The Circuit

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.

Mill Valley topper Mark Fishkin said last night's closing party was a surreal experience.  Set on the Hornblower Yacht, Alfre Woodard (pictured with "Body of Lies" thesp Ali Suliman) and helmer Tim Disney celebrated the unspooling of their "American Violet" under the Golden Gate Bridge.  Yet in the near distance, Angel Island was ablaze.  "It looked like a volcano erupting," said Fishkin.  There were no reported injuries on the island, which is a state park. 

"American Violet" picked up the Audience Favorite award for narrative.  "Archeology of Memory: Villa Girmaldi" won for docs while "Skymaster, A Flying Family Tale" got favorite family film.  Photo by Jonathan Pearl.


"Happy-Go-Lucky" director Mike Leigh attended in place of his star, Sally Hawkins who received an award at the fest. Hawkins injured her collarbone during filming of another movie and was undergoing surgery at the time. 

New York film festers saw her briefly at the Gotham screening and afterparty, but Hawkins' painful injury kept her out of the spotlight.  Photo by Tommy Lau.


Other tributes went to scribe Eric Roth, who attended with "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" director David Fincher.  Like in Telluride, Mill Valley screened about 30 minutes in clips from the pic.  Afterwards, Fishkin held a Q&A with Fincher, Roth, and Taraji P. Henson who co-stars in the pic with Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett.  Photo by Tommy Lau.


Another honoree, Harriet Andersson, attended the unspooling of a new print for the Bergman classic "Through a Glass Darkly."  Next to her, Barbro Osher of the Bernard Osher Foundation.  Photo by Tommy Lau.


Fishkin steered the Master Class with Joe Wright, after a screening of his new pic "The Soloist."  Photo by Tommy Lau.

"Adam Resurrected" helmer Paul Schrader attends his Mill Valley fest tribute.  Photo by Tommy Lau.


"Secret Life of Bees" director Gina Prince-Bythewood, star Dakota Fanning and Mill Valley topper Mark Fishkin.  Photo by Tommy Lau.


"Touching Home" co-director Logan Miller, Gordon Radley (Emeritus Board member), "Touching Home" co-director Noah Miller, and line producer Jeromy Zajonc.  Photo by Pamela Gentile.

Danny Glover and Mill Valley topper Mark Fishkin.  The Mill Valley Film Festival closes this weekend.  Photo by Brad Fox.


Fishkin, AMPAS prexy Sid Ganis, "Adam Resurrected" helmer Paul Schrader, George Lucas, and "Adam Resurrected" producer Ehud Bleiberg.  Lucas presented Schrader a MVFF award. Photo by Tommy Lau.


Palmer West, producer of the fest opener "Religulous" and Mill Valley director of programming Zoe Elton.  Photo by Brad Fox.

The 31st Mill Valley Festival will honor "Happy-Go-Lucky" actress Sally Hawkins (pictured) with a Spotlight Award during their October event.  They'll also unspool Dennis Gansel's "The Wave," Amin Natakga's "Captain Abu Raed" and Daniel Junge's award winning docu, "Who Killed Sister Dorothy."

More info at mvff.com.