Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Attention, Filmmakers: 13 Festival Deadlines Before the End of the Year

READ MORE: Attention, Filmmakers: 9 Tips for Maximizing Your Film's Success on the Festival Circuit Sure, it's summer, but don't think you can slack off just yet. We did some digging and there are quite a few submission deadlines coming up for festivals that are taking place in the latter part of 2015. With the Sundance Film Festival and South by Southwest already accepting submissions for 2016, you've got a lot to contend with when it comes to getting your film out on to the festival circuit. When referring to the deadlines listed below, make sure to confirm whether the date listed is the postmark date or the date of receipt. To make it easier for you, we've linked to each...

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'Magic Mike XXL': The European Premiere

Hot shots of the European premiere of 'Magic Mike XXL.'
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Youth Jury Call an Other Opportunities at the Trinidad + Tobago Film Festival

This year the Trinidad + Tobago Film Festival (ttff) is looking for a variety of people to form of the event in different capacities. Here are some opportunities to get involved with this rising festival. Youth in Focus If you are a young person who loves movies, then you should consider applying to be a member of the second bpTT Youth Jury at the ttff/15 (September 15–29 ). The bpTT Youth Jury aims to stimulate interest in cinema among young people; in particular, the jury will be exposed to a selection of independent films from around the world, encouraging a critical appreciation for all facets of cinema. The jury will comprise five women...

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'In The Grayscale,' 'Alex & Ali' Lead Frameline Winners

The 39th edition of Frameline -- the oldest and largest LGBTQ film festival in the world -- came to a close Sunday night following a 10 day program of a whopping 180 queer films from 33 different countries by handing out a bunch of awards -- both juried and from Frameline's audience.  And the winners are.... Audience AwardsSince 1984, our audience has been responsible for selecting the Best Feature Film, Best Documentary Film and Best Short Film of the Festival. Best Feature Film MARGARITA, WITH A STRAW, directed by Shonali Bose & Nilesh Maniyar   Best Documentary Film GAME FACE, directed by Michiel Thomas   Best Short Film ADRIFT IN...

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Monday, June 29, 2015

Comic-Con Preview: As TV and Hosts Take Over, 'Star Wars' and 'Hunger Games' Make Splash

It's not news that over the past few years Comic-Con, July's gargantuan genre fan convention in San Diego, has moved from movies toward television. Clearly, it's a reflection of the entertainment industry, as HBO's "Game of Thrones" and AMC's "Walking Dead" needed the scale of Hall H to accommodate their fan hordes.  Amazon will be introducing new series "The Man in the High Castle" and "Hand of God" at Comic-Con. PBS will promote "Sherlock." Netflix is showcasing the Wachowskis' "Sense8." And Seth Macfarlane, Anne Druyan and Neil deGrasse Tyson are participating on a "Cosmos" panel.  But this year more...

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Frameline Film Festival Names 2015 Awards Winners (Exclusive)

Following a 10-day program of 180 LGBTQ films from 33 countries, Frameline's 39th edition came to an end Sunday night in San Francisco. TOH! reveals the exclusive list of festival winners, feted at the Oasis Nightclub & Cabaret.  Big winners include Chilean coming-out drama "In the Grayscale" (well-reviewed on the circuit) and kidnapping documentary "The Amina Profile," which earned Sundance buzz. Earlier in the fest, the career-honoring Frameline Film Fest award went to doc-maker Jeffrey Schwarz, whose "Tab Hunter Confidential" screened for Frameline audiences (it will play Outfest in LA this Summer). Juried Awards: Outstanding First Feature Award:...

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Jody Arlington to Head SXSW Press and Publicity

READ MORE: The 12 Breakouts of the 2015 SXSW Film Festival Janet Pierson, Head of South by Southwest Film, has announced Jody Arlington will now lead SXSW Film Press and Publicity, which includes running communications for the SXSW Film Conference and Festival. The next edition of the festival will run March 11-19, 2016.  "We are excited to have Jody join the SXSW family," said Pierson in a statement. "Her achievements in directing PR for arts institutions...plus her ardent support of artist-driven storytelling and the converging platforms and disciplines transforming the art and business of media creation and exhibition make her a great addition to our...

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2015 BET Awards: Red Carpet Arrivals

The biggest stars on the red carpet at the 2015 BET Awards in Los Angeles.
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Peter Greenaway's 'Eisenstein In Guanajuato' to Premiere at Outfest Los Angeles

Peter Greenaway's Golden Bear nominated "Eisenstein In Guanajuato" (ISA: Film Boutique)  will make its Los Angeles premiere at Outfest Los Angeles LGBT Film Festival on Monday July 13th at 7pm. "Eisenstein In Guanajuato" stars Elmer Back, Luis Alberti, Maya Zapata, Lisa Owen, Stelio Savante, Rasmus Slatis & Jakob Ohrman, and chronicles the journey of Soviet filmmaker Sergei Eisenstein when he traveled to Guanajuato in Mexico to shoot “Que Viva Mexico” in 1931. While in Mexico, Eisenstein fell madly in love with his guide Canedo.The biopic will be released through Strand Releasing by the beginning of 2016. Director Peter Greenaway, and cast...

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Star Sightings

The hottest celebrity photos, coast to coast and around the world, for the week of June 29, 2015.
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Comic-Con 2015: The Official Bags

All the bags being given out to attendees at San Diego Comic-Con 2015.
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Arab Cinema Comes to San Francisco and L.A. This Fall

Although it's still a few months away, it's never too early to mark your calendars for the 19th annual Arab Film Festival. Once again this year the festival is set to have its Opening Night at the Castro Theatre in San Francisco on Friday, October 16. The event is known to be quite the party and sets the scene for the rest of the Fest. Mark your calendars, spread the word, and keep up with upcoming announcements regarding the lineup and tickets. The festival also takes the best of Arab cinema to Los Angeles and San Diego in November giving a Californians across the state a chance to see a great selection of works from the Arab World.  Follow the festival on Facebook ...

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'Teen Wolf' Scenes & Stars

Scenes and stars of MTV's 'Teen Wolf.'
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IMDb and Sundance Recharge Withoutabox for Sundance 2016 (EXCLUSIVE)

On Monday, June 29, the gates open to submit films for the 2016 Sundance Film Festival, as the Sundance Institute and Withoutabox renew their long relationship. Since 2008, Sundance has exclusively used the online festival submission system, which is launching a brand new redesign to make it easier for filmmakers to upload their videos, create film pages and find information about global festivals. "We're able to share now," said Col Needham, Withoutabox owner IMDb's founder and CEO, in a telephone interview. "We're all ready and raring to go. Sundance 2016 is open for submissions. It's June, already time to think about the exciting films and opportunities Sundance 2016 will...

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20th Nantucket Film Festival Announces 2015 Winners

READ MORE: Steve Martin, Screenwriters and the Stiller Family: 20 Years of the Nantucket Film Festival The 20th Annual Nantucket Film Festival announced a handful of winners yesterday in both feature film and screenplay categories. Also announced were the winners of the Showtime Tony Cox Screenplay Competition, which recognizes the best unproduced screenplays and television pilots by emerging writers. The Feature Screenplay prize went to Kristen Davila's "Counterintelligence," while Television Pilot nods went to Estelle Gabriel for "Ice" and "Jonathan Schwartz for "Sold.' A political satire set in Pakistan, "Counterintelligence" involves the CIA, a...

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Sunday, June 28, 2015

COMIC CON 2015: A List of Animation Highlights

The complete schedule of panels and and events for this year's San Diego Comic Con is now posted online and it is massive. I gave it a random skim and pulled out the following list (below) of animation related events of note. There are probably another 20 other things I missed - and this list does not included events and appearances by notable animation folk on the exhibitor floor or at various venues outside the convention center in downtown San Diego.  I will be there - this year I am an official convention guest. If you want to find me the best bet is to attend one of the four panels I'll be part of - three on Friday and one on Sunday:  Friday July 10th - 11am Warner...

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Paris Fashion Week

Celebrities at Paris Fashion Week.
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Friday, June 26, 2015

Tarantino Takes 'Hateful Eight' Footage to Comic-Con

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Harvey Weinstein is allowing Quentin Tarantino to take a break from the editing room on "The Hateful Eight" in order to share some footage with the Hall H hordes at San Diego Comic-Con. They did the same thing with western "Django Unchained," which went on to score $425 million worldwide after it opened on Christmas Day 2012, five Oscar nominations and two wins, for Tarantino's original screenplay and supporting actor Christoph Waltz.  Surprisingly, Waltz is not in this one. Instead, Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Walton Goggins, Demian Bichir, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen and Bruce Dern are expected to...

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5 Must-See Asian Films From the New York Asian Film Festival

Now in its 14th year, the New York Asian Film Festival brings to viewers an eclectic selection of eastern films from various countries that New Yorkers may not otherwise have the chance to catch. The festival runs from June 26-July 11 and features 54 films. This year, Hong Kong filmmaker Ringo Lam is receiving a lifetime achievement award, and is best-known film, "City on Fire," which famously influenced Quentin Tarantino's "Reservoir Dogs," will run during a special commemorative screening. While there are myriad good movies playing during the festival, we've picked five that are especially worth your time. For more information, go here.  "My Love, Don't...

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'45 Years' and 'The Wolfpack' Win Big at the 2015 Edinburgh International Film Festival

READ MORE: Berlin: Andrew Haigh on Surprising With '45 Years' and the Future of 'Looking' The 69th Edinburgh International Film Festival announced its 2015 winners earlier today at the EIFF Awards Ceremony, bestowing honors to Sundance favorite "The Wolfpack," Andrew Haigh's acclaimed "45 Years" and more. The winners were selected by the Michael Powell Jury, which included Los Angeles Times Film Critic Kenneth Turan, actor and director Karen Gillan and actor Ian Hart.  Read on below for the winners: The Michael Powell Award for Best British Feature Film: "45 Years" - Director: Andrew Haigh The Award for Best Performance in a British Feature Film: James...

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'Magic Mike XXL' Premiere

See all the red carept style from the stripper sequel!
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