Ashton Kutcher not only took on Steve Jobs' persona as a tech magnate, he also adopted the late Apple founder's alleged fruitarian diet in preparation for the role, which sent him to the hospital, the actor revealed following the premiere of jOBS at the Sundance Film Festival over the weekend.
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The Sundance Film Festival closed out 2013 awarding Fruitvale and Blood Brother its top Dramatic and Documentary award winners respectively. Fruitvale had been the favored winner among insiders neck-n-neck with Ain't Them Bodies Saints which captured a lot of attention at the fest. In a festival rarity, both Fruitvale and Blood Brother also took the prizes in the Audience categories as well.
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The Sundance Film Festival is continues through the weekend. In the lead-up to the awards Saturday, M.L. continues its series profiling this year's filmmakers. Beginning last week Movieline posted details about this year's U.S. and World Competition and NEXT films and filmmakers in their own words. In today's round Dawn Porter (Gideon's Army), Zhao Qi (Fallen City), Shaka King (Newlyweeds), Daniel Hoesl (Soldate Jeannette) and Jacek Borcuch (Lasting preview their films.
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Shia LaBeouf appears to be going full-tilt method acting of late. First, the actor said last summer that he was going "all the way" in Danish director Lars von Trier's Nymphomaniac, and at the Sundance Film Festival, currently underway, he said he dropped acid while working on The Necessary Death of Charlie Countryman.
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Chalk this up as being barely a surprise. A study recently found that, of the 250 top-grossing Hollywood films, only 9% of the directors were women in 2012. And that is actually an increase from 4% in 2011. The study comes out as indie producers announced the launch of a new production company at the Sundance Film Festival: Tangerine Entertainment, which will focus on female directors and "strong roles for women."
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The Sundance Film Festival is passing its midpoint, but there are more world premieres of some of the films that will grace the Specialty Big Screen this year. Beginning last week Movieline posted details about this year's U.S. and World Competition films and filmmakers in their own words. In this round, Kyle Patrick Alvarez (C.O.G.), Matthew Porterfield (I Used to Be Darker), Mark Albiston and Louis Sutherland (Shopping), Eliza Hittman (It Felt Like Love) and Jerusha E. Hess (Austenland) preview their films.
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Naomi Watts and Robin Wright star in what has likely been the most divisive film to screen at the Sundance Film Festival so far. Two Mothers is the story of two close friends (played by Watts and Wright) who have secretive affairs with each other's sons. The weekend premiere in Park City sparked a mix of laughter and polarized reaction that took the feature's stars and director, Anne Fontaine, by some surprise.
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The Sundance Film Festival heads into the week with more world premieres and a peek at many of the films that will grace the Specialty Big Screen this year. Beginning last week, Movieline posted details about this year's U.S. and World Competition films and filmmakers in their own words. In this round, Richard Rowley (Dirty Wars), Dylan Mohan Gray (Fire in the Blood), Roger Ross Williams (God Loves Uganda), Hannah Fidell (A Teacher) and Shaul Schwarz (Narco Cultura) preview their films.
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The Sundance Film Festival opens Thursday with a new crop of anticipated American indies - some of which will define the cinematic year. Last year's narrative winner Beasts of the Southern Wild received a slew of Oscar nominations this year along with other titles. Which ones will emerge this year. Over the next week, M.L. will give a snapshot of the filmmakers themselves in their own words along with trailers. The first five filmmakers profiled today include Lynn Shelton's Touchy Feely (U.S. Dramatic Competition), David Lowery's Ain't Them Bodies Saints (U.S. Dramatic Competition), directors Aaron Aites, Audrey Ewell, Nina Krstic, Lucian Reade's 99%: The Occupy Wall Street Collaborative Film (U.S. Documentary Competition), Bastian Guenther's Houston (World Dramatic Competition) and Stacie Passon's Concussion (U.S. Dramatic Competition).
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Ominous music, an imagined flood and two good looking people peering each other with what appears to be suspicion. It's just a hint of what might be to come in the new clip from Sundance Film Festival film Emanuel and The Truth About Fishes, starring Jessica Biel, Kaya Scodelario, Alfred Molina, Frances O'Connor and Aneurin Barnard. Check out M.L.'s daily coverage from Park City this week and next.
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Even as it gears up for the launch of the Sundance Film Festival Thursday, the Sundance Institute unveiled 13 titles it is making available through a variety of platforms through its "Artist Services" program. Films include 2012 Sundance Film Festival titles Detropia, I Am Not A Hipster, The Atomic States of America and We're Not Broke. Artist Services films are available on an array of online platforms including iTunes, Amazon Instant Video, Hulu, SnagFilms, Netflix, SundanceNOW, VUDU, YouTube and more.
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With just one week to go until the 2013 Sundance Film Festival kicks off next Thursday, images are trickling in of the many films to debut. Beginning next week, M.L. will begin publishing short interviews with this year's Competition and NEXT section filmmakers. But to whet that Sundance whistle, here is a poster debut for Halley, directed by Sebastian Hofmann.
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Joseph Gordon-Levitt had quite a blockbuster 2012 with roles in The Dark Knight Rises, Lincoln and Looper, but he's holding onto his indie big screen roots at this year's Sundance Film Festival. Aside from his feature directorial debut, Don Jon's Addiction, which will bow in the festival's Premieres section, the actor and now filmmaker has been tapped to host the 2013 Sundance Film Festival Awards Ceremony.
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Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl will be among the group of first-time filmmakers at this year's Sundance Film Festival, but he will likely be the only one to also play an anticipated gig at the annually anticipated event which opens January 17th.
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Writer/director Chad Hartigan scored a coveted spot at the Sundance Film Festival with his sophomore effort This Is Martin Bonner. The festival is just under a month away, but images are trickling in including the debut of this poster for the drama screening in Sundance's NEXT section.
[Related: Sundance Film Festival Reveals 2013 U.S. & World Competition and NEXT Slate]
NEXT is officially set for films that "stretch limited resources to create impactful art," according to the festival. Only time will tell how these ten titles will do after they premiere, but some early word has been positive for this year's crop…
Official This Is Martin Bonner description follows. Who can guess what land mass that is?
The striking sophomore film of writer/director Chad Hartigan, This Is Martin Bonner is a warm and perceptive meditation on friendship, human connection and getting a second chance at life. Fifty-something Martin Bonner (Paul Eenhorn) leaves his old life behind and relocates to Reno, where he finds work helping released prisoners transition to life on the outside, while trying his hand at speed dating and passing time as a soccer referee on weekends. Meanwhile, Travis Holloway (Richmond Arquette) has just been released from prison after serving 12 years. Surprising both of them, Travis and Martin form an unlikely friendship that offers them reciprocal support and understanding. Quietly observational and naturalistic, the film features noteworthy breakthrough performances from Eenhoorn and Arquette who approach their characters with a lived-in sense of low-key restraint.
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