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November 10, 2008

Another Toronto comedy sells, finally

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.

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November 9, 2008

"Management" goes to Image

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.

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November 6, 2008

Magnolia gets "Food, Inc."

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.

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October 29, 2008

"Adam" resurrected for Oscar run

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.

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October 13, 2008

Screen Media gets "Lymelife"

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.

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