Weinsteins Take Rights to Cannes' The Sapphires
Starring comedian Chris Dowd and Deborah Mailman, The Sapphires will screen at the 65th Cannes Film Festival this Saturday. Wayne Blair directed the feature which is inspired by a true story about four young and talented Australian Aboriginal girls from a remote mission as they learn about love, friendship and war when their all girl group The Sapphires entertains the U.S. troops in Vietnam in 1968.
10 Win 39th Student Academy Awards
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ 39th Annual Student Academy Awards were unveiled; the organization will host an awards ceremony June 9th. The winners in the Narrative category: Nani, Justin Tipping (American Film Institute); Narcocorrido, Ryan Prows (American Film Institute); Under, Mark Raso (Columbia University). Documentary: Dying Green, Ellen Tripler (American University); Hiro: A Story of Japanese Internment, Keiko Wright (NYU); Lost Country, Heather Burky (Art Inst. of Jacksonville). Animation: Eyrie, David Wolter (Calif. Institute of the Arts); The Jockstrap Raiders, Mark Nelson (UCLA); My Little Friend, Eric Prah (Ringling College of Art and Design). Alternative: The Reality Clock, Amanda Tasse (USC).
Exclusive Media Nabs Rights to Dennis Quaid, Zac Efron Starrer At Any Price
The film, directed by Chop Shop director Ramin Bahrani, also stars Kim Dickens and Heather Graham and revolves around rebellious Dean Whipple (Efron), who wants nothing more than to pursue his dream of becoming a professional race car driver, whilst trying to avoid the obligations to his family’s farming empire. But Dean’s ambitious father Henry (Quaid), whose manic pursuit of expansion has alienated the whole family, sets his sights on Dean’s succession.
Around the 'net...
How 48 Hours at Large in L.A. Turned Fellini into a Maestro
Fellini Black and White is set to explore what may have happened when the celebrated Italian film director Federico Fellini disappeared for 48 hours on his first visit to America, where he was due to attend the Oscar awards. Instead of a smooth trip to the 1957 ceremony, the man who was to make such classics as La Dolce Vita and 8½ almost missed the awards gala after going missing for two days somewhere in Los Angeles, The Guardian reports.
Universal Takes International Rights to Kathryn Bigelow's Untitled Bin Laden Film
Universal took select international rights to the true story about the team that hunted and killed Osama bin Laden last year. Sony Pictures will release the film starring Jessica Chastain, Joel Edgerton, Jason Clarke, Mark Strong and Edgar Ramirez in the U.S., Deadline reports.
3-D Comes into Sharper Focus
Despite the format’s troubles, 2011 marked another record year for 3-D, with total box office revenue from 3-D movies hitting $6.9 billion, an 18 percent jump, according to provisional figures from Screen Digest, THR reports.