Thompson on Hollywood

Music Box Will Release Sundance HBO Doc 'Marina Abramovic The Artist is Present'

News

The rule changes for documentaries to qualify for next year's Academy Awards require a multi-city theatrical run and a review in The NY Times. In an interview, HBO Documentary Films czar Sheila Nevins told me that going forward, HBO will now choose a far smaller number of films to qualify for the Oscars. Well, now HBO has picked one.

By Anne Thompson
|
March 16, 2012 3:44 PM
|
0 Comments

More:

Sundance London Brings 14 Park City Titles Across the Pond

Festivals

The Sundance Film Festival arrives in London at the end of next month. To put it mildly, it’ll be different from the real thing.

By David Gritten
|
March 12, 2012 9:21 AM
|
1 Comment

More:

Cinedigm Acquires Kirby Dick's Sundance Military Rape Expose 'The Invisible War'

Festivals

Marking the first acquisition under the new partnership between Cinedigm Entertainment Group and New Video to acquire and distribute independent films theatrically in North America and across multiple on-demand and digital platforms and DVD/Blu-ray, the two companies have jointly acquired North American rights to Kirby Dick's military rape expose "The Invisible War," which won the audience award at Sundance for U.S. documentary.

By Anne Thompson
|
March 5, 2012 2:42 PM
|
0 Comments

More:

Sundance Selects Takes 'Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry' -- Dissident for Digital Age?

News

Alison Klayman's "Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry" - the "story of a dissident for the digital age" - has been acquired by Sundance Selects for North American distribution. The doc debuted at Sundance (winning the Special Jury Prize for Spirit of Defiance) and recently screened as an official selection in the Berlinale Special. The film's planned summer release will coincide with the film's subject making his first trip outside of China since his detainment. Read more below.

By Sophia Savage
|
February 21, 2012 4:19 PM
|
0 Comments

More:

Sundance Award Winners: 'Beasts of the Southern Wild,' 'The Surrogate,' 'House I Live In,' 'Invisible War'

Festivals

It couldn't have gone any other way. The standout film of Sundance 2012, "Beasts of the Southern Wild," took home the Sundance grand jury prize, along with a cinematography award for Ben Richardson.

By Anne Thompson
|
January 28, 2012 11:43 PM
|
0 Comments

More:

Sundance Eulogy from Bingham Ray's Poker Partners

Festivals

Here's the Bingham Ray Sundance Eulogy, which was read at the Sundance Closing Night Awards by choked-up Fest Director John Cooper, from his poker partners Ben Barenholtz, Eamonn Bowles, Tom Prassis, Arnie Sawyer. Good job guys, it made me cry yet again.

By Anne Thompson
|
January 28, 2012 9:50 PM
|
2 Comments

More:

Magnolia Adds '2 Days in NY,' 'Nobody Walks' and 'Compliance' to Its Sundance Shopping Cart

Festivals

Magnolia Pictures started out Sundance 2012 strong, buying doc "Queen of Versailles," and then went on a buying spree. Early Thursday, the distributor's genre arm Magnet Releasing picked up North American rights to the horror anthology "V/H/S" for north of $1 million.

By Anne Thompson
|
January 28, 2012 6:50 PM
|
0 Comments

More:

Sundance News: Participant Media and AFFRM Acquire 'Middle of Nowhere'

Festivals

Participant Media and AFFRM have acquired US rights to Ana DuVernay's "Middle of Nowhere." The director's sophomore film is an understated emotional drama chronicling a woman's separation from her incarcerated husband.

By Maggie Lange
|
January 27, 2012 7:32 PM
|
0 Comments

More:

Sundance Selects Acquires AIDS Doc "How to Survive a Plague"

News

Sundance Selects is acquiring the North American rights to the AIDS documentary "How to Survive a Plague," the company announced today at the Sundance festival.

By Jacob Combs
|
January 26, 2012 11:23 PM
|
0 Comments

More:

Sundance News: Entertainment One Acquires Psychological Thriller 'Wish You Were Here'

News

Entertainment One has purchased North American rights to the Australian Sundance opener "Wish You Were Here." Directed by Kieran Darcy-Smith, the mystery thriller stars Joel Edgerton ("Warrior" and Baz Luhrmann's upcoming "The Great Gatsby"). The movie will most likely be released in Fall of 2012. "Wish You Were Here" depicts what happens to three friends after one goes missing on a trip to Cambodia. It was criticized for weak plotting, but praised for its performances and production value.