Seconds count at fest

'Hostel,' 'Romance,' 'Winter' all on the block in Toronto

By IAN MOHR

In the film biz, it's not uncommon to make two lunch dates, knowing one will cancel. People even eye their next significant other while living with the current one. And occasionally, an indie film will line up a distributor -- but keep shopping for another one.

This year, the Toronto Film Fest is witnessing more shuffling of titles than ever, thanks to a number of circumstances, including corporate transitions at MGM and Miramax and a proliferation of new distribution and financing outlets.

Among those on the block are Eli Roth's "Hostel," John Turturro's "Romance & Cigarettes" and legit helmer Adam Rapp's feature debut "Winter Passing."

Turturro's "Romance," a Gotham-set musical comedy, was originally meant to be distribbed by UA, and still has the UA/MGM name attached, although the rights now reside with Sony, MGM's buyer.

But unlike another UA project -- "Capote," which is screening at Toronto and set for release from Sony Classics -- "Romance" has yet to land at a Sony label.

Acquisitions execs say Sony is looking to move "Romance," but one exec close to the project says that after an enthusiastic reception at the Venice Film Fest the studio is rethinking its options. Pic has a high-wattage cast -- including James Gandolfini, Susan Sarandon, Kate Winslet, Mandy Moore and Christopher Walken -- and is exec produced by the Coen brothers.

"Passing," Rapp's drama starring Will Ferrell, Ed Harris and Zooey Deschanel, was originally being repped internationally by Focus Intl., but no longer is.

It has an Oct. 28 U.S. release date through its financier, Bob Yari's Yari Film Group. But acquisitions execs say the film is being made available for a possible pickup or a partnership if the right deal comes along.

Toronto Midnight Madness pick "Hostel" -- by Roth, the helmer behind festival horror hit "Cabin Fever" -- was a negative pickup for Sony. But the studio says it hasn't officially selected an outlet for the rollout. (Screen Gems, Sony's genre banner, seems like the most likely choice if the pic stays with Sony.)

Depending on how these pics -- and others with similar fates -- play in Toronto, they could find themselves with new, deep-pocket homes, or shunned by buyers and consigned to oblivion by their original distribs.

But under the best-case scenario, should critics and auds indicate they have a hit on their hands, perhaps their distribs will rethink their plans and decide to keep all the goodies to themselves.