I just finished my GUTH GAFA panel on the FUTURE OF DISTRIBUTION (WHAT future??!) moderated by Jan from Film Transit. Phew — it was a good one, with lots of great information via my fellow panelists. Well, now I can eat. More on this later.

And as all of you avid IndiePix followers know, Elephant Eye booked the IndiePix produced documentary Billy the Kid . Here is the scoop:

“Elephant Eye Trunks a TV Deal with MTV; Shops Growing Slate in Market

MTV has acquired U.S. television rights to director Benson Lee’s break dancing doc, “Planet B-Boy” from production, sales and boutique distribution outfit Elephant Eye Films. Elephant, which currently has “B-Boy” in release theatrically Stateside, also negotiated a video deal for the title, which has enjoyed a successful box office run, with Arts Alliance America in addition to VOD, which Gravitas Ventures repped and sold to Warner Home Video.

to continue reading, the Indiewire article is : here

Does eating a smoked salmon sandwich at the restaurant/bar of the Irish Film Centre count as checking out their cinephile culture? Well, it did for me! I was starving after only eating some carmelized chicken-type product shaped like turds and stale yellow rice on the plane last night. And let me tell you guys, Aer Lingus, with their WINE THAT YOU HAVE TO PAY FOR ON AN INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT and rude flight attendants who attempt to admonish you constantly in the friendliest way possible and even if you wanted another glass of wine they wouldn’t let you have one, cause they only do bar service ONCE so MAKE SURE YOU GET YOUR DRINK BEFORE THE DINNER SERVICE STARTS. And then they play “The Bucket List.” That said, I had a lovely morning and day. We rolled in a bit early, around 9 a.m., but customs and finding my misplaced luggage took over two hours, so I didn’t get on the bus to the city centre until after noon, at which point I was too late for my meeting with Alan Maher, head of the Irish Film Centre, so we had to reschedule for the 24th (post-Cannes for him; post-Helsinki non-film fun for me). So I got out, walked a bit, and grabbed a huge filter pot of coffee at some very famous place on Grafton Street (I think it’s called Bewley’s??). I’ll have to check on that. You know, it’s famous and big and like, James Joyce used to sit there all day, drink 17 coffees and 10 Guinesses and write maybe one word. That sort of thing. The I wandered into the “hip” neighborhood of Temple Bar, with the sole intention of checking out the Irish Film Institute, which I remember very fondly from my last trip to Dublin, 10 years ago. It looked like it is still a great, thriving place. They were playing PERSEPOLIS, the JOY DIVISION documentary, and a few French films, including one starring the immobile protagonist of THE DIVING BELL AND BUTTERFLY. There was no film that fit my time frame, so I went wandering to St. Stephen’s Green Park, which was completely packed, and was soothed to sleep by a bright sun. When I woke up, I had no idea where I was, but the accents quickly cut through my misty consciousness. And after more walking, i had to catch the bus back to this airport, where I now await a short flight to Donegal and check in with my (hopefully) future pals at the Guth Gafa Documentary Festival. My panel is on Saturday, so between hiking and absorbing nature, I will be brainstorming. If anyone has advice on what I should say on the “Future of Distribution”, I welcome your emails. More soon.

As a devoted David Lynch fan who sat through all three hours of INLAND EMPIRE at least 4 times, I was excited to see the trailer for SURVEILLANCE, the latest film by his daughter Jennifer. From the looks of it, it’ll be a bit too MTV-generation for my taste -what with all its quick cuts and flashy digital photography, but I’ll go see anything remotely touched by this man.

Over the last 10 weeks, the independent film “industry” has been restructured before our eyes. Let’s take a look:

1. ThinkFilm, in a financial crises having overpaid for films that it can’t make money on in distribution, sells its catalog to a Canadian investor/speculator.

2. New Line Cinema, respected for its having pioneered “edgy” films into the mass market, is closed by Warner Bros; 450 jobs in NY and LA lost.

3. Picturehouse, run by top indie film distributor Bob Berney, is closed by Warner and titles folded into the studio.

4. Warner Independent, the so-called “independent” arm of Warner managed by a former studio exec, Polly Cohen, is closed and folded into the studio.

5. Cablevision, owner of the IFC channel, successfully bids an estimated $500 million for the Sundance Channel, now controls all cable presentation of independent film.

6. Discovery Networks, after purchasing rights to and then declining to show “Taxi to the Dark Side“, Discovery is rumoured to be closing their independent film activity and may cut back on their support of Silver Docs

Is the world of indie film burning up? Or is a new era about to emerge? (more…)

“We are thrilled to be supporting such a promising group of filmmakers who bring authenticity, urgency, and innovation to their storytelling,” said Michelle Satter, Director of the Feature Film Program. “The June Lab offers a place to fully explore the potential of their material and to develop their craft as screenwriters and directors. It is heartening to know that these filmmakers are fully engaged in the world we live in and have created stories with humor and pathos that will resonate for many years to come.”

Over the course of the Directors Lab, the Fellows work with an accomplished group of Creative Advisors and professional production crews, shooting and editing key scenes from their scripts. Through this intense, hands-on process, the Fellows pusthe boundaries of their scripts, allowing them to workshop text, collaborate with actors, and find a visual language for their film in an atmosphere where experimentation is encouraged. Directors Lab Fellows also join in the week-long Screenwriters Lab with five additional Screenwriter projects to participate in individualized story sessions under the guidance of established screenwriters.

The participants and projects selected for the 2008 June Directors Lab are: (click on “more” to see the background on these projects and participants. This is a great list!) (more…)