Ben Affleck Eyes Next Directing/Acting Gig; R.I.P. Cinematographer Harris Savides: Biz Break

Also in Thursday afternoon's round-up of news briefs: Val Kilmer will receive kudos from the Dallas Film Society; Jodie Foster takes on Money for her next directorial project. Also, Tribeca Film Festival names a new Deputy Executive Director and the Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP) launches a major new initiative;

Dallas Film Society to Fete Val Kilmer
Kilmer will be honored by the Dallas Film Society at their annual fall fundraiser, "The Art of Film" on November 16th. He will be presented with the Dallas Star Award November 16th followed by a conversation during the event by film critic Elvis Mitchell.

Nicholas Apps Joins Tribeca Film Festival As Deputy Executive Director
Tribeca named Apps Deputy E.D. effective October 15rh. He will report to Executive Director Beth Janson spearheading individual giving and corporate sponsorship initiatives, and marketing and communications efforts for Tribeca Film Institute, the year-round nonprofit founded by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal, and Craig Hatkoff.

IFP to Develop and Operate "Made in New York" Media Center
Independent film advocacy group Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP) will develop and operate a new Media Center in New York City. Bringing together traditional media and emerging technologies, IFP aims to make the Media Center "a hub for filmmakers, content creators, and entrepreneurs to work together under one roof." Located in DUMBO in Brooklyn, it is set to open in spring 2013. More information can be found at their website.

Around the 'net…

Cinematographer Harris Savides Dies
Harris Savides, the acclaimed cinematographer who worked frequently with Gus Van Sant and David Fincher, has died at 55. Savides died Wednesday night, his representatives at The Skouras Agency confirmed Thursday. Savides was known for vividly recreating the hazy hues of 1970s cinema in films like Fincher's Zodiac, Ridley Scott's American Gangster and Sofia Coppola's Somewhere, and for mesmerizingly fluid, long takes with Van Sant in movies including Last Days, 'Elephant and Gerry, A.P. reports.

Ben Affleck Eyes Live By Night as Next Directing Gig
The director/actor is in talks with Warner Bros. to make Live By Night which, like Argo, he will write, direct, produce and star in. The story is based on the novel by Dennis Lehane. Set during Prohibition, the focus is on Joe Coughlin, the black sheep son of a police captain who gets involved in escalating levels of organized crime, Deadline reports.

Jodie Foster to Direct Money Monster
Foster will direct the drama about a TV personality whose insider trading tips have made him the money guru of Wall Street. A viewer, however, loses all his money on a tip from the insider and takes him hostage on air. Ratings soar as the country is gripped by the drama. Production is set for early 2013, Deadline reports.