The Global Film Village

Andrew Garfield cast as Peter Parker in new SPIDER-MAN Movie

// July 3rd, 2010 // Comments Off // Industry Event

Images Copyright Marvel Comics and Columbia Pictures All Rights Reserved

by Marc Halperin

After a comprehensive worldwide casting search Columbia Pictures and Marvel Studios have their new Spiderman, Andrew Garfield has been chosen to portray Peter Parker. Spider-Man returns to the big screen in 3D on July 3, 2012.  The new film directed by Marc Webb, will begin production in early December  from a screenplay by James Vanderbilt.   (more…)

Flirt with French Love at 2010 Bastille Day Los Angeles Festival

// July 2nd, 2010 // Comments Off // Industry Event

by Marla Lewin

This Sunday is Independence Day a time for backyard BBQs, friends, and fireworks. Next Sunday, July 11,  is time for the Bastille Day Los Angeles Festival. As an homage to the French holiday and to France’s major significance in the formation of classical ballet, the American Ballet of Los Angeles (ABLA) will make its official L.A. debut performing “flirtatious and fun dance vignettes” set to the musical styling of Brigitte Bardot at the Elysian Park event.

The Bastille Day Los Angeles Festival promotes the French heritage and culture, and celebrates the undying ties between French and American citizens. In France, Bastille Day commemorates the storming of the Bastille in 1789, marking the beginning of the French revolution. In Los Angeles, the event is one of the most attended community festivals and has been since its inception. The idea of great French food, music, art, dance, people, and the summer’s sun all together for one day to celebrate France’s Independence is a beautiful idea… and Angelenos agree, eight years and growing. (more…)

ACADEMY PRESENTS RAY HARRYHAUSEN DOUBLE FEATURE

// June 30th, 2010 // Comments Off // Industry Event

by Marc Halperin

Ray Harryhausen is a national treasure with his groundbreaking work with stop motion animation he has changed the world of filmmaking. He has inspired everyone working in special effects today and his pioneering work ushered in the world of digital effects. It is only fitting that the Academy present this special summer tribute to him as Ray was responsible for so many summer blockbuster movies. Virtually every director born in the 1950′s or 60′s working in science fiction or fantasy owes their love for the genres to this man. He was honored by the Seattle Film Festival on May 30, 2003 with a Tribute and received a special Academy Award in 1992. (more…)

PALM SPRINGS INTERNATIONAL SHORTFEST ANNOUNCES LINE-UP FOR 2010

// June 19th, 2010 // Comments Off // Industry Event

The 2010 Palm Springs International ShortFest announced that it has selected  314 films from more than 3,000 worldwide entries. Among the films screening and in competition areaward-winning films from 43 countries around the world. The 16^th ShortFest will showcase 58 World Premieres, 55 North American Premieres and 24 U.S. Premieres.   All selections are structured into 52 themed programs, which will screen June 22-28, at the Camelot Theatres in Palm Springs, CA.  See attached or visit www.psfilmfest.org for a complete list of this year’s film programs.

Many of the films have  star-studded casts including: AnnaLynne McCord in Amexica (Mexico/USA); Annie Leibovitz in the documentary Annie Leibovitz ‘So, There You Go’ (USA); Julian Sands in The Good Life (USA); Vincent D’Onofrio and Kevin Corrigan in The New Tenants (Denmark/USA); Brendan Gleeson in Noreen (Ireland); Alicia Witt and David Morse in The Pond (USA); Jesse Eisenberg in Some Boys Don’t Leave (USA); Matthew Rhys in Think Tank (USA); and John Mahoney and Lili Taylor in Tired of Being Funny (USA).  Lending their voices to shorts, Isabella Rossellini narrates the live action Flat Love (Spain/USA); Helena Bonham-Carter, Robbie Coltrane, John Hurt and Tom Wilkinson in the animated The Gruffalo (UK); Meryl Streep, Forest Whitaker and Spike Jonze in the animated Higglety Pigglety Pop! Or There Must Be More To Life (Canada/USA), and Ian McKellan and Joseph Fiennes in the animated A Lost and Found Box of Human Sensation (Germany). (more…)

DAVID ANSEN, Artistic director of the LA film festival shares his insights today

// June 12th, 2010 // Comments Off // Industry Event

by Marla Lewin

I just got off the phone with David Ansen, who I have known from the festival circuit, as well as I must admit we are neighbors.  Through the years I loved reading his Newsweek reviews, as he is so highly regarded as one of Americas top film critics.  It was an honor to speak with him today in his new position.

Marla: So David, I remember last year you were on the Jury of the LA film festival, and we sat together at the Awards luncheon.  Did you know then you would be offered the job as artistic director of the festival?

David: Actually, it was quite out of the blue. I got a call from Dawn Hudson of Film Independent, and  I mulled it over for some time, and then we all met and it seemed like a good match, we had a similar vision.  I wanted a festival to reflect the diversity of the city.  I always liked mixing high art and popular culture, something for every one. (more…)

Bergman Re-defined

// May 23rd, 2010 // Comments Off // Industry Event

by Marla Lewin

One of the most interesting documentaries I saw at Cannes 2010 is My Films Are My Mistress by Stig Bjorkman. A compilation of backstage moments and interviews with master director Ingmar Bergman. The film is interspersed with comments from Martin Scorsese , Woody Allen and many other great directors speaking about his style and the lessons they learned from his work.  Their interpretations of Bergman and his importance to world cinema, in a way made me sad.

I spoke with Stig Bjorkman after the screening, and mentioned that actress and friend Christa Fuller (wife of legendary director Sam Fuller) had sent her regards, and congratulated him on his film. (more…)

Chuck Jones: An Animator’s Life From A to Z-Z-Z-Z

// April 21st, 2010 // Comments Off // Industry Event

by Marla Lewin

The  Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Grand Lobby Gallery will be the summer residence of  Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd, Pepe Le Pew, Wile E. Coyote and many other iconic characters created or developed by Oscar®-winning animator and humorist Chuck Jones. The exhibition “Chuck Jones: An Animator’s Life From A to Z-Z-Z-Z,” opens to the public on Friday, May 14 and will be on display through Sunday, August 22. (more…)

Avatar Post Production Team Discusses the Process of Getting 3D Right

// February 19th, 2010 // Comments Off // Industry Event

(c) 2009 Twentieth Century Fox. All Rights Reserved.

by Marc Halperin

Createasphere had a panel yesterday at the Universal Hilton in Los Angeles, CA on aspects of the post production of AVATAR. The panel was made up of VES award nominated Visual Effects Producer Joyce Cox, Eddie nominated editors John Refoua, ACE, Stephen E. Rivkin, ACE, DI Colorist Skip Kimball (Modern VideoFilm) and Associate Producer Janace Tashijian, and Special Effects Editor Christopher Marino.

James Cameron spent 10 years developing the concepts required to make this work.  He developed the belief that you can’t just throw things off the screen because that doesn’t happen in the real world. The decision was made to treat the audience’s discovery of the world of Pandora based on our own experience of viewing the world around us. Every time a viewpoint changed the viewer’s focus would converge on that point. It was as if you were looking at a 2D object and your brain would insert the 3D information from a normal inter-occular perspective. This way the viewer stayed grounded at all times aware of their location in the 3D world. (more…)

CRAZY HEART Expands to Over 1000 Theatres February 12th

// February 11th, 2010 // Comments Off // Industry Event

Sunday February 14th is Jeff Bridges Day at the 25th Santa Barbara International Film Festival with screenings of his films Crazy Heart, The Last Picture Show, Thunderbolt and Lightfoot, Starman and The Contender. There will be a Conversation with Jeff after the Crazy Heart screening at 5:50 pm.

55 world premieres to unveil at SXSW 2010

// February 3rd, 2010 // Comments Off // Industry Event

by Marla Lewin

MacGruber: Ryan Phillippe, Will Forte and Kristen Wiig in MacGruber (Greg Peters/Rogue Pictures)

The SXSW Film Festival will open on March 12, 2010 with the world premiere of Kick-Ass, directed by Matthew Vaughn and starring Nicolas Cage.Today the festival released their list of 119 features that will be shown at this year’s event. The SXSW Film Conference kicks off with 10 days of movies and five days of world-class speakers discussing their work and the latest filmmaking trends amidst the party atmosphere that makes SXSW such a unique experience. Local Austin legend Harry Knowles will interview cult underground comics legend Gilbert Shelton, creator of The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers. This film festival was founded after the Music festival had already put its stamp on the city but has a free-wheeling life of its own. The complete list of panels and panelists, as well as the 2010 Shorts lineup will be announced next week.

The festival’s main competition for Narrative and Documentary Features will each have 8 world premieres films. (more…)