The Circuit

On the heels of its Sundance win and in front of its Berlin screening, Sharon Swart reports that "Ballast" has been picked up by IFC:

North American rights were scooped up by IFC in what was described as "a six-figure deal plus gross participation and a real P&A commitment," according to one of the dealmakers.

Pic, the feature helming debut of visual f/x artist Lance Hammer, had three other bidders.

IFC will put "Ballast" through its "day-and-date" pipeline, which incorporates theatrical, VOD and cable distribution.

Full report here.

The Shootout crew gives Alex Rivera a camera to document his premiere day at Sundance.

Sundance juror Quentin Tarrantino and Austin Film Society's Rebecca Campbell at the Awards Party.


"Donkey Punch" actress Jamie Winstone (daughter of actor Ray) with "Baghead" actress Elise Muller at the Texas Filmmakers Party.


"Frozen River" producer Chip Hourihan phones it in after winning the Grand Jury prize on Saturday.

In B. Ruby Rich's Sundance wrap, it's "Sleep Dealer" that rises to the top (though it's mentioned at the bottom):

But the feature film that captured my attention, hands down, was Sleep Dealer, a science fiction view of a dystopian future by first-time director Alex Rivera. It was my favourite kind of sci-fi: just enough into the future for things we recognise to have become grotesque, untenable, dangerous. On the US-Mexico border, new factories harvest human energy by connecting to nodes implanted in human workers. There are armed drones and cyber-memories, computer hackers and scary reality TV shows.

Rivera's film was the opposite of the big-money movies that made the headlines ($10m for Hamlet 2, for instance), but it didn't sit with the quiet narrative dramas, either. With two awards - for screenwriting, and for contribution to science - it may have a future. I hope so. It is films like Sleep Dealer that give hope for Sundance's future. Rivera revives the promise of an American independent cinema that can intervene in our world, imagine the worst, hope for the best - and entertain like mad along the way.

Full story here.

"Sleep Dealer" plays in Berlin next.

On top of all the Sundance wrap-ups, The Knife looks at the best of food in Park City, including this nugget:

Best-kept dining secret
That Bon Appetit was hosting a Sundance dinner for U2. According to publisher Paul Jowdy, it began when his secretary said there was a man on the line, but she couldn't understand him because his accent was so thick. "I don't know why I took the call," he said, especially when the brogue-tongued caller insisted Jowdy sign a nondisclosure agreement online before he even revealed the reason for their conversation.

But Jowdy did, upon which Paul McGuinness introduced himself as the manager of U2. The band heard about the Supper Club and would Bon Appetit be interested in hosting them for their film "U2 3D"? And could Bon Appetit arrange for a Champagne sponsor, since the Edge loves Champagne, and a chef from New Orleans, since the band is very interested in supporting the area? One Veuve Cliquot and a John Besh later, it was done.

Full post here.

While some flights to LA out of Salt Lake were delayed yesterday, many were thankful they were getting out before the huge storm hit late last night.  It's still hitting, and some are caught in it.  This photo and SOS message comes from indieWIRE's Eugene Hernandez:

We are sitting on I 80 between park city and slc in a blizzard :(

Ugh. Wishing we would have just stayed another night...

Tell anyone in park city not to attempt a drive on i-80 for now, much of the road is not plowed and many cars without chains or 4wd are either skidding or stuck.

Its taking about an hour to go 6 miles at least to the summit which was the worst part, with almost 0 visibility and gusty wind.

Its better past the summit where the road is almost empty...

UPDATE:  iW made it through just before they closed I-80 between Salt Lake and Park City.  Cinematical's Kim Voynar didn't make it out and is staying the night.  And if you're reading this from Park City, so are you.  Don't try to leave today.  Too dangerous.

by Winter Miller
At my first Sundance, I'd been warned I wouldn't sleep, wouldn't see any movies, and would be fed like a foie-gras-bound goose.  I was told agents, publicists and sales reps would spin me, but nobody mentioned how dizzy the high altitude would make me. Or that my lungs would feel like they were suffocating, or that mornings meant a bloody nose. I did not see Robert Redford. But I have seen "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" enough times to feel as if I had.

The overcrowded streets, the frat-house vibe of many parties (what, no keg stands?) and the frigid chill made reporting Sundance rank up there with a visit the obgyn.  I don't ski, which admittedly is a draw for many with actual time on their hands, and not to be curmudgeonly but wouldn't this be a great festival in July? Dining al fresco, a hike up the mountain?

I saw four screenings during the ten day fest and I'm going to be unpolitically correct and list them not by director, sales rep or production company, but yes, mostly by actors. "Blind Date," (Stanley Tucci and Patti Clarkson), "Phoebe in Wonderland" (Patti Clarkson, Felicity Huffman, Bill Pullman and a stunningly good Elle Fanning who is all of nine), "The Greatest Silence: Rape in the Congo," (no Patti Clarkson!)  and "Birds of America" (the underrated Matthew Perry, with Ginnifer Goodman, Ben Foster, and Lauren Graham). I'm fairly sure they pay me not to have an opinion about movies so check out the crix for a roundup.

Herewith, the rookie writes, a perspective culled from interviews, overheard conversations, and the reportage of my colleagues.

Like Schultz's Peanuts gang lamenting the commercialization of Christmas, so went the mantra that Sundance had long outgrown its roots and Park City. Snaking lines of snow-capped cars crept up  Main street, the lack of parking spots,  and the fender benders (One cab I was in for a slow bumper-to-bumper ride out to Prospector for a screening reached a high speed of about 8 mph only to be rammed into. "That's it, I quit, I'm done," the driver said. "I'm a tattoo artist.") made for unhappy residents (approx 8,000 year round) and guests (approx 50,000).

The overcrowded restaurants with hour-long waits, sold-out hotels and price-gauging condos (a colleague rented a $7,000+ two-bedroom off Main for 10 days) caused further griping amongst purists. Disgruntled cineastes grumbled over the conundrum of too many films to see with too few available tickets. About 15 years ago, said a 22-year fest veteran, the 4 day fest screened 50 films. This year, 125 films screened over 10 days.

Sundance, in all ways, has been Super-sized.

After reporters and industry insiders swapped pre-fest predictions about this year's sales, it is yet another opportunity to quote Hollywood scribe William Goldman, "Nobody knows anything." Those who predicted a frenzy over a few big ticket buys or a slew of bargain-priced films in response to the Writers' Guild strike were probably surprised to see that the first few fest purchases, "The Blacklist," "Up the Yangtze" (the day before), and "Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired," were docs, bought by HBO, Zeitgeist and HBO, respectively.

Yes, three docs were the first sales. Which might not have been surpising save the fact that a funereal whisper had steadily increased to a drum beat over "the doc's demise" after the poor commercial response ThinkFilms' "Shadow of the Moon" and Sony Picture Classic's "My Kid Could Paint That." But snow fell from white skies and the fest screened more and more films, a new thought in hushed tones was oft-repeated: "the docs this year are stronger than the narratives."

Those who predicted a Harvey-effect of driving up prices and quick sales found themselves taking a lower-key approach to buying and selling. And with the press corps giving prime real estate to the outsize price tags and dismal commercial success for last year's "Grace is Gone" while focusing less on the success of good buys and crowd pleasers "Waitress" and "Once," buyers probably were wary of not just overpaying, but of being vilified by the press for it.

But aside from the hype either way, was 2008 really all that different from 2008 when it came to sales? In 2007, 20 titles were sold during the festival for about $53 million.  This year, as of Saturday morning, the fest's last day, 10 titles were sold for about $25 million,  including some rough (and possibly generous) estimates for three docs that went for an undisclosed sum. So in a word: Yes. It was about half the marketplace as it was last year.

That said, a good number of titles are still in play and a number of others will play out over the next days, weeks and months.  Cinetic's John Sloss said of the 16 films he repped at last year's fest, five sold on site and the rest of them sold after. 

"From an acquisitions perspective, people seem to be talking about the marketing first and then talking about how much they loved the film," said UTA's Rich Klubeck. "As if falling in love with the movie is nice, but if there's not a marketing hook then there's not much discussion."

So while there was not a flurry of open pocketbooks for  hyped and star-studded films like "Sunshine Cleaning," "What Just Happened?," and "The Great Buck Howard," it's possible the fat lady is merely on vocal rest.

See next post for the Sundance Deal Roundup, or click here.

by Winter Miller

• The doc "Up the Yangtze" was the first announced pickup of the fest by Zeitgeist.

• HBO nabbed Timothy Greenfield-Sanders and Elvis Mitchell's doc "The Black List: Volume One" for an undisclosed sum.

• The Weinstein Co. bought all international rights to Marina Zenovich's doc "Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired" for a low six figures.

• ESPN got worldwide TV rights to the Colin Farrell-narrated soccer doc, "Kicking It."  Price was not disclosed.

• HBO finished off "Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired" by buying all US rights, TV and theatrical, for $1 million. 

• Fox Searchlight acquired most world rights to "Choke," adapted from the novel by "Fight Club" author Chuck Palahniuk, for $5 million.

• Overture purchased US rights to the drama "Henry Poole is Here" starring Luke Wilson for $3.5 million.

• Focus Features put out $10 million for world rights to "Hamlet 2," the comedy starring Steve Coogan.

• Paramount Vantage bought world rights (excluding UK) to Nanette Burstein's doc "American Teen" for $1 million.

• Sony Pictures Classics picked up US rights to the drama "Frozen River" for a low to mid six figures.

• SPC doubles up with the Duplass Brothers' "Baghead," buying North American rights for a mid to high six figures.

• Sony Classics strikes again, picking up "The Wackness" at the end of the festival.

Meanwhile, over at Slamdance, "Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer," a horror comedy by writer/helmer Jon Knautz was the first acquisition purchased out of the scrappier film fest.  Anchor Bay Entertainment nabbed domestic distrib rights for a reported a mid-six figures. Shaun Redick and Nate Bolotin of The Collective negotiated the deal.

Imminent doc sales are likely to include: the Katrina Hurricane doc "Trouble the Water," metal doc "Anvil," rock doc "Patti Smith," the steroid doc "Bigger, Stronger, Faster." Stacy Peralta's South Central L.A. gang doc "Made in America," the highwire without a net doc "Man on Wire."  

Anne Thompson's got news on the Sundance audience award winnner "The Wackness":

Sony Pictures Classics closed a deal Saturday to buy North American rights to Jonathan Levine's The Wackness. The coming-of-age story about a teenage drug dealer (Josh Peck) who sells dope to his shrink (Ben Kingsley) in exchange for psychological advice was in the Sundance dramatic competition.

Full post here, plus a link roundup of last night's awards.

The complete list from tonight's Sundance Film Festival awards ceremony:

Quentin Tarrantino, after screaming "Cinema, BABY! This film rocks my ass!" gives the Grand Jury Prize for Drama to "Frozen River", directed by Courtney Hunt (pictured with actress Melissa Leo).

The Grand Jury Prize for Documentary goes to "Trouble the Water," directed by Tia Lessin and Carl Deal, won the Grand Prize for Docs.

The World Cinema Jury Prize for Documentary was given to "Man on Wire."

"King of Ping Pong," directed by Jens Jonsson, won the World Cinema Jury Prize for Drama.

The Audience Award for Documentary went to "Fields Of Fuel," directed by Josh Tickell.

"The Wackness," directed by Jonathan Levine, wins the Audience Award for Drama.

"Man on Wire"/United Kingdom, directed by James Marsh, gets the World Cinema Audience Award for Documentary.

The World Cinema Audience Award for Drama goes to "Captain Abu Raed," by director Amin Matalqa.

The Directing Award for Documentary goes to Nanette Burstein for "American Teen."

"Ballast's" Lance Hammer wins the Directing Award for Drama.

The World Cinema Directing Award for Documentary goes to Nino Kirtadze, director of "Durakovo: Village Of Fools."

"Mermaid's" Anna Melikyan wins the World Cinema Directing Award.

The Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award goes to Alex Rivera (pictured with Sundance's Geoff Gilmore) and David Riker for "Sleep Dealer."

The World Cinema Screenwriting Award goes to Samuel Benchetrit for "I Always Wanted To Be A Gangster".

Joe Bini, editor of "Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired" wins the Documentary Editing Award

Irena Dol, editor of "The Art Star And The Sudanese Twins" wins the World Cinema Documentary Editing Award.

The Excellence in Cinematography Award for Documentary goes to Phillip Hunt and Steven Sebring for "Patti Smith: Dream Of Life."

D.P. Lol Crawley of "Ballast" wins the Excellence in Cinematography Award for drama.

The World Cinema Cinematography Award for Documentary goes to al Massad for "Recycle".

The World Cinema Cinematography Award for Drama goes to Askild Vik Edvardsen for "King of Ping Pong."

A World Cinema Special Jury Prize for Dramatic goes to Ernesto Contreras, director of "Blue Eyelids".

A Special Jury Prize for Documentary goes to Lisa F. Jackson, director of "Greatest Silence: Rape In The Congo."

A Special Jury Prize for drama goes to director Chusy Haney-Jardine for "Anywhere, USA"

A Special Jury Prize for Drama by an Ensemble Cast goes to the cast of "Choke." - Sam Rockwell, Anjelica Huston, Kelly MacDonald, Brad Henke.

The Jury Prize in Short Filmmaking goes to "My Olympic Summer," directed by Daniel Robin, and "Sikumi" directed by Andrew Okpeaha MacLean.

The International Jury Prize in International Short Filmmaking goes to "Soft", directed by Simon Ellis.

Honorable Mentions in Short Filmmaking went to: "Aquarium," directed by Rob Meyer; "August 15th," directed by Xuan Jiang; "La Corona", directed by Amanda Micheli and Isabel Vega; "Oiran Lyrics," directed by Ryosuke Ogawa; "Spider," directed by Nash Edgerton; "Suspension," directed by Nicolas Provost, and "W.", directed by The Vikings.

 

"Man on Wire" director James Marsh and the doc's subject, WTC tightrope walker Philippe Petit at a noon screening today. 

Interest in the film has been steadily building all week from good word-of-mouth, made apparent by the number of buyers in this late screening, including Warner Independent and Picturehouse. 

Submarine's Josh Braun, the film's sales rep, said offers are on the table and a deal is expected soon.

Alex Rivera's "Sleep Dealer" has won the Alfred P. Sloan Prize.  $20,000 goes to a feature film "focusing on science or technology as a theme, or depicting a scientist, engineer or mathematician as a major character."

The selection committee included Alan Alda, filmmaker Michael Polish, author Evan I. Schwartz, scientist Benedict Schwegler Jr., and scientist John Underkoffler.

The award will be presented at Saturday's award ceremony.

"Sugar" co-director Anna Boden after a screening.  Variety's Todd McCarthy said it was "sympathetic, genial and exceedingly wholesome, it's a film that, once seen, will permanently and favorably influence the way viewers regard the characters' real-life counterparts."


Director Azazel Jacobs with actor Matt Boren after a screening of "Momma's Man."

Photos by Robert Koehler.

Variety's Winter Miller is reporting that Sony Pictures Classics got US rights to the Duplass Brothers' "Baghead" early this morning.  "Baghead" had been quietly building good word with each screening and marks another sale for Submarine, which sold "The Black List" and "Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired" early in the fest.

Anne Thompson weighs in on this year's Sundance in her weekly column.  She says Robert Redford and Geoff Gilmore should change things up.

The criterion for Sundance admission should not be the presence of a major star either in front or behind the camera. At this point does Sundance really need a Tom Hanks or Robert De Niro to come to Park City? There are stars aplenty.
...

Many attendees at Sundance this year wondered if Sundance shouldn't return to its roots as a curator of emerging talent around the world and place less emphasis on playing Hollywood powerbroker. Some wonder if sales reps Cinetic Media and CAA, which each brought more than 16 films to the fest, have become a heavy influence on Gilmore and his team's selection process.

Full column here.

The EW memorial issue to Heath Ledger hit the stands here in record time.


"The Order of Myths" director Margaret Brown with d.p.  Michael Simmonds at the IDA party.


Toronto fest head Piers Handling represents Canada at the Cinetic party.

The NY Times' Manohla Dargis posts a Sundance wrap-up, emphasizing discovery over deals:

One theme of that discussion will be the emergence of a new American realism. Although my favorite fiction films at Sundance were different in theme and tone, they were united by stylistic commonalities, a feel for the still moment — and, importantly, for beauty — a grounded sense of place and some obvious influences, including the Belgian filmmakers Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne.

What was missing from even the most intimate of these works was the solipsism that characterizes one Sundance mainstay, the kind with anguished young men who yearn to break free of their families and towns so they can run away to film school (or a Sundance Institute lab) and turn their suffering into entertainment.

Full wrap here.

The Sundance Institute and NHK have announced the winners of the 2008 Sundance/NHK International Filmmakers Awards. 

The four filmmakers are Chile's Alejandro Fernandez Almendras (HUACHO), United States' Braden King (HERE), Japan's Aiko Nagatsu (APOPTOSIS), and Romania's Radu Jude (THE HAPPIEST GIRL IN THE WORLD).  Each director will receive $10,000 and a promise from NHK, Japan's largest broadcaster, to purchase the Japanese television rights when the film's are done.  Sundance Institute staff will work with each filmmaker.

Winners were picked by members of an international jury including Gregg Araki, Jeremy Pikser, Erin Cressida Wilson, Martin Rejtman, Andrucha Waddington, Shekhar Kapur, and Anand Tucker.

Past recipients of the award include: Andrucha Waddington, THE HOUSE OF SAND (Brazil); Miranda July, ME AND YOU AND EVERYONE WE KNOW (USA); Walter Salles, CENTRAL STATION (Brazil); Chris Eyre, SMOKE SIGNALS (USA); and Alex Rivera (USA) whose film SLEEP DEALER is in competition at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival.

Twitch has Gregg Clark on this just-acquired film, "Choke."

Sony Pictures Classics has picked up US rights to the Sundance dramatic competition entry "Frozen River," for a low to mid-six figures. 

Written and directed by first-time director Courtney Hunt, the story involves a woman caught up in poverty and human smuggling in rural upstate New York. 

The film was repped by William Morris Independent.

Variety's Robert Koehler said:

No trendsetter or breakthrough, this is more than anything else a welcome chance for the fine actor Melissa Leo to finally dominate a film in a terrific and affecting lead role.

Full review here.

(Sharon Swart, Michael Jones)

The next installment of the MSN/Variety Sundance Series has Cassian Elwes talking about selling "The Last Word."  Watch it here.

Anne Thompson reports that Nanette Burstein's doc "American Teen" has finally found a home, for a third less than the wild rumors had it:

The long-in-the-works American Teen deal went down late Tuesday night, marking the fourth movie to sell in 24 hours. Paramount Vantage acquired all world rights (excluding the U.K.) for $1 million to Nanette Burstein's Indiana high school cinema verite doc.

And the number of suitors that dropped in and out sounds like a tragic lead-up to the prom.  While not the best looking date, at least Vantage has promised a limo. 

Read the full story here.

Dennis Hopper and Sundance programmer Trevor Groth at the Cinevegas Lunch.


"Bottle Shock" director Randall Miller and producer/screenwriter Jody Savin at the USC party.  Check out Robert Koehler's review here.


At Slamdance, "Spine Tingular! The William Castle Story" director Jeffrey Schwarz is tended to as a giant bug crawls out of his pants.

In the second of a three part series, MSN and Variety follow the premiere screening of Geoff Haley's "The Last Word," including some audience reactions. 

Check it out here.


Geoff Haley and Ray Romano at "The Last Word" press conference. Photo by Wireimage.

Tom Arnold discusses the WGA strike.  His solution?  It'll be over next week if they brought in more women, particularly Maria Shiver.

by Anne Thompson and Sharon Swart
Tuesday morning marked a break in the purchasing logjam with two significant feature buys.

Fox Searchlight has acquired world rights, less several international territories, to "Choke," adapted from the novel by Chuck Palahniuk ("Fight Club"). Deal is valued at $5 million. Sam Rockwell and Anjelica Huston star in the pic, which was directed by Clark Gregg.

Overture Films has also purchased U.S. right on "Henry Poole is Here," a drama directed by Mark Pellington and starring Luke Wilson and Radha Mitchell.

Also expected to sell today is "Hamlet 2," after an all-night bidding war at the CAA condo.

(Tatiana Siegel also contributed to this report.)

Morgan Spurlock meets his poster at the "Where in the World is Osama" dinner.


Director Anthony Haney-Jardine at a premiere screening of his dramatic competition film "Anywhere, USA."


Author Chuck Palahniuk at the premiere of "Choke" at the Racquet Club Theatre. Photo by Clayton Chase/WireImage.com.

Anne Thompson observes "Hamlet 2" may start up the buying:

Sundance buyers have had a case of serious buyer's block. But Monday night the logjam broke as buyers lined up outside the CAA condo to make bids on the comedy Hamlet 2, starring Steve Coogan as a high school drama professor.

As Patti Smith performed Sunday night at the Composer's Party, Park City calmed as the weekend closed.

Aside from the well-received "The Wave" which Celluloid Dreams sold rights to Canada, UK and Spain, the narrative deals have been mostly rumors.  "American Teen," "Anvil," "The Wackness,"  and "Stranded" are all in play. 

The NY Times weighed in today on the quiet Sundance weekend.

So much for the sellers’ market. The Sundance Film Festival’s opening weekend, often the setting for rapturous audience reactions and frenzied all-night bidding wars, drew to a close looking more and more like a disappointment, if not an outright dud.
...
The muted reaction to the most anticipated titles, on the other hand, may end up helping films opening later in the festival or with less advance word of mouth. “People could be hoping that the film that will blow them away is right around the corner,” John Sloss said.

Anne Thompson attended the rousing "U23D" screening:

Yet another hot doc screened at Park City's Eccles Theatre Saturday night: U23D (here's the trailer). Bono and U2, Robert Redford and Al Gore (revisiting the scene of his first Inconvenient Truth triumph) were there. Why Al Gore? "He's with his friend Bono," said one of the National Geographic contingent.

by Tatiana Siegel
Hurricane Katrina documentary “Trouble the Water” drew a sustained standing ovation following its world premiere Sunday afternoon. The Sundance in-competition pic, which was directed and produced by longtime Michael Moore collaborators Tia Lessin and Carl Deal, featured harrowing footage shot during the storm by 9th Ward resident Kimberly Rivers Roberts (think a real-life version of “Cloverfield” with Katrina subbing for the destructive monster).

Roberts, who was on hand with husband Scott Roberts, told the enthusiastic audience that she bought the camera for $20 about a week before the mammoth storm. “The purpose of this film is to let people know how it really happened,” she said. Exec producer Danny Glover, who also fielded post-screening questions from a still full house, said “We cannot let New Orleans become a template for all inner cities in this country.”

In attendance were the usual buyer suspects for docs plus some mini-majors. Reps for the film said there is huge interest, but it won't likely sell until after its second screening on Monday.

Photo: Kimberly and Scott Roberts in the 9th Ward, New Orleans.