The Circuit

First Independent Pictures nabbed U.S. rights to Matt Aselton's comedy "Gigantic" starring Paul Dano and Zooey Deschanel. Pic will be released in spring 2009.

Dano plays a mattress store worker looking to adopt a Chinese baby who falls for Deschanel. Christine Vachon and Mindy Goldberg ("Junebug") produced. 

Film preemed at the Toronto Film Festival, where like the just-sold Jennifer Aniston starrer "Management," it had a hard time drumming up interest.

Image Entertainment has nabbed all U.S. rights to the romantic comedy "Management" starring Jennifer Aniston, Steve Zahn, and Woody Harrelson.  Pic will be released in spring 2009.

Written and directed by TV scribe Stephen Belber, Aniston plays a tightly wound art broker who falls for the hopelessly romantic Zahn. 

Sidney Kimmel financed and produced with Temple Hill partners Marty Bowen and Wyck Godfrey.  The film preemed at the Toronto Intl Film Festival.

"We've made a multi-million dollar commitment to bring this film to the big screen," said Image prexy David Borshell.  Samuel Goldwyn is in advanced talks to service the distribution deal.

Deal was negotiated by Image's Wendy Rutland and CAA's Dan Steinman.

Magnolia Pictures nabbed U.S. theatrical and DVD rights to Participant's "Food, Inc."  Producer/director Robert Kenner exposé of the food industry boasts the investigative chops of scribes Eric Schlosser ("Fast Food Nation") and Michael Pollan ("The Omnivore's Dilemma").  Pic preemed at the Toronto Intl Film Festival.

 “There’s nothing more elemental than what you eat and we think there's potentially a large audience for the film,” said Magnolia President Eamonn Bowles.

Magnolia will release the pic in the first half of 2009.  In conjunction, PublicAffairs will publish a companion book that will include contributions from Pollen, Schlosser, and Kenner, among others.  Participant will also produce a social action campaign focusing on the industrialization of the food industry.

The deal was negotiated by Josh Braun of Submarine Entertainment on behalf of Participant and River Road with Magnolia's Tom Quinn.  Fortissimo is selling international rights at the AFM.

Paul Schrader's "Adam Resurrected" will be released by Bleiberg Entertainment in New York and Los Angeles.  Founded by "Adam" producer Ehud Bleiberg, the company's DIY effort is intended to highlight star Jeff Goldblum in an Oscar qualifying run.

Based on Yoram Kaniuk's novel, Goldblum plays a gifted, haunted Holocaust survivor at an Israeli rehab center.

Unhappy with the offers he received after the pic's Toronto fest screening, Bleiberg and the film's co-producer, German-based 3L Filmproduktion, have raised significant coin for the Oscar campaign. 

"We are doing a regular campaign.  Ads, DVDs, special screenings.  The same thing everybody else is doing but with our own resources," said Bleiberg. "Why would we screen the film at Telluride and Toronto and release it a year later?"

Bleiberg said they've always believed in Jeff Goldblum's perf in the film, stating he turned down a $3 million investment to replace the thesp.  At the Mill Valley Film Festival, the producer said George Lucas approached him after a screening, encouraging him to release the film for an awards run.

Bleiberg said a release outside of LA and NY would depend on the Oscar prospects.

"Adam Resurrected" preemed at Telluride Film Festival and will unspool at AFI FEST on November 8.

Screen Media has grabbed U.S. distrib rights to Derick Martini's "Lymelife," which preemed at Toronto.  The Long Island family drama stars Alec Baldwin, Cynthia Nixon, and a couple of Culkins (Rory and Kiernan). 

Screen Media will release the film in Spring 2009.

William Morris Indie's Cassian Elwes, negotiated the deal with Jonathan Gray and Evan Krauss of Gray Krauss LLP for Martini.  Robert Baruc and David Fannon, Executive-Vice President of Screen Media Ventures, negotiated on behalf of Screen Media.

Magnet has grabbed North American rights to "Chocolate," the new martial arts actioner from "Ong Bak" helmer Prachya Pinkaew.

Pic preemed at Toronto and just had its U.S premiere at Fantastic Fest.

Apparently, the film's lead, Jeeja Vismistananda, trained for five years for the role.  She plays an autistic girl who learns Muay Thai by watching marathon screenings of Tony Jaa and Bruce Lee films.

"'Chocolate' proves Jeeja is as hard hitting as the big boys and fans will be delighted by Prachya’s return to kick ass action,” said Magnolia Senior Vice President Tom Quinn.

Sony Classics got one of the more talked about docus of Toronto by nabbing rights the Chorus Line doc "Every Little Step":

Endgame Entertainment’s showbiz docu “Every Little Step: The Journey of A Chorus Line” sold to Sony Pictures Classics, which is acquiring North American and Australian rights for a mid-six figure minimum guarantee.

Lionsgate/Roadside and Senator also vied for the project. Sony Pictures Classics will likely release the doc in spring at the height of the Tony season.

Back from Toronto, Peter Bart puzzles over the fest biz, a celebration of mixed messages:

Support is hard to come by for a number of reasons. The press keeps running stories about the fade-out of the specialty film business, but new players like Summit and Overture were in full action at Toronto. Reporters keep writing that money is running out, but some new funds announced themselves at this fest, and the folks from Abu Dhabi kept reminding anyone who would listen that they had more money than they know what to do with (needless to say, there were a lot of people with suggestions at Toronto).

Danny Boyle's "Slumdog Millionaire" won Toronto's People's Choice Award while Steve McQueen's debut film "Hunger" won the Discovery Award.  Derick Martini's "Lymelife" and Steve Jacobs' "Disgrace" won the International Critics Prize (FIPRESCI).

Canadian awards went to Rodrigue Jean's "Lost Song" for best feature.  Madeline Piujuq Ivalu's "Before Tomorrow" won for best first feature.  Chris Chong Chan Fui's "Block B" picked up best short.

Toronto is ending and the roundups are posting.

Greencine's Sean Axmaker is down on the fest:

It hasn't escaped anyone's notice that the American line-up at TIFF 2008 was singularly lacking in heft and ambition.

NY Times' AO Scott isn't:

There is still plenty of strong work to be found at the Toronto International Film Festival, especially in the flourishing world of truly independent filmmaking.

Roger Ebert gets whacked, says it's no big deal:

If it were up to me, you would never have heard about the incident at the Toronto Film Festival on the morning of Sept. 6 when a fellow critic whacked me with a rolled-up program or a festival binder or something. It has been blown out of proportion. It is of little interest.

Spout's Karina and Kevin sit on the FilmCouch:

The Coen Brothers’ new film Burn After Reading gets a mixed reaction, apparently it’s better if you get to see it with Adrien Brody.

indieWIRE's goes to Paris (not France):

"Paris, Not France" has been the subject of some controversy at the Toronto International Film Festival. Just days before the festival began, it came out that the festival had reduced its screenings to just one, allegedly due to pressures from the Hilton camp.

Most of the industry left Toronto yesterday, with a few stragglers getting on planes today. 

For sales agents, it's a time to follow-up, to push, to hope that a bad review is forgotten and the good one isn't.

Leaning heavily on the Sutton Place bar, one tired sales agent mused today on the delicate dance they play during the fest -- keeping an available title in the news by feeding out bits of positive info, yet being careful not to say something they may have to eat later.  A distrib attends a second screening, Sundance has people in the audience, execs are circling, interest is building, the screening was hot, an offer is eminent, the filmmaker is in meetings. 

It's hard to decipher what's actually happening.  Even in the end, it takes days of collecting soundbytes to piece it together.

For filmmakers, especially those who had their film in Telluride only a week ago, Toronto is sometimes a rude awakening.  Telluride is proudly sensory deprived from the industry.  There is the financial barrier.  It's not cheap for cash-strapped press and industry to fest there.  A carton of OJ is six bucks.  And because of its shortened time frame, film reviews usually don't come out until the same pic screens in Toronto.

Yet when that review is published, the ideal of Telluride is drowned out by the business of Toronto.

Thus, part of a trade journo's job in Toronto is to hear it from angry filmmakers, whose film went cold with distribs because of their paper's pan.  Only a week ago they were talking movies and politics at a Telluride dinner or film line.  Eight days later, you're the enemy.  Doesn't matter if you're a reporter and not a reviewer.  A representative from the paper is enough.

As one filmmaker recently told us, indignantly, "But your review was factually incorrect!"  He was hoping to appeal to our journalistic sense of outrage.  We politely told him that the piece can be corrected, but it wouldn't change the reviewer's opinion. 

He just yelled at us some more. 

Anne T got some time with Kathryne Bigelow on "The Hurt Locker."

When Sidney Kimmel exec Bingham Ray (in Toronto with Charlie Kaufman's "Synecdoche, New York") said his annual darts competish was canceled, we thought indie film's funeral bells were now truly ringing.  Forgoing the free wine and finger foods of other parties, fest regulars have looked forward to Ray's annual pints and darts for years.

Saved by the last minute organizing efforts of Ray's former Kimmel colleague Josh Deighton, the Madison Avenue Pub hosted a quality group last night.

Stepping up to the "oche" was "Kisses" director Lance Daly, Cinetic's Sarah Lash and Dana O'Keefe, and Sundance programmer Trevor Groth.  Sidney Kimmel exec Jodi Hildebrand mingled with former Warner Indie exec Paul Federbush while Magnolia topper Eamonn Bowles chatted with exec producer Jack Turner, who's at the fest with two pics - "Lovely, Still" and "Youssou Ndour: I Bring What I Love."

Variety's Dade Hayes (pictured) went toe to toe with Ray -- "He took me to school in the end."

While some talk pointed to Magnolia acquiring Steven Soderbergh's "Che," IFC has just announced that they've nabbed all North American rights to the Benicio Del Toro starrer.  The company will release the film for one awards-qualifying week in NY and LA, then re-open the film through its day-and-date platform, IFC In Theaters, in January.

Del Toro won the Best Actor prize for the film at Cannes.

Jonathan Sehring, President of IFC Films said, “Steven's been involved with IFC as a member of the advisory board of both the IFC Network and the IFC Center since we formed them.  We also financed “Gray’s Anatomy,” and we have always considered him one of the most visionary American directors at work."

As the fest rounds the corner, Summit got U.S. rights for Kathryn Bigelow's "The Hurt Locker," marking the second major buy of the fest.  While the title sounds like a Shel Silverstein book, it's not one for the kids.

Sharon Swart has the story here.

The next few days will see how interested the smaller distribs are, who typically wait for the fest market to slow before swooping in.  IFC (which recently nabbed "Everlasting Moments" out of Telluride) and Sony Classics are circling several titles, including "Me and Orson Welles" and the docu "Every Little Step." 

On the docu front, "Soul Power" and "Valentino," which are being sold by Submarine, have offers.  "Soul Power" was an early hot docu title, selling international rights quickly.  Participant's "Food Inc." is screening to two interested studios in New York and Los Angeles.

The ground was well fertilized by the time Darren Aronofsky's "The Wrestler" sold to Fox Searchlight hours after its first screening.  A New York fest closing night slot, a glowing review, a Venice Golden Lion win.   Its sale felt all but inevitable as a brewing comeback story for Mickey Rouke quickly made it award fodder. 

The producers now must be thrilled that Nicolas Cage, originally intended for Rouke's role, didn't work out.  One can only imagine the financier reaction to that phone call -- "We lost Cage, but we did get Mickey Rouke!"  Credit goes to whomever okayed that decision.  A Nicolas Cage "Wrestler" seems worlds away from this film, and one with only a fraction of the power.

But as one distrib exec said, the film's $4 million sale price was a reflection of the current market -- "Eight years ago, that film would have sold for a lot more."

Now that the deal is old news, the fest is finally settling into other films.  "Hurt Locker" appears to be a hot title after a big screening last night.  Some are re-looking at Linklater's "Me and Orson Welles" and Ramin Bahrani's "Goodbye Solo," which saw a few second-round viewings by distribs today. 

"Flame and Citron" director Ole Christian Madsen with "Medicine for Melancholy" helmer Barry Jenkins at the IFC dinner.


At the NYC Party, AFI Dallas programmers James Faust and Sarah Harris, scouting for films for their Texas event, were circling "Heaven on Earth," "More Than a Game," and "Slumdog Millionaire."


IFC Films topper Jonathan Sehring toasted all the directors at the IFC dinner, including "The Good, The Bad, and The Weird," director Kim Ji-woon, whose film "is perhaps the only IFC film which my two sons can watch."

"Sugar" stars Algenis Perez Soto and Rayniel Rufino has a steady stream of well wishers at the Sony Classics dinner.


SXSW's Janet Pierson and FIND's Dawn Hudson find each other at the NYC party.

"Deadgirl" directors Marcel Sarmiento and Gadi Harel were weighing their next festival steps after their Toronto midnight screening.  The pic will next play the upcoming Fantastic Fest, where the catalog description will probably be similar to Toronto's: "Not recommended for first dates... unless they're already dead."

by Dade Hayes
Anyone who knows movie marketing will tell you that taglines don't come easy. For every inspired one like "In space, no one can hear you scream" ("Alien"), there's a non-starter like "This time, you can't change the channel" ("Freddie Got Fingered").

Even grading on a steep curve, though, the poster for Toronto Film Festival opener "Passchendaele" is a head-scratcher. The $20 million WWI drama, a more muscular and traditional production than previous Toronto openers, is slated for wide Canadian release in October by Alliance Films. Thus, posters are ubiquitous in Toronto as thousands of fest-goers swarm over the city.

All of the usual genre elements are there -- serious black background, sepia-toned battlefield in the distance, two lovers embracing as a drenching rain falls. One's interest is piqued. Then comes the payoff: "In love, there is only one rule: Don't die."

So many questions flood to mind after reading that, and then rereading it to make sure it's real. Isn't not dying the rule in everything? Is this actually a plug for the "Passchendaele" videogame? Did a rough draft from a failed brainstorming session just make its way to the printer? And, most importantly, would real lovers ever actually express themselves this way?

In "Passchendaele," the answer to the last question is yes. The tagline stems directly from a line of dialogue that pops up twice out of two characters' mouths in the trailer. The trailer is a heavy-handed affair that starts off with the booming voiceover "It was a time of innocence ... a time of love ... a time of war." (And maybe a time to tweak the ad copy.)


The one-sheet and trailer and other info about the film are on the official "Passchendaele" site here.

A note to buyers interested in "The Wrestler," screening tonight -- have your awards season strategy ready.

In Nick Vivarelli's story here, the pic's Italian distrib is looking at an early 2009 release:

A U.S. distribution deal for “The Wrestler,” which is co-produced by Gaul’s Wild Bunch, is now deemed imminent in Toronto.

Andrea Occhipinti, topper of Lucky Red, the pic’s Italo distrib, said he was eyeing a January release date "after the Oscars campaign."

They may be hard to spot this year, but gifting lounges are at most every major Toronto festival hotel. 

They are the bane of Sundance, which fights back in part by handing out "Focus on Film" buttons.  In Toronto, the rooms take every advantage of the talent clutter to push product. 

There's heated competition between them. "Gifting vomit," as one organizer described a competitor's goods just down the hall. 

Unlike Sundance, the rooms are located within the hotel for easy access.  Certain celebs need not even visit -- their suite is already lined with goods and gift certificates.  Brad Pitt got a Wii, Sofia Bush hauled out stuff from French Connection, ACE is here with gifts of "man-sized" grooming instruments ("37% more grip!"), and Maxwell House is pushing something called "Maxiccino" -- a cappuccino powder that froths when hot water is added.  No machine needed.

"It's chemistry," explained the rep.  Chemistry, indeed.

Many suites have charities attached to whom the talent can "re-gift" their stuff, illustrating a more bizarre (and effective) form of reverse psychology.

Pictured, Petra Nemcova visits the WildAid Lounge.  The Wii, signed also by Brad Pitt and Kate Hudson, will be auctioned for charity.  Photo by George Pimentel/WireImage.com.

Edward Norton and Tim Blake Nelson announced the start of principle photography for "Leaves of Grass," written and to be directed by Nelson.  Norton will play identical twins in the pic - one an Ivy league professor and the other a pot farmer.  The film will also star Susan Sarandon and Richard Dreyfuss.  Keri Russell is in talks to join.

"When I read the script, I said I wanted to shoot it exactly how it is," said Norton who will also take a producer title through his production company, Class 5. 

Millennium, which did Nelson's "The Gray Zone," will finance.

Norton is also in Toronto for the Gala screening of Gavin O'Connor's cop drama "Pride and Glory."

After several days in, the fest feels good.  People seem tired of repeating indie film's wretched state and are relaxing into good work. 

"Soul Power" sold international rights to Celluloid Dreams.  A domestic sale is expected shortly.

Audiences are still humming about "35 Rhums." Add a rousing reception Saturday to the Chorus Line docu "Every Little Step."  "The Wrestler's" upcoming screening was the talk of parties.

It was a Sony Pictures Classics' double feature on Saturday as Christophe Barratier's "Paris 36" and Jonathan Demme's "Rachel Getting Married" unspooled back to back.  SPC toppers Michael Barker and Tom Bernard are pushing a stack of 10 films here.


"Paris 36" producer Jacques Perrin, Barker, director Christophe Barratier, actress Nora Arnezeder, actor Gerard Jugnot and actor Clovis Cornillac attend the cocktail reception.


"That's right!  She's in my movie!" boasted Jonathan Demme upon introducing Debra Winger, who joined the cast on stage at the "Rachel Getting Married" Gala.  Piers Handling praised the film: "Demme bathes the film in warmth, humor, and music."  Truly, the film is a dramatic musical.  Entirely set within a wedding weekend filled with musicians, the film let's Demme play again with his favorites like Robyn Hitchcock and Sister Carol East.   Dysfunction and tragedy aside, watching it makes you wish you planned your wedding better.

Well before "The Wrestler's" win in Venice today, buyers have lined up in Toronto, eagerly hoping to get a foot in the door before Darren Aronofsky's film unspools tommorow.

The film's seller, CAA, says they won't be doing anything until after the film screens.

Here's Todd McCarthy's rave:

Talk about comebacks. After many years in the wilderness and being considered MIA professionally, Mickey Rourke, just like the washed-up character he plays, attempts a return to the big show in "The Wrestler." Not only does he pull it off, but Rourke creates a galvanizing, humorous, deeply moving portrait that instantly takes its place among the great, iconic screen performances. An elemental story simply and brilliantly told, Darren Aronofsky's fourth feature is a winner from every possible angle.         

Eugene Hernandez looks at Claire Denis' new film, "35 Rhums," which is on many must-see lists here.   Also, Jeff Levy-Hinte's docu "Soul Power" (pictured) was the buzz at the Variety party.  Word is both films could sell soon.

Anne T. covered Richard Linklater's "Me and Orson Welles:"

The movie is being sold by Cinetic here; the hope is that Miramax (which attended the first public screening Friday night along with a bevy of other buyers including Sony Pictures Classics and Magnolia) will want to continue to burnish the fortunes of Efron, Disney's High School Musical star.

Variety raved about Jonathan Demme's "Rachel Getting Married" which is the big film tonight. 

Brimming with energy, elan and the unpredictability of his "Something Wild," Jonathan Demme's triumphant "Rachel Getting Married" may just lay the wedding film to rest, being such a hard act to follow.

Poland likes the chances of Nik Fackler's "Lovely, Still":

...all of those "Boynton Beach Club" movies that get distribution... this is going to be the king of them. Maybe it's just $10 million in theatrical, but given the Academy composition and the very real love of these two actors [Ellen Burstyn and Martin Landau], don't be shocked to hear award buzz around this one all season.

Toronto fest topper Piers Handling introduced the Coen brother's movie "Burn After Reading" by remembering their first visit to the fest -- with "Blood Simple" in 1984.  He said those who appreciate their "corrosive sense of humor" would not be disappointed in the film's "acerbic look at Washington life."

"We'd like to thank the amazing cast for induging in our nonsense," said Joel Coen, his brother Ethan characteristically silent at his side.  McDormand, Malkovich, Swinton, Jenkins, and Pitt took the stage soon after.

A couple of early pickups kick off Toronto today. 

Brillante Mendoza's "Serbis," (pictured) has been grabbed by Regent for the US from Fortissimo.  After Toronto it will play the New York Film Festival. 

And Strand got the US rights to another Cannes-born Toronto pic - Terence Davies' "Of Time and City" which the distrib picked up from Hurricane Films via Hanway Films.  The pic preemed at Cannes.  Strand's experience with Davies extends back to "The Neon Bible" and "Trilogy."  They'll take his new film out in January of 09.

by Nick Vivarelli
As the Toronto Film Festival gets underway, a few notes on this year’s Venice.

It’s not over yet, but more than halfway through, the first edition of Marco Mueller’s (pictured with Anne Hathaway) new four-year mandate has all the makings of an off-year. An honorable off-year, maybe. But still an edition during which the din of complaints – pretty much a constant at all film fests – has spiralled to an almost unbearable level.

Some random Venice-venting from anglo journos/critics overheard this morning at the Hathaway-starrer “Rachel Getting Married” press screening.

“Marco is in trouble. If he doesn’t get his act together next year, then the majors will snub Venice entirely and start just going to Toronto.”

“I’ve been coming for twenty years, but I don’t know if I will be able to come back next year; I just didn’t get enough interviews to justify the cost.” 

So how bad is Venice this year?

Well, first the bright side. The weather has been fantastic, almost always sunny, albeit humid. A slight decrease in attendees, about 12%, means it’s easier to parc your bicycle and get a table at Valentino, the only decent restaurant near the Palazzo del Cinema. And speaking of Valentino, the party at the Guggenheim Museum on the Grand Canal for docu “Valentino: The Last Emperor,” by former Vanity Fair journo Matt Tyrnauer, was a blast even though the food took ages. 

The real bummer are the movies. Still, Jonathan Demme’s “Rachel” went over well today, after a half-dozen other pics in the competish –  Hayao Miyazaki’s toon “Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea,” Amazon-set “Birdwatchers,” by Marco Bechis, Teutonic helmer Christian Petzold’s “Jerichow,” Takeshi Kitano’s “Achilles and the Tortoise,” Guillermo Arriaga’s “The Burning Plain,” and Alexey German Jr’s “Paper Soldier” – all seemed solid, though nothing to get too excited about, which of course is the problem.

Mueller at a luncheon today said the selection “reflects what is going on in world cinema today.”

He also pointed out that about one-third of his selection will now be screening in Toronto. 

So, be warned.


Photo by Dominique Charriau/WireImage.com

Helen Hunt's directorial debut "Then She Found Me" was one of two pickups at Toronto last year (Overture got and succeeded with "The Visitor"). 

Anne Thompson reports Hunt's film broke even, while the LA Times reports on the blame.

From Anne T's Weekly piece:

...last year's ballyhooed Toronto pickup from Helen Hunt, "Then She Found Me," lost money. The company paid a $1.7 million minimum guarantee for U.S. only and about $1 million on P&A. The movie grossed $3.7 million and sold modestly on video.

Then today's LA Times piece quotes Hunt as to why:

Helen Hunt, who is not suing, blames ThinkFilm's money problems for the low visibility of her directorial debut with "Then She Found Me." On the Friday before her mother-daughter movie was to expand on Mother's Day weekend, not one newspaper ad appeared.

"This was a movie that was near and dear to my heart for the better part of 10 years," Hunt said.

ThinkFilm's Mark Urman acknowledged that the company's money crunch prevented the movie's expansion to more than 300 theaters, as planned, and crimped its ability to buy ads, probably limiting the film's performance.

The core of the seemingly competing Toronto fest articles in the current Variety Weekly underscore the fundamental difference between studios and indies -- economies of scale.

Dade Hayes and Pam McClintock look at what happened on the studio's end:

With great fanfare, the majors jumped into the indie film game by launching specialty units -- but the entire biz is still feeling the ripple effect.

Some imposed a Big Studio mentality on a business that demands careful nurturing. Production budgets got bigger for little films, while marketing budgets ballooned on such pics as "Babel," "No Country for Old Men" and "There Will be Blood."

This made it tough for smaller indie companies to compete for box office attention or awards. A gross of $5 million to $10 million used to be great for an indie film, but not anymore.

Meanwhile, Anne Thompson finds a half-full glass:

"The Wind That Shakes the Barley" and "4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days" -- have been IFC's biggest earners. This year, IFC opened Catherine Breillat's erotic thriller "The Last Mistress" on June 27, day-and-date in theaters and via VOD on cable systems around the country. Available for $6.99 during a 90-day window, the pic has grossed $657,804 to date.

And IFC is actually expanding its acquisitions.