Zeitgeist Films and Kino Lorber announced on Tuesday that they have acquired the U.S. distribution rights to Ken Loach’s final film “The Old Oak” with a planned release in early 2024.
Zeitgeist and Kino Lorber previously released Loach’s 2020 film “Sorry We Missed You” and will first release “The Old Oak” at the Film Forum in New York before expanding it to arthouses nationwide.
“We’re delighted that Zeitgeist has taken ‘The Old Oak’ for distribution in the U.S. It’s great that they’ve chosen to partner with us again after working together on ‘Sorry We Missed You,'” said Loach and his producing partner Rebecca O’Brien in a statement. “We feel that Zeitgeist Films is ideally placed to help our film reach the widest possible audience in the territory and know they will release the film with gusto.”
“The Old Oak” follows Tj, the owner of...
Zeitgeist and Kino Lorber previously released Loach’s 2020 film “Sorry We Missed You” and will first release “The Old Oak” at the Film Forum in New York before expanding it to arthouses nationwide.
“We’re delighted that Zeitgeist has taken ‘The Old Oak’ for distribution in the U.S. It’s great that they’ve chosen to partner with us again after working together on ‘Sorry We Missed You,'” said Loach and his producing partner Rebecca O’Brien in a statement. “We feel that Zeitgeist Films is ideally placed to help our film reach the widest possible audience in the territory and know they will release the film with gusto.”
“The Old Oak” follows Tj, the owner of...
- 7/11/2023
- by Jeremy Fuster
- The Wrap
Exclusive: Zeitgeist Films and Kino Lorber have acquired all U.S. rights to Ken Loach’s Cannes Competition entry The Old Oak, which has been mooted to be the veteran filmmaker’s last movie.
The Old Oak, which has a screenplay from Loach’s frequent collaborator Paul Laverty, will open theatrically in early 2024 at Film Forum in New York with a national release set to follow.
The movie revolves around The Old Oak, the last standing pub in a once thriving mining village in northern England, and a gathering space for a community that has fallen on hard times. There is growing anger, resentment, and a lack of hope among the residents, but the pub and its proprietor Tj are a fond presence to their customers. When a group of Syrian refugees move into the floundering village, a decisive rift fueled by prejudices develops between the community and its newest inhabitants.
The Old Oak, which has a screenplay from Loach’s frequent collaborator Paul Laverty, will open theatrically in early 2024 at Film Forum in New York with a national release set to follow.
The movie revolves around The Old Oak, the last standing pub in a once thriving mining village in northern England, and a gathering space for a community that has fallen on hard times. There is growing anger, resentment, and a lack of hope among the residents, but the pub and its proprietor Tj are a fond presence to their customers. When a group of Syrian refugees move into the floundering village, a decisive rift fueled by prejudices develops between the community and its newest inhabitants.
- 7/11/2023
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Us launch set for April 10 in New York.
Zeitgeist Films in association with Kino Lorber has picked up North American rights to Halina Dyrschka’s Göteborg Film Festival premiere Beyond The Visible: Hilma Af Klint.
The film debuted at the Swedish festival in 2019 and explores the life of the Swedish female abstract painter Hilma Af Klint. It went on to play Cph:dox Copenhagen, Hot Docs in Toronto, and Vancouver International Film Festival, and will open theatrically in New York on April 10 before expanding nationwide.
The artist lived from 1862-1944 and is credited as the world’s first abstract artist at...
Zeitgeist Films in association with Kino Lorber has picked up North American rights to Halina Dyrschka’s Göteborg Film Festival premiere Beyond The Visible: Hilma Af Klint.
The film debuted at the Swedish festival in 2019 and explores the life of the Swedish female abstract painter Hilma Af Klint. It went on to play Cph:dox Copenhagen, Hot Docs in Toronto, and Vancouver International Film Festival, and will open theatrically in New York on April 10 before expanding nationwide.
The artist lived from 1862-1944 and is credited as the world’s first abstract artist at...
- 1/21/2020
- by 36¦Jeremy Kay¦54¦
- ScreenDaily
m-appeal handles international sales.
Zeitgeist Films in association with Kino Lorber has acquired all North American rights to Israel director Michal Aviad’s timely Contemporary World Cinema selection Working Woman ahead of its anticipated international premiere in Toronto.
m-appeal handles international sales on the drama about Orna, an industrious, talented and ambitious woman who faces sexual harassment in the workplace.
Promoted by a boss who makes inappropriate advances, and married to a struggling restaurateur, Orna becomes the breadwinner for their three children and must find the strength to fight for her self-worth.
Working Woman screens to press and industry on...
Zeitgeist Films in association with Kino Lorber has acquired all North American rights to Israel director Michal Aviad’s timely Contemporary World Cinema selection Working Woman ahead of its anticipated international premiere in Toronto.
m-appeal handles international sales on the drama about Orna, an industrious, talented and ambitious woman who faces sexual harassment in the workplace.
Promoted by a boss who makes inappropriate advances, and married to a struggling restaurateur, Orna becomes the breadwinner for their three children and must find the strength to fight for her self-worth.
Working Woman screens to press and industry on...
- 9/6/2018
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Zeitgeist Films in association with Kino Lorber has acquired all North American rights to Israeli director Michal Aviad’s drama “Working Woman.”
The movie will have its international premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in the Contemporary World Cinema section. A spring release is anticipated.
“Working Woman” is set in Jerusalem and centers around a hardworking, talented and ambitious woman named Orna who faces increasing sexual harassment at work, which soon affects her entire life. Her boss appreciates and promotes her, while making inappropriate advances. Her husband struggles to keep his new restaurant afloat and Orna becomes the main breadwinner for their three children.
“I wanted to closely examine the convoluted, often gray area of routine sexual harassment in the workplace,” said Aviad. “I hope that viewers, women and men, will come out of the film with a deeper understanding of how and why sexual harassment continues to be...
The movie will have its international premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in the Contemporary World Cinema section. A spring release is anticipated.
“Working Woman” is set in Jerusalem and centers around a hardworking, talented and ambitious woman named Orna who faces increasing sexual harassment at work, which soon affects her entire life. Her boss appreciates and promotes her, while making inappropriate advances. Her husband struggles to keep his new restaurant afloat and Orna becomes the main breadwinner for their three children.
“I wanted to closely examine the convoluted, often gray area of routine sexual harassment in the workplace,” said Aviad. “I hope that viewers, women and men, will come out of the film with a deeper understanding of how and why sexual harassment continues to be...
- 9/6/2018
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
Zeitgeist Films in association with Kino Lorber has acquired all North American rights to Israel director Michal Aviad’s timely Contemporary World Cinema selection Working Woman ahead of its anticipated international premiere in Toronto.
m-appeal handles international sales on the drama, which premiered at Jerusalem Film Festival and centres on Orna, an industrious, talented and ambitious woman who faces sexual harassment in the workplace.
Promoted by a boss who makes inappropriate advances, and married to a struggling restaurateur, Orna becomes the breadwinner for their three children and must find the strength to fight for her self-worth.
m-appeal handles international sales on the drama, which premiered at Jerusalem Film Festival and centres on Orna, an industrious, talented and ambitious woman who faces sexual harassment in the workplace.
Promoted by a boss who makes inappropriate advances, and married to a struggling restaurateur, Orna becomes the breadwinner for their three children and must find the strength to fight for her self-worth.
- 9/5/2018
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
In today’s film news roundup, the second “Fantastic Beasts” movie is named the fall’s most anticipated movie, “What Is Democracy” gets distribution, and the ReelAbilities Film Festival is coming to Los Angeles.
Survey
Warner Bros.’ “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald” has been selected as the most anticipated fall movie in a survey by online ticketing service Fandango of more than 1,000 film fans.
“Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Venom,” “Ralph Breaks the Internet,” and “A Star Is Born” were selected as the season’s other most anticipated blockbusters for the period between Sept. 7 and Thanksgiving weekend.
Fandango managing editor Erik Davis said, “Moviegoers are particularly excited about the long-awaited return to Hogwarts in ‘Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald,’ as well as a double-dose of movies driven by music, with ‘A Star Is Born’ and ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ poised as prominent awards season contenders.”
The second “Fantastic Beasts” movie opens Nov. 16 and stars Eddie Redmayne,...
Survey
Warner Bros.’ “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald” has been selected as the most anticipated fall movie in a survey by online ticketing service Fandango of more than 1,000 film fans.
“Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Venom,” “Ralph Breaks the Internet,” and “A Star Is Born” were selected as the season’s other most anticipated blockbusters for the period between Sept. 7 and Thanksgiving weekend.
Fandango managing editor Erik Davis said, “Moviegoers are particularly excited about the long-awaited return to Hogwarts in ‘Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald,’ as well as a double-dose of movies driven by music, with ‘A Star Is Born’ and ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ poised as prominent awards season contenders.”
The second “Fantastic Beasts” movie opens Nov. 16 and stars Eddie Redmayne,...
- 8/30/2018
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
Zeitgeist Films and Kino Lorber have picked up U.S. rights for Matt Tyrnauer’s “Studio 54,” a documentary about the club that was at the epicenter of New York city nightlife in the 1970s.
The deal between Kino Lorber and A&E IndieFilms, the company that produced the film, was finalized during Cannes Film Festival. “Studio 54” will be released in theaters in the fall of 2018. The companies are planning to campaign the film for Academy Awards consideration.
Tyrnauer, a Vanity Fair editor-at-large turned filmmaker, previously directed “Valentino: The Last Emperor,” “Citizen Jane: Battle for the City,” and “Scotty and the Secret of Hollywood.” He’s shown a knack for getting under the skins of iconoclasts and myth-makers. He hit pay dirt with Steve Rubell, the flamboyant outer-bourough social-climber who created the ultimate playground for the rich and glamorous with his partner co-owner Ian Schrager. Over the course of a mere 33 months,...
The deal between Kino Lorber and A&E IndieFilms, the company that produced the film, was finalized during Cannes Film Festival. “Studio 54” will be released in theaters in the fall of 2018. The companies are planning to campaign the film for Academy Awards consideration.
Tyrnauer, a Vanity Fair editor-at-large turned filmmaker, previously directed “Valentino: The Last Emperor,” “Citizen Jane: Battle for the City,” and “Scotty and the Secret of Hollywood.” He’s shown a knack for getting under the skins of iconoclasts and myth-makers. He hit pay dirt with Steve Rubell, the flamboyant outer-bourough social-climber who created the ultimate playground for the rich and glamorous with his partner co-owner Ian Schrager. Over the course of a mere 33 months,...
- 5/21/2018
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Film marks initial acquistion following distribution alliance.
Kino Lorber and Zeitgeist Films have acquired all Us rights from TrustNordsk to Petra Volpe’s The Divine Order.
The film centres on Nora, a submissive young housewife living in a small village in Switzerland in 1971, as the rest of the world is changing and women there still don’t have the right to vote.
After Nora experiences unfamiliar stirrings of dissatisfaction with her place in society, she begins to stand up to the closed-minded townsfolk of both sexes in her village. Despite obstacles and backlash Nora becomes a hero as she overthrows the status quo.
The Divine Order is the first co-acquisition since both companies announced their strategic alliance this week.
The film will open at New York’s Film Forum on October 27, before a national rollout in autumn.
Zeitgeist films co-presidents Nancy Gerstman and Emily Russo said: “We couldn’t be more excited that The Divine Order will be...
Kino Lorber and Zeitgeist Films have acquired all Us rights from TrustNordsk to Petra Volpe’s The Divine Order.
The film centres on Nora, a submissive young housewife living in a small village in Switzerland in 1971, as the rest of the world is changing and women there still don’t have the right to vote.
After Nora experiences unfamiliar stirrings of dissatisfaction with her place in society, she begins to stand up to the closed-minded townsfolk of both sexes in her village. Despite obstacles and backlash Nora becomes a hero as she overthrows the status quo.
The Divine Order is the first co-acquisition since both companies announced their strategic alliance this week.
The film will open at New York’s Film Forum on October 27, before a national rollout in autumn.
Zeitgeist films co-presidents Nancy Gerstman and Emily Russo said: “We couldn’t be more excited that The Divine Order will be...
- 6/23/2017
- ScreenDaily
Zeitgeist Films and Kino Lorber have always been kindred spirits, but as of this week, the indie distributors are officially strategic partners, a business relationship that has been in works for the past six months. Richard Lorber’s arthouse distribution company has formed a multi-year alliance with Nancy Gerstman and Emily Russo’s Zeitgeist that will see the two companies co-acquire four to five theatrical titles per year that will be marketed and released by Zeitgeist Films, starting with the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival audience award-winner “The Divine Order.” Directed by Petra Volpe, the film tells the story of a young housewife in Switzerland in 1971 who stands up to the closed-minded villagers in her town and overthrows the status quo.
Read More: Beyond A24: How Hip New Distributors Are Targeting Millennial Tastemakers With Bold Films
“We were at Tribeca and covered every film that we could get our eyes on, but we totally missed ‘The Divine Order’ for some reason,” Lorber said. “Nancy and Emily said it was great, we committed to doing it, and two days later it won the audience prize at Tribeca.”
Founded in 1988, Zeitgeist film’s is known for having distributed early films by directors including Todd Hayes (“Poison”), Christopher Nolan (“Following”), Laura Poitras (“The Oath”) and Atom Egoyan (“Speaking Parts”), but has struggled in recent years to adapt to the changing landscape for indie distributors.
“There’s no denying the fact that the business has gotten tougher, and I think over the years Zeitgeist has maintained an almost artisanal approach, which has not always kept pace with some of the other opportunities that have been available, such as the expansion of digital and alternative venues that films can play in,” Lorber said. Going forward, Kino Lorber will become the exclusive distributor of all Zeitgeist films for the home video, educational, and digital media markets, adding Zeitgeist’s roughly 130-film library to its collection of 1,600 titles.
“Once home video sort of ended as a possibility for us, we really had to go into the digital realm, and dealing with five or six films a year, it’s difficult to really bulk up your digital [catalog] to be able to do the sort of deals that Kino Lorber is able to do,” Gerstman said. “It’s been very tough, so these are really great resources for us to be able to have.
Read More: Hybrid Distribution: One-Night-Only Screenings Could Make Your Documentary a Theatrical Hit
Kino Lorber will release two of Zeitgeist’s 2016 films, the biographical documentary “Eva Hesse” and “Vita Activa: The Spirit of Hannah Arendt.” Zeitgeist’s 2001 film “Nowhere in Africa” won the Academy Award for best foreign language film, taking more than $6 million at the U.S. box office. Some of the company’s most successful theatrical releases include “Bill Cunningham: New York,” “The Corporation” and “Aimee & Jaguar.”
Stay on top of the latest in gear and filmmaking news! Sign up for the Indiewire Toolkit newsletter here.
Related storiesJulian Assange and WikiLeaks Accused of Censorship by 'Risk' Documentarian Laura Poitras'Pop Aye' Trailer: A Man Finds Himself with the Help of an Elephant in Sundance Drama -- Watch'Wonderstruck' Is Cannes' First Oscar Contender and Other Revelations From Festival Press Conference...
Read More: Beyond A24: How Hip New Distributors Are Targeting Millennial Tastemakers With Bold Films
“We were at Tribeca and covered every film that we could get our eyes on, but we totally missed ‘The Divine Order’ for some reason,” Lorber said. “Nancy and Emily said it was great, we committed to doing it, and two days later it won the audience prize at Tribeca.”
Founded in 1988, Zeitgeist film’s is known for having distributed early films by directors including Todd Hayes (“Poison”), Christopher Nolan (“Following”), Laura Poitras (“The Oath”) and Atom Egoyan (“Speaking Parts”), but has struggled in recent years to adapt to the changing landscape for indie distributors.
“There’s no denying the fact that the business has gotten tougher, and I think over the years Zeitgeist has maintained an almost artisanal approach, which has not always kept pace with some of the other opportunities that have been available, such as the expansion of digital and alternative venues that films can play in,” Lorber said. Going forward, Kino Lorber will become the exclusive distributor of all Zeitgeist films for the home video, educational, and digital media markets, adding Zeitgeist’s roughly 130-film library to its collection of 1,600 titles.
“Once home video sort of ended as a possibility for us, we really had to go into the digital realm, and dealing with five or six films a year, it’s difficult to really bulk up your digital [catalog] to be able to do the sort of deals that Kino Lorber is able to do,” Gerstman said. “It’s been very tough, so these are really great resources for us to be able to have.
Read More: Hybrid Distribution: One-Night-Only Screenings Could Make Your Documentary a Theatrical Hit
Kino Lorber will release two of Zeitgeist’s 2016 films, the biographical documentary “Eva Hesse” and “Vita Activa: The Spirit of Hannah Arendt.” Zeitgeist’s 2001 film “Nowhere in Africa” won the Academy Award for best foreign language film, taking more than $6 million at the U.S. box office. Some of the company’s most successful theatrical releases include “Bill Cunningham: New York,” “The Corporation” and “Aimee & Jaguar.”
Stay on top of the latest in gear and filmmaking news! Sign up for the Indiewire Toolkit newsletter here.
Related storiesJulian Assange and WikiLeaks Accused of Censorship by 'Risk' Documentarian Laura Poitras'Pop Aye' Trailer: A Man Finds Himself with the Help of an Elephant in Sundance Drama -- Watch'Wonderstruck' Is Cannes' First Oscar Contender and Other Revelations From Festival Press Conference...
- 6/23/2017
- by Graham Winfrey
- Indiewire
Combined titles creates librbary of more than 1,600 films.
Kino Lorber has signed a multi-year strategic alliance with Zeitgeist Films run by Nancy Gerstman and Emily Russo.
The partners will jointly acquire four to five theatrical titles a year to be marketed and released by Zeitgeist Films.
Kino Lorber will become the exclusive distributor of all Zeitgeist Films titles for the home video and educational markets, as well as all digital media.
The partnership means Zeitgeist’s library of more than 130 titles combines with Kino Lorber’s library of more than 1,500 new and classic films.
Starting in July, Gerstman and Russo...
Kino Lorber has signed a multi-year strategic alliance with Zeitgeist Films run by Nancy Gerstman and Emily Russo.
The partners will jointly acquire four to five theatrical titles a year to be marketed and released by Zeitgeist Films.
Kino Lorber will become the exclusive distributor of all Zeitgeist Films titles for the home video and educational markets, as well as all digital media.
The partnership means Zeitgeist’s library of more than 130 titles combines with Kino Lorber’s library of more than 1,500 new and classic films.
Starting in July, Gerstman and Russo...
- 6/22/2017
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Read More: Doc NYC Women Directors: Meet Beth B Zeitgeist Films has acquired "Call Her Applebroog," Beth B's documentary about her mother, Ida Applebroog, a painter, sculptor and filmmaker whose work often explores the themes of gender, sexual identity, violence, and politics. The film is a tableau of Applebroog’s groundbreaking work and, more intimately, her dynamic family relationships. The official synopsis reads: "'Call Her Applebroog' is a poignant and intimate portrait of Applebroog, who grew up in an Orthodox Jewish household with an immigrant father who only wanted to have sons; instead there were three girls. It is a cathartic story of self-realization and the act of art-making as a life-saving parachute." "We have known Beth B for a long time and could not admire her more as a pioneering, adventurous filmmaker," said Zeitgeist Co-Presidents Nancy Gerstman and Emily Russo in an official statement. "But to make such a loving.
- 2/3/2016
- by Lauren Townsend
- Indiewire
Read More: Zeitgeist Films Acquires Tom Sachs' and Van Neistat's 'A Space Program' Zeitgeist Films has acquired distribution rights to "Eva Hesse," a documentary that focuses on the life of the titular star. The film marks the debut of director Marcie Begleiter and is produced by Karen S. Shapiro ("Beat the Drum") and Michael P. Aust ("Pommes essen"). Eva Hesse was a German-born American artist who quickly rose to fame in the New York art scene thanks to 20-group shows and a cover article for "ArtForum" magazine. She died at the age of 34 that same year from a brain tumor. The documentary also covers Hesse's life as a Jew in 1930's Hamburg, her narrow escape to New York and her transformation into a pioneer in sculpting. Zeitgeist Co-Presidents Nancy Gerstman and Emily Russo released the following statement in regards to the acquisition: "[We] have been following this...
- 1/8/2016
- by Kristen Santer
- Indiewire
Read More: SXSW Exclusive: Get Ready For Launch With Clip From 'A Space Program' Zeitgeist Films has announced its acquisition of by Tom Sachs' and Van Neistat's "A Space Program," which premiered earlier this year at South by Southwest. "A Space Program" is the feature film followup to Sachs' 2012 installation piece "Space Program 2.0: Mars," in which Sachs built his own mission to Mars with his artistic team. The film invites the viewer on an intricate, hand-made journey to Mars that both documents Sachs' artistic methods and seeks answers to some of humankind's most eternal questions. Zeitgeist Co-Presidents Nancy Gerstman and Emily Russo said. "[We were] completely blown away when we saw Tom’s show at the Park Avenue Armory. 'A Space Program' is a captivating introduction to Sachs’ work for the uninitiated and required viewing for his longtime fans. We are thrilled to have it as part of our catalog.
- 11/19/2015
- by Tarek Shoukri
- Indiewire
Read More: 'My Friend Victoria' Acquired by Zeitgeist FilmsZeitgeist Films has acquired "Vita Activa: the Spirit of Hannah Arendt," a documentary based on the spiritual life of Jewish philosopher Hannah Arendt. The film will present rare archival footage of Arendt and track the connections between her life story and thinking -- a trajectory that results in a resonant message concerning the nature of evil, pluralism and freedom. "We were thrilled to discover that there was such an enthralling and important documentary about Arendt," said Co-Presidents of Zeitgeist Nancy Gerstman and Emily Russo. "Having distributed Margarethe von Trotta's feature about Arendt three years ago we realized that there is enormous interest and a thirst to know more of her story. This film satisfies those requirements." Gerstman and Russo negotiated the deal with Hedva Goldschmidt (Go2Films), director and co-producer Ada Ushpiz (AUfilms) and co-producer Ina...
- 7/28/2015
- by Sarah Choi
- Indiewire
Having just been had the chance to shine at Film Society of Lincoln Center’s Rendez-Vous with French Cinema last month, it may have flown under the radar and been passed over by the top tier film fests, but according to IndieWIRE, Zeitgeist Films’ extremely picky Emily Russo and Nancy Gerstman have chosen to adopt Jean-Paul Civeyrac’s My Friend Victoria. We briefly touched base with the project on last year’s Most Anticipated list; this is perhaps his longest time between features since he began making films and according to this interview, has been the most prosperous in term of box office back at home. My Friend Victoria will open in New York and Los Angeles in the early fall.
Gist: Adapted from a short story by Doris Lessing, this is about Victoria, a little black girl aged 8 who comes from a humble background, happens to spend the night...
Gist: Adapted from a short story by Doris Lessing, this is about Victoria, a little black girl aged 8 who comes from a humble background, happens to spend the night...
- 4/15/2015
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
Read More: Watch: Trailer for Fslc's 20th Rendez-Vous with French Cinema Demands 'Regardez Moi!' Zeitgeist Films has acquired Jean-Paul Civeyrac's "My Friend Victoria," which premiered at the Film Society of Lincoln Center's Rendez-Vous with French Cinema. The film was adapted from a short story by Doris Lessing, which follows Victoria, a young Parisian orphan who is overwhelmed by an evening with a bourgeois family. Zeitgeist Co-Presidents Emily Russo and Nancy Gerstman said that they were thrilled by the acquisition, noting that the mostly unknown cast is brilliant. "Civeyrac is a real auteur," they said. "Lessing is a complex writer and everyone involved has made a touching and accessible film from her work." "My Friend Victoria" will open in New York and Los Angeles in the early fall. Read More: 5 Must-See New French Films From Rendez-Vous with French Cinema...
- 4/14/2015
- by Casey Cipriani
- Indiewire
Stalingrad was Russia’s hope for the Academy Award Nomination this year but did not make it to the shortlist. It is still worth mentioning here because it is Russia's first IMAX 3D feature and will be released here in the U.S. by Sony this February. Its grand scale is epic and indeed it is intended to be today’s epic of Russia in the classic sense of the term. An epic is something that all nations need in order to reconcile with wars which inevitably tear the fabric of society apart so drastically that it takes generations to recover.
The episodes, even though they may be fictional, provide an explanation for some of the circumstances or events in the history of a nation or people, an the action, often in battle, consists of courageous and heroic deeds, often revealing the superhuman strength of the heroes.
The Greek epics of The Iliad and The Odyssey, the Spanish Song of Roland and others attempted to bring together all the diverse aspects of a society at war and create a work to reconcile the people and forge a new unity. The U.S.’s main war was Vietnam. U.S. has continued to be at war ever since and never has it reconciled the crimes with a national forgiveness and cohesiveness. Director Fedor Bondarchuk and producers Alexander Rodnyansky, Dmitriy Rudovsky, Sergey Melkumov and Natalia Gorina consciously attempt to create a national epic based on this most devastating battle of all time and they deserve recognition for their bravery in doing that.
Directed by Fedor Bondarchuk, produced by Alexander Rodnyansky, Dmitriy Rudovsky, Sergey Melkumov and Natalia Gorina, written by Ilya Tllkin and Sergey Snezhkin, it runs 135 minutes. Sony Pictures Entertainment and Sony Pictures Releasing International hold all rights with IMAX who has 767 theaters (634 commercial ones in multiplexes, 19 commercial stand alones, and 114 in educational establishments in 54 countries. The first Russian IMAX 3D theater opened in 2003 in Moscow and today, after U.S. and China, it ranks third with 38 theaters that have been opened in Russia and the Cis with 20 more being designed. An interesting side note: IMAX in China is owned by Wanda, the owner of the U.S AMC theater chain, the largest owner of theater chains in the world, perhaps the largest real estate owner, now building a 10,000 square foot studio in China, advised in the U.S. By Koch Hawk, former president of AMPAS who has brought in former New York Film Society Director Rose Kuo to formulate a film festival strategy.
Before the end of 2013 the following IMAX films will be released in Russia; Gravity, Thor: The Dark World, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug and others. Stalingrad opened in October 2013 in Russia and the Cis and had blockbuster success. It was the first Russian motion picture released in IMAX format.
During the summer of 2012, Rosskino invited 25 or so U.S. distributors (we helped organize the invitation list and were included in this unforgettable trip to Russia.). There we screened films, met producers and visited St. . On St. Petersburg’s outskirts, in Sapyorniy village, we stopped to visit an unprecedented large scale set of Stalingrad. An amazing recreation of the war-torn city on a dizzly gray day, with German soldiers and Russian soldiers in the doorways of the ruin of an apartment building stunned us. Emily Russo of Zeitgeist and I got our shoes so muddy that Bondcharchuk invited us to wash them in his trailer’s shower.
Here are some pictures we took on the set:
Stalingrad sets the viewers right in the middle of the hardest won battle in World War II, one that turned the tables on the Germans. This movie is based on chapters from the novel by Vasiliy Grossman Life and Fate. The grandeur of the photography is a major accomplishment. The scene of burning Russians charging the Germans is incredibly affecting. The production designer Sergey Ivanov, deserves an Oscar. Arman Yakhin who supervised the visual effects, the first time they shot in stereo and 3D says “it took us about three months to develop and polish fire simulation with Houdini software. In addition to the pyrotechnicians’ work on location, the final version of the film also features a lot of digital fire sequences. Digital models of people were used in the sequences where the burning Red Army soldiers fall down the cliff. They were designed and animated in a 3D editing program, based on actors’ photos.
This extravagant feature brings the audience from the broad, beautiful and frightful battle of Stalingrad to the personal fates of five Russian soldiers, one Russian 19 year old girl surviving in the shell of what once was her home, a German soldier played by Kretschmann and his Russian victimized sexual partner.
It is a striking coincidence that director Fyodor Bondarchuk and the German lead, Thomas Kretschmann have been involved in three Stalingrads. The German Stalingrad was Kretschman’s first role in a film after having fled from the Gdr (East Germany). The German Stalingrad was about a group of Germans who froze to death not far from Stalingrad. In 1989, the same year that Kreschmann took part in it, I played a role in a Stalingrad film directed by Yuriy Ozerov, my teacher, as the sniper Zaitsev, “ said Bondarchuk.
This film had a crew of 250 people and 1,000 extras, all approved by Director Bondarchuk himself. The script was original but much documentary material was gathered including many interviews with the few surviving eyewitnesses which might become a separate project. “Stalingrad in 1942 was a place where the average life span was about one day long and the people who managed to survive for a week were considered to be veterans”, said Alexander Rodnyansky, one of the producers.
The episodes, even though they may be fictional, provide an explanation for some of the circumstances or events in the history of a nation or people, an the action, often in battle, consists of courageous and heroic deeds, often revealing the superhuman strength of the heroes.
The Greek epics of The Iliad and The Odyssey, the Spanish Song of Roland and others attempted to bring together all the diverse aspects of a society at war and create a work to reconcile the people and forge a new unity. The U.S.’s main war was Vietnam. U.S. has continued to be at war ever since and never has it reconciled the crimes with a national forgiveness and cohesiveness. Director Fedor Bondarchuk and producers Alexander Rodnyansky, Dmitriy Rudovsky, Sergey Melkumov and Natalia Gorina consciously attempt to create a national epic based on this most devastating battle of all time and they deserve recognition for their bravery in doing that.
Directed by Fedor Bondarchuk, produced by Alexander Rodnyansky, Dmitriy Rudovsky, Sergey Melkumov and Natalia Gorina, written by Ilya Tllkin and Sergey Snezhkin, it runs 135 minutes. Sony Pictures Entertainment and Sony Pictures Releasing International hold all rights with IMAX who has 767 theaters (634 commercial ones in multiplexes, 19 commercial stand alones, and 114 in educational establishments in 54 countries. The first Russian IMAX 3D theater opened in 2003 in Moscow and today, after U.S. and China, it ranks third with 38 theaters that have been opened in Russia and the Cis with 20 more being designed. An interesting side note: IMAX in China is owned by Wanda, the owner of the U.S AMC theater chain, the largest owner of theater chains in the world, perhaps the largest real estate owner, now building a 10,000 square foot studio in China, advised in the U.S. By Koch Hawk, former president of AMPAS who has brought in former New York Film Society Director Rose Kuo to formulate a film festival strategy.
Before the end of 2013 the following IMAX films will be released in Russia; Gravity, Thor: The Dark World, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug and others. Stalingrad opened in October 2013 in Russia and the Cis and had blockbuster success. It was the first Russian motion picture released in IMAX format.
During the summer of 2012, Rosskino invited 25 or so U.S. distributors (we helped organize the invitation list and were included in this unforgettable trip to Russia.). There we screened films, met producers and visited St. . On St. Petersburg’s outskirts, in Sapyorniy village, we stopped to visit an unprecedented large scale set of Stalingrad. An amazing recreation of the war-torn city on a dizzly gray day, with German soldiers and Russian soldiers in the doorways of the ruin of an apartment building stunned us. Emily Russo of Zeitgeist and I got our shoes so muddy that Bondcharchuk invited us to wash them in his trailer’s shower.
Here are some pictures we took on the set:
Stalingrad sets the viewers right in the middle of the hardest won battle in World War II, one that turned the tables on the Germans. This movie is based on chapters from the novel by Vasiliy Grossman Life and Fate. The grandeur of the photography is a major accomplishment. The scene of burning Russians charging the Germans is incredibly affecting. The production designer Sergey Ivanov, deserves an Oscar. Arman Yakhin who supervised the visual effects, the first time they shot in stereo and 3D says “it took us about three months to develop and polish fire simulation with Houdini software. In addition to the pyrotechnicians’ work on location, the final version of the film also features a lot of digital fire sequences. Digital models of people were used in the sequences where the burning Red Army soldiers fall down the cliff. They were designed and animated in a 3D editing program, based on actors’ photos.
This extravagant feature brings the audience from the broad, beautiful and frightful battle of Stalingrad to the personal fates of five Russian soldiers, one Russian 19 year old girl surviving in the shell of what once was her home, a German soldier played by Kretschmann and his Russian victimized sexual partner.
It is a striking coincidence that director Fyodor Bondarchuk and the German lead, Thomas Kretschmann have been involved in three Stalingrads. The German Stalingrad was Kretschman’s first role in a film after having fled from the Gdr (East Germany). The German Stalingrad was about a group of Germans who froze to death not far from Stalingrad. In 1989, the same year that Kreschmann took part in it, I played a role in a Stalingrad film directed by Yuriy Ozerov, my teacher, as the sniper Zaitsev, “ said Bondarchuk.
This film had a crew of 250 people and 1,000 extras, all approved by Director Bondarchuk himself. The script was original but much documentary material was gathered including many interviews with the few surviving eyewitnesses which might become a separate project. “Stalingrad in 1942 was a place where the average life span was about one day long and the people who managed to survive for a week were considered to be veterans”, said Alexander Rodnyansky, one of the producers.
- 2/16/2014
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Amit Kumar’s Monsoon Shootout will open the 10th Annual South Asian International Film Festival which will be held from December 3-8, 2013.
Gyan Correa’s The Good Road, India’s official submission to the Oscars in the foreign-language category, will screen as the closing film.
Pakistani filmmaker Sabiha Sumar’s Good Morning Karachi will be screened as the Centerpiece film. The film addresses the tension between religious extremism and modernity through the eyes of a young woman, Rafina, coming of age in Karachi city.
Hammad Khan’s Anima State, Rajat Kapoor’s Ankhon Dekhi, Richie Mehta’s Siddharth, Kamal K.M.’s I.D and Anup Singh’s Qissa will compete in Feature Film Competition.
Rahul Desai’s Khoon Ltd, Shiva Shankka’s Outpost, Rodd Rathjen’s Tau Seru, Anand Tiwari’s Neighbours and Shubhashish Bhutiani’s Kush are the short films in competition.
The Spectrum section of the festival will...
Gyan Correa’s The Good Road, India’s official submission to the Oscars in the foreign-language category, will screen as the closing film.
Pakistani filmmaker Sabiha Sumar’s Good Morning Karachi will be screened as the Centerpiece film. The film addresses the tension between religious extremism and modernity through the eyes of a young woman, Rafina, coming of age in Karachi city.
Hammad Khan’s Anima State, Rajat Kapoor’s Ankhon Dekhi, Richie Mehta’s Siddharth, Kamal K.M.’s I.D and Anup Singh’s Qissa will compete in Feature Film Competition.
Rahul Desai’s Khoon Ltd, Shiva Shankka’s Outpost, Rodd Rathjen’s Tau Seru, Anand Tiwari’s Neighbours and Shubhashish Bhutiani’s Kush are the short films in competition.
The Spectrum section of the festival will...
- 12/3/2013
- by NewsDesk
- DearCinema.com
At the Film Independent Forum a couple weeks back, Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos gave something of a provocative keynote in which he declared that theaters would “kill movies” if they continued to resist multi-platform, day-and-date distribution. Though Sarandos later backtracked, Indiewire picked up the ball and ran with it, soliciting responses from several independent distributors on the matter. Among the executives weighing in were Kino Lorber’s Richard Lorber, Emily Russo of Zeitgeist Films, and Matt Grady of Factory 25. Dylan Marchetti, President of Variance Films, raised an interesting point, noting that “[Sarandos] knows that any resistance here isn’t to […]...
- 11/6/2013
- by Sarah Salovaara
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
At the Film Independent Forum a couple weeks back, Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos gave something of a provocative keynote in which he declared that theaters would “kill movies” if they continued to resist multi-platform, day-and-date distribution. Though Sarandos later backtracked, Indiewire picked up the ball and ran with it, soliciting responses from several independent distributors on the matter. Among the executives weighing in were Kino Lorber’s Richard Lorber, Emily Russo of Zeitgeist Films, and Matt Grady of Factory 25. Dylan Marchetti, President of Variance Films, raised an interesting point, noting that “[Sarandos] knows that any resistance here isn’t to […]...
- 11/6/2013
- by Sarah Salovaara
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
Twenty-seven new features will screen over the extended five-day anniversary event and there will be tributes to Robert Redford, T-Bone Burnett, the Coen Brothers and Mohammad Rasoulof - and there has already been a Us acquisition.
While observers do not expect much buyer activity at the festival, Zeitgeist announced it had made a preemptive Us buy on Dan Geller and Dayna Goldfine’s The Galapagos Affair (see below).
The Sony Pictures Classics team, RADiUS-twc, IFC, Fox Searchlight’s production head Claudia Lewis and president of Paramount Film Group Adam Goodman are among those expected to attend the Colorado event, which runs from Aug 29 through the additional day of programming on Sept 2.
The main programme features are:
All Is Lost, Robert RedfordBefore The Winter Chill (France) Philippe ClaudelBethlehem (Israel) Yuval AdlerBlue Is The Warmest Color (France) Abdellatif KechicheBurning Bush (Czech Republic) Agnieszka HollandDeath Row: Blaine Milam + Robert Fratta, Werner HerzogFifi Howls From Happiness, Mitra FarahaniThe...
While observers do not expect much buyer activity at the festival, Zeitgeist announced it had made a preemptive Us buy on Dan Geller and Dayna Goldfine’s The Galapagos Affair (see below).
The Sony Pictures Classics team, RADiUS-twc, IFC, Fox Searchlight’s production head Claudia Lewis and president of Paramount Film Group Adam Goodman are among those expected to attend the Colorado event, which runs from Aug 29 through the additional day of programming on Sept 2.
The main programme features are:
All Is Lost, Robert RedfordBefore The Winter Chill (France) Philippe ClaudelBethlehem (Israel) Yuval AdlerBlue Is The Warmest Color (France) Abdellatif KechicheBurning Bush (Czech Republic) Agnieszka HollandDeath Row: Blaine Milam + Robert Fratta, Werner HerzogFifi Howls From Happiness, Mitra FarahaniThe...
- 8/28/2013
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
I support this new NYC Film Fest which a lot of our friends attended and also support. I went to their inaugural event in NYC a few weeks back and it felt good and I certainly like their Indie lineup. The following is from a recent press release:
Celebrating first-time filmmakers with a grand prize of theatrical distribution, hosted by the historic Players Club, First Time Fest also had additional participants to this year's unique event.
Harry Belafonte, Gay Talese, Michael Shannon & Ellen Burstyn have joined Christine Vachon, Fred Schneider, Sofia Coppola, Todd Solondz, Barbara Kopple, Scott Foundas, Eric Kohn, Emily Russo, Jenny Lumet, Darren Aronofsky, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Hal Hartley, Peter Saraf, Nancy Savoca, Amy Ryan And Martin Scorsese participated In First Time Fest.
Belafonte & Shannon appeared onstage in the Ftf’s “Stand Alone! – Conversations With The Outstanding” series, one-on-one interview with notable cinema artists. Renowned author Gay Talese joined Christine Vachon and the B-52s Fred Schneider as another of the Ftf’s five jurors (the entire live audience at each of the 12 competition films was the 5th juror). Together, the jury and audience ultimately selected Grand Prize winner, Sal, a modern-day Western by Argentinian writer-director Diego Rougier which was offered theatrical distribution and full international sales representation from the renowned American film distributor, Cinema Libre Studio.
Acclaimed actress Ellen Burstyn, who worked with both Scorsese and Aronofsky served as the host of the Ftf Closing Night Awards program. As part of that festive evening, Martin Scorsese added his illustrious presence and belief in the art of cinema, presenting the first John Huston Award for Outstanding Achievement in Cinema to Darren Aronofsky. John Huston was one of the most prolific and versatile directors in the history of cinema. And with his mesmerizing debut film, Pi – made independently on black-and-white 16mm film – Darren Aronofsky was instantly recognized as a uniquely gifted new talent. His subsequent films: Requiem for a Dream, The Fountain, The Wrestler and Black Swan, have more than fulfilled that promise.
In addition, Ftf had a special presentation of Andy Grieve and Lauren Lazin’s documentary about the band The Police, Can't Stand Losing You, featuring Sting, Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers.
On an exciting party note, and in conjunction with Ftf’s presentation of the Australian/Mongolian documentary Mongolian Bling, First Time Fest and Hip Hop Saves Lives presented “Project Haiti,” an album release party for Zing Experience at Webster Hall.
Representing a hybrid between a traditional film festival and a highly motivated audience participation event, Ftf presented a dozen Competition Films, which were judged by a panel of industry luminaries and the Ftf audience. All competition screenings were followed by “hot-seat” discussions between the jury and filmmakers, and all audience members then voted on the films. It was truly a contest of the best emerging filmmakers competing for the Ultimate Audience Award.
Competition Films – (please visit here for competition films & descriptions).
In addition to the Competition Films, Ftf presented First Exposure, a series of first films from now prominent filmmakers. Joining the line-up - and mostly attending the fest - was the exciting Opening Night presentation of Sofia Coppola with The Virgin Suicides, Todd Solondz with Welcome to the Dollhouse, Wes Anderson’s Bottle Rocket, Barbara Kopple with Harlan County, USA, Melvin Van Peebles with The Story of a Three-Day Pass, Pi from Darren Aronofsky, The Maltese Falcon from director John Huston, Poison from Todd Haynes, Jack Goes Boating from director Philip Seymour Hoffman, Hal Hartley’s The Unbelievable Truth, and True Love from Nancy Savoca.
First Exposure Films – (please visit here, for First Exposure descriptions)
First Exposure also includes a 60th Anniversary Tribute to Morris Engel’s The Little Fugitive, a cinema vérité classic from 1953 that was shot on Coney Island and has inspired countless filmmakers, from Jean-Luc Godard to the Coen brothers. The tribute included a panel hosted by film historian Foster Hirsch including Mary Engel, daughter of Morris Engel and Ruth Orkin, and James Sanders, author of Celluloid Skyline: New York and the Movies. In addition there was a Special Presentation of Everardo Gout’s thrillingly over-the-top action thriller Days Of Grace (Dĺas De Gracia), which won the Mexican Academy of Film’s prestigious Ariel Award for Best First Feature and was nominated for the Camera d’Or at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival.
First Time Fest included a series of panels called “How They Did It,” in which a diverse group of award-winning filmmakers moderated filmmaking case studies and spotlighted some of the most successful and accomplished masters of the industry.
First Time Fest is a four-day, multi-faceted event hosted in New York City’s Gramercy Park by the celebrated Players (16 Gramercy Park South), the club founded by Edwin Booth, Mark Twain and John Singer Sargent, the oldest and most exclusive arts organization of its kind whose membership includes the greatest stars of stage and screen. Each of First Time Fest’s twelve finalists receive high-level industry mentorship and a one-year membership to The Players. The Players was the location for all Ftf panels and events as well as the Filmmaker and VIP Lounge. First Time Fest’s screenings were all held at the Loews Village VII on Third Avenue (on 11th St. & 3rd Ave).
Among the Fest’s terrific sponsors is the delicious Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte. "The forward-thinking Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte draws its inspiration from the call of ‘faraway lands.’ One of the youngest and most fashionable Champagne brands, Nicolas Feuillatte has captured the world's imagination by sharing its passion for creativity and arts in a record 37 years, becoming the #1 Champagne in France. In its role as discoverer of talent, the brand awards its prestige cuvée Palmes d'Or to First Time Fest's winners to complement the celebration in style."
Other terrific sponsors of the fest include Brooklyn Brewery, Moscot, Marquis Vodka and Technicolor Postworks.
For additional Festival Information - Visit The Festival Website at www.FirstTimeFest.com
Johanna Bennett and Mandy Ward are the co-founders of First Time Fest. As an accomplished philanthropist, actor and social entrepreneur, as well as the daughter of singer Tony Bennett, Johanna Bennett has immersed herself within the entertainment and artistic community her entire life. Mandy Ward has worked in the film industry for the past decade in varied capacities, namely as a film producer of several projects. Mitch Levine, CEO of The Film Festival Group, is producing the festival. Through his company, Mitch offers consulting services and expertise to film festivals, film commissions, distribution companies and filmmakers around the world, and was formerly the CEO and Executive Director of the renowned Palm Springs International Film Festival. The Festival’s Director of Programming is David Schwartz, the Chief Curator of Museum of the Moving Image.
Celebrating first-time filmmakers with a grand prize of theatrical distribution, hosted by the historic Players Club, First Time Fest also had additional participants to this year's unique event.
Harry Belafonte, Gay Talese, Michael Shannon & Ellen Burstyn have joined Christine Vachon, Fred Schneider, Sofia Coppola, Todd Solondz, Barbara Kopple, Scott Foundas, Eric Kohn, Emily Russo, Jenny Lumet, Darren Aronofsky, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Hal Hartley, Peter Saraf, Nancy Savoca, Amy Ryan And Martin Scorsese participated In First Time Fest.
Belafonte & Shannon appeared onstage in the Ftf’s “Stand Alone! – Conversations With The Outstanding” series, one-on-one interview with notable cinema artists. Renowned author Gay Talese joined Christine Vachon and the B-52s Fred Schneider as another of the Ftf’s five jurors (the entire live audience at each of the 12 competition films was the 5th juror). Together, the jury and audience ultimately selected Grand Prize winner, Sal, a modern-day Western by Argentinian writer-director Diego Rougier which was offered theatrical distribution and full international sales representation from the renowned American film distributor, Cinema Libre Studio.
Acclaimed actress Ellen Burstyn, who worked with both Scorsese and Aronofsky served as the host of the Ftf Closing Night Awards program. As part of that festive evening, Martin Scorsese added his illustrious presence and belief in the art of cinema, presenting the first John Huston Award for Outstanding Achievement in Cinema to Darren Aronofsky. John Huston was one of the most prolific and versatile directors in the history of cinema. And with his mesmerizing debut film, Pi – made independently on black-and-white 16mm film – Darren Aronofsky was instantly recognized as a uniquely gifted new talent. His subsequent films: Requiem for a Dream, The Fountain, The Wrestler and Black Swan, have more than fulfilled that promise.
In addition, Ftf had a special presentation of Andy Grieve and Lauren Lazin’s documentary about the band The Police, Can't Stand Losing You, featuring Sting, Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers.
On an exciting party note, and in conjunction with Ftf’s presentation of the Australian/Mongolian documentary Mongolian Bling, First Time Fest and Hip Hop Saves Lives presented “Project Haiti,” an album release party for Zing Experience at Webster Hall.
Representing a hybrid between a traditional film festival and a highly motivated audience participation event, Ftf presented a dozen Competition Films, which were judged by a panel of industry luminaries and the Ftf audience. All competition screenings were followed by “hot-seat” discussions between the jury and filmmakers, and all audience members then voted on the films. It was truly a contest of the best emerging filmmakers competing for the Ultimate Audience Award.
Competition Films – (please visit here for competition films & descriptions).
In addition to the Competition Films, Ftf presented First Exposure, a series of first films from now prominent filmmakers. Joining the line-up - and mostly attending the fest - was the exciting Opening Night presentation of Sofia Coppola with The Virgin Suicides, Todd Solondz with Welcome to the Dollhouse, Wes Anderson’s Bottle Rocket, Barbara Kopple with Harlan County, USA, Melvin Van Peebles with The Story of a Three-Day Pass, Pi from Darren Aronofsky, The Maltese Falcon from director John Huston, Poison from Todd Haynes, Jack Goes Boating from director Philip Seymour Hoffman, Hal Hartley’s The Unbelievable Truth, and True Love from Nancy Savoca.
First Exposure Films – (please visit here, for First Exposure descriptions)
First Exposure also includes a 60th Anniversary Tribute to Morris Engel’s The Little Fugitive, a cinema vérité classic from 1953 that was shot on Coney Island and has inspired countless filmmakers, from Jean-Luc Godard to the Coen brothers. The tribute included a panel hosted by film historian Foster Hirsch including Mary Engel, daughter of Morris Engel and Ruth Orkin, and James Sanders, author of Celluloid Skyline: New York and the Movies. In addition there was a Special Presentation of Everardo Gout’s thrillingly over-the-top action thriller Days Of Grace (Dĺas De Gracia), which won the Mexican Academy of Film’s prestigious Ariel Award for Best First Feature and was nominated for the Camera d’Or at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival.
First Time Fest included a series of panels called “How They Did It,” in which a diverse group of award-winning filmmakers moderated filmmaking case studies and spotlighted some of the most successful and accomplished masters of the industry.
First Time Fest is a four-day, multi-faceted event hosted in New York City’s Gramercy Park by the celebrated Players (16 Gramercy Park South), the club founded by Edwin Booth, Mark Twain and John Singer Sargent, the oldest and most exclusive arts organization of its kind whose membership includes the greatest stars of stage and screen. Each of First Time Fest’s twelve finalists receive high-level industry mentorship and a one-year membership to The Players. The Players was the location for all Ftf panels and events as well as the Filmmaker and VIP Lounge. First Time Fest’s screenings were all held at the Loews Village VII on Third Avenue (on 11th St. & 3rd Ave).
Among the Fest’s terrific sponsors is the delicious Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte. "The forward-thinking Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte draws its inspiration from the call of ‘faraway lands.’ One of the youngest and most fashionable Champagne brands, Nicolas Feuillatte has captured the world's imagination by sharing its passion for creativity and arts in a record 37 years, becoming the #1 Champagne in France. In its role as discoverer of talent, the brand awards its prestige cuvée Palmes d'Or to First Time Fest's winners to complement the celebration in style."
Other terrific sponsors of the fest include Brooklyn Brewery, Moscot, Marquis Vodka and Technicolor Postworks.
For additional Festival Information - Visit The Festival Website at www.FirstTimeFest.com
Johanna Bennett and Mandy Ward are the co-founders of First Time Fest. As an accomplished philanthropist, actor and social entrepreneur, as well as the daughter of singer Tony Bennett, Johanna Bennett has immersed herself within the entertainment and artistic community her entire life. Mandy Ward has worked in the film industry for the past decade in varied capacities, namely as a film producer of several projects. Mitch Levine, CEO of The Film Festival Group, is producing the festival. Through his company, Mitch offers consulting services and expertise to film festivals, film commissions, distribution companies and filmmakers around the world, and was formerly the CEO and Executive Director of the renowned Palm Springs International Film Festival. The Festival’s Director of Programming is David Schwartz, the Chief Curator of Museum of the Moving Image.
- 3/11/2013
- by Peter Belsito
- Sydney's Buzz
Zeitgeist Films has acquired debut filmmaker Neil Barsky’s documentary “Koch” for a late January theatrical release. The film will have its world premiere at the Hamptons Film Festival October 8, with the film’s subject, former New York City Mayor Ed Koch, in attendance to deliver an introduction and participate in a Q&A. “Ed Koch is an institution, and when you say ‘New York’ you practically think of him in the same breath,” said Zeitgeist co-presidents Emily Russo and Nancy Gerstman. “We certainly do, and we have much admiration for Neil’s ability to capture, with humor and grace, the essence of this multifaceted -- and complex -- man. Through the use of rare archival footage, ‘Koch’ also captures the vibrancy of New York City in the 1980s, as it struggles with AIDS, crack and homelessness.” Read More: 'Queen of Versailles' Dp Tom Hurwitz Shares 4 Essential Tips for Shooting Cinema.
- 10/1/2012
- by Jay A. Fernandez
- Indiewire
Zeitgeist Films has acquired the French, gay, Jewish comedy "Let My People Go!," directed by newcomer Mikael Buch and starring Pedro Almodovar veteran Carmen Maura. The company nabbed the film at the Berlin Film Market from Les Films du Losange. According to a press release from Zeitgeist, "Let My People Go!" features an international cast and is a "Jewish family drama and French bedroom farce" that "follows the travails and daydreams of the lovelorn Reuben, a French-Jewish gay mailman living in fairytale Finland with his gorgeous Nordic boyfriend. But just before Passover, a series of mishaps and a lovers’ quarrel exiles the heartbroken Reuben back to Paris and his zany family." Nancy Gerstman and Emily Russo, who are responsible for the film's acquisition from Agathe Valentin at Les Films du Losange, said the film is "so much fun to watch, you forget what terrific acting is involved and what a smart screenplay it.
- 6/28/2012
- by Srimathi Sridhar
- Indiewire
by Guest Blogger Peter Belsito From her official bio - Nancy Gerstman is co-president and co-founder of the New York-based distribution company Zeitgeist Films. Formed with Emily Russo in 1988, Zeitgeist acquires and distributes independent films from the U.S. and around the world. Gerstman and Russo have distributed first films by notable directors Todd Haynes, Christopher Nolan, Francois Ozon, the Quay Brothers and Gianni di Gregorio and their catalog also includes films from the world's finest independent filmmakers including Agnes Varda, Guy Maddin, Olivier Assayas, Jia Zhang-ke, Atom Egoyan, Abbas Kiarostami, Jennifer Baichwal, Derek Jarman, Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Peter Greenaway,…...
- 10/6/2011
- Sydney's Buzz
by Guest Blogger Peter Belsito From her official bio - Nancy Gerstman is co-president and co-founder of the New York-based distribution company Zeitgeist Films. Formed with Emily Russo in 1988, Zeitgeist acquires and distributes independent films from the U.S. and around the world. Gerstman and Russo have distributed first films by notable directors Todd Haynes, Christopher Nolan, Francois Ozon, the Quay Brothers and Gianni di Gregorio and their catalog also includes films from the world's finest independent filmmakers including Agnes Varda, Guy Maddin, Olivier Assayas, Jia Zhang-ke, Atom Egoyan, Abbas Kiarostami, Jennifer Baichwal, Derek Jarman, Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Peter Greenaway,…...
- 10/6/2011
- Sydney's Buzz
All information published in the indieWIRE Distributor Profiles is provided by the individual company. Company History Nancy Gerstman and Emily Russo are co-presidents and co-founders of the New York-based distribution company Zeitgeist Films. Formed in 1988 Zeitgeist has a staff of eight who acquire and distribute independent films from the U.S. and around the world. Zeitgeist Films are strongly auteur-driven, have a distinct visual style and unique content and focus on ...
- 8/19/2010
- Indiewire
Zeitgeist Films has acquired U.S. rights to Caroline Bottaro's "Queen to Play" (Jouese), which it plans to release theatrically early next year.
"Queen," a French-language drama set in Corsica, stars Sandrine Bonnaire and Kevin Kline as a working class wife and mother with a passion for chess and her American employer.
Produced by Dominique Besnehard and Michel Feller, the film premiered at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival.
Zeitgeist co-president Emily Russo negotiated the deal with Studio Canal's Anna Marsh.
"Queen," a French-language drama set in Corsica, stars Sandrine Bonnaire and Kevin Kline as a working class wife and mother with a passion for chess and her American employer.
Produced by Dominique Besnehard and Michel Feller, the film premiered at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival.
Zeitgeist co-president Emily Russo negotiated the deal with Studio Canal's Anna Marsh.
- 8/11/2010
- by By Gregg Kilday
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
NEW YORK -- Zeitgeist Films has gobbled up U.S. theatrical and home video rights to Gonzalo Arijon's cannibalism docu "Stranded: I've Come From a Plane That Crashed in the Mountains."
The Spanish-language film features interviews with Uruguayan rugby players who survived an October 1972 plane crash by eating their deceased teammates. Arijon, a childhood friend of the survivors, travels with several of them back to the site of the crash.
"Stranded" was an official entry in the 2008 Sundance world docu competition. The story was the basis for Frank Marshall's 1993 drama "Alive".
The distributor plans an Oct. 22 New York release, followed by a national rollout. Zeitgeist's Emily Russo negotiated the deal with Arte's Emmanuelle Erbsmann.
The Spanish-language film features interviews with Uruguayan rugby players who survived an October 1972 plane crash by eating their deceased teammates. Arijon, a childhood friend of the survivors, travels with several of them back to the site of the crash.
"Stranded" was an official entry in the 2008 Sundance world docu competition. The story was the basis for Frank Marshall's 1993 drama "Alive".
The distributor plans an Oct. 22 New York release, followed by a national rollout. Zeitgeist's Emily Russo negotiated the deal with Arte's Emmanuelle Erbsmann.
- 6/23/2008
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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