Sydney Levine

Fifteen years old! Under Marlene Dermer's leadership, with her founding partner, Eddie Olmos, LALIFF shows the best of Latino films.76 films, including 42 feature films (29 narrative and 13 documentaries) and 34 short films from 14 different countries. The feature films selected include 2 World Premieres, 6 USA Premieres, 5 West Coast Premieres and 11 Los Angeles Premieres. This year's program offers a balanced selection of new voices and voices that we have heard before. Together and individually they go beyond telling Latino stories; they narrate in film the human experience. LALIFF is one of few film festivals in the world recognized by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Science as a qualifying festival, making the winner of its Short Film Category eligible for Oscar® consideration. In the spirit of celebration, this year LA Times / Hoy launches the first ever Best Short Audience Award at LALIFF. Please check out this year's Shorts' trailers at www.vivelohoy.com/laliff2011

You can download and access Winter Rights Roundup (Deals done in Berlin, Rotterdam, Sundance) here. Ventana Sur is thrown in for good measure along with whatever else until we begin the 2011 Spring and Cannes Rights Roundup.

Surprising in many ways, Biutiful is nominated for two Oscars. Not only is it one of the 5 nominees in the Best Foreign Language category (Mexico), Javier Bardem is also nominated in the Best Actor category. It played in Cannes last spring, where it won a Best Actor prize for Javier Bardem. Roadside Attractions distributing in the U.S. After its December 1 week qualifying run, it is the very first film to debut theatrically after screening at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. Playing opposite Kaboom, the weekend’s other major specialty debut, it had a strong opening likely in large part to its somewhat surprising best actor nomination. On 57 screens in 27 markets - an aggressive opening for a foreign film - the film grossed $460,916 for a very respectable $8,084 average. Including the December qualifying run, Biutiful has now grossed $623,226.

Margin Call -- which was exec produced by Cassian Elwes who is repping with UTA for the U.S. -- screened for press and industry today and was the scene of a small though intensely angst-ridden uproar as industryites were shut out after waiting on line for an hour. Some in the closed-out crowd claimed attendees were specially selected to enter in order to make the U.S. sale especially hot. Those unable to see the film included press members scheduled to interview talents in the film and many of the smaller distributors. To name a few I saw lingering outside, trying to decide what to do next, since attending the next few films was now out of the question, there was Paul Federbbush, Marcus Hu, Richard Abramowitz, Mark Fishkin and at least 10 others. The nearby Yarrow was quite a scene filled with indignation which turned into shop talk until the film finished. As Cassian sailed through the lobby looking ecstatic, I mentioned the ire and he said he had asked for an early P&I screening since the premiere (of the Premiere film) was scheduled for next Tuesday when many people would have left and he was given a small 100 seat room at Holiday Village. Some people claimed he preferred it this way as it sparked the competitive spirit among powerful distributors. Can't wait to hear about the bidding war this might ignite.Margin Call starring Kevin Spacey, directed by JC ChandorIt's no mystery that the film will sell, as the international sales agent Myriad, has already pre-sold a myriad of territories at Toronto and the AFM. The film will also show at the Berlin Film Festival in February. For those interested in international territories sold, see below the jump.