Thompson on Hollywood

Sundance Review Round-Up: Fox Searchlight Plans Oscar Run for 'The Surrogate'

Festivals

Fox Searchlight immediately snapped up "The Surrogate" for $6 million, the biggest acquisition at Sundance so far this year, outmaneuvering at least three other potential buyers for the picture.

By Anne Thompson and Maggie Lange
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January 24, 2012 2:55 PM
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Review Round-Up: Fox Searchlight Pick-Up 'Beasts of the Southern Wild' Stuns and Impresses

Festivals

The breakout hit of Sundance, Benh Zeitlin's "Beasts of the Southern Wild," has critics gushing. After acquiring potential Academy contender "The Surrogate" for a cool $6 million for worldwide rights, Fox Searchlight closed a deal for "Beasts of the Southern Wild"as well. (Review round-up below.)

By Anne Thompson and Maggie Lange
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January 24, 2012 1:46 PM
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Sundance Indies Flock to Memorial Service for Bingham Ray

Festivals

The tone was somber at the Highwest Distillery on Park Avenue Monday afternoon, as the San Francisco Film Society hosted a memorial service for beloved film leader, Bingham Ray.

By Charles Lyons
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January 23, 2012 10:13 PM
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Sundance, Indiewire and Facebook Friends Remember Bingham Ray

Festivals

The news has been spreading fast through Park City, as the snow starts to fall again. Bingham Ray had such a warm spirit and greatly encouraged people to follow their dreams.

By Charles Lyons
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January 23, 2012 5:23 PM
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Sundance First Look: "Short Films, Big Ideas" and the Three-Minute Filmmaker Challenge

News

Maybe the best ideas do come in short films. That's the notion behind the Focus Forward which is launching its Filmmaker Challenge. The Filmmaker Challenge will select five winners, determined by a professional jury.

By Maggie Lange
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January 23, 2012 3:28 PM
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Sundance Deal Wrap: Mickey Liddell Picks Up 'Black Rock,' CBS Gets 'The Words,' Breakout 'Beasts of Southern Wild' Wins Grant, Heats Up with Searchlight

Festivals

The Sundance Fest is in full swing, with modest deals under way. The two opening night doc buys from Sony Pictures Classics ("Searching for Sugar Man") and Magnolia ("The Queen of Versailles") were both sweet and easy low-bid offers closed on the first night, according to SPC's Tom Bernard and Magnolia's Eamonn Bowles, respectively.

By Anne Thompson
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January 23, 2012 1:08 AM
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Sundance: Chefdance Hits Nine

Festivals

Park City, UT— Not long after I saw about a dozen teenage girls sprinting up Main Street, in hot pursuit of a stretch limo that apparently had someone famous in it, the thought occurred to me that Sundance is no longer Sundance.

By Charles Lyons
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January 22, 2012 6:06 PM
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Jackson, Walsh, Berg and Echols Talk 'West of Memphis' at Sundance: "Stay Tuned"

Festivals

Producers Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh participated in a Sundance press conference for Amy Berg's controversial doc "West of Memphis" Saturday.

By Anne Thompson and Charles Lyons
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January 22, 2012 2:43 AM
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Another Sundance Buy: Magnolia Acquires "The Queen of Versailles"

News

And another Sundance opening night doc gets snapped up: Magnolia Pictures has acquired the North American rights for crowd-pleaser "The Queen of Versailles." Filmmaker and photographer Lauren Greenfield paints an intimate portrait of excess and post-2008 fall-out.

By Anne Thompson
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January 20, 2012 8:57 PM
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Sundance Buy: Sony Pictures Classics Acquires 'Searching for Sugar Man'

News

Sony Pictures Classics made the first buy of the festival, acquiring the North American rights to doc "Searching for Sugar Man," the directorial debut of Malik Bendjelloul.