The Circuit

At the San Francisco Film Society party, exec director Graham Leggatt with the Kenneth Raimin Foundation's Jen Raimin, and Creative Capital's Ruby Lerner.

Just before the IFC Breakfast, Filmmaker Mag editor Scott Macaulay and with "Medicine for Melancholy" helmer Barry Jenkins, who graces the cover of the next mag.



The inauguration didn't stop the deal-making at Sundance's Meet the Funders event, where filmmaker jostled for the attention of POV and Al Jazeera, among others.


Outside the Claimjumper, Harvey Weinstein was dressing down someone on his cell, jacketless and pissed.  We approached for an interview, waiting for the right time.  But as his phone conversation became more heated, the moment grew more awkward as he eyed us suspiciously.  We suddenly remembered we had something to do and quickly ran away.

Director James Toback introduces Mike Tyson at a dinner for the documentary, "Tyson," at the Sundance Film Festival. 

Clearly moved by the growing interest in the docu since its Cannes preem, Tyson addressed the diners:

"I'm really very humbled.  I had no idea it'd get to this magnitude.  I was looking forward to selling bootleg DVDs... I told James it might be a foreign movie because of the language I'd be using."

"I'm afraid of how much pussy and money I'm going to get.  It's going to lead to a lot of problems.  It's not funny.  It's really detrimental to me because I'm really sick and really weak."

Scott Sanders' blaxploitation comedy "Black Dynamite" has sold North American righs to Sony Pictures Worldwide for $2 million, a few hours after its Sundance Midnight preem.

Dade Hayes has the story here.

IFC Films and the SXSW Film Festival will simultaneously world preem Joe Swamberg's "Alexander the Last" on March 14.  

Produced by Noah Baumbach, pic explores the highs and lows of a young marriage.  IFC will broadcast the film on their Festival Direct VOD label.

Other SXSW film are also involved in the deal.  Javor Gardev's neo-noir "Zift" and Matthew Newton's dark comedy "Three Blind Mice" will also have their simul-preem on the channel and fest.  And in a fest rewind, SXSW 2008 pics "Medicine for Melancholy" and "Paper Covers Rock" will be broadcast.

IFC Films prexy Jonathan Sehring said they will look to expand the program to other festivals -- "It's a natural leap for us."

"At a time when the U.S. marketplace for truly American independent and foreign films is rapidly changing, and many films are having difficulty getting exposure, IFC Films has created opportunities for a wide range of films to find an audience," said Sehring.

IFC also announced the formation of IFC Midnight, a new genre label, for their VOD platform.  It will include horror, sci-fi, thriller, and... "erotic arthouse."  New titles included Duane Graves and Justin Meeks' horror pic "Wild Man of Navidad" and Laurence Trillings' "Group Sex."




Photo: SXSW's Janet Pierson and IFC's Jonathan Sehring

"It was a dream come true," said Jim Carrey, when asked what it was like to kiss Ewan McGregor. "I mean, just look at the guy."

The stars of "I Love You, Phillip Morris," along with helmers Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, finally unveiled the fest's highest profile pic to a brimming audience. 

The chaos inside and out of the Eccles was anticipated.  For volunteers it was all-hands-on-deck as people rushed the theater, grabbing seats with a toss of their jacket, quickly texting their friends deep in the line outside that a seat was saved, only to argue with the staff when the theater manager let it be known no one else was getting in. 

People were still clambering for seats as the lights went down.

The 100 minutes is one of the most unusual mixtures of the fest -- moments of Carrey's branded hilarity opposite brutal prison culture and graphic gay sex.  Requa said they'll put some even hotter cut scenes on the DVD extras.

The story is based on the true love affair between two convicts, with Carrey playing a hopelessly devoted genius who's able to illegally finance their lavish lifestyle and escape from prison multiple times -- all in the name of love.

One audience member asked McGregor what it was like to play a gay man. 

"Same as playing any other kind of man. It was never awkward to kiss or cuddle."

"Hard to let go of it, though," joked Carrey.


Photo: George Pimentel/WireImage.com

"Over the Hills and Far Away" is a competition documentary about Rupert Isaacson (left) and his quest to find a cure for his autistic son. With him is Mark Ordesky, the former New Line Cinema/Fine Line Features exec who now has a production company, Amber Entertainment. Ordesky's planning to produce a feature version of the doc, with Isaacson taking first stab at the script. (Isaacson, a British journalist, also wrote a book based on his experiences, "The Horse Boy," and acted as the documentary's producer and co-director.)

This is from Saturday night's Bon Appetit Supper Club dinner in honor of James Toback's "Tyson." That's Toback on the right and Sony Pictures Classics' co-head, a bearded Michael Barker, on the left. SPC bought "Tyson" after the film made its world premiere at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival.

Later, Mike Tyson showed at the dinner, dressed in a tux and took the mic after Toback addressed the diners. Apologizing for having no gift for public speaking, Tyson said over and over how happy he was that the film is coming out.

But he was also cautious. 

The last time he was a celebrity, he said, "pussy and money brought me down."  He was concerned the film's release would bring those things back and lead him right back to rehab.

Senator Distribution has nabbed North American rights to Antoine Fuqua's cop drama "Brooklyn's Finest," twenty-four hours after its world preem at the Sundance Film Festival. 

Senator will release the film in late 2009 for awards consideration.

Sources close to the deal said Senator paid under $5 million with an eight-figure P&A commitment. 

Pic's all-star cast includes Richard Gere, Ethan Hawke, and Don Cheadle as cops battling their own ethical and moral dilemmas.

"We went into aggressive pursuit right after Friday's screening," said Senator prexy Mark Urman.

Stressing that the film is a work-in-progress, Urman said talks continued the next day with Fuqua, focusing on delivery issues.  The music is still temporary and there are discussion about the re-working the ending.  "It strikes me that the ending will be different," said Urman, "But Antoine must be happy with it."

Considering the film's award potential, Urman noted Hawke was nominated for an Oscar in Fuqua's previous cop drama, "Training Day."

"Being from Brooklyn, this film is important to me," said Urman, who wouldn't comment on the purchase price, except to say it was a "strong, muscular figure."

Deal was brokered by CAA and William Morris with Senator CEO Marco Weber and Urman.

Wild Bunch has taken on international sales duties for R.J. Cutler's "The September Issue," a docu on Anna Wintour's assemblage of Vogue's famous mag.  CAA is handling domestic sales.

Among those who've seen it -- and there seems to be a lot -- it is a talked-about title here.  As one exec told us, "It's crack for girls."

Also announced, E1 will take Canadian distrib rights to Sophie Barthes' "Cold Souls" from Cinetic.

Matt Dentler pointed us to this funny short directed by Jonah Hill and Nicholas Jasenovec.  Jasenovec's "Paper Heart" starring Charlyne Yi and Michael Cera is preeming at Sundance.

In the short, Hill is a genius songwriter working a on new song titled "Handjob."

It doesn't go well with the band, though.

"This is not our kind of song, man.  I feel stupid singing it."

"Maybe you could sing it as if you've actually gotten a handjob before."

"I've... I've gotten a.. a lot of handjobs before."

View it here.  (Unfortunately it's not embeddable.)

The trailer to Andy Bichlbaum and Mike Bonanno's docu "The Yes Men Fix The World" -- the sequel to "The Yes Men" -- has Mike and Andy once again duping the media by pretending to be spokespeople for giant companies they don't like... and getting away with it:

"Andy's about ready to tell a really big lie, which will wipe about a billion dollars off one company's stock price."

Check out their site -- theyesmen.org.

Sony Pictures Classics has finally sealed the deal for North American rights to James Toback's docu "Tyson," unspooling in the Sundance Film Festival's Spectrum section.  SPC began talks to acquire the controversial boxer's portrait after its Cannes fest preem.

NBA All-Star Carmelo Anthony will join the project as exec producer.


As reported earlier, the distrib is also near a pact for U.S. rights to Carlos Cuaron’s dramedy “Rudo y Cursi,” ahead of its Sundance world preem. 

Pic reunites “Y Tu Mama Tambien” co-stars Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna as two brothers who become rivals on the soccer field.  It opened December 19 in Mexico to good business.

“Rudo y Cursi” is the first project to come out of Cha Cha Cha, the production shingle of helmers Guillermo del Toro, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu and Alfonso Cuaron, who is Carlos’ brother. Cha Cha Cha has a financing and distribution deal with Focus Features, which has all rights to the pic outside the U.S.  Cha Cha Cha retained U.S. rights. WMA and CAA co-repped the film.

The trailer we found on YouTube for Glenn Ficara and John Requa's "I Love You, Phillip Morris" looks like a 15th generation copy of a copy of a copy.  But it's still funny. 

From the "Bad Santa" writers, pic stars Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor as gay prison lovers.  What an easy pitch that is.

The following trailer for Dan Eckman's comedy "Mystery Team" may not be suitable for younger viewers. 
What's the film about?  To crib from Sundance senior programmer Trevor Groth:

"If Encyclopedia Brown, the kids from American Pie, and Nancy Drew all had sex, their baby would probably look something like Mystery Team." 

Check out their site here.

Can a short cowboy have a short horse?  Kinda.  Can a short film have a short trailer?  Well... kinda. 

From helmers Jessica Burstein and Robbie Norris -- who call themselves Dumb Bunny -- comes this very short trailer for her/his Sundance short film, "Abbie Cancelled."  The duo is behind several cool MTV spots and music vids, which can be checked out at dumbbunnyproductions.com.

Greg Mottola's "Superbad" follow-up is finally a pic he also wrote -- "Adventureland," about the worst job ever.  Though "Daytrippers" had its preem at Slamdance in 1996, "Adventureland" will open in Sundance's Premieres section.

Ross Katz's film preems in Sundance's Dramatic Competition section.  Kevin Bacon stars in what looks like the longest, saddest roadtrip movie ever.

For those who can pull choice quotes from "I'm Gonna Git You Sucka" it's been a difficult 20 years.  They've long since worn out their welcome quoting "My Bitch Better Have My Money" at the corner bar. 

With Scott Sanders' Sundance preem of the blacksploitation spoof "Black Dynamite" things may look a little rosier for them -- at least those under 30 will know what they're yapping about.

The trailer, starring Michael Jai White, looks hilarious:

Another Sundance doc on the lips of distribs we talk to is Louis Psihoyos' "The Cove," about how the Oceanic Preservation Society uncovered a cove in Japan where thousands of dolphins and porpoises are slaughtered and sold.

From the trailer below the movie seems to unfold like covert-ops thriller, complete with spy-cameras hidden in rocks and birds' nests.

At an agency meeting about their Sundance projects, the execs began the conversation by raving about a doc they aren't even repping -- Ondi Timoner's "We Live in Public," about internet pioneer and artist Josh Harris whom many remember from Pseudo.com. 

Check out the extended trailer:


We live in public trailer from RADAR on Vimeo.

"Smile 'Til It Hurts" producer Bari Pearlman pointed us to this fantastic teaser to her Slamdance doc, a chronicle of the people who "averted a third World War" -- the Up With People! singers. 

"Being gay in Up With People was not possible.  There was no such thing as gay in Up With People even though it attracted every closet case... All the boys who put on tights and danced in front of their mirror ended up in Up With People.  So you had tons of fairies." 

"But in the Up With People world, homosexuality did not exist.  There was no gay when in fact you were surrounded by other gay people whom you could never talk to about it.  It was sick."