World Premiere

Motherhood / USA (Director and Screenwriter: Katherine Dieckmann)—A mother of two from Manhattan is having a day that would challenge even the toughest maternal multi-tasker. Cast: Uma Thurman, Minnie Driver, Anthony Edwards. World Premiere

Rudo and Cursi (Rudo y Cursi) / Mexico (Director and Screenwriter: Carlos Cuarón)—Two siblings rival each other inside the world of professional soccer. Cast: Diego Luna, Gael García Bernal, Guillermo Francella. U.S. Premiere

Shrink / USA (Director: Jonas Pate; Screenwriter: Thomas Moffett)—Unable to come to grips with a recent personal tragedy, Los Angeles’ top celebrity psychiatrist loses faith in his ability to help his patients. Cast: Kevin Spacey, Keke Palmer, Mark Webber, Dallas Roberts, Saffron Burrows. World Premiere

Spread / USA (Director: David Mackenzie; Screenwriter: Jason Dean Hall)—A handsome young man survives in Los Angeles by seducing wealthy older women. Cast: Ashton Kutcher, Anne Heche. World Premiere

Sundance Preview: Brief Interviews with Hideous Men

Neil Miller — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 08:00:08 +0000

We continue our Sundance 2009 coverage with a preview of John Krasinski’s directorial debut, Brief Interviews with Hideous Men. The film, which is based on a book by David Foster Wallace, follows a graduate student (Julianne Nicholson) who copes with a recent breakup by interviewing numerous men about their behavior. The film was not only directed by Krasinski, who is most famous for playing Jim on The Office, but he also adapted the script. It will also star Timothy Hutton, Dominic Cooper, Christopher Meloni and Rashida Jones. Brief Interviews will be making its world premiere at this year’s Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.

Check out some first look photos from Brief Interviews with Hideous Men below (click to enlarge). For more Sundance coverage, check out our Sundance 2009 page.

Sundance Preview: Paper Hearts, Arlen Faber and Big Fan

Neil Miller — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 02:09:23 +0000

In addition to the announcement of the competition film slate for 2009, the Sundance Film Festival also provided us with a bunch of images from some of the films that will be featured. So over the course of the next few days we are going to show off some of these films with first look photos, never seen before anywhere (at least, never seen before here). We will start with three of the higher profile films in competition, all of which feature some bigger names.

Click on any of the images below to enlarge.

Paper Hearts

(Director: Nicholas Jasenovec; Screenwriters: Nicholas Jasenovec and Charlyne Yi)—Even though performer Charlyne Yi doesn’t believe in love, she bravely embarks on a quest to discover its true nature–a journey that takes on surprising urgency when she meets unlikely fellow traveler, actor Michael Cera. Cast: Charlyne Yi, Michael Cera, Jake Johnson. World Premiere

Arlen Faber

(Director and Screenwriter: John Hindman)—A reclusive author of a groundbreaking spiritual book awakens to new truths when two strangers enter his life. Cast: Kat Dennings, Lauren Graham, Olivia Thirlby, Jeff Daniels, Tony Hale. World Premiere

Big Fan

(Director and Screenwriter: Robert Siegel)—The world of a parking garage attendant who happens to be the New York Giants’ biggest fan is turned upside down after an altercation with his favorite player. Cast: Patton Oswalt, Michael Rapaport, Kevin Corrigan, Marcia Jean Kurtz, Matt Servitto. World Premiere.

For more on the 2009 Sundance Film Festival, keep tabs via our Sundance 2009 feed. More Sundance preview photos to come…

2009 Sundance Competition Line Up Announced

Neil Miller — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 23:55:12 +0000

For all of you, “the most wonderful time of the year” might be a reference to a song by Andy Williams. But to me, that phrase marks the back half of January, when I get to spend 10 days in sunny Park City, Utah hanging out with fellow movie journos, basking in the glory of independent film. It is known to the world as the Sundance Film Festival and it will take place this January 15th through the 25th. Today the Sundance Institute announced the its lineup of U.S. and World Cinema Dramatic and Documentary films. Some of the more high profile flicks include Big Fan, which stars Patton Oswalt, Michael Rapaport and Kevin Corrigan; Brief Interviews with Hideous Men, directed by The Office’s John Krasinski; and Arlen Faber, which features Kat Dennings, Olivia Thirlby, Jeff Daniels and Tony Hale. It looks to be a solid year, but then again you just never know until you’re in the snow.

Have a look at the entire list below and be sure to keep it locked right here, as we will continue to bring you all of the latest from Sundance 2009.

U.S. Dramatic Competition:

This year’s 16 films were selected from 1,026 submissions.

Adam (Director and Screenwriter: Max Mayer) — A strange and lyrical love story between a somewhat socially dysfunctional young man and the woman of his dreams. Cast: Hugh Dancy, Rose Byrne, Peter Gallagher, Amy Irving, Frankie Faison, Mark Linn-Baker.

Amreeka (Director and Screenwriter: Cherien Dabis) — When a divorced Palestinian woman and her teenage son move to rural Illinois at the outset of the Iraq war, they find their new lives replete with challenges. Cast: Nisreen Faour, Melkar Muallem, Hiam Abbass, Yussuf Abu-Warda, Alia Shawkat, Joseph Ziegler.

Arlen Faber (Director and Screenwriter: John Hindman) — A reclusive author of a groundbreaking spiritual book awakens to new truths when two strangers enter his life. Cast: Kat Dennings, Lauren Graham, Olivia Thirlby, Jeff Daniels, Tony Hale.

Big Fan (Director and Screenwriter: Robert Siegel) — The world of a parking garage attendant who happens to be the New York Giants’ biggest fan is turned upside down after an altercation with his favorite player. Cast: Patton Oswalt, Michael Rapaport, Kevin Corrigan, Marcia Jean Kurtz, Matt Servitto.

Brief Interviews with Hideous Men (Director and Screenwriter: John Krasinski) — When her boyfriend leaves with little explanation, a doctoral candidate in anthropology tries to remedy her heartache by interviewing men about their behavior. Cast: Julianne Nicholson, John Krasinski, Timothy Hutton, Dominic Cooper, Christopher Meloni, Rashida Jones.

Cold Souls (Director and Screenwrtier: Sophie Barthes) — In the midst of an existential crisis, a famous American actor explores soul extraction as a relief from the burdens of daily life. Cast: Paul Giamatti, David Strathairn, Dina Korzun, Emily Watson, Lauren Ambrose, Katheryn Winnick.

Dare (Director: Adam Salky; Screenwriter: David Brind) — Three very different teenagers discover that, even in the safe world of a suburban prep school, no one is who she or he appears to be. Cast: Emmy Rossum, Zach Gilford, Ashley Springer, Ana Gasteyer, Alan Cumming, Sandra Bernhard, Rooney Mara.

Don’t Let Me Drown (Director: Cruz Angeles; Screenwriters: Maria Topete and Cruz Angeles) — Two Latino teens whose lives are affected by the attack on the World Trade Center discover that love is the only thing that keeps them from drowning. Cast: E.J. Bonilla, Gleendilys Inoa, Damián Alcázar, Ricardo Chavira, Gina Torres.

The Greatest (Director and Screenwriter: Shana Feste) — After the tragic loss of their teenage son, a family is again thrown into turmoil by the arrival of a young woman. Cast: Pierce Brosnan, Susan Sarandon, Carey Mulligan, Johnny Simmons, Aaron Johnson, Mike Shannon.

Humpday (Director and Screenwriter: Lynn Shelton) — A farcical comedy about straight male bonding gone a little too far. Cast: Mark Duplass, Joshua Leonard, Alycia Delmore, Lynn Shelton, Trina Willard.

Paper Heart (Director: Nicholas Jasenovec; Screenwriters: Nicholas Jasenovec and Charlyne Yi) — Even though performer Charlyne Yi doesn’t believe in love, she bravely embarks on a quest to discover its true nature–a journey that takes on surprising urgency when she meets unlikely fellow traveler, actor Michael Cera. Cast: Charlyne Yi, Michael Cera, Jake Johnson.

Peter and Vandy (Director and Screenwriter: Jay DiPietro) — Juxtaposing a couple’s romantic beginnings with the twisted-manipulative-regular couple they have become, Peter and Vandy is a contemporary Manhattan love story with no beginning and no end. Cast: Jess Weixler, Jason Ritter, Jesse L. Martin, Tracie Thoms.

Push (Director and Screenwriter: Lee Daniels) — Based on the acclaimed, best-selling novel by Sapphire, Push is the redemptive story of Precious Jones, a young girl in Harlem struggling to overcome tremendous obstacles and discover her own voice. Cast: Gabourey “Gabby” Sidibe, Paula Patton, Mo’Nique Imes, Lenny Kravitz, Mariah Carey.

Sin Nombre (Director and Screenwriter: Cary Joji Fukunaga) — A teenage Mexican gang member maneuvers to outrun his violent past and elude unforgiving former associates in this thriller set among Central American migrants seeking to cross over to the United States. Cast: Edgar Flores, Paulina Gaitan, Kristyan Ferrer, Tenoch Huerta Mejía, Luis Fernando Peña, Diana García.

Taking Chance (Director: Ross Katz; Screenwriters: LtCol Michael R. Strobl, USMC (Ret.) and Ross Katz) — Based on real-life events, Lt. Col. Michael Strobl, a volunteer military escort officer, accompanies the body of 19-year-old Marine Chance Phelps back to his hometown of Dubois, Wyoming. Cast: Kevin Bacon, Blanche Baker.

Toe to Toe (Director and Screenwriter: Emily Abt) — The story of an inter-racial friendship put to the test by the intense pressures of a competitive Washington, D.C. prep school. Cast: Sonequa Martin, Louisa Krause, Silvestre Rasuk, Leslie Uggams, Gaius Charles, Ally Walker.

U.S. Documentary Competition:

This year’s 16 films were selected from 879 submissions.

Art & Copy (Director: Doug Pray; Screenwriter: Timothy J. Sexton) — Rare interviews with the most influential advertising creative minds of our age illustrate the wide-reaching effect advertising and creativity have on modern culture.

Boy Interrupted (Director: Dana Perry) — An intimate look at the life, mental illness and death of a young man told from the point of view of the filmmaker: his mother.

The Cove (Director: Louie Psihoyos; Screenwriter: Mark Monroe) — Dolphins are dying, whales are disappearing, and the oceans are growing sick. The horrors of a secret cove nestled off a small, coastal village in Japan are revealed by a group of activists led by Ric O’Barry, the man behind Flipper.

Crude (Director: Joe Berlinger) — The inside story of the “Amazon Chernobyl” case in the rainforest of Ecuador, the largest oil-related environmental lawsuit in the world.

Dirt! The Movie (Directors: Bill Benenson and Gene Rosow) — The story of the relationship between humans and dirt, Dirt! The Movie humorously details how humans are rapidly destroying the last natural resource on earth.

El General (Director: Natalia Almada) — As great-granddaughter of Mexican President Plutarco Elias Calles, one of Mexico’s most controversial revolutionary figures, filmmaker Natalia Almada paints an intimate portrait of Mexico.

Good Hair (Director: Jeff Stilson) — Comedian Chris Rock turns documentary filmmaker when he sets out to examine the culture of African-American hair and hairstyles.

Over the Hills and Far Away (Director: Michel Orion Scott) — Over the Hills and Far Away chronicles the journey of the Isaacson family as they travel through Mongolia in search of a mysterious shaman they believe can heal their autistic son.

The Reckoning (Director: Pamela Yates; Screenwriters: Peter Kinoy, Paco de Onís, Pamela Yates) — A battle of monumental proportions unfolds as International Criminal Court Prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo faces down warlords, genocidal dictators and world superpowers in bringing perpetrators of crimes against humanity to justice.

Reporter (Director: Eric Daniel Metzgar) — Set in Africa, this documentary chronicles, in verité fashion, the haunting, physically grueling and shocking voyage of Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist, Nicholas D. Kristof.

The September Issue (Director: R.J. Cutler) — With unprecedented access, director R.J. Cutler and his crew shot for nine months as they captured Vogue editor in chief Anna Wintour and her team preparing the 2007 VogueSeptember issue, widely accepted as the “fashion bible” for the year’s trends.

Sergio (Director: Greg Barker) — Sergio examines the role of the United Nations and the international community through the life and experiences of Sergio Vieira de Mello, the U.N.’s High Commissioner for Human Rights, including interviews with those who knew and worked with him over the course of his extraordinary career.

Shouting Fire: Stories from the Edge of Free Speech (Director: Liz Garbus) — An exploration of the history and current state of free speech in America narrated by the filmmaker’s father, First Amendment attorney Martin Garbus.

We Live in Public (Director and Screenwriter: Ondi Timoner) — We Live in Public is the story of the Internet’s revolutionary impact on human interaction as told through the eyes of maverick web pioneer, Josh Harris and his transgressive art project that shocked New York.

When You’re Strange (Director and Screenwriter: Tom DiCillo) — The first feature documentary about The Doors, When You’re Strange enters the dark and dangerous world of one of America’s most influential bands using only footage shot between 1966 and 1971.

William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe (Directors: Sarah Kunstler and Emily Kunstler) — With clients including Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and the Chicago 10, the late civil rights attorney William Kunstler was one of the most famous lawyers of the 20th century. Filmmakers Emily and Sarah Kunstler explore their father’s life from movement hero to “the most hated lawyer in America.”

World Cinema Dramatic Competition:

This year’s 16 films were selected from a record 1,012 submissions.

Before Tomorrow (Le Jour Avant Lendemain) / Canada (Directors: Madeline Piujuq & Marie-Helene Cousineau) — A wise old woman fights to survive impossible circumstances with her young grandson in the Canadian arctic. Cast: Peter-Henry Arnatsiaq, Paul-Dylan Ivalu, Madeline Piujuq Ivalu, Mary Qulitalik, Tumasie Sivuarapik.

Bronson / UK (Director: Nicolas Winding Refn; Screenwriter: Brock Norman Brock) — Bronson traces the transformation of Mickey Peterson into Britain’s most notorious, dangerous, and charismatic prisoner, Charles Bronson. Cast: Tom Hardy.

Carmo, Hit the Road / Spain (Director and Screenwriter: Murilo Pasta) — A lonely, handicapped smuggler and a beautiful girl embark on a reckless ride through a South American border landscape. Cast: Mariana Loureiro, Fele Martínez, Seu Jorge.

The Clone Returns (Kuron Wa Kokyo-Wo Mezasu) / Japan (Director and Screenwriter: Kanji Nakajima) — A Japanese astronaut who dies during a mission is subsequently resurrected as a clone and returns to his childhood home. Cast: Mitsuhiro Oikawa, Eri Ishida, Hiromi Nagasaku.

Dada’s Dance / China (Director: Zhang Yuan; Screenwriter: Li Xiaofeng) — Dada is a flirtatious young woman who lives with her mother in a small town. Having to fend off the constant advances of her mother’s boyfriend who tells her she is adopted, she undertakes a journey in search of her birth mother. Cast: Li Xinyun, Li Xiaofeng, Gai Ge, Chen Jun.

An Education / UK (Director: Lone Scherfig; Screenwriter: Nick Hornby) — In the early 60s, a sharp 16-year-old with sights set on Oxford meets a handsome older man whose sophistication enraptures and sidetracks both her and her parents. Cast: Peter Sarsgaard, Carey Mulligan, Alfred Molina, Emma Thompson.

Five Minutes of Heaven / UK (Director: Oliver Hirschbiegel; Screenwriter: Guy Hibbert) — Two men from the same town but from different sides of the Irish political divide discover that the past is never dead–in fact it isn’t even past. Cast: Liam Neeson, James Nesbitt, Anamaria Marinca.

A French Gigolo (Cliente) / France (Director and Screenwriter: Josiane Balasko) — An attractive, successful 50-something woman regularly treats herself to the sexual services of young men selected on Internet sites. When one particular escort becomes a habit, the relationship gets a bit more complicated. Cast: Nathalie Baye, Eric Caravaca, Isabelle Carré, Josiane Balasko.

Heart of Time (Corazon Del Tiempo) / Mexico (Director and Screenwriter: Alberto Cortes) — In La Esperanza de San Pedro, Chiapas, in the midst of the Zapatista struggle, a young woman makes serious waves when she falls in love with a revolutionary fighter from the mountains. Cast: Rocío Barrios.

Louise-Michel / France (Directors: Benoit Delepine and Gustave Kervern) — When a French factory is abruptly closed by its corrupt management, a group of disgruntled female workers pool their paltry compensation money and hire a hit man to knock off the corrupt executive behind the closure. Cast: Yolande Moreau, Bouli Lanners.

Lulu and Jim (Lulu und Jimi) / Germany (Director: Oskar Roehler) — Bright garish colors, rock and roll and wild dance numbers mark this road movie about lovers fleeing from the evil powers of a 1950s deeply bigoted German society. Cast: Jennifer Decker, Ray Fearon, Katrin Saß, Rolf Zacher, Udo Kier.

Maid (La Nana) / Chile (Director and Screenwriter: Sebastian Silva) — When her mistress brings on another servant to help with the chores, a bitter and introverted maid wreaks havoc on the household. Cast: Catalina Saavedra, Claudia Celedón, Mariana Loyola, Alejandro Goic, Andrea García-Huidobro.

One Day in a Life (Un Altro Pianeta) / Italy (Director and Screenwriter: Stefano Tummolini) — One languid summer day, a man heads to the beach in search of sunshine and bit of peace, but finds himself tangled up in the dramas of an eclectic group of nearby sunbathers.Cast: Antonio Merone, Lucia Mascino.

Unmade Beds / UK (Director and Screenwriter: Alexis Dos Santos) — Two young foreigners find romance in the vibrant, artistic underground of London’s East End. Cast: Deborah Francois, Fernando Tielve.

Victoria Day / Canada (Director and Screenwriter: David Bezmozgis) — Over the course of one week in 1988, the search for a missing teammate, parental expectations, a burgeoning sexual awakening and the rock concert of the century all threaten to jolt a sixteen year old into adulthood. Cast: Mark Rendall, Sergiy Kotelenets, Nataliya Alyexeyenko, Holly Deveaux, John Mavrogiannis.

Zion and His Brother (Zion Ve-Achiv) / France/Israel (Director and Screenwriter: Eran Merav) — The disappearance of a young boy sends a wedge between two teenage brothers whose loyalty had been unshakeable, in this gritty story of a working class Tel Aviv single-parent family. Cast: Reuven Badalov, Ronit Elkabetz, Tzahi Grad.

World Cinema Documentary Competition:

This year’s 16 films were selected from 744 submissions.

211:Anna / Italy (Directors:Paolo Serbandini & Giovanna Massimetti) — The story of Anna Politkovskaya, a Russian journalist and human rights activist who risked her life to report the truth about the Chechen conflict and President Vladimir Putin.

Afghan Star / Afghanistan/UK (Director: Havana Marking) — After 30 years of war and Taliban rule, Pop Idol has come to television in Afghanistan: millions are watching and voting for their favorite singer. This film follows the dramatic stories of four contestants as they risk their lives to sing.

Big River Man / USA (Director: John Maringouin) — An overweight, wine-swilling Slovenian world-record-holding endurance swimmer resolves to brave the mighty Amazon–in nothing but a Speedo.

Burma VJ / Denmark (Director: Anders Ostergaard) — In September 2007, Burmese journalists risking life imprisonment to report from inside their sealed-off country are suddenly thrown onto the global stage as their pocket camera images of the Saffron Revolution make headlines everywhere.

The End of the Line / UK (Director: Rupert Murray) — Based on the book by journalist Charles Clover, The End of the Line reveals the devastating effect that global overfishing is having on fish stocks and the health of our oceans.

The Glass House / USA (Director: Hamid Rahmanian) — The Glass House follows four teenage girls striving to overcome drug addiction, abandonment and abuse by attending a rehabilitation center in Tehran.

Kimjongilia / France/USA (Director: N.C. Heikin) — Defectors from North Korea finally speak out about the terrifying reality of their lives–and escapes.

Let’s Make Money / Austria/China/South Africa/Spain/Switzerland/U.S.A. (Director: Erwin Wagenhofer) — From the factories of India, to financial markets in Singapore, to massive housing developments in Spain and offshore banks in Jersey, Let’s Make Money reveals complex and shocking workings of global money flow.

Nollywood Babylon / Canada (Directors: Ben Addelman and Samir Mallal) — Welcome to the wacky world of Nollywood, Nigeria’s bustling home-grown movie industry.

Old Partner / South Korea (Director: Chung-ryoul Lee) — A humble octogenarian farmer lives out his final days with his spitfire wife and his loyal old ox in the Korean countryside.

Prom Night in Mississippi / Canada (Director: Paul Saltzman) — When a small-town Mississippi high school resolves to hold its first integrated senior prom, strong emotions fly and traditions are challenged to their core.

The Queen and I (Drottningen och jag) / Sweden (Director: Nahid Persson Sarvestani) — Swedish filmmaker Sarvestani, an Iranian exile who helped overthrow the Shah’s regime in 1979, confronts her own assumptions and complex truths about Iran when she enters the life of the Shah’s widow.

Quest for Honor / Kurdistan/USA (Director: Mary Ann Bruni) — A former teacher and tireless activist works with local lawmen, Kurdish government agencies and her colleagues to investigate and eradicate honor killings in the tribal regions of Kurdistan.

Rough Aunties / UK (Director: Kim Longinotto)—Fearless, feisty and unwavering, the ‘Rough Aunties’ protect and care for the abused, neglected and forgotten children of Durban, South Africa.

Thriller in Manila / UK (Director: John Dower)—A tale of betrayal stoked by the racial politics of 1970s America, Thriller in Manila chronicles the most intense and bitter sporting rivalry ever: the 1975 final match between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier.

Tibet in Song / USA (Director: Ngawang Choephel)—Through the story of Tibetan music, this film depicts the determined efforts of Tibetan people, both in Tibet and in exile, to preserve their unique cultural identity. Choephel served six years of an 18-year prison sentence for filming in Tibet.

John Krasinski’s Directial Debut Could Roll Into Sundance

Neil Miller — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 01:44:55 +0000

You know John Krasinski — he’s Jim from The Office. You know, the guy who has sat there through five seasons laying googly eyes on Pam. But did you know that Krasinski also fancies himself a writer and a director in addition to being a solid actor? It is true, and his feature film debut, Brief Interviews with Hideous Men could be making its way onto the festival circuit in 2009.

According to a report by Variety’s Tatiana Siegel, rumors are currently swirling that Hideous Men will be among the lineup when Sundance announces its 2009 slate tomorrow. The film is significant because it is the first big screen project ever derived from the literary works of the late David Foster Wallace, who was called “one of the most influential and innovative writers of the last 20 years” by Los Angeles Times book editor David Ulin.

Krasinski also wrote and starred in the film, which is based on a short story by Wallace, who committed suicide in September. The film also stars Julianne Nicholson (Puccini for Beginners) Bobby Cannavale, Max Minghella and Christopher Meloni. And while it will be the first adaptation of Wallace’s work, many say that it certainly will not be the last.

While I am always cautious when an actor whose work I’ve enjoyed moves on to directing, I will admit that I am curiously excited about seeing what Krasinski delivers. Hopefully it will be among the Sundance 2009 films. For more on that, be sure to check back tomorrow.

Darren Aronofsky Wants Your Film to Play at Sundance

Neil Miller — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 05:30:19 +0000

The folks at YouTube and the Sundance Film Festival have teamed up once again this year for Project: Direct, a program that supports truly indie filmmakers by allowing them the opportunity to win their way into the Sundance line-up. If you are a wannabe director, all you have to do is follow a few simple rules in order to enter. These rules are explained below in an introductory video featuring Pi and The Fountain director Darren Aronofsky.

Check out the video introduction below:

So there you have it — a pretty simple contest with an awesome payoff. From my experience, Sundance is one of those experiences that you rarely find elsewhere in the world of film. And for an up and coming filmmaker, it is potentially the most important event within the United States. Get out there and gather your props, put together your cast and submit your film. Who knows, maybe one of FSR’s readers will be the winner — if that happens, I will buy you dinner during the festival. Seriously people, it is time to get out there and grab your dreams by the scrotum.

For more information, head over to the Project: Direct page on YouTube.

[via First Showing]

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