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September 18, 2008

Maya picks up "Amexicano"

Maya Entertainment has picked up US rights to Matthew Bonifacio's "Amexicano," about a friendship between a working-class Queens man and an immigrant day-laborer.

Pic preemed at the 2007 Tribeca fest and won the top prize at Sonoma Valley.

Maya bills itself as the only Latino owned and managed company focusing on the US Latino audience. They recently acquired Alex Rivera's Sundance winning sci-fier "Sleep Dealer."

"Amexicano" will roll out to major US cities on September 19 (tomorrow).

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August 15, 2008

The Week in Fests | New Video, Tribeca news, Awesomeness

The latest from the festival scene this week. A link exchange by indieWIRE and Variety.com.

NEW DIG
New Video Digital Aiming 1,600 New Films at iTunes, Other Platforms

THE TRIBECA SEVEN
Tribeca Institute Selects Seven for Gucci Doc Fund

FESTIVAL ALL NET
From Here to Awesome Takes the Hallowed Fest to the 'Net

More at indieWIRE.

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August 11, 2008

HBO gets "An Omar Broadway Film"

HBO Documentary Films has picked up North American theatrical and television rights to "An Omar Broadway Film" directed by Omar Broadway and Douglas Tirola.

Docu is a first-person look at prison life shot by Broadway, an inmate at a high security gang unit in Newark who smuggled a video camera into his cell, secretly filming riots and prison guard abuse through his small window. HBO will give the film a theatrical run in New York and LA for Oscar consideration.

"HBO's enthusiasm is what sold us. It's an opportunity to get it out to the biggest audience, namely in the urban areas," said Tirola.

Tirola and his producing partner at 4th Row Films, Susan Bedusa, are currently working on three other docs, "Owning the Weather" directed by "Omar" editor Robert Greene, "Making the Boys" about the seminal gay play and movie "The Boys In The Band," and a poker docu, "All In," to be directed by Tirola.

"An Omar Broadway Film" premiered at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival, where we interviewed Tirola:

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July 31, 2008

Fest Bits | Dates to submit, dates to attend

Tribeca has announced their call for entries for the eighth fest, running April 22 - May 3, 2009. Starting September 15 they'll accept narrative and doc features and shorts. Deadline is December 15, 2008. Tribeca's All Access program (pictured), which provides high-level meetings between select producers and execs, will run April 20-25. Check out tribecafilmfestival.org.

Slamdance is looking for films for their 15th fest, skedded for January 15-23, 2009. New this year -- they're taking music video submissions. Forms and rules are at slamdance.com.

Film Independent's fourth annual Filmmaker Forum is set for September 26-28, 2008. The Forum gives attendees access to indie execs via panels on all aspects of filmmaking and distribution. This year's panelists will be announced shortly. Go to filmindependent.org.

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May 7, 2008

Cannes | Fortissimo is "Because We Are"

Patrick Frater has news that Fortissimo has grabbed international rights to Madonna's Malawi docu "I Am Because We Are." It premiered at Tribeca and goes on to Cannes.

John Anderson's review takes on its "noble intentions":

"I Am Because We Are" is little more than a longform PSA about the horrors of life in AIDS-ridden Malawi, one that asks many questions without providing answers -- except, of course, the ministrations of a multimillionaire, and whatever one can donate via her website

Here's the trailer: