Foundation Backs Institute’s Annual Screenwriters Intensive, Year-Round Diversity Work
Park City, UT — Sundance Institute and The Will & Jada Smith Family Foundation will collaborate to support diverse independent artists, they announced today at a reception at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival. As part of a two-year commitment, the Foundation will support the Institute’s Screenwriters Intensive and year-round work with diverse independent filmmakers and artists.
The Screenwriters Intensive, part of the Institute’s Feature Film Program, provides the opportunity for 10 emerging screenwriters from underrepresented communities to hone their craft in a two-day workshop focused deeply on the creative process. It works in partnership with the Institute’s Diversity Initiative, which emphasizes diversity as a longstanding and core value of all Institute programs. The Initiative encompasses efforts to reach new communities of storytellers and artists across regions, genres, ethnicities, genders and orientations.
Keri Putnam, Executive Director of Sundance Institute (Photo via zimbio.com
“Sundance is proud to work with storytellers from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences, both at the Festival and in our artist development programs,” said Keri Putnam, Executive Director of Sundance Institute. “We are so grateful for the generous support of The Will & Jada Smith Family Foundation. Together, we will build momentum and awareness about the need to create a film and media landscape that reflects the full richness and diversity of our culture.”
Jada Pinkett Smith
“We are honored and energized to collaborate with Sundance Institute to cultivate stories and storytellers reflective of the world at large, and we view today as the beginning of a productive, purposeful and powerful alignment with an enduring institution,” said Jada Pinkett Smith.
For over two decades, The Will & Jada Smith Family Foundation has generously supported individuals and organizations dedicated to advancement in the areas of education, health, sustainability and arts. The Foundation’s new initiative, Careers in Entertainment (CIE), introduces youth to careers in the media and entertainment industry through mentorship and internship opportunities. CIE enables students to learn from the industry’s most creative and successful leaders across television, film and music.
The Institute’s support for diverse artists extends throughout its more than 35-year history. Artists supported by the Institute include Ava DuVernay, Robert Rodriguez, Ryan Coogler, Lee Daniels, Alfonso Gomez-Rejon and Dee Rees. Current programs include Fellowships for Latino and Asian-American artists. The Institute’s formalized Diversity Initiative was created with founding support from the Time Warner Foundation.
Sundance Institute
Founded in 1981 by Robert Redford, Sundance Institute is a nonprofit organization that provides and preserves the space for artists in film, theatre, and new media to create and thrive. The Institute’s signature Labs, granting, and mentorship programs, dedicated to developing new work, take place throughout the year in the U.S. and internationally. The Sundance Film Festival and other public programs connect audiences to artists in igniting new ideas, discovering original voices, and building a community dedicated to independent storytelling. Sundance Institute has supported such projects as Beasts of the Southern Wild, Fruitvale Station, Sin Nombre, The Invisible War, The Square, Dirty Wars, Spring Awakening, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder and Fun Home. Join Sundance Institute on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.
The Will & Jada Smith Family Foundation
Dedicated to the betterment of the world around us, The Will & Jada Smith Family Foundation assists individuals, charities, and organizations in the areas of education, health and sustainability. Learn more about The Will & Jada Smith Foundation and the Careers in Entertainment initiative on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.
The timely development comes as industry sources predict Megan Ellison’s team is in Sundance looking to make a statement buy as the festival wraps up its first weekend.
The full-service distribution and marketing operation will kick off with the inaugural release of Kathryn Bigelow’s Untitled Detroit Project in theatres on August 4.
Marc Weinstock, who recently joined the company as president, will oversee the new division alongside president of marketing David Kaminow and president of distribution Erik Lomis.
The addition of a deep-pocketed buyer adds to speculation over who will make the big acquisition plays in Park City.
Prior to the festival there was talk that YouTube Red, Facebook and Apple could be the ones to watch besides Netflix and Amazon Studios. While those first three companies are making inroads into feature content and have the money to step up, the focus now turns to Annapurna.
Marc Weinstock (Photo via HollywoodReporter.com)
“Kathryn’s Untitled Detroit Project is exemplary of the type of films we will be distributing,” said Weinstock. “I couldn’t be more confident in the team we are establishing to distribute and market the film in a way that is as creative and masterful as her film is.”
Bigelow’s film takes place against the backdrop of Detroit’s 1967 riots. Bigelow is producing with Ellison and Matthew Budman. Mark Boal, who wrote the script, and Colin Wilson are also producers with Greg Shapiro serving as executive producer.
The release date will coincide with the 50th anniversary of the riots and stars an ensemble cast that includes John Boyega, John Krasinski, Anthony Mackie, Jason Mitchell, Will Poulter, Jack Reynor and Jeremy Strong.
Megan Ellison, producer and founder of Annapurna Pictures (Photo via Screendaily.com)
“Kathryn took a chance on me six years ago and I’m honored that she has put her faith in me and my team once again,” said Ellison, referring to Zero Dark Thirty. “I could not be more excited to be launching this new part of our company with such a groundbreaking filmmaker, tremendous collaborator, and dear friend.”
Bigelow added: “Megan has been such a huge supporter of filmmakers as a producer and the fact that she is now offering a full-fledged distribution and marketing home run by such innovative and creative executives is great news to all of us. I am thrilled to be working with them.”
Pictured above, Kathryn Bigelow’s latest film, Untitled Detroit Project, is slated to be Annapurna Pictures’ inaugural combined marketing and distribution operation. (Photo via The AV Club)
Kristen Stewart marked a major milestone in her career at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, UT, on Thursday. For the first time, the actress appeared at the festival as a director as she attended the premiere of her 17-minute short, Come Swim, which was produced in collaboration with Refinery29 for its Shatterbox Anthology, a collection of short films directed by women.
Kristin Stewart, third from left, poses with her team on the red carpet. (Photo credit: Getty Images/Joe Scarnici)
Rocking black pants, a white t-shirt, and a leather jacket, Kristen looked casual and cool as usual as she posed with her team on the red carpet. “I feel amazing,” she told reporters at the Prospector Square Theater. “I’m so happy that so many actual eyes get to see it in the theater.”
Kristen Stewart is joining the growing number of Hollywood women who’ve moved behind the camera, partnering with Refinery29’s Shatterbox Anthology for her directorial début, Come Swim. A surrealist journey through the imagination’s wild currents, Come Swim conjures a stunningly kaleidoscopic portrait of one man’s emotional interior — it’s unbounded darkness and desire. Click here for a behind-the-scenes look
The Competition and Berlinale Special of the 67th Berlin International Film Festival are now complete. 18 of the 24 films selected for Competition will be competing for the Golden and the Silver Bears. 22 of the films will have their world premieres at the festival.
The Berlinale Special will present recent works by contemporary filmmakers, documentaries, and extraordinary formats, as well as brand new series from around the world.
Berlinale Special Galas will be held at the Friedrichstadt-Palast and Zoo Palast. Other Special premieres will take place at the Kino International. Moderated discussions will follow the screenings at the Haus der Berliner Festspiele.
For the third time, Berlinale Special Series will present a selection of series in the official program. Six German and international productions will have their world premieres at the Haus der Berliner Festspiele this year. Audiences will be able to see the first two episodes of each series.
Competition
The following films will complete the Competition program:
Final Portrait
United Kingdom / France
By Stanley Tucci (Big Night, Joe Gould’s Secret, Blind Date)
With Geoffrey Rush, Armie Hammer, Clémence Poésy, Tony Shalhoub, James Faulkner, Sylvie Testud
World premiere – Out of competition
Hao ji le (Have a Nice Day) – Animation
People’s Republic of China
By Liu Jian (Piercing I)
World premiere
Sage femme (The Midwife)
France / Belgium
By Martin Provost (Le ventre de Juliette, Séraphine, Violette)
With Catherine Frot, Catherine Deneuve, Olivier Gourmet
World premiere – Out of competition
The following countries are participating in the Competition programme: Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Chile, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong – China, Hungary, India, Ireland, Japan, Lebanon, Norway, People’s Republic of China, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Senegal, Slovakian Republic, Republic of Korea (South Korea), Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, United Kingdom, and USA.
Berlinale Special
Berlinale Special Gala at the Friedrichstadt-Palast
Maudie
Canada / Ireland
By Aisling Walsh (Song for a Raggy Boy, The Daisy Chain)
With Sally Hawkins, Ethan Hawke, Kari Matchett, Zachary Bennett
European premiere
Berlinale Special Gala at the Zoo Palast
The Lost City of Z
USA
By James Gray (We Own The Night, Two Lovers, The Immigrant)
With Charlie Hunnam, Sienna Miller, Robert Pattinson, Tom Holland
International premiere
Berlinale Special at the Haus der Berliner Festspiele
the bomb – Experimental film
USA
By Kevin Ford (Three Days, By the River), Smriti Keshari (Food Chains), Eric Schlosser (Command and Control; Fast Food Nation; Food, Inc.)
Live music by The Acid
International premiere
La libertad del diablo (Devil’s Freedom) – Documentary
Mexico
By Everardo González (Pulque Song, Old Thieves: The Legend of Artegio, El cielo abierto)
World premiere
Nema-ye nazdik (Close Up)
Iran (1990)
By Abbas Kiarostami (Taste of Cherry, The Wind Will Carry Us, Certified Copy)
With Hossain Sabzian, Mohsen Makhmalbaf, Abolfazl Ahankhah, Mehrdad Ahankhah, Monoochehr Ahankhah
German Premiere of the restored version
As part of the cultural program Iranian Modernity of the Goethe-Institut
The Trial: The State of Russia vs Oleg Sentsov – Documentary
Estonia / Poland / Czech Republic
By Askold Kurov (Zima, ukhodi!; Leninland; Children 404)
World premiere
30 Years European Film Academy
13 films have been selected for the Berlinale Special program, including productions and co-productions from the following countries: Belgium, Canada, Cuba, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Germany, Iran, Ireland, Luxembourg, Mexico, Poland, Slovakian Republic, Spain, and USA.
Berlinale Special Series at the Haus der Berliner Festspiele
4 Blocks
Germany
Director: Marvin Kren (Blood Glacier, The ABCs of Death 2, Rammbock: Berlin Undead)
With Kida Khodr Ramadan, Frederick Lau, Veysel Gelin, Almila Bagriacik, Maryam Zaree, Karolina Lodyga, Oliver Masucci, Massiv
Broadcaster: TNT Serie
World premiere
Below The Surface
Denmark / Germany
Creator: Kasper Barfoed (Summer of ’92)
Director: Kasper Barfoed
With Johannes Lassen, Sara Hjort Ditlevsen, Paprika Steen
Broadcaster: Kanal 5, Discovery Networks Denmark
World premiere
Black Spot
France / Belgium
Creator: Mathieu Missoffe (Profiling)
By Thierry Poiraud (Goal of the Dead), Julien Despaux (Accused)
With Suliane Brahim, Laurent Capelluto, Hubert Delattre, Samuel Jouy
Broadcaster: France 2
World premiere
Der gleiche Himmel (The Same Sky)
Germany / Czech Republic
Creator: Paula Milne (The Politician’s Wife, The Virgin Queen, Endgame)
Director: Oliver Hirschbiegel (Downfall, 13 Minutes)
With Tom Schilling, Sofia Helin, Friederike Becht, Ben Becker, Jörg Schüttauf
Broadcaster: ZDF
World premiere
Patriot
USA / Czech Republic
Creator: Steve Conrad (The Secret Life of Walter Mitty)
With Michael Dorman, Kurtwood Smith, Michael Chernus, Kathleen Munroe, Aliette Opheim, Chris Conrad, Terry O’Quinn
Broadcaster: Amazon Prime Video
World Premiere
SS-GB
United Kingdom
Director: Philipp Kadelbach (Platonic Love, Generation War)
With Sam Riley, Kate Bosworth, Lars Eidinger, James Cosmo, Rainer Bock, Maeve Dermody, Aneurin Barnard, Jason Flemyng
Broadcaster: BBC One
World premiere
The following countries are participating in the Berlinale Special Series programme: Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, United Kingdom, and USA.
The 67th Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin will take place February 9 to 19, 2017.
The Award Ceremony will be held at the Berlinale Palast on Saturday, February 18, 2017. The last festival day, February 19, 2017, is the Berlinale Publikumstag.
Competition 2017
Ana, mon amour by Călin Peter Netzer (Romania / Germany / France) Bamui haebyun-eoseo honja (On the Beach at Night Alone) by Hong Sangsoo (Republic of Korea – South Korea) Beuys by Andres Veiel (Germany) – Documentary Colo by Teresa Villaverde (Portugal / France) The Dinner by Oren Moverman (USA) Django by Etienne Comar (France) – First feature El bar (The Bar) by Álex de la Iglesia (Spain) – Out of competition Félicité by Alain Gomis (France / Senegal / Belgium / Germany / Lebanon) Final Portrait by Stanley Tucci (United Kingdom / France) – Out of competition Hao ji le (Have a Nice Day) by Liu Jian (People’s Republic of China) – Animation Helle Nächte (Bright Nights) by Thomas Arslan (Germany / Norway) Joaquim by Marcelo Gomes (Brazil / Portugal) Logan by James Mangold (USA) – Out of competition Mr. Long by Sabu (Japan / Hong Kong, China / Taiwan / Germany) The Party by Sally Potter (United Kingdom) Pokot (Spoor) by Agnieszka Holland (Poland / Germany / Czech Republic / Sweden / Slovakian Republic) Return to Montauk by Volker Schlöndorff (France / Germany / Ireland) Sage femme (The Midwife) by Martin Provost (France / Belgium) – Out of competition T2 Trainspotting by Danny Boyle (United Kingdom) – Out of competition Teströl és lélekröl (On Body and Soul) by Ildikó Enyedi (Hungary) Toivon tuolla puolen (The Other Side of Hope) by Aki Kaurismäki (Finland / Germany) Una mujer fantástica (A Fantastic Woman) by Sebastián Lelio (Chile / USA / Germany / Spain) Viceroy’s House by Gurinder Chadha (India / United Kingdom) – Out of competition Wilde Maus (Wild Mouse) by Josef Hader (Austria) – First feature
Berlinale Special 2017
Acht Stunden sind kein Tag (Eight Hours Don’t Make A Day) by Rainer Werner Fassbinder (Federal Republic of Germany 1972) – TV series with 5 episodes the bomb by Kevin Ford, Smriti Keshari, Eric Schlosser (USA) – Experimental film Es war einmal in Deutschland… (Bye Bye Germany) by Sam Garbarski (Germany / Luxembourg / Belgium) In Zeiten des abnehmenden Lichts (In Times of Fading Light) by Matti Geschonneck (Germany) La libertad del diablo (Devil’s Freedom) by Everardo González (Mexico) – Documentary La Reina de España (The Queen of Spain) by Fernando Trueba (Spain) Le jeune Karl Marx (The Young Karl Marx) by Raoul Peck (France / Germany / Belgium) The Lost City of Z by James Gray (USA) Masaryk (A Prominent Patient) by Julius Ševčík (Czech Republic / Slovakian Republic) Maudie by Aisling Walsh (Canada / Ireland) Nema-ye nazdik (Close Up) by Abbas Kiarostami (Iran) The Trial: The State of Russia vs Oleg Sentsov by Askold Kurov (Estonia / Poland / Czech Republic) – documentary Últimos días en La Habana (Last Days in Havana) by Fernando Pérez (Cuba / Spain)
Berlinale Special Series
4 Blocks – Director: Marvin Kren (Germany) Below The Surface – Creator / Director: Kasper Barfoed (Denmark / Germany) Black Spot – Creator: Mathieu Missoffe – Director: Thierry Poiraud, Julien Despaux (France / Belgium) Der gleiche Himmel (The Same Sky) – Creator: Paula Milne – Director: Oliver Hirschbiegel (Germany / Czech Republic) Patriot – Creator: Steve Conrad (USA / Czech Republic) SS-GB – Director: Philipp Kadelbach (United Kingdom)
Viewed by Larry Gleeson at Venice Film Festival. Director Andrei Konchalovsky premiered his latest work, Paradise, at the Sala Grande Theater during the 73rd Venice International Film Festival. P…
Following a rigorous selection process, AFI selected 25 alumnae from the AFI Conservatory and the AFI Conservatory Directing Workshop for Women (DWW) to advance to the next phase of the Fox Filmmakers Lab. From a previous post, the Lab is a partnership between Twentieth Century Fox Film and AFI, who will together work to increase the number of female directors working on major studio films by giving the alumnae opportunities to direct short films based on the studio’s film franchises and titles, such as: ALIEN, CHRONICLE, DIE HARD, ERAGON (Fox 2000), THE FLY, THE MAZE RUNNER, THE OMEN, PLANET OF THE APES and PREDATOR.
The 2017 Fox Filmmaker Lab directors/AFI alumnae are:
Joey Ally
Gillian Barnes
Shaz Bennett
Meredith Berg
Aubree Bernier-Clarke
Christine Boylan
Jan Eliasberg
Rachel Goldberg
Anne Hamilton
Tannaz Hazemi
Courtney Hoffman
Mako Kamitsuna
Alexis O. Korycinski
Jean Lee
Erin Li
Maggie Mahrt
Manjari Makijany
Rosita Lama Muvdi
Mia Niebruegge
Jane Pickett
Deborah M. Pratt
Lisanne Sartor
Thoranna Sigurdardottir
Devi Snively
Valerie Weis
Following the conclusion of Lab Week at Fox — which provided participants with tremendous access to the process of studio filmmaking — the filmmakers were celebrated at a cocktail party kickoff event in Beverly Hills, CA on Thursday, January 12, with Stacey Snider (Chairman and CEO of Twentieth Century Fox Film) and Bob Gazzale (President and CEO of AFI) in attendance in support of this groundbreaking partnership and to welcome the incoming filmmakers to the program.
In the Spring, following further mentored development of their material, the directors will pitch their franchise or reboot ideas to Fox executives. One or more filmmakers will be chosen to make their concept into a short film.
Fox is committed to providing significant resources to the projects, to reflect the quality and scale of the films that they support. The filmmakers will be able to add the projects to their portfolios and pitch Fox feature films unrelated to the shorts in the future.
Posted by Larry Gleeson The Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF), presented by UGG®, will offer a vast array of films representing 50+ countries, 51 world premieres and 64 US premieres…
Earlier this week, Amazon Video Direct (AVD, a department within Amazon focused on self-publishing distribution tools for filmmakers) announced an intriguing new opportunity available to Sundance 2017 feature filmmakers. Dubbed the “Film Festival Stars” program, AVD is offering, in exchange for a two-year worldwide SVOD (subscription VOD) contract (with one-year exclusive) an up-front “cash bonus” to Sundance titles on a sliding scale based on section ($100,000 for US Narrative Competition titles, $75,000 for US Documentary Competition Titles, and $25,000 for titles in the NEXT, Midnight, Kids, World, New Frontiers, and Spotlight sections). The deal also offers a preferential rate on Amazon’s standard payouts per stream.
Though AVD framed this announcement as a “self-distribution opportunity,” it was greeted with debate from a subset of influential independent producers on Facebook, who pointed out that it sounded less like “self-distribution” and more like a traditional, albeit standardized SVOD distribution deal. The point was raised that the initial exclusivity clause would all but rule out other distribution opportunities (as SVOD is the most lucrative revenue stream on most independent films in 2017), and that what was here being referred to as a “cash bonus” was simply a rebranded version of what other distributors referred to as an MG (or “minimum guarantee”). Further concern was raised over the fact that this standardized “cash bonus” publicly assigned an across-the-board standard price point to all Sundance films premiering in a given category. Would this devalue the market overall? $100k or $25k, after all, would hardly be considered “recouping” for most films premiering at Sundance.
This is a depressing fact, but to my eyes Amazon’s numbers are actually quite generous when you consider the fact that this is a deal aimed not at the major, star-driven films premiering at the festival, but rather at those films that won’t land a big sale. There are certainly plenty of Sundance films that will not be offered worldwide MGs for nearly as high an amount as those offered here.
So is there a downside to filmmakers and producers having this additional opportunity available to them?
Probably not, at least not in the immediate future. But in my opinion this announcement should worry one subsection of the industry: niche and micro-budget distributors. By naming a standardized price that many distributors can’t hope to match, Amazon wagers that there are filmmakers out there willing to choose upfront money over the less quantifiable benefits that a smaller distributor will offer in lieu of an MG (marketing, PR, P&A, theatrical bookings).
I queried AVD about their Film Festival Stars program via email, and tried to ask questions that I’d want to know more about if I was a filmmaker or producer considering this deal, or a distributor fretting about the future of my business. They replied with these responses attributed collectively to the AVD team.
Filmmaker: Can you clarify how Amazon Video Direct differs from Amazon Studios? Are the films participating in Amazon Video Direct also available to stream for free to all Amazon Prime members?
AVD: Amazon Original Movies is interested in films for acquisition purposes — they are looking to purchase, co-finance, pre-buy and invest in premium original content that will be theatrically released and can be viewed exclusively by Prime members. Amazon Video Direct is a service offered by Amazon Video that enables filmmakers and other content creators to make their titles available to Amazon customers worldwide, including millions of Amazon Prime customers, through a self-service publishing interface without the need for complex negotiations or contracts. The Film Festival Stars program, from Amazon Video Direct, is a program focused on filmmakers, beyond those targeted for direct acquisition by AOM and Prime Video teams at Sundance, who want to self-distribute their films by providing additional opportunities to make their films available to Amazon Prime members. The opt-in nature of Amazon Video Direct and Film Festival Stars is what makes it unique.
Filmmaker: Will similar offers (with upfront “publishing bonuses”) be made to filmmakers premiering at other US festivals like SXSW and Tribeca? Or is this deal unique to Sundance?
AVD: At this time, the Film Festival Stars program is only open to films chosen as official selections at Sundance 2017.
Filmmaker: Can you speak a bit about how you determined the pricing tiers offered in this deal? The numbers imply that you have generally determined that US Dramatic Competition films are 25% more valuable than US Documentaries, and four-times more valuable than films in the Foreign and Midnight sections. How did you arrive at these estimates?
AVD: As an opt-in program, we are not placing value on individual or classes of films. The non-recoupable up front bonus for filmmakers who opt-in to the program is intended to pay for a portion of the marketing and theatrical costs typically associated with films in these categories. Every title that is published in the program will earn double the per-hour royalty rate we pay with our standard terms.
Filmmaker: Why is exclusivity important to AVD’s business plan?
AVD: We require exclusivity to justify the substantial up-front cash bonus (non-recoupable) and elevated per-hour royalty rate. AVD is investing in the film with an up-front bonus (marketing dollars), and in exchange ask it to be exclusive to Prime members through SVOD for the first 12 months (starting after a 6-month window).
Filmmaker: Some producers have criticized the windowing of this deal (which requires films start streaming by September), arguing that smaller films considering self-distribution need more time to exhaust all distribution options, and to realistically plan and execute a theatrical release. How did you arrive at this deadline, and what is your response to those who say its in a filmmaker’s best interest to wait longer before choosing a VOD partner?
AVD: There are many high-quality films screened at major film festivals that are ultimately not acquired for full service distribution. The Film Festival Stars program is designed to provide a new distribution pathway alternative for a broader set of films screened during the 2017 Sundance Film Festival. Each film is unique and we believe expanding distribution options for filmmakers will result in more great films reaching a bigger audience. We also feel it is important to ensure filmmakers retain the flexibility to pursue additional distribution options outside of our SVOD exclusivity terms.
Filmmaker: I imagine many filmmakers will find themselves torn between this AVD offer and offers from smaller, niche distributors who are making lower monetary bids but with a more tailored, hands-on approach to things like P&A and theatrical. Taking into account that smaller distributors are still able to place films on major streaming platforms (including Amazon), and that self-distribution can be quite a time-consuming and costly endeavor, what would your argument be to a filmmaker to go with AVD outside of the money offered?
AVD: The “opt-in” nature of Film Festival Stars is what makes it unique.Filmmakers who do not choose to participate in the Film Festival Stars program are free to choose whether they want to license their SVOD rights on the standard program terms. With the Film Festival Stars program we are creating another option for filmmakers as they craft a holistic distribution strategy, which may include self-distribution or working with other distribution partners. The filmmaker is making the choice and in control.
