Thompson on Hollywood

Weekly Wrap: Academy Awards, Oscar Watch, SXSW, Sundance, Berlinale, Cold Weather

INTERVIEWS

By Anne Thompson
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February 11, 2011 10:10 AM
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SXSW 2011 Adds Midnighters, Fest's "Bloody Beating Heart"

We have the SXSW Midnighters and SXFantastic sections, plus the complete short films lineup for the Austin fest, which runs March 11 – 19. The Midnighters program includes two two midnight feature programs of five films each. Fest producer Janet Pierson calls the programs:“the bloody, beating heart of SXSW. Since the beginning, midnight films have been an essential ingredient to what makes SXSW so exciting and fun, and this year's selections are no exception.”

By Sophia Savage
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February 10, 2011 7:58 AM
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Cold Weather's Katz & McFadden Talk Characters, Genre, Free Collaboration

TOH's Sophia Savage flip-cammed Cold Weather writer-director Aaron Katz and writer-producer Brendan McFadden. Here's her report; video is below):Cold Weather opens in Los Angeles February 11 at Laemmle's Sunset 5. This genre-bender is a meditation on human relationships dressed as a mystery-thriller. The film plays by its own rules, refusing to be rushed by short attention spans or pressured by mainstream expectations. The 2010 SXSW hit reminds us that any budget when combined with the will to get a great film made is better than a big budget and the will to fit in. Plus, collaboration is not only free -- it's a recipe for indie success. Here is indieWIRE's review and a scene explained by Katz.

By Sophia Savage
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February 10, 2011 6:31 AM
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Weekly Wrap: Sundance, SXSW, SBIFF, Oscar Watch, Kings Speech vs. Social Network, In Production

FESTIVALS

By Anne Thompson & Sophia Savage
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February 5, 2011 11:18 AM
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Jamie Foxx Presents: Thunder Soul, A Tribute To Kashmere's Funk Powerhouse

Music doc Thunder Soul is a heartfelt celebration of Funk and the transformative powers of a great teacher. Mark Landsman's doc, which won an audience award at SXSW and Los Angeles Film Fest, among other fests last year, also earned an Indie Spirit nomination. It's about how in the 1970s one teacher turned Houston's Kashmere High School jazz band into a tight-grooving funk award-winner, years in a row. (Think Glee on Funk steroids.) Landsman follows the alumni from Kashmere, who after 35 years, travel home to play a tribute concert for 92-year-old Conrad Johnson.

By Anne Thompson
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February 4, 2011 7:52 AM
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SXSW's Pierson Talks 2011 Features Program; Will Sundance Buying Spree Continue?

The South by Southwest Film Festival has never historically been a market. Set in March in Austin's vibrant film community, nourished by the concurrent SXSW Interactive Fest and the wildly popular Music Fest to follow, SXSW Film Fest has continued under the canny direction of Janet Pierson to nourish indie newcomers, launch male-driven commercial comedies (Simon Pegg sci-fi comedy Paul would be this year's example) and pull a young hip moviegoing demo. One hot ticket this March will be Twilight director Catherine Hardwicke's Red Riding Hood. Last year's SXSW breakouts include Lena Dunham's Tiny Furniture, Aaron Katz's Cold Weather, Gareth Edwards' Monsters and the doc Marwencol. (Full 2011 line-up is posted below.)

By Anne Thompson
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February 2, 2011 7:58 AM
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Weekly Wrap: Awards Weekend; Guild Nominations, Bond 23 Proceeds; Mara's Salander

AWARDS:

By Sophia Savage
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January 14, 2011 7:00 AM
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Jodie Foster's The Beaver To Debut at SXSW, Open Wide April 8

Smart move. Summit Entertainment has decided to world premiere Jodie Foster's controversial Mel Gibson drama The Beaver at SXSW (March 11-19), which decided to let the film speak for itself. Said festival director Janet Pierson: "It's an actress/filmmaker carefully and beautifully tackling a heartbreaking subject in her finest work yet." The film starring Gibson as a man who talks to a sock puppet will be a centerpiece premiere on March 16. SXSW is a fest attended by film fans of every stripe who could send good buzz into the blogosphere and help to move the movie beyond Gibson's toxic tabloid history. Foster will attend; no word on Gibson as yet. Summit releases the film limited on March 23, expanding on April 8.

By Anne Thompson
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January 13, 2011 8:30 AM
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Weekly Wrap: Awards Season Heats Up, Mirren Speaks, The Breathtaking Tree of Life, Miramax Sequels

AWARDS

By Sophia Savage
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December 17, 2010 10:11 AM
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SXSW Opens with World Premiere of Duncan Jones' Source Code, Starring Jake Gyllenhaal

The SXSW Film Festival will open on March 11 with the world premiere of Duncan Jones' ticking bomb thriller Source Code, starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan and Vera Farmiga. The Summit release (April 1, 2011) is Jones' much-awaited follow-up to Moon. The SXSW fest and conference runs through March 19 in Austin, Texas.