Thompson on Hollywood

Obit: Documentary Filmmaker Dennis O'Rourke (1945-2013)

News

The great Australian documentary filmmaker Dennis O'Rourke has died at 67. His often controversial documentaries on the human condition and/or and decolonization include "Half Life: A Parable for the Nuclear Age" (1985) "Cannibal Tours" (1988), "The Good Woman of Bangkok" (1991) and "Cunnamulla" (2000), see trailers below. He was a regular on the international festival circuit, including the Sundance Film Festival.

By Anne Thompson
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June 18, 2013 2:54 PM
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AFI Docs Announces Policy Engagement Program; Documentary Filmmakers Meet with Policy Makers to Maximize Impact

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AFI Docs presented by Audi (formerly Silverdocs) has announced their inaugural Policy Engagement Program, where filmmakers making social-issues documentaries connect with policy makers to maximize their impact on the issues their films cover. The program will take place in Washington D.C. on June 20; panelists and full schedule below.

By Beth Hanna
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June 18, 2013 2:12 PM
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Will Movie Star James Franco Face Blowback for Seeking $500,000 in Crowdfunding to Adapt His Short Stories to Film?

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James Franco, ever the multi-tasker willing to try something new, has latched on to the crowdfunding trend. He's seeking $500,000 from backers on Indiegogo to adapt his own book of short stories, titled "Palo Alto," into a trilogy of films. It's important to note that Indiegogo allows for "flexible funding" -- i.e. a project receives whatever is raised by its deadline, regardless of whether it meets its fundraising goal.

By Anne Thompson and Beth Hanna
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June 18, 2013 12:33 PM
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LAFF: Forest Whitaker's JuntoBox Films Announces Greenlight of Fifth Feature, 'The Driver'

News

Today at the Los Angeles Film Festival, JuntoBox Films, a collaborative film studio chaired by Forest Whitaker, announced the greenlight of the company's fifth feature film: "The Driver." Whitaker was recently named one of Indiewire's Influencers for his founding of JuntoBox and Significant Productions.

By Beth Hanna
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June 18, 2013 12:00 PM
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San Francisco Film Society Announces 13 Finalists for Documentary Film Fund Awards

News

The San Francisco Film Society has announced the 13 finalists for the 2013 SFFS Documentary Film Fund awards totaling $100,000, which support feature-length documentary films in post-production. Finalists were selected from more than 200 applicants; full list below.

By Beth Hanna
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June 17, 2013 2:39 PM
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Indiewire Launches Its First-Ever Influencers List: The 40 Names Who Are Changing Independent Film

News

Indiewire has announced its first-ever Influencers list, dedicated to the 40 people and companies who, in the words of editor-in-chief Dana Harris, "have captured our attention as we watch them try to figure out what the independent film industry is today and, more importantly, what it will become." The list is broken down into five categories, all unranked: The Brokers, the Curators, the Creators, the Shapeshifters and the Early Adopters.

By Beth Hanna
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June 17, 2013 2:10 PM
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LACMA's 2013 Art + Film Gala to Honor Martin Scorsese and Artist David Hockney

News

LACMA, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, has announced that on Saturday, November 2, it will honor director Martin Scorsese and artist David Hockney for its 2013 Art + Film Gala. Also being celebrated is the first collaboration between Scorsese's Film Foundation, LACMA and the Annenberg Foundation to preserve four films by French auteur Agnes Varda.

By Beth Hanna
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June 17, 2013 12:21 PM
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Best of the Week: LAFF Kicks Off with Almodovar, 'Man of Steel' Arrives, Death of Spec Scripts, Reviews and More

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The top stories of the week from TOH!

By TOH!
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June 15, 2013 4:19 PM
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BFI's 'Hitchcock 9,' the Master of Suspense's Earliest Surviving Works, Kicks Off Its Stateside Tour UPDATED

News

Hitchcock fans rejoice. The BFI has kicked off its stateside national tour of "The Hitchcock 9," a program of Alfred Hitchcock's nine earliest surviving works, all in newly restored 35mm prints. It launches at the Castro Theatre (June 14-16) for the San Francisco Silent Film Festival, and will make its way to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences (June 18), then to LACMA (June 27 - July 13) and BAMcinématek in Brooklyn (June 29 - July 5).

By Beth Hanna and Ryan Lattanzio
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June 14, 2013 12:10 PM
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Oscar Watch: Disney Gives 'Saving Mr. Banks' a Limited December Run Ahead of Wide Holiday Release

News

Early buzz is good on Disney's indie pick-up "Saving Mr. Banks," and the studio appears confident that critical reaction and word-of-mouth will be upbeat, as they are moving the anticipated year-end entry up to December 13 in limited release, ahead of its wide break set for December 20.