The Circuit

As many of you are aware, the grim economy finally came knocking yesterday, taking many journalists off the roster and shuttering The Circuit. 

It was a great run and I thank everyone for their support and sentiments.  Your emails have been overwhelming and very moving.

On the plane back from Park City I sat next to a former exec, also now without a company desk.  The conversation moved to the economy, and we both commented on how easily it did.

The blossoming depression is now an inevitable part of all small talk.  Hard to even call the talk small.  Yet in the wake of a 70,000-plus job loss yesterday, the magnitude of what the country faces threatens to make the individual story smaller.  It's important to remember the stories above this drone of newspaper statistics and bad news avalanche.  The news will get worse.  We'll rely on filmmakers and artists to make some sense of it all, or to at least shift our gaze.  Which is frankly just as good.
 
And that task is the film festival's job -- to put up stories in that great black box, on that giant screen, with that enveloping sound system, and under the influence of a room full of moody strangers.  All without a pause button.  Film festivals are cinema's art gallery and in an economic crisis it is a cheap temple to worship at.  For me, it's the best worship around.

Find me on Facebook and reach out.  Or look for me in those moldy seats, or combing through the fest's pocket schedule.  And if there's time between screenings, let's go outside.  We'll be stunned at how much of the day we've spent in the dark.  And then we'll argue about what we just saw, who will buy it, or who will market it better. 

But let's not take long arguing, because there is probably a bar across the street. 

And you're buying.

Scott at Filmmaker Mag tuned us into a cool trailer for Gary Hustwit's new docu "Objectified," making its preem at SXSW. 

IFC Films has bought U.S. rights to Armando Iannucci's comedy "In the Loop" hours before its preem at the Sundance Film Festival.

Produced by Kevin Loader and Adam Tandy, "In the Loop" follows a British government minister who inadvertently supports a war on prime-time television. Pic stars Tom Hollander,  Peter Capaldi, James Gandolfini, and Steve Coogan.  Helmer Iannucci heads the writing team behind the Brit TV hit "The Thick of It" and wrote "In the Loop" with several of his collegues including Jesse Armstrong.

"We are going to celebrate tonight," said IFC Entertainment prexy Jonathan Sehring. "It's not often that you get to introduce such a major talent as Armando Iannucci to American audiences.

Pact was negotiated by IFC's Arianna Bocco and Betsy Rodgers and William Morris Independent's Cassian Elwes and Protangonist Pictures' Ben Roberts.

IFC and SXSW announced they'll simul-preem Joe Swanberg's new film, "Alexander the Last," at the fest and on video-on-demand. 

IFC hopes the fest will bump sales, and SXSW hopes the channel will bump the fest.  It's good news for filmmakers who want to capitalize on their festival preem.

But Tom Hall, who runs the Sarasota Film Festival, has some issues.  And in my discussions with other fest directors, he's not alone.

Post-premiere festival screenings become the word of mouth/ marketing tool to drive business to VOD sales for films already sitting on the cable box (instead of, say, driving VOD sales for a film soon to be released on the cable box).

In some ways, this is a role festivals are comfortable playing (it echoes the traditional word of mouth function for upcoming theatrical releases), but it also represents an inherent tension for festivals who would now be showing a film in direct competition with an existing release in their own market.

And what if that local cable company is a sponsor of the festival? Now you’re directly competing with a sponsor’s revenue stream. 

SXSW's Janet Pierson with Joe Swanberg at the press conference.  Photo by Tom Hall.

The last noteworthy fight out of Sundance can be read about in any book or magazine timeline that charts the fest's history.  Harvey Weinstein came to blows with producer Jonathan Taplin over "Shine."  That fight was about an acquisition.  Harvey was pissed because someone else acquired the film.

Yesterday a new fight made the blogs -- Film rep Jeff Dowd was pissed that critic John Anderson didn't get his film.

Anderson felt that people will not respond to "Dirt!", a film Dowd was helping to push.  Dowd wouldn't accept that after hearing the audience reaction.  He wouldn't leave Anderson alone, pursuing him, trying to change his mind and being relentless about it.  Anderson got frustrated and lashed out. 

The "Shine" fight typified that year's Sundance -- sales were more, prices were bigger. 

This new fight is a result of this year's event -- sales are slow, pressure is mounting.  The logjam that was supposed to break an avalanche of deals after the Jim Carrey starrer "I Love You Phillip Morris" never broke.

The job of film reps and publicists at fests like Sundance is unique.  They're to drum a beat for distributor/buyer interest, not necessarily for general audiences.  For a film in general release there are important reviews to get, but at Sundance the trade reviews take on a particular significance because of their sales bent.  And there's really only two papers doing it. 

To be a Variety or HR journalist at Sundance is to be hounded by sales agents, publicists, agents and even fest programmers and filmmakers.  And while Dowd's pursuit of Anderson is the extreme, it is the norm (unfortunately).  I know of no reviewer or journo whose mind has been changed because of a publicist in hot pursuit, but it doesn't stop the pursuit. 

News reporters are in the crosshairs, too.  Several days ago, a flack pleaded with us to interview a director about their film's marketability, after a reviewer dismissed its chances in their piece. 

And the spin keeps coming, yet now the focus is the fight itself.  Today three emails came in, all explaining the fight from Dowd's perspective, and using it to push "Dirt."  Regarding Anderson -- "ill-informed assumptions are not what is best for the planet and not in the spirit of dialogue that goes on at Sundance."  (To wrap global issues into Anderson's opinion is a bit below-the-belt; like a New World Order guilt trip).

Sundance audience reaction is a dubious measurement of future success.  "Slam" had a raucous audience response.  So did "Happy, Texas."  And so did "The Blair Witch Project."   The smaller theaters are easily seeded with the film's supporters -- relatives and crew who already like it.  Buyers know this.  Sometimes it's mind-blowingly obvious ("Happy, Texas" case-in-point).   Reviewers know it, too. 

Yet what indicator can buyers really use to gauge marketability?  A lone reviewer?  A hired flack?  A biased audience?  Themselves?  Heaven forbid.

The sudden death of Heath Ledger became a where-were-you-then moment at last year's Sundance.  No one could escape the news.  Blackberries and iPhone lit up screenings-in-progress.  People grouped around TVs, shared info from a friend who knew a friend who was a casting director, overly-ruminated on the cause-of-death. 

And seemingly within the half hour, Entertainment Weekly had their tribute issue on racks.


So there was a bit of eyebrow lifting this year as EW again put out another Heath cover, this with his friends opening up about his last days: 

Gil Junger, director, "10 Things": Heath came in to read, and he exuded a sexuality so uncommon for a man of that age. As soon as he left, I stood up and said, ''Ladies, I have never wanted to sleep with a man, but if I had to, that would be the man. Please hire him immediately.''

Lionsgate has picked up North American and U.K. rights to James Strouse's comedy "The Winning Season" starring Sam Rockwell after the pic's Monday night screening.

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.

New Sundance sponsor, the Service Employees International Union, hosted an inauguration party at Zoom complete with Obama buttons, posters, and big screen TVs.


Sundance Institute's Michelle Satter and IFP's Michelle Byrd couldn't remember an inauguration celebrated at Sundance.  "I think we just didn't care about it.  But this is different," said Satter.

Byrd sported a Obama kerchief bought from the Catholics for Obama and made by Rwandan women.

After some hissing following Dr. Warren's introduction, eyes started welling up as the Obama girls took their seats, as Joe Biden took the oath, as Aretha brought the mall down.  And as the ever cool-and-collected Obama took his oath, the full weight of the moment took hold.  There wasn't a dry eye in the house.


Outside, the festival set up TVs on Main Street for a large group that lined the street, sidewalks, and balconies. 

Magnolia Pictures has spent mid-six figures for worldwide rights to Lynn Shelton's "Humpday." The lo-fi buddy comedy attracted six offers and a protracted bidding war.

Film stars Mark Duplass and Joshua Leonard as two straight best friends who decide to film themselves having sex for an art project. Pic preemed Friday in the Sundance Film Festival's competition section.

An unorthodox release plan will see Magnolia launch the pic on VOD before an August theatrical opening, much like their release of the crime pic "Flawless" starring Demi Moore.

The company plans to sell international rights.

The deal was negotiated by Josh Braun and Kevin Iwashina of Submarine on behalf of the filmmakers with Tom Quinn and Eamonn Bowles from Magnolia Pictures.

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."

The annual Variety 10 Directors to Watch party not only was a better and lower-key affair than the Stein Eriksen blowouts of yesteryear, it was evacuated by the fire department. 

When to leave a party is usually a sense of instinct -- who's there, how crowded is it, what the door looks like. 

Yet when we saw a rush of people suddenly heading out of it, we were surprised at how quickly a good party had deflated, even by Sundance standards. 

Then we saw the fire trucks.  Then we smelled the smoke. 

Outside, a transformer on a pole had blew and was spewing a stream of blue sparks everywhere.  Pretty, but there was no danger. 

Luckily, "Backdraft" scribe Gregory Widen was there, and eagerly explained why we had to evacuate.  He was fairly detailed about it.

Nothing in his warnings said we couldn't take our drinks with us, though, so after stuffing several longneck Stellas under our jackets, we complied.

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