Stunning ELECTRICK CHILDREN is Rebecca Thomas' debut feature film, surprising as that may be. The movie tells the story of 15 year-old Rachel, played wonderfully by Julia Garner, who lives on a fundamentalist Mormon homestead in the Utah desert, just outside Las Vegas. On her 15th birthday Rachel must answer routine questions about her life, recorded on tape deck. Fascinated with the tape deck, later that night she creeps into the basement to find it.  When she discovers a rock mus...

As the Sundance Film Festival shifts into its final weekend, with awards being announced on Saturday evening, several distribution deals have been announced. While the horde of film executives left the Festival in the past 48 hours, a rash of deals have been announced, with more expected in the days and weeks ahead. The heyday of when films were bought in the opening hours of the Festival are long gone, due to the difficult distribution landscape and the smaller number of active distribution buy...

  As the Sundance Film Festival shifts into its final weekend, with awards being announced on Saturday evening, several distribution deals have been announced. While the horde of film executives left the Festival in the past 48 hours, a rash of deals have been announced, with more expected in the days and weeks ahead. The heyday of when films were bought in the opening hours of the Festival are long gone, due to the difficult distribution landscape and the smaller number o...

  LYMELIFE (Derek Martini, USA) by Sandy Mandelberger, Festival Dailies Editor Eight celebrated American and Canadian feature films by emerging filmmakers that were first showcased at such prestigious film events as Sundance, Tribeca, Rotterdam and Toronto, will compete in the North American Independents Competition of the 25th edition of FESTROIA: The Troia International Film Festival. The Festival, the oldest and largest in Portugal, runs from September 4 to 13 in the coas...

One of the more intriguing film festival events on the circuit opens next week in New York. The Gen Art Film Festival (April 1-7) returns to the Big Apple with its crowd-pleasing concept in tow. Not only do attendees have a chance to see previews of some of the more intriguing independent films, each ticket also includes a post-screening party where audiences can hobnob with industry reps, film personalities and the teams behind the films that are screening. This open access, as opposed to the c...

March 26-----One of the more intriguing film festival events on the circuit opens next week in New York. The Gen Art Film Festival (April 1-7) returns to the Big Apple with its crowd-pleasing concept in tow. Not only do attendees have a chance to see previews of some of the more intriguing independent films, each ticket also includes a post-screening party where audiences can hobnob with industry reps, film personalities and the teams behind the films that are screening. This open access, as o...

The Toronto International Film Festival came to a close today with the announcements of various awards. Although Toronto does not have an official competition section (positioning itself as a "public festival"), positive critical praise, strong industry reaction and awards from the discerning Toronto public are important components for the life of the films that have risen to the top at this important event. With ceremonies held at the Awards Reception at the Intercontinental Hotel on the waterf...

The Toronto International Film Festival came to a close Saturday with the announcements of various awards. Although Toronto does not have an official competition section (positioning itself as a "public festival"), positive critical praise, strong industry reaction and awards from the discerning Toronto public are important components for the life of the films that have risen to the top at this important event. With ceremonies held at the Awards Reception at the Intercontinental Hotel on the wat...

 Saturday, September 13------The Toronto International Film Festival came to a close today with the announcements of various awards. Although Toronto does not have an official competition section (positioning itself as a "public festival"), positive critical praise, strong industry reaction and awards from the discerning Toronto public are important components for the life of the films that have risen to the top at this important event. With ceremonies held at the Awards Reception at ...

IN THE CITY OF ANGELS, THE LOS ANGELES FILM FESTIVAL FLIES AGAINThe Los Angeles Film Festival took wing with an ideal opener, the North American premiere of David Jacobson’s Down In The Valley at the Cinerama Dome, Hollywood on Thursday, June 16. With an excellent cast and strong performances, the film captures the valley’s famous slackness with an apt tobacco-stained tanginess. Nocturnal images of snaking highways act as rivers of light isolating valley dwellers from the world and, as in th...

At yhe upcoming Los Angeles Film Festival (June 16 – June 26) George Clooney will receive the inaugural Spirit of Independence Award, and the Festival premier sponsor has increased the cash prize of the Target Documentary Award to an unrestricted grant of $50,000. On Saturday, May 14, the festival will celebrate these announcements at the 2005 Festival de Cannes on the Budweiser Yacht from 8:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m. The Spirit of Independence Award will be given to Clooney at a special event on J...

FULL PROGRAM LINE-UPDirector of Programming Rachel Rosen joined Festival Director Rich Raddon in announcing the full program line-up for the 2005 Los Angeles Film Festival (June 16-26), including the Centerpiece Premiere, the Guest Director, the Artist in Residence, and the Closing Night Film. The Festival also announced that Don Cheadle, Lisa Kudrow, and Elijah Wood will serve as Honorary Festival Chairs for the 2005 Los Angeles Film Festival. “We are thrilled to be highlighting two films ...

Nominations for the 20th IFP Independent Spirit Awards were announced this morning, including nominations for Best Feature, which are Baadasssss!, Kinsey, Maria Full of Grace, Primer, and Sideways. Also announced were the finalists for the Turning Leaf Someone to Watch Award, the DIRECTV/IFC Truer Than Fiction Award and the Bravo/American Express Producers Award. Dennis Quaid and Selma Blair served as nomination presenters at the event."Serving on the Nominating Committee is an incredible privil...