One of the most useful elements of SEE FEST is its Business Conference, headed last year by Honorary Chair Ron Yerxa (producer of Little Miss Sunshine and Cold Mountain, among others). The event last May gave filmmakers great insights into:   -- How to access and structure financing for international productions -- How to develop Hollywood and European financing for co-productions -- Local governmental incentives for filmmakers -- The role Hollywood-based Eas...

The Bahamas International Film Festival (BIFF) announced today that Academy Award® winner Alan Arkin (Little Miss Sunshine,) will be honored with the prestigious Career Achievement Award at this year’s Film Festival, taking place December 1-5 in Nassau. Arkin will be on hand for the tribute, with the special award presentation coming from actress Abigail Breslin, who received an Oscar® nomination for Best Supporting Actress starring alongside Arkin in Little Miss Sunshine.The Career Achievem...

 Wednesday, January 23---------With temperatures going south and the wind chill severe enough to rattle the bones, Park City in January is an acquired taste (at least for this New Yorker-former-Floridian). But while the thermometer was dipping and a fresh blanket of snow has fallen (the skiers love it, I guess), talk around town has centered on two things: the shocking death of actor Heath Ledger in New York City yesterday and the sudden emergence of some very hot deals in frozen Park City.With...

With temperatures going south and the wind chill severe enough to rattle the bones, Park City in January is an acquired taste (at least for this New Yorker-former-Floridian). But while the thermometer was dipping and a fresh blanket of snow has fallen (the skiers love it, I guess), talk around town has centered on two things: the shocking death of actor Heath Ledger in New York City yesterday and the sudden emergence of some very hot deals in frozen Park City.With the first 5 days of the Sundanc...

THE 79th annual edition of the Awards of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences -- commonly referred to in the vulgate as "THE OSCARS" -- did not offer up many surprises this year, as most of the front runners and odds-on favorites came in first in their respective races. Of course, in some races the fix was on, as in the run for Best Director and Best Picture, where it would have been sheer folly to bet against Marty Scorcese, and his piss-poor but dearly beloved neo-Gangsta flick, "Th...

Saturday, February 24----LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE and HALF NELSON, two films that had their premieres at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival, were the big winners at the Spirit Awards, the annual awards event honoring independent filmmakers, producers and acting talents, sponsored by film organization Film Independent. LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE, which may just pull a Best Film Oscar out of its hat tomorrow night, was recognized for Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor (for vet...

LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE and HALF NELSON, two films that had their premieres at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival, were the big winners at the Spirit Awards, the annual awards event honoring independent filmmakers, producers and acting talents, sponsored by film organization Film Independent. LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE, which may just pull a Best Film Oscar out of its hat tomorrow night, was recognized for Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor (for veteran Alan Arkin). HALF NEL...

For the last couple of years, it is becoming increasingly harder to tell the indies from the majors. When a truly indie film like LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE may just win the Best Picture Oscar race on Sunday evening, the distinctions leave those in and out of the industry just a little bit confused. So, let's just do away with labels and appreciate the films that made the strongest impressions, and leave our dictionaries at the door. The 2007 Film Independent’s Spirit Awards ceremony airs live on Sa...

     Friday, February 23----For the last couple of years, it is becoming increasingly harder to tell the indies from the majors. When a truly indie film like LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE may just win the Best Picture Oscar race on Sunday evening, the distinctions leave those in and out of the industry just a little bit confused. So, let's just do away with labels and appreciate the films that made the strongest impressions, and leave our dictionaries at the door. The 2007 Film I...

Monday, February 12----The indie hit road comedy LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE and the crime thriller THE DEPARTED were the big winners at the Writers Guild of America (WGA) Awards, setting up a showdown between the two movies at the Oscars in two weeks. LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE, about a dysfunctional family that takes their young daughter across country to compete in a beauty pageant, won best original screenplay honors for Michael Arndt. In a moving acceptance speech, Arndt said he wrote LITTLE MISS SUNSHI...

Debuting its slate of local and international films, and welcoming filmmakers and stars to town, the Santa Barbara International Film Festival opened over the weekend to enthusiastic audiences. Sienna Miller, Guy Pearce, and director George Hickenlooper were lauded by a packed house at the Arlington Theatre on Thursday as “Factory Girl,” a film about 1960s “It Girl” Edie Sedgwick, who was born and tragically died in Santa Barbara. Also in attendance were Edie’s brother Jonathan Sedgwi...

Monday, January 29----In what will likely be a repeat by the time the Oscars are given out on February 25, the Screens Actors Guild gave out its top awards to film and television thespians in the convivial atmosphere of the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. Winners were visibly moved to be recognized by their peers as they polished the speeches that they very likely will need to give again at the Kodak Theater for the big bonanza of the Academy Awards. The SAG Award for Best Ensemble Performa...

Friday, January 26---On the eve of the Festival's closing weekend, several impressive distribution deals have been announced, which have made this one of the more active Festivals in recent years. In light of the box office and awards bonanza of the little-film-that-could LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE (a Sundance pick-up last year for Fox Searchlight), acquisition execs have been aggressive in snatching up films with equal potential. Of course, whether these were wise decisions that will pay off hands...

The creative minds behind some of this year’s best big-budget and independent films will share their experiences and anecdotes with audiences during the panel series at the 22nd Annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival. Creative challenges and successes will be unearthed during several panels over the two weekends of the SBIFF.The series kicks off at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, January 29, with “Directors on Directing,” which takes place on Saturday, January 27 at 11:00 a.m. Moderate...

One week more of cinema releases coming up, but nothing looks set to impress. I'm ready to release my pick of the most inspiring films of 2006 - (1) Little Miss Sunshine, (2) Yes, (3) Live and Become 'Little Miss Sunshine'. Delightful. Daring. Dangerously funny. One of the few films I've ever seen that made me want to write to all my friends and say Please, Please, Please do yourself a favour and see this film. Few films can go beyond 'quirky' with quite the same brilliance. T...

Michel Hazanavicius's “OSS 117, Cairo Nest of Spies”took Tokyo Sakura Grand Prix at 19th Tokyo film festival.Michel Hazanavicius began his career in 1988 with the French TV station CANAL+ where he was involved with the writing and production of many TV dramas including 'Les Nuls,' the vey popular cult- comedy series. From 1999 through 2005, he also directed over forty CMs. In 1999, he directed his first feature-length film "Mes Amis." "OSS117, Cairo Nest of Spies" is his second film.Presiden...