Movieline

Javier Bardem, Ed Burns & Xan Cassavetes Pics Head To Theaters; Scarlett Johansson, Natalie Portman, Kerry Washington Head To DNC Thursday: Biz Break

Also in Wednesday afternoon's round-up of news briefs, Fantastic Fest will close out its September event with Red Dawn. And David Slade is the eyed for a Disney pic based on a young-adult novel.

World Premiere of Red Dawn to Close Fantastic Fest
Director Dan Bradley's action-pic Red Dawn will close out Fantastic Fest September 27th. Starring Chris Hemsworth, Isabel Lucas and Josh Hutcherson, the film revolves around a group of teenagers embarking to save their town from an invasion of North Korean soldiers.  A Korean-invasion-themed party will follow the premiere screening to celebrate the closing night of the festival. Fantastic Fest will take place September 20 - 27 in Austin, Texas

Javier Bardem Humanitarian Doc Heads to Theaters
Sons of the Clouds: The Last Colony is produced by Academy Award-winning actor Javier Bardem, Alvaro Longoria and Lilly Hartley, the documentary, directed by Longoria of Morena Films and will screen at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 13. The film features Javier Bardem and focuses on a forgotten, unresolved conflict in Northern Africa where the de-colonization of the Western Sahara has displaced nearly 200,000 Sahrawi people to refugee camps. Distributor GoDigital said it will begin its theatrical run at IFC Center in NYC in mid-October, followed by a series of screenings around the country.

Edward Burns Holiday Pic Heads to Theaters
The Fitzgerald Family Christmas, a family drama that reunites Burns with cast members Connie Britton and Michael McGlone from The Brothers McMullen will have a late-November release via Tribeca Film which picked up the film. The story revolves around sibling rivalry and an estranged father (Ed Lauter, The Artist) who returns home for Christmas for the first time since he walked out on his family 20 years ago. Family rifts emerge, and like with any family, Christmas brings a mixed bag of complicated emotions and dynamics. The film will screen at the Toronto International Film Festival September 9th.

Xan Cassavetes' Kiss of the Damned Heads to Theaters
Magnet Releasing, genre arm of Magnolia Pictures picked up worldwide rights to Cassavetes' erotic vampire film that will close International Critics' Week this Friday in Venice. The film centers on Djuna (Joséphine de La Baume), a beautiful vampire who tries to resist the advances of the handsome, human screenwriter Paulo (Milo Ventimiglia), but eventually gives in to temptation. When her troublemaker sister Mimi (Roxane Mesquida) arrives unexpectedly, Djuna’s love story is threatened and the whole vampire community becomes endangered.

Around the 'net…

Scarlett Johansson, Natalie Portman, Kerry Washington to Speak at DNC
The three will follow the Foo Fighters on Thursday's lineup at the Democratic National Convention. Eva Longoria also is expected to speak before Obama's appearance, THR reports.

Disney Eyes David Slade for Matched
The studio is in negotiations with Slade to direct an adaptation of the Ally Condie young-adult novel. The series revolves around a girl in a "dystopian future where choice is taken away, and a young woman falls in love with a guy she has not been matched with," Deadline reports.