Producer Jeff Levy-Hinte (Thirteen, High Art, and the Venice-bound Mysterious Skin) wrote one of the most important articles Filmmaker has ever published in our current issue. Entitled "The Digital Divide," it's a trenchant and provocative attack on the intersecting political and lobbying efforts that comprise the MPAA's "War on Piracy."

Levy-Hinte uses last fall's "screener battle" (which he, Ted Hope, the IFP and the IFP/L.A. as well as an alliance of independent producers all fought) as the jumping off point to discuss what's next when it comes to the effect of anti-piracy policies on independent filmmakers. By parsing the history and economics of intellectual property law, fair use and the growth of piracy, Levy-Hinte constructs a startling argument, charging that the MPAA's policies are specifically designed to "protect" one specific style and genre of film above all others...

To get the news out on this important piece, we've posted the article as a downloadable PDF. Follow Jeff's argument here.

# posted by Scott Macaulay @ 7/30/2004 10:05:00 PM

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This season's oddest cultural convergence? A play, two movies, and a novel about killing the president, via NewYorkmetro.com:

"Even before the Patriot Act, dropping the merest intimation that you'd like to do harm to the president of the United States was always enough to draw the Sauron-like gaze of the Secret Service upon you, or at least earn you a little coffee-stained Post-it somewhere in your FBI file. And beyond that, admitting to assassination fantasies has always seemed creepy: Among sane people, the glamour quotient of John Hinckley Jr. has never been particularly high.

"But recent widespread feelings of anxiety, frustration, and helplessness seem to have caused a curious blip on the cultural radar: Assassination has become the taboo du jour...."

# posted by Steve Gallagher @ 7/30/2004 01:26:00 PM

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IndieWIRE has posted an interesting interview with prolific director Takashi Miike, whose latest film Gozu opens in limited release via Pathfinder Pictures this weekend.

J-horror aficiandos should also check out photographer Michael Lavine's full-page portrait of Miike in Filmmaker's summer issue.

Lavine will regularly contribute portraits of filmmakers and behind-the-scenes photographs from movie sets to future issues of Filmmaker.

# posted by Steve Gallagher @ 7/29/2004 12:58:00 PM

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Filmmaker doesn't run a lot of letters to the editor. We're usually strapped for space at our regular 96 or 112 page count, so we can't publish all the letters we'd like to. One letter that calls out to be published, at least here on the blog, is below. Feel free to post if you can answer this fellow's question.

Hi,

I am interested in an adult scene in film and video which is connected with both Paramount (then run by Barry Diller) and Tri-Star (when Columbia was owned by The Coca-Cola Company).

I believe the film was released in 1979 and the video in 1983.

I am interested in the special effects/visual effects relating to a scene concerning a "particular man" and the use of a derivative mirror image scene of his head in video and film.

The scene was constructed with the use of mirrors in which the particular man's head was substituted onto the body of another man i.e. the particular man's head replaced the head belonging to another body.

The scene depicts self-stimulation and a sink.

In regard to the creation of the initial scene, one method, I believe was called the shuftan process, or the front-screen projection process, allegedly revised significantly as the innovation process. Apparently, it's not usually done for replacing performers, but is done to place outscaled objects in the frame by reflecting an off-screen object directly into the camera lens via a front-surface mirror. Part of the mirror silvering is scraped away so that the camera can shoot through the mirror and pick up the talent. Because line-up has to be precise, the camera can't move.

Can you provide me with any information regarding this scene and can you advise me as to the methods that may be available in regard to checking Columbia's videotape library?

Thanks,

Daniel

# posted by Scott Macaulay @ 7/28/2004 11:06:00 PM

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The Program for Media Artists (formerly the Rockefeller Media Arts Fellowships) has announced the recipients of this year's Fellowships.

The Program for Media Artists awarded 20 Fellowships of $35,000 each. Two additional fellowships of $7,500 each acknowledge emerging artists working in film and video.

Genevieve Anderson, Los Angeles, CA: Too Loud a Solitude, a feature film made with puppets about a waste compactor who rescues banned books from the trash and thus exposes the consequences of an oppressive government upon the human spirit. In addition to directing live-action and puppetry films, Anderson has also produced, directed, performed and designed for theater.

Kenneth Anger, Los Angeles, CA: Mouse Heaven, an experimental short reflecting on the iconic power of Mickey Mouse and commenting on the cultural and sentimental value placed on commercial merchandise. Anger has made experimental 16 mm films for more than 60 years. The author of several books, including Hollywood Babylon, he is currently working on his memoirs.

James Benning, Val Verde, CA: 13 Lakes, an experimental meditation on nature, offering portraits of 13 different lakes throughout the United States. Benning has made experimental films for more than 30 years. A 1993 Media Arts Fellowship recipient, he is a professor at the California Institute of the Arts and Bard College.

Natalie Bookchin, Los Angeles, CA: agoraXchange, an experiment in online collaboration -- the goal is to collectively build a multiplayer game that offers "a tangible political alternative to our current world order." Bookchin teaches at the California Institute of the Arts. Her work focuses on the Internet as both a distribution medium and as subject matter.

Andrew Garrison, Austin, TX: Between Earth and Sky, a narrative about a Mexican-American police detective investigating the death of 19 illegal immigrants as they cross the Mexico-U.S. border. Garrison's documentaries and narratives have screened at festivals and on public television. He teaches at the University of Texas-Austin.

Sam Green, San Francisco, CA: The Universal Language, a documentary about global utopian vision through the lens of Esperanto, the universal language created in the 19th century to end cultural conflicts. Green's recent documentary The Weather Underground was nominated for a 2004 Academy Award. He teaches at the University of San Francisco.

Helen Hill, New Orleans, LA: The Florestine Collection, an animated short reflecting on handcrafted work and race in New Orleans, through the personal story of a woman who made hand-sewn dresses. Hill's animated films have screened widely. She teaches filmmaking and animation to grade school through college students.

Donald Howard, Austin, TX: Police and Thieves, a narrative set in the early 1980s about three Texas kids and the impact of the Reagan administration on their lives. Howard's documentaries have been widely screened and broadcast. He is a senior lecturer at the University of Texas-Austin.

Philip Mallory Jones, Hamilton, NY: The multimedia design for The Vo-Du Macbeth, a retelling of Shakespeare's Macbeth set in New Orleans. Jones, a 1994 Fellowship recipient, has created interactive digital work, multi-media performance, video installation, sculpture, films and videos for the past three decades.

Veronica Majano, San Francisco, CA: Remember Los Siete, an experimental documentary about the seven Central American young men from San Francisco's Mission District falsely accused of killing a white undercover police officer in 1969. Majano is an artist-in-residence at the Proyecto Contra SIDA Por Vida Basta, which works with lesbians of color to use art, writing and film as a means of community activism.

Julia Meltzer and David Thorne, Los Angeles, CA: Material Support, an experimental documentary exploring the "war on terror" through documents -- both found and created -- that speculate on how these documents impact domestic and foreign policy. Meltzer and Thorne work collaboratively on the Speculative Archive -- installations, films and presentations that critique government policies and the shaping of the public understanding of current events.

Keith Obadike and Mendi Obadike, Hamden, CT: Digital Debs Do The World Wide Waltz, a Web-based project and physical installation that uses the idea of the black debutante ball to explore the "African-American relationship to formality." Keith and Mendi Obadike -- a husband-and-wife team -- have collaborated as Internet artists since the late 1990s. Their work has been exhibited and performed in the U.S. and Europe.

Will Rogan, Albany, CA: Miss Ann Hodges of Sylacauga, Alabama, a video installation exploring how history informs and shapes our reactions through the first documented case (in 1954) of a person hit by a meteorite. Rogan's video installations, photographs and sculptures have screened and exhibited in galleries nationwide and abroad.

Scott Sona Snibbe, San Francisco, CA: Christian Science Interactive Narratives, an interactive video installation that draws upon the tradition of 19th-century magic lantern and shadow theaters to explore the Christian Scientist idea of healing oneself through thought. Snibbe's work, which directly engages the body of the viewer in a reactive system, has been shown internationally.

Elisabeth Subrin, Brooklyn, NY: Up, a narrative about a woman working in an Internet company; her struggle with bi-polar disorder echoes the way companies boom and subsequently crash. Subrin's work has screened widely. She is currently a Visiting Lecturer in Visual and Environmental Studies at Harvard University.

Va-Megn Thoj, St. Paul, MN: American Soil, a documentary about a Hmong refugee family's struggle to make a living through small-scale farming in Minnesota, exploring immigration, assimilation and cultural survival. Va-Megn makes films about the Hmong and Asian American community. He is a founding member of the Center for Hmong Arts & Talent, a nonprofit community arts organization.

Steina Vasulka, Santa Fe, NM: Interactive Sampler. Further development of the artist's live performances involving video images and her 5-string MIDI violin, and interactive installations. Steina Vasulka is a music and video artist, originally from Iceland, who has lived and worked in the United States since 1965. She received a Media Arts Fellowship in 1990.

Woody Vasulka, Santa Fe, NM: Brotherhood Completed, the next stage of a project exploring male identity will allow individuals to virtually, and at a distance, interact with the robotic art constructions. Woody Vasulka was born in the Czech Republic, studied film in Prague and relocated to the United States in 1965. He co-founded The Kitchen in New York with his wife Steina Vasulka.

Travis Wilkerson, Los Angeles, CA: Who Killed Cock Robin?, an experimental narrative about a young man living in Butte, Montana whose life echoes that of Butte's (and America's) industrial decline. Wilkerson co-founded extremelowfrequency, a digitally based micro-distributor of radical cinema and culture.

Stephen Wilson, San Francisco, CA: Guests, Parasites and Symbionts, an interactive installation that investigates the ethics of animal and human experimentation by allowing participants to engage with live organisms derived from their own bodies. Wilson worked as an anthropologist before turning to art and technology in the 1980s. His work explores artificial intelligence and the intersection between art and biology.

The two emerging artist to receive fellowships this year, both of whom have been among Filmmaker's "25 New Faces of Independent Film," are:

Shari Frilot, Los Angeles, CA: H20, a narrative about western society's assumption of the infinite abundance of fresh water, and its impact on life, love, delusion, and mortality politics. Frilot's films and installations have screened widely. She is a programmer with the Sundance Film Festival.

Ellie Lee, Newton, MA: The Road Home, a narrative about a Chinese-American daughter and her immigrant father's travels to mainland China, where his struggles with Alzheimer's become an allegory for collective loss of memory and shared history. Lee's award-winning films have screened widely. She is currently directing a new national educational children's series for PBS.

# posted by Steve Gallagher @ 7/28/2004 12:14:00 PM

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With the growing success of documentaries in the theatrical marketplace, studios are now scouting film festivals for potential breakouts. The 29th Toronto International Film Festival yesterday made the first announcement of this year's nonfiction film selection. Among the 24 titles to unspool at the festival, which runs September 9-18, are 11 world premieres and six North American premieres, including:

Ken Burns's Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson, about the first black man to win the heavyweight boxing title;

George Butler's highly anticipated film on John Kerry, Going Upriver -- The Long War of John Kerry;

Peter Raymont's Shake Hands With the Devil: The Journey of Romeo Dallaire, about the U.N. commander's return to Rwanda a decade after the genocide;

Susan Kaplan's Three of Hearts, about a "trinogomous" 13-year relationship between two men and one woman;

Thomas Riedelsheimer's Touch the Sound, about a deaf percussionist who "hears" sound through his entire body;

Bruce Weber's A Letter to True, a poetic reflection on war and peace;

James D. Stern and adam Del Deo's The Year of Yao, about Chinese baskeball star Yao Ming's first year in the NBA;

Michael Epstein's Final Cut: The Making and Unmaking of Heaven's Gate, about United Artists's disatrous release of Michael Cimino's 1980 film starring Kris Kristofferson, Christopher Walken, John Hurt, Sam Waterston, Brad Dourif, Isabelle Huppert, Joseph Cotten and Jeff Bridges;

Jacques Richard's biopic about the founder of the French Cinematheque, Le Fantome d'Henri Langlois;

Gunner Palace, by Michael Tucker and Petra Eperlein's, two jounalists embedded with troops in Iraq who report the news unreported by American television;

Peter Lynch's Whale of a Tale, about the discovery of a whalebone during the excavation of a new Toronto subway line;

Hubert Sauper's Darwin's Nightmare, which examines the economic disparity of Africa's Great Lakes region;

Don Boyd chronicles a gay marriage in Andrew and Jeremy Get Married;

Raymond Depardon's 10e Chambre, Instants D'Audiences is an unprecented look at the French judicial system;

Clara Law's Letters to Ali chronicles an Australian couple's attempts to adopt an Afghan boy detained in a refugee camp;

Elida Schogt's Zero:The Inside Story details one woman's journey to India in search of the origin of the number zero;

Velcrow Ripper's Scaredsacred takes the audience on a tour of the earth's "Ground Zeroes" in search of survivors who overcome adversity;

John Appel's The Last Victory portrays the citizens of Civetta as they prepare for the last race of Siena's famous Palio racehorse;

Margaret Brown's Be Here to Love Me, about the musician Townes Van Zandt;

Russian director Georgy Paradjanov's I Died in Childhood profiles his uncle, revered Russian filmmaker Sergei Paradjanov;

Amanda Micheli's Double Dare is an action-packed documentary about two Hollywood stunt women;

and Caroline Martel's Le Fantome de l'Operatrice is a montage film crafted from telephone company movies that were produced in North America between 1910 and 1989.

Previously announced documentary selections include Patricio Guzman's Salvador Allende and Jonathan Caouette's Tarnation.

# posted by Steve Gallagher @ 7/28/2004 10:04:00 AM

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Fernando Di Leo's La Mala Ordina (The Italian Connection)

The retrospective of the 61st Venice International Film Festival, September 1-11, will focus on the pioneers of Italian genre films.

Italian Kings of the Bs (1960-1980) will include 30 to 35 films by directors such as the late "maestro of mayhem" Fernando Di Leo, who made notable contributions to the spaghetti western and slasher films but is best known for his "Milieu Trilogy" of noir thrillers (Milano Calibro 9, La Mala Ordina, and Il Boss), which depict Italy's cities as seedy hotbeds of crime and corruption; gothic horror director Mario Bava, who created and defined the giallo, a form of the thriller which concentrates on violent death as opposed to prosaic police procedural; Vittorio Cottafavi, director of historical fantasy films such as The Legions of Cleopatra, Goliath and the Dragon and Hercules and the Captive Women; the Italian "godfather of gore," Lucio Fulci; musical comedy director Antonio Margheriti; crime film helmer Sergio Sollima, best known for the pre-Godfather mob story The Violent City; and exploitation specialist Sergio Martino, who created many notable crime films, sex comedies and giallos, along with many other directors.

Among those expected to attend the festival to introduce films in the retrospective are Quentin Tarantino and Joe Dante.

According to Variety: "This year's 20- to 25-pic Venice retro is part of a broader four-year rediscovery and restoration project called 'A Secret History of Italian Cinema,' for which the fest's parent org, the Venice Bienniale, has teamed up with the Prada Foundation...

"From the 1930s onward, Italian cinema developed and grew... thanks to lowbrow movies, in which filmmakers dared to create the country's first genre films, capturing the market without relinquishing their innovative charge,' said fest director Marco Muller."

# posted by Steve Gallagher @ 7/27/2004 11:52:00 AM

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The 42nd New York Film Festival, Oct. 1-17, has announced three films as part of its gala screenings: Agne's Jaoui's Look at Me (Sony Pictures Classics), which won for Best Screenplay at this year's Festival de Cannes, and which will be released in 2005; Pedro Almodovar's Bad Education, which Sony Pictures Classics plans to release on November 19; and Alexander Paynes's Sideways, to be released by Fox Searchlight Pictures on October 20.

# posted by Steve Gallagher @ 7/26/2004 10:04:00 AM

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Forget Ringu (Ring), the overhyped and frankly underwhelming snoozefest that was only marginally improved in its American re-make. The ultimate word in Japanese horror is Ju-On: The Grudge, director-writer Shimizu Takashi's nightmarish vision that follows a longtime national tradition of dreamy, surreal terror that goes as far back as Masaki Kobayashi's Kwaidan in 1964.

Opening theatrically July 23, Ju-On: The Grudge is a haunted house story presented in a deliciously oblique, non-linear narrative that would put Mulholland Drive and Memento to shame. What we manage to glean is that a horrible murder and suicide occurred in the now tainted home, and anyone who steps foot within its doors is to be a victim of a curse born out of revenge and rage. Our heroine, pretty home-care worker Nishina Rika (Megumi Okina), stumbles into this dwelling of the damned. But can she solve the mystery before she is claimed as its next victim?

Chillingly effective at evoking screams and shudders, Ju-On: The Grudge succeeds admirably at creating an overbearing sense of dread and hopelessness: word of mouth made it a surprise smash in Japan's tough theatrical market, and a sequel -- Ju-On: The Grudge 2 -- was spawned.

Look for an American re-make this October, directed by Takashi and starring Sarah Michelle Gellar. Or don't. After seeing the original, you may not need to.

# posted by Andre Salas @ 7/22/2004 06:24:00 PM

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On Monday, August 2 at 8 p.m., Josh Wood and John Cameron Mitchell present a special one-night-only benefit reading of Scene One of Tony Kushner's new play, "Only We Who Guard the Mystery Shall Be Unhappy". Writer-director-actor John Cameron Mitchell (Golden Globe nominee for Hedwig & the Angry Inch) portrays the First Lady of the United States, Laura Welsh Bush, who reads Dostoyevsky's The Brothers Karamazov to dead Iraqi children! He is joined by Patricia Clarkson, who is typecast as an angel. Emmy winning actress Kristen Johnston hosts the evening.

Following the reading, Tony Kushner joins Kristen, John and Patricia for a lively roundtable discussion and audience Q&A.

American Airlines Theater
227 West 42nd Street
New York, NY 10036
Tickets: $25
800-494-TIXS

# posted by Steve Gallagher @ 7/22/2004 05:39:00 PM

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A press release on comedian Margaret Cho's Web site, MargaretCho.com, explains that she has been "uninvited" to perform at a Unity 2004 event which is taking place at Avalon, this coming Monday, July 26, around the Democratic National Convention.

"The Human Rights Campaign is one of 10 GLBT groups coming together July 26 at the nightclub to 'celebrate GLBT strength and unity.' Asked to headline the event, Cho was preparing to preview material from her new State of Emergency tour, as part of an unpaid benefit performance. She has since been 'uninvited' by a spokesman for the HRC, who cited 'a potential media firestorm,' and referenced the recent criticism of Whoopi Goldberg's routine at a Kerry fundraiser.

"Unity 2004 is not officially a part of the Democratic National Convention or the Kerry campaign. Not all of the groups involved in Unity 2004 agreed with the decision to rescind the invitation."

Although Margaret Cho hasn't yet weighed in on the incident on her own blog, a posting on the TeamCho blog from Monday does reference Linda Ronstadt's recent ejection from a Las Vegas casino:

"Apparently, Linda Ronstadt praised Michael Moore and Fahrenheit 9/11 onstage at the Aladdin Casino in Vegas, and the patriotic patrons flew into a drink-tossing protest. The president of the Aladdin kicked her out of the hotel. So heinous was her crime, that she was not allowed to return to her room to gather her belongings.

"There's GOT to be more to this story than meets the eye.

"Geez, I would have at least waited until AFTER she sang 'Desperado.' That's, like, my favorite song. I hope she at least got a fruit basket out of the deal.

"There's something seriously off in this country if people are rioting at Linda Ronstadt concerts. Someone tell Barry Manilow to watch his back."

# posted by Steve Gallagher @ 7/22/2004 01:40:00 PM

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This Saturday, July 24, IFP/LA will host a Film Financing Conference at the James Bridges Theater, UCLA, from 9 a.m. - 5:45 p.m.:

"The life of your film begins long before you hit the set. Before you sign your first deal, arm yourself with the knowledge necessary to ensure a successful production for your film. Designed for both the novice and seasoned producer, IFP/LA's Financing Conference offers in-depth examination of current financing trends and opportunities for independent filmmakers-so you can take control of the life of your film!"

Ticket are $135 for the full day (includes a light lunch) for IFP/LA members; $220 for the general public. Half-day tickets are also available for $75 (IFP/LA members); $130 (general public).

For reservations call (310) 432-1222.

# posted by Steve Gallagher @ 7/20/2004 01:09:00 PM

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I just received the following e-mail about a new initiative called INVOLVER, which I've decided to pass along:

"INVOLVER is an alliance between The Knitting Factory, Music for America, various facets of the independent arts and entertainment community and a wide range of youth political organizations who are pissed off about the state of our country and who are taking action to change it. For our part we are following through with our commitment to presenting the best in live music and have begun staging a series of shows at The Knitting Factory in NYC, and in L.A. featuring such compelling & exciting acts as Slick Rick, OK Go, Pedro the Lion, and Matthew Dear to name a few. Additionally, comedian David Cross we will be hosting an all-star event of music and comedy at one of NYC's grandest venues The Beacon Theatre during the Republican National Convention in New York. Music for America will be on hand at each event providing information on voter registration, and offering ways to take action that will make a difference and make the country work for us. But this isnt just about NYC & LA; this is an organic, ever-growing movement that takes in the entire nation...

"In the 2000 election, 17 states were decided by less than 7 percent, and of course, Florida was decided by only 537 votes. These swing states will decide the election -- FL, PA, OH, NM, WI, IA, OR, NH, MN, MO, NV, TN, ME, MI, AK, WV, AZ.

"We want to list great events happening in swing states. If you are an artist, organizer or presenter in a swing state, send info to INVOLVER...

"INVOLVER does not endorse candidates or parties. We believe the country is headed in the wrong direction and offer ways that you can get involved and help make the country work for our generation."

# posted by Steve Gallagher @ 7/20/2004 12:01:00 PM

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In conjunction with the ongoing exhibition The Big Nothing, "a constellation of music, art, film, and talks on themes of nothing, independently organized by 36 venues throughout Philadelphia, the ICA in Philadelphia presents Nothing Cabaret, Wednesday, July 21 at 7 p.m.:

"Cooked up in the spirit of the Cabaret Voltaire with a touch of 'The Sonny and Cher Show,' [Nothing Cabaret is] an evening of music, poetry, science, art, sleight of hand and silence, concluding with a performance by Bardo Pond and a screening of Andy Warhol's 1963 film Sleep. The film starts around 9 p.m., runs for 5-and-a-half hours, so do the math, and bring your sleeping bag to cozy up for a summer night on ICA's terrace.

"Warhol's first film, [Sleep] was planned as an eight-hour-long movie, but was actually made by looping footage. The film was shot in the apartment of its star, John Giorno, in July 1963. The premiere of Sleep took place on January 17, 1964 at the Gramercy Arts Theater as a benefit screening for the Film-Makers' Cooperative. According to the New York Post, the screening was attended by only nine people, two of whom left during the first hour."

# posted by Steve Gallagher @ 7/19/2004 11:02:00 AM

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When I read about filmmaker Nathaniel Kahn (My Architect) and producer Callum Greene's film about M. Night Shamalayan for the Sci-Fi Channel running into trouble over Night's refusal to cooperate once the documenatarians discovered a "buried secret" in his past, I meant to check it out by making a call to Greene. We recently covered his last produced feature Homework in the magazine. But today I was reminded that this had slipped off my "to-do" list by this piece on CNN.com. In it, Sci-Fi Channel president Bonnie Hammer described the news leak as a "guerilla marketing campaign" that went too far. Previously, the Sci-Fi Channel issued a release calling the finished doc a "disturbing expose," and AP and various other news outlets picked up the story.

Night, it seems, was in on the hoax and was interested in blurring the boundaries between doc and fiction in his biographical portrait. But after reading the article linked above, it's a little unclear what prompted the apology. After all, there was hardly a groundswell of rampant speculation following the original story. (In today's tabloid-saturated times, it is a little dicey to put it out there that you have a "buried secret" in your past.) Could this admission, timed just before the broadcast of the documentary, be yet another marketing ploy to draw attention to the film?

No, it seems as if the ballsiness required to execute a guerilla marketing campaign may simply be too much for the Sci-Fi Channel's corporate owner. The CNN story comes with a disclaimer from its parent company: "This marketing strategy is not consistent with our policy at NBC," said Rebecca Marks, NBC entertainment spokeswoman. "We would never intend to offend the public or the press and value our relationship with both."

The piece ends with its "smoking gun": "Greene, a producer of Lost in Translation, shares an agent with Shyamalan."

# posted by Scott Macaulay @ 7/17/2004 06:52:00 PM

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In the current issue of Filmmaker, producer Jeff Levy-Hinte writes a lengthy and provocative essay on the MPAA's "War on Piracy." Even if we weren't the publishers of the magazine, we'd tell you that it's a must-read. But for those who, after finishing it, may feel that Jeff's paralleling of the "War on Piracy" with the Bush administration's "War on Terror" is a bit over-the-top, then check out this link to an article in The Guardian, in which the true cost of that black-market copy of Soul Plane is revealed.

Writes The Guardian:

"That, essentially, is the message being promoted this week by the Industry Trust for Intellectual Property Awareness (ITIPA), the body that represents some of the world's largest film companies. This week it launched a 1.5m [pound] 'public awareness campaign' to inform people of supposed links between the 'Del Boy' characters who sell pirate DVDs and terrorist cells.

"Posters claiming that 'terrorist groups sell DVDs to raise funds' are at the heart of the campaign. Anyone renting a video will now be receiving the same message. So where is the evidence for this claim?

"The industry group cited as its chief witness Ronald Noble, secretary general of Interpol. It quoted him as saying: 'The link between organised crime groups and counterfeit goods is well established, but Interpol is sounding the alarm that intellectual property crime (IPC) is becoming the preferred method of funding for a number of terrorist groups.'

So when you see that bootlegged copy of Chronicles of Riddick strewn across a mattress on Canal Street, stop and think of the consequences.

# posted by Scott Macaulay @ 7/17/2004 12:31:00 AM

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According to a new poll released today and disseminated by MoveOn PAC, "viewership of Fahrenheit 9/11 continues to grow with 11 percent of all voters now reporting they have seen Michael Moore's film. This is nearly double the number of viewers since the July 4th weekend, when 6 percent reported having seen the movie.

"An additional 33 percent [reportedly] intend to see Fahrenheit 9/11, which means that 44 percent of all voters in the 2004 Presidential election could be exposed to the film.

"Movie-goers and intended movie-goers represent a broad and diverse slice of the electorate and spread across the country, including the so-called battleground states. Fully 1/3 of voters who have seen or intend to see the film self-identify as Bush voters. Forty percent of movie viewers and potential movie viewers reside in battleground states, 25 percent in the 'red' states and 33 percent in the 'blue.'

"The poll, conducted by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research, captured data from 1000 likely voters fielded between July 10- July 13, with a margin of error of +/- 3 points."

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 71 percent of eligible voters registered to vote in the 2000 election, but only 86 percent of those who registered actually cast ballots -- i.e. 60 percent or 111 million eligible voters.

If the MoveOnPAC press release is accurate, close to 20 million voters have already seen Fahrenheit 9/11.

The film had grossed just over $80 million as of last weekend -- so this would represent an average ticket price of only $4.00. Given that ticket price in most major cities is closer to $10, Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research's numbers may be slightly... elevated.

If the numbers are correct, however, and 2/5 of the 33 percent of eligible voters who have indicated they intend to see the film actually do so, Fahrenheit 9/11 stands to gross something like $220-$250 million in the U.S. alone.

# posted by Webmaster @ 7/15/2004 03:42:00 PM

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Project Greenlight has announced the winner of this year's contest, which will begin airing on Bravo in early 2005 as nine hour-long episodes. This year's winners are director John Gulager, who will direct Feast -- a Dimension project about "a motley crew of bar patrons [who] struggle to survive a hungry family of flying beasts set on consuming a human buffet" -- from a screenplay by Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunston.

# posted by Steve Gallagher @ 7/15/2004 10:22:00 AM

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Over on his The Hot Button site, David Poland's got up one of his rambling think pieces, this time on the State of Things in the world of Internet publicity. A lot of it is comprised of his critical take on Ain't It Cool News and the way in which both the studios and the mainstream media feed off of it. It's a three-part article and is quite interesting in its attempt to define and argue for the specialized role of Interet publicity while also calling out the most egrigious offenders of the relaxed-sourcing, anyone-can-do-it attitude of the Web press. Check it out here.

# posted by Scott Macaulay @ 7/15/2004 12:23:00 AM

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Lawrence Lessig, in a "Guest Column" in today's Variety writes:

"Robert Greenwald's latest film, 'Outfoxed,' is a political documentary about Republican bias at Fox News. It is also, as the New York Times Sunday Magazine dubbed it, a 'guerrilla documentary.'

"In addition to interviews with former Fox employees, academic studies evaluating the 'Fox effect' and internal Fox memos, Greenwald has used a significant number of clips from Fox News to show the bias that the slogan 'fair and balanced' belies.

"He had no permission to use those clips.

"Fox has called Greenwald's use stealing. It has warned other networks that if they exploit his 'illegal copyright infringement,' those networks will open themselves up to similar criticism -- presumably by Fox...

"If Greenwald's use of Fox's content is 'fair use' -- as we plainly believe it is -- then it is no more 'stealing' than walking across a sidewalk in front of a neighbor's home is trespassing on a neighbor's property.

"Copyright is property, but like all property, the rights it grants are limited. 'Fair use' is one such limit, constitutionally compelled, giving critics such as Greenwald the right to use a limited amount of copyrighted material without asking permission first.

"Fox claims it is 'fair and balanced.' Is it?

"Bill O'Reilly promised Fox viewers that he would report the news of the war [in Iraq] 'without an agenda or any ideological prejudice.' Did he?

"These are important questions at any time, but especially now, as the answers so dramatically affect current public policy. And they can be answered effectively only with a work that can use that the images that created the bias alleged.

"Journalists should encourage such criticism. If news networks are not as they say they are, then journalists and critics should be able to show it. If Greenwald's argument is wrong, then let another filmmaker contradict it. Or if ABC is just as bad, then let ABC be outed, too."

# posted by Webmaster @ 7/14/2004 11:29:00 AM

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This Thursday, Palestinian filmmaker Elia Suleiman (Divine Intervention) plans to screen Simone Bitton's documentary Wall (Mur), about the controversial barrier being bulit by Israel to cordon off the Palestinian territories, on a section of the wall in Abu Dis -- a neighborhood on the outskirts of Jerusalem that has been cut in half by the wall.

Bitton's film, which premiered in Directors' Fortnight at Cannes earlier this year, will also screen as part of the Jerusalem Film Festival on Thursday.

# posted by Steve Gallagher @ 7/14/2004 10:47:00 AM

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The Toronto International Film Festival, which unspools September 9-18, announced part of this year's lineup today -- the first under our good friend Noah Cowan, who serves as co-director with Piers Handling for three years before assuming the position outright.

Titles announced today include films screening in Viacom Gala Presentations, Masters, Visions, Special Presentations, Contemporary World Cinema, and the sidebar South Africa: Ten Years Later.

Taylor Hackford's Ray receives its festival world premiere as a Gala Presentation. Starring Jamie Foxx, Ray is the extraordinary biographical drama of the life of the late, great musician Ray Charles. The film also stars Kerry Washington, Clifton Powell, Harry Lennix, Terrence Dashon Howard, Larenz Tate, Richard Schiff, and Regina King.

"Red Dust, the directorial debut from Tom Hooper, receives its world premiere as a Gala Presentation. Based on Gillian Slovo's novel of the same name, and starring Academy Award-winner Hilary Swank and Chiwetel Ejiofor, Red Dust is a moving and suspense-filled story that explores the effects of South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

"Director Zhang Yimou's House of Flying Daggers receives its North American premiere as a Gala Presentation. Starring Zhang Ziyi, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Andy Lau, and Song Dandan, House of Flying Daggers is an action-packed tale of love and conflict, captivatingly masterful in its finesse.

"To date, this year's Masters line-up includes the North American premieres of Jean-Luc Godard's Notre Musique, Benoit Jacquot's A Tout de Suite, Patricio Guzman's Salvador Allende, and the Canadian premiere of Demain on Demange, from Chantal Akerman.

"Five titles -- one international, three North American, and one Canadian premiere have been confirmed for this year's Visions: Theme Je, from Francoise Romand (international); A Hole in My Heart, by Lukas Moodysson (North American); Vital from Shinya Tsukamoto (North American); The Dead, by Lisandro Alonso (North American); and Tarnation, Jonathan Caouette's debut feature film and a Canadian premiere.

"This year's Special Presentations boast three world and three North American premieres. To date, the programme includes the world premieres of John Sayles' Silver City, Enduring Love from Roger Michell, Terry George's Hotel Rwanda, and the North American premieres of Dylan Kidd's P.S., Darrell James Roodt's Yesterday, and Palindromes, the latest from Todd Solondz.

"To date, Contemporary World Cinema, which showcases the best in international film, includes six titles hailing from eight countries. This year's line-up includes: Lucrecia Martel's The Holy Girl; Cate Shortland's first feature, Somersault; The Woodsman, Nicole Kassell's feature film debut; Brodeuses from first-time director Eleonore Faucher; Eytan Fox's Walk on Water; and Brothers, from returning director Susanne Bier.

"This year, the Festival's National Cinema programme focusses on South Africa. The complete line-up for South Africa: Ten Years Later includes: Zola Mesko's Drum, Ian Gabriel's Foregiveness, Max and Mona from Teddy Matterra, Zulu Love Letter by Ramadan Suleyman, Tony Strasborg's documentary, A South African Love Story -- Walter & Albertina Sisulu, Mark Bamfor'sCape of Good Hope, and Mozart -- the Music of the Violin, a short film from Mickey Dube."

The complete line-up of films to be screened at the 29th Toronto International Film Festival will be available on Tuesday, August 24, 2004, after 11:00 AM.

# posted by Steve Gallagher @ 7/14/2004 10:02:00 AM

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Documentary filmmaker Robert Greenwald launched a pre-emptive strike against the Fox News Channel yesterday by introducing his latest film Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism to the media yesterday at a packed press conference.

The film "examines how media empires, led by Rupert Murdoch's Fox News, have been running a 'race to the bottom' in television news. This film provides an in-depth look at Fox News and the dangers of ever-enlarging corporations taking control of the public's right to know."

The screening at the Ritz-Carlton in New York followed the publication in Sunday's New York Times Magazine of a feature article about the film by Robert S. Boynton. That article, entitled "How to Make a Guerrilla Documentary," described the film as "an obsessively researched expose of the ways in which Fox News, as Greenwald sees it, distorts its coverage to serve the conservative political agenda of its owner, the media tycoon Rupert Murdoch. It features interviews with former Fox exployees, leaked policy memos written by Fox executives and extensive footage from Fox News, which Greenwald is using without the network's permission."

In press releases handed out by Fox reps outside the Ritz-Carlton yesterday, according to Variety, "the net called the use of the footage 'illegal copyright infringement,' but so far isn't planning to sue."

Greenwald, who appeared onstage with a member of his legal team, Stanford law professor and intellectual property scholar Lawrence Lessig, "vigourously defended his right to use Fox footage. 'I have the absolute right to use this footage,' he said."

According to the Times Magazine, "A large portion of the film's $300,000 budget came in the form of contributions in the range of $80,000 from both MoveOn and the Center for American Progress, the liberal policy organization founded by John Podesta, the former chief of staff for Bill Clinton; Greenwald, who is not looking to earn any money from the project, provided the rest."

"Rather than taking the time-consuming route of entering film festivals or courting theater distributors, Greenwald plans to screen the film "throughout the country in hundreds of small local screenings, arranged by MoveOn, where people will be able to watch and discuss it," and to promote the DVD of Outfoxed, which will be distributed by Ryko Distribution, through the Web sites of various left-liberal organizations -- such as MoveOn, AlterNet and BuzzFlash -- as he did with his previous documentary, Uncovered: The Whole Truth About the Iraq War, which critiques the Bush administration's case for the war in Iraq.

In a review of Outfoxed in today's Variety, David Rooney writes: "Greenwald's film provides stimulating evidence of how thoroughly news can be skewed, political agendas served and a climate of fear created by a news net selling itself as an objective information service but in reality offering little distinction between news and commentary."

# posted by Steve Gallagher @ 7/13/2004 10:14:00 AM

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When I read the headline in today's Variety -- "Hanks a Rebel Rocker for Biopic" -- I wondered what rock star Tom Hanks (or perhaps his son Colin) could be playing. So, as someone whose music knowledge is pretty good, I was surprised to read that DreamWorks has picked up the life rights to a rock figure whom I know nothing about.

According to the trade mag, the studio has bought the life story of "Dean Reed, an American singer, actor and filmmaker whose 15-year career in East Germany was halted by his mysterious death in 1986."

Reed apparently became a star in South America in the 1960s, was deported from Argentina due to his political views and, after being invited to Leipzig to guest at a documentary film festival, wound up living in East Germany for the rest of his life.

If there are any Reed cultists out there, please post some info on him below.

# posted by Scott Macaulay @ 7/09/2004 12:53:00 PM

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Today I received the following message from artist Nancy Hwang, who is currently showing in White Room 2 at White Columns Gallery, 320 West 13th Street, NYC:

"Hope you might take some time from a lazy summer day and drop by White Columns. I am at the gallery through July 31, from noon to 6pm, Wednesday through Saturday.

"At White Columns, you can pick up a special card good for a complimentary video rental at the local video store. Take a short walk or wheel over to World of Video, pick out any movie you like, and bring it back to the gallery to view on a 60" diagonal rear projection TV screen.

"Prepare for a unique shared movie viewing experience as you lose your sense of time in a cozy loft featuring the customized mighty Vornado air circulation system, a futon overloaded with cushy pillows, delicious popcorn, an endless variety of drinks and unpredictable gallery visitors.

"You can make a reservation if you'd like to select a movie for a specific screening time and date by emailing me at nancyhwang@mac.com. Screenings begin roughly around noon, 2pm, and 4pm time slots each day. Alternatively, you can take your chances, drop by for a bit to eye someone else's movie choice, or even stay an entire afternoon.

"Take some time. Bring a friend. When's the last time you rented a DVD?"

According to the White Columns Web site: "Nancy Hwang's work grows out of concerns both social and personal. Described by the artist as 'transaction-based,' many pieces have been focused on the idea of personal service, in which she engages the audience in an intimate manner. Recent projects have included 2, S, and N -- all named after New York City subway lines -- in which she provided participants with beverages, a shampoo and a manicure, respectively. These pleasant and rather luxurious experiences were delivered to viewers free of charge."

# posted by Steve Gallagher @ 7/09/2004 12:29:00 PM

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On the 4th of July, this link, via Moviecity News is too rich to pass up: "Urge Ashcroft to brand Michael Moore what he really is -- a traitor to America!" headlines a petition by Patriotic Americans Boycotting Anti-American Hollywood found on the Web site Conservative Petitions.com. "Free speech isn't free when it costs lives," the Web site says as it argues that Moore's Farenheit 911 is endangering the lives of our troops. Those who click on the petition will find their names forwarded to House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist and Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert as well as your Congressmen and, of course, Big John Ashcroft.

Speaking of Ashcroft, join Moby, Ted Hope and John Cameron Mitchell as they judge Nerve.com's The John Ashcroft Amateur Video Contest, in which contestants try to win $1,000 by filming the sexiest one-minute video containing a discussion of our Attorney General. The 15 finalists can be streamed on the site.

# posted by Scott Macaulay @ 7/05/2004 12:53:00 AM

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When it comes to independent film careers, there are few more interesting than that of E. Elias Mehrige's. In 1991 he finished his years-in-the-making Begotten, a Stygian montage of primordial imagery, summarized thusly by Marty Cassady, a reader at Imdb.com: "God disembowels himself with a straight razor. The spirit-like Mother Earth emerges, venturing into a bleak, barren landscape. Twitching and cowering, the Son Of Earth is set upon by faceless cannibals." Mehrige worked with a tiny crew and hand treated the film to give it a look like it had been around for centuries.

The film, which played at underground and experimental venues, became something of a cult classic and was championed by Susan Sontag. Five years later Mehrige completed a promo doc on Marilyn Manson and then, in 2000, released Shadow of the Vampire, a witty meditation on the filming of Murnau's Nosferatu. Although it featured stars Willem Dafoe and John Malkovitch, the film was a modestly budgeted affair, though, which makes Mehrige's new film, Suspect Zero, such a surprise. (Check out the link for the Web site which includes the just-released trailer).

A big-budget serial killer movie starring Ben Kingsley (pictured in the film at above right) and Aaron Eckhardt, the film has some pedigreed participants. Tom Cruise and Paula Wagner are producers, Raging Bull cinematographer Michael Chapman shot it, Aronofsky-regular Clint Mansell did the score, and Zak Penn and Billy Ray are credited with the script.

Mehrige's films have been consistently fascinating, so I'm looking forward to seeing whatever mark he's managed to leave on what looks like an uncommonly dark summer release.

# posted by Scott Macaulay @ 7/03/2004 10:52:00 PM

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Via Pitchfork Media comes this news blurb about The Guatemalan Handshake, an indie film currently shooting in Eastern Pennsylvania starring musician Will Oldham (Palace, Bonnie "Prince" Billy) and directed by Todd Rohal. Previously, Rohal designed the DVD packaging for Dianne Bellino's short Slitch and, in the process, met Oldham, who starred in that film as well.

Writes Pitchfork: "The Guatemalan Handshake -- which bears no apparent relation to The Dirty Sanchez, as far as our sources can tell-- is presently in production, and follows a 10 year-old boy named Turkeylegs as he searches for his friend Donald (played by Oldham), who has mysteriously disappeared following a power failure.

Co-producer Marissa Ronca spoke to Pitchfork via email about the film, saying,
'The cast is a really wild mish-mosh of people, so I'm not even sure if we know what to expect." No wonder-- even the locations in the movie are fuckin' weird. Ronca says the crew plans to shoot at "a quarry, a demolition derby (where our car, The Bitchkisser, will get smashed), a roller rink, and some gorgeous farms.'

The Guatemalan Handshake begins filming this Friday in Eastern Pennsylvania, so if you're in the area, be on the lookout for a yellow-and-brown-striped RV traveling with a short bus filled with cast and crew."

A Web site containing a production journal is devoted to the film: www.guatemalanhandshake.com.

Speaking of music, I've been in L.A. a lot recently and one thing that makes the driving a lot more pleasurable is the new "indie 103.1" FM. I ran into filmmaker Helen Stickler (Stoked) at the closing night party for the IFP L.A. Film Festival (where else can you get pitched a San Francisco punk-rock period piece while standing next to The Rock?), and she told me that the station, which has only been on the air since February, has rapidly drawn a passionate audience akin to the one shared by L.A.'s old "Z Channel" back in the '80s. Listening to "Jonesies' Jukebox" (am I spelling that correctly?) tonight, in which host Steve Jones (formerly of the Sex Pistols) described his colonscopy, I felt back in the comforting arms of free-form, idiosyncratic radio.

# posted by Scott Macaulay @ 7/02/2004 12:15:00 AM

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