Sundance London Returns For 2 Years; Steven Spielberg & Jeffrey Katzenberg Donate Big $$ To Obama: Biz Break

Also in Monday morning's round-up of news briefs: The deadline looms for the 19th Screen Actors Guild Awards consideration. Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter receive London Fest honors; And a Chinese-Japan row over uninhabited islands spills into the Tokyo International Film Festival.

Sundance London To Return for 2nd Round
The Sundance London Music and Film Festival will return again next year and 2014. The second Sundance London will take place from 25-28 April, 2013, and host the international and UK premieres of American independent films fresh from the 2013 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah as well as live music performances, panels and events. The 2013 program will continue its 2012 focus on presenting new work by American filmmakers and music artists. Sundance Institute, which annually presents the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, will select the films and related programming.

Screen Actors Guild Deadline Loom
Acting submissions for this year's 19th Screen Actors Awards consideration is fast approaching. Submissions must be turned in by Thursday October 25th at 5pm PDT. For the first time, submissions are only accepted online.

Around the 'net…

Specialty Box Office: The Sessions Tops Debuts; Holy Motors, Brooklyn Castle, The Flat Solid
Fox Searchlight’s highly anticipated The Sessions starring John Hawkes, Helen Hunt and William H. Macy debuted with a robust $30,100 average in its four-theater run in New York and Los Angeles, by far topping newbies in the specialty arena, in another crowded field of newcomers, Deadline reports.

Jeffrey Katzenberg and Steven Spielberg Donate $1M Each to Obama Super PAC
A filing to the Federal Elections Commission show the Oscar-winning filmmaker and DreamWorlds Animation CEO made their donations, one of the largest to the Obama campaign, on September 24th, Deadline reports.

Tim Burton Honored at London Film Festival
"It's good because there's no jealousy at home," partner Helena Bonham Carter who also received an award said. "It's very thoughtful for them to give us both one at the same time," BBC reports.

Tokyo International Film Festival to Screen Feng Shui Despite Official Withdrawl
The Chinese film was withdrawn from the Japanese festival and director Wang Jing and actor Jiao Gang canceled their visits due to political tensions between the two Asian giants. But the Monday night screening went on as planned, THR reports.