Unfortunately, Variety's weekend box office grosses report mistakenly gave Palm Pictures' "Bomb The System" much higher numbers than it earned over the holiday weekend:

In the limited arena, Palm did giant biz with the debut of graffiti feature "Bomb the System," which earned $95,051 over the four-day span from one engagement each in Gotham and L.A. Over three days, pic averaged $37,526 per screen.

In fact, the film made $9,176 on two screens for an average of $4,588, according to numbers released today by Palm.

In an unusual twist, the saga of Mexico City mayor Lopez Obrador has been handled by the Mexican film director Luis Mandoki, who, during 16 years in Hollywood, made eight pictures, including "White Palace," "When a Man Loves a Woman" and "Message in a Bottle." He eventually returned to Mexico, where in 2004 he shot "Innocent Voices." Now Mr. Mandoki is embarking on an as-yet-untitled documentary that will follow Mr. López Obrador through the July 2006 election. Perla Ciuk reports in the New York Times.

Like Howard Hughes, the hero of his flamboyant biopic, Martin Scorsese appears to have been bitten by the aviation bug. Following The Aviator, the revered auteur is planning to make a documentary about plane manufacturer Airbus. The Guardian reports.

Make way for one more film festival, San Francisco. Premiering Wednesday with 28 features and shorts covering the core of Earth's health is the Green Screen Environmental Film Festival at the Castro Theatre. The festival, a project of San Francisco State University's Documentary Film Institute, will be part of the U.N. World Environment Day, coinciding with a meeting of mayors from around the world to brainstorm about urban environmental policies. Delfin Vigil reports in the San Francisco Chronicle.

The late film-maker Ismail Merchant formed half of one of cinema's most enduring screen partnerships. With director James Ivory, he produced a series of high-quality costume dramas that brought both critical acclaim and financial success. BBC takes a look at the late filmmaker.

After seeing Vince Deur's new movie, surfers looking for the next hip spot to hang 10 may be inspired to head for the West Coast — of Michigan. The 38-year-old filmmaker hopes his documentary, "Unsalted: A Great Lakes Experience," will expose what could be the nation's best-kept surfing secret: Under certain conditions, great waves can be found in the Upper Midwest. Richard Prichard reports in A.P.

TLA Releasing has acquired all North American distribution rights (theatrical, home entertainment, broadcast) for two films, Spanish musical "20 Centimeters" and the German thriller "Low Profile." "20 Centimeters" has not yet had an official world premiere, so TLA plans to submit it to the major international film festivals. The film’s US theatrical release is tentatively scheduled for winter 2005/2006, with the DVD/VHS release set for mid-2006.

Indican Pictures picked up "Screen Door Jesus" at the Cannes Film Festival. The deal was brokered at the Cannes Film Market by producer’s rep, Mark Litwak and Producer Sam Adelman on behalf of the film and Randolph Kret on behalf of Indican Pictures for all North American rights in a six figure deal, and the company plans a fall theatrical roll out.

Brooklyn's BAM Rose Cinemas will present Afro-Punk Weekend from July 1-4. The program is co-presented with the creators of "Afro-Punk," and co-curated by director James Spooner. During the weekend festival, BAM and Afro-Punk's creators will host an Afro-Punk Community Lounge, featuring community and student art, videos, and much more. A Q&A with Spooner will take place on Friday, July 1 after a screening of his film at 6:50 p.m. and will be followed by a free live music performance in the BAMcafe.

This morning, ScreenDaily is reporting today that Sony Pictures Classics has acquired the Dardenne brothers Cannes Palme d'Or winner, "L'Enfant". Screen also reported that SPC is in the running to nab Todd Haynes' new film about Bob Dylan.

Fresh from its world premiere in Cannes where it won the festival's grand prize, Jim Jarmusch's "Broken Flowers" will have its North American premiere as the opening night film at the 10th Nantucket Film Festival next month in Massachusetts. The event will close with Andrew and Luke Wilson's "The Wendell Baker Story".

David Germain for the Associated Press on the box office grosses for the traditional first weekend of the summer movie season:

The top 12 movies grossed $225.5 million, an impressive four-day haul but still 5.5 percent behind last year's record Memorial Day weekend, when "Shrek 2" and "The Day After Tomorrow" alone combined for $181 million in grosses between them. READ MORE »

Alice Wu's indie, "Saving Face", acquired at the Toronto International Film Festival last year, opened in two cities this weekend, earning an estimated $100,000 on 6 screens for an estimated average of 16,667, according to Sony Pictures Classics.

In an email message encouraging member of the APA First Weekend Film Club to see the movie this weekend, she recalled an experience in Canada...

[Photo by Brian Brooks/indieWIRE]

Palm Pictures threw a bash Thursday night for the New York premiere of "Bomb the System," with an after party held at the Tribeca Cinemas. Someone was overheard saying, "all the indie parties are here now" -- actually the film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival two years ago, so it was a fitting venue. A big crowd showed up for the film, which pays tribute to graffiti art. Pictured are the film's director, Adam Bhala Lough (left) and executive producer, Robert Bethge.

The Northwest Film & Video Festival in Portland is seeking submissions of any length and genre from filmmakers living in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Alaska, and British Columbia. Selected filmmakers have the chance to appear in the Best of the Northwest Film & Video Festival Tour and share in over $10,000 in production service awards. For more information, or to download an entry form, visit their website.

The Rhode Island International Film Festival is asking kids to help with a campaign to create PSA's that can make an impact on the fight against drug abuse, bring awareness to the effects of drinking and driving, and to help stop school violence. Top finalists in the "U-SPEAK" Student PSA Competition will have the opportunity to see their PSA screened before RIIFF film festival audiences this year. Submissions are now being accepted until July 5. For more information on how to send in a :30 second PSA to the "U-SPEAK" Student PSA Competition please visit the following website.

The five finalists of the Amazon Theater/Tribeca Film Festival Short-Film Competition were announced this week. Filmmaker finalists David Cumbo, James Seale, Jason Rice, Stephanie Green and Kenneth Beaumont will now compete for a grand prize of $50,000 to fund their next project. The winner will be announced on Wed., June 29 in NYC.

The Film Society of Lincoln Center presents "Open Roads: New Italian Cinema." The series of 14 Italian films will run from June 1-9 at the Walter Reade Theater in New York City.

Melanie Blum, president of the San Francisco Film Society's board of directors, recently announced that the nonprofit arts and educational organization is undertaking a global search for an executive director. The society presents the San Francisco International Film Festival each year. The festival, which concluded its 48th year on May 5, screened 185 films from 49 countries for audiences totaling 77,000 this year.

Campbell Scott will be honored at the 6th annual Young Friends of Film Honors on June 28 at 8 p.m. at the Walter Reade Theater, Lincoln Center in New York City. The gala evening will include a screening of Scott’s newest film, “The Dying Gaul,” directed by Craig Lucas. Peter Sarsgaard, Patricia Clarkson, Isabella Rossellini and Mary Louise Parker are expected to attend. For more information, go to the Film Society of Lincoln Center website.

The New Hampshire Film Expo (NHFX) has opened its 2005 call for entries, with a deadline of July 1 for early submissions and August 1 for final submissions. The festival is now accepting submissions from around the world for films of all lengths and genres. Awards will be given out in the following categories: feature, short drama, short comedy, documentary, animation, student, screenplay and “Best of the Fest.” An entry form as well as a complete list of submission guidelines can be found on the NHFX website.

Gabriele Caroti will join Film Forum as the new repertory program publicist, starting June 6. He is replacing Harris Dew who recently joined Global Film Initiative. Gabriele will be in charge of publicity for all events (including long-run revivals, restorations, festivals and retrospectives) on Film Forum’s repertory screen. Caroti previously created and ran the publicity department at Plexifilm.

Harris Dew has left Film Forum in New York to join Global Film Initiative, handling communications and collaborating on the organizations Global Lens film series and granting program. He spent five years publicizing Film Forum's repertory program.

In addition to announcing yesterday that Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez have each been tapped to direct a 60-minute horror film for a new project dubbed "Grind House" - set for release next Spring, The Weinstein Company (TWC) has unveilved its current slate and release dates through early next year (published in full below).

According to yesterday's announcement, the Weinsteins are still negotiating with distributors to handle international theatrical, home entertainment, and television distribution. The Walt Disney Studios will handle international distribution for co-productions and co-financed projects between. The new name of TWC and other details will be announced this summer.

Effie Brown, producer of indie hits "Real Women Have Curves" and "Everyday People," talks about her struggle to become one of the most prominent figures in the industry and how she got into filmmaking because of the lack of African-American characters in film. Kate Bernstein reports for AIVF's The Independent.

Most indie producers in NYC see tax breaks for film production as an essential means of keeping cameras rolling in the Big Apple, but unfortunately in Louisiana, it appears that there can be too much a good thing. According to the article, oscar winner "Ray" received the same amount in tax credits as it spent, as the generous tax plan allowed productions to claim a whopping $56 million in credits last year. John LaPlante reports for the Baton Rouge Advocate.

Steve James, director of the 1994 award-winning documentary, “Hoop Dreams,” talks about talking to people, the role of documentary filmmakers in the lives of their subjects and the favor that was called in to Siskel and Ebert in an interview with the Onion’s Noel Murray.

The IFC Center, opening in Manhattan on June 17th, has enlisted a large group of insiders for its Advisory Board, IFC has announced. On tap for the board are:

Noah Cowan – Co-Director, Toronto International Film Festival, Alfonso Cuarón – filmmaker, “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban,” “Y Tu Mamá También”, Richard Linklater – filmmaker, “Before Sunset,” “School of Rock,” “Dazed and Confused”, Rebecca Miller – filmmaker, “The Ballad of Jack and Rose,” “Personal Velocity”, Errol Morris – filmmaker, “The Fog of War,” “The Thin Blue Line,” ”Fast, Cheap and Out of Control”, John Sayles – filmmaker, “Lone Star,” “Sunshine State,” “The Secret of Roan Inish”, Kevin Smith – filmmaker, “Clerks,” “Chasing Amy,” “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back”, Steven Soderbergh – filmmaker, “Sex, Lies and Videotape,” “The Limey,” “Traffic”, Cynthia Swartz – senior publicity & marketing executive, Dan Talbot – pioneering exhibition and distribution executive, and Gary Winick – filmmaker/producer, “Pieces of April,” “Tadpole,” “Tape”.

Producer Ismail Merchant died today at a hospital in London, according to the Merchant Ivory website, indicating that Merchant had a brief illness. He was working on his new film, "The White Countess." A report fromthe Times Online offers more details, and The Times also weighs in with an obituary of the accomplished producer:

A frank, freewheeling man who was endowed with energy, charm and prodigious chutzpah, Merchant was the “producer wallah” of the celebrated cinematic duo he formed with James Ivory, the American film director. The two are listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as having had the longest creative partnership in film history, much of it spent also in the company of Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, the German-born writer who composed almost all their screenplays.

Merchant, who had the knack of getting famous actors to work for him for “peanuts” (to use his own gleeful description) was the business mind behind Merchant Ivory Productions, a company he formed with Ivory in 1961.

Maverick director Gregg Araki has always been drawn to the dark side of teenage life, where 'bad things happen unexpectedly'. His latest film looks at sexual abuse and its aftermath, but, he tells Howard Feinstein, it is more emotionally involving than his earlier work. The Guardian reports.

A string of films made in or about Africa, such as "Yesterday" and "Hotel Rwanda," plus a handful of high-profile awards have thrown the spotlight on the world's poorest continent and sparked talk of a movie renaissance. Retuers reports.

Bradley Beesley's doc "The Fearless Freaks" follows the two decade career of the whimsical indie rock group, The Flaming Lips. The film highlights the band's founding by Wayne Coyne in Oklahoma City, their evolving musical styles, battles with drug use, and performing on stage in bunny suits. Dana Stephens reviews for the New York Times.

Filmmaker Werner Herzog, who is most well known for his studies of men on obsessive conquests (played by inflammatory actor Klaus Kinski) in "Fitzcarraldo," and "Aguirre, the Wrath of God," is wearing his documentary hat as of late, with three nonfiction films hitting the screens this summer. John Anderson (for The Village Voice) reports on "The White Diamond," "Wheel of Time" and Sundance favorite "Grizzly Man."

The popularity of documentaries such as " Spellbound" and "Fahrenheit 9/11" has opened the movie theater door for novice and seasoned filmmakers dedicated to the art of non-fiction storytelling but it may also be the cause of less sophisticated material on the silver screen. Docs like "Mad Hot Ballroom," "Tell Them Who You Are" and "Shake Hands With the Devil: The Journey of Romeo Dallaire" have hit theaters this month, proving a willingness by studios to invest in the genre. Yet, only “Shake Hands” demonstrates a style and delivery worthy of praise, while “Ballroom” and “Tell Them” lack genuine introspection relying instead on clichés, reports Caryn James of The New York Times.

Gregg Araki's new film, "Mysterious Skin" has been deemed one of the director's finest films. The Guardian calls it "tight and engaging, a model of narrative economy - unlike his provocative works of the 90s, most of which fall under the umbrella of the New Queer Cinema, in which facts, figures, Godardian text, intentionally sloppy editing, and both drug-like lethargic and over-the-top campy performances keep the audience at arm's length." The film is also doing well with audiences, reclaiming the top spot in this week's indieWIRE's box office chart. Howard Feinstein interviews Gregg Araki in The Guardian.

Nicole Kidman is in talks to join the cast of Lars von Trier's "Wasington", according to Variety. The film will be the third in the filmmaker's U.S. trilogy, after "Dogville" and "Manderlay," but it is still a ways off...not set to go into production until after Von Trier makes a new Dogme film. She would appear in the film with Bryce Dallas Howard who took over the role of Grace in "Manderlay," according to the trade paper.

indieWIRE has started a new monthly series with Apple Store - Soho that presents indie film professionals discussing various aspects of the filmmaking process. This Friday May 27th, Jonathan Caouette, director of "Tarnation", will discuss how he made his award winning documentary.

The Eureka! International Film Festival, a "new, nonpartisan political film festival" to be held this October 2005 in New York City, is seeking films from all over the world with the goal of "showcasing films that present a broad spectrum of views spanning the political and social spectrum." For more information please visit their website.

In The New York Times, Charles Lyons looks at raising film financing over the Internet:

Mr. Fante and Mr. Bellida say they aren't discouraged that they have raised only $2,500 since starting their Web sites in March, even though the movies' budgets range from $500,000 to $2 million. Nor are they deterred by the limited success that such democratic approaches to film finance have had in their surprisingly long history.

The awards were presented tonight in Cannes, the indieWIRE @ Cannes blog has the latest from France, with the complete list of winners, and a photo of the Dardenne brothers, who were awarded the Palme d'Or.

James Dean was the embodiment of young male vulnerability, heroism and torment. Who would have guessed he was gay? Fifty years after his death, it's all too obvious, argues Germaine Greer in The Guardian.

Robert Redford's Sundance Group will launch Sundance Cinemas, a movie theater chain for independent, documentary and foreign-language films as well as some studio projects. Other programming will include shorts, filmmaker interviews and public forums. The number of new theaters was not released. But Manzari said Sundance Cinemas is looking nationally for locations. A.P. reports.

Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi, star of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," is happy with a supporting role in Hollywood, where Asian performers like her will always struggle to compete. An "A-lister" in Asia, and one of China's most famous faces abroad, the petite actress said she was working hard on her English language skills but had no plans to leave Beijing. Reuters reports.

A Hindi-language film was pulled from theaters in Northern India after Sikh religious leaders condemned it for denigrating their faith, the movie's producer said Friday. "Jo Bole So Nihal" angered Sikh communities in Punjab and Haryana states because of its title and scenes depicting a Sikh character being chased by scantily clad women. The highest decision-making body of the Sikh religion demanded a name change for the film and the removal of the offending scenes. A.P. reports.

Stories from the Field, The First United Nations Documentary Film Festival begins this weekend, a competition of films from the United Nations. The festival was created so UN agencies and field offices could show American audiences what they do through their own words and images. View the schedule and their lineup here.

Nearly 250 films will screen this June 2 - 12 at NewFest: The New York Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Film Festival. The festival will open with "Loggerheads," and will also screen Centerpiece features, "My Summer of Love," and "Three of Hearts." "Summer Storm" will close the fest. For more information, check out their revamped website.

A company that gave office space to "Super Size Me" director Morgan Spurlock in return for a share in the company that made the hit film about eating fast food is suing him for $40 million. Attorney Bill Kelly said on Wednesday his client Cast Iron Partners, which helps start-up companies with office space and business advice, took a 25 percent share in Spurlock's company in early 2002 and was suing for his failure to share profits. Reuters reports.

A special screening of Wong Kar-wai’s "2046" will be pre