What you may have missed this weekend: The L.A. Film Fest came to a close, Cars 2 zoomed to the top of the box office, and, oh yeah -- Rachel Weisz married Daniel Craig in a super quiet ceremony last week in New York, according to reports. The pair play a married couple in September's Dream House, but what's really sounding great now is the idea of casting Weisz opposite her new hubby in the next Bond film. Whaddya think -- could Drachel give Brangelina a run for their money? [Daily Mail]
Two upcoming Sony releases scored their first honors Sunday at the 2011 L.A. Film Fest, where Michael Rapaport's Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest (Sony Classics) and Joe Cornish's Attack the Block (Screen Gems) won audience awards. Also in the winners' circle: Stephane Lafleur's Canadian comedy Familiar Ground and Wish Me Away, a documentary about country singer Chely Wright's decision to come out of the closet.
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Certain members of legendary NYC hip-hop group A Tribe Called Quest had voiced mixed reactions to Michael Rapaport's incisive documentary Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest even before its Sundance debut and subsequent distribution deal. But Friday night in Hollywood, all save one of Tribe's four members came out to support the film, sharing the emotional experience of watching their musical history -- and the complex behind-the-scenes clashes that led to their disbanding -- play out on screen.
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Writer-director Andrew Okpeaha MacLean makes his feature debut with the L.A. Film Fest entry On the Ice, a character tale about two Alaskan teenagers wrestling with guilt after the accidental murder of a friend. With its isolated setting, cast of non-actors, and rollercoaster ride of a Sundance premiere, the indie drama isn't the easiest sell for mainstream America, but it's a film that deserves to find an audience -- a window into a generation of Alaskan teens balancing native culture with hip-hop, at a unique crossroads between community traditions and the volatile influence of urban culture.
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Jack Black, Shirley MacLaine, and Matthew McConaughey kicked things off with Richard Linklater's Bernie. Ryan Gosling, Christina Hendricks, and their Drive co-stars hit the red carpet with director Nicolas Winding Refn. Kate Bosworth & Co. presented the indie rom-com Life Happens the same night that the cast of the vogueing flick Leave it on the Dance Floor turned a rooftop party into a runway ball complete with live performances, drag queens, and wanton fabulousness. The 2011 L.A. Film Fest is in full swing, and so is Movieline's star-studded red carpet gallery! Hit the jump for a peek at the celebs (and divas) who hit the fest this weekend.
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Nicolas Winding Refn turned up the charm Friday night at the L.A. Film Fest, delivering a crowd-pleasing introduction for his highly anticipated crime pic, Drive. Part acceptance speech, part promotional spiel, and part comedy roast, Refn's delivery included nods to his wife Liv, Ryan Gosling, Prada menswear, a studio head in the making, his rumored Wonder Woman project, and Alejandro Jodorowsky -- wildly entertaining and all too rare, as far as these things go.
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"Money makes the world go 'round, but it's not the answer to all your prayers," declared Jack Black at the opening night of the L.A. Film Fest, where he and screen legend Shirley MacLaine hit the red carpet arm in arm at the world premiere of Richard Linklater's new black comedy, Bernie. "It makes the world go 'round, sometimes the other way," quipped MacLaine. That's precisely the lesson at the heart of Bernie, based on the zany true story of a mortician who lived a well-loved existence in his small East Texas town -- until, that is, he committed a terrible crime.
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Attention, Los Angelenos! Film Independent's 2011 LA Film Fest kicks off this week, offering a variety of new films, festival darlings, retrospectives, and special events from June 16-26. After the jump, scroll through 18 of the must-see films, Q&As, and events to catch during the fest, from guest director Guillermo del Toro's many planned appearances to Ryan Gosling's Drive, Green Lantern, and the historic (and insanely unpredictable) combination of Erykah Badu and Ricky Gervais.
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