SaskFilm in partnership with Film Market Access is pleased to support the involvement of Saskatchewan emerging producers and filmmakers in the Toronto Internship Program from September 8-15th 2010 in Toronto, Ontario.  

FMA’s Toronto program helps emerging filmmakers and film students maximize opportunities available during the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) through the following:  

1. Introduction to the festival in the form of intern (or junior delegate)

2. An internship with well-respected companies such as William Morris, Yari Film Group, IM Global and Moving Pictures; where they can prove themselves and launch their careers. 

 For complete details on this announcement please contact: charlene@saskfilm.com  or Tel: 306-798-3317

Dates:  September 8-15, 2010.   Participants must arrive on September 8 prior to 3:00pm local time.

Location:  Toronto, Ontario 

To apply: Applicants must submit the following by August 18, 2010 to charlene@saskfilm.com: 

1. A completed application form.

2. A current resume.

3. Electronic file of Passport size headshot (TIFF requires photo for accreditation badge).

 Registration fee: SaskFilm will cover registration fee and flight.

 For additional information contact:

Charlene Hilkewich

Initiatives and Policy Manager

SaskFilm

Tel: 306-798-3317

Email: charlene@saskfilm.com

MONTREAL – Laurence Anyways, the forthcoming film from Montreal director Xavier Dolan, has been selected to take part in the Un Certain Regard section of the Cannes Film Festival set to run May 16-27, 2012.

Un Certain Regard runs parallel to the main competition for the Palme d’Or, the top prize at Cannes, and is intended to showcase work by young and innovative directors. Actor Tim Roth will head this year’s Un Certain Regard jury.

Dolan is no stranger to success at Cannes. In 2009, J’ai tué ma mère – his first feature film, which he wrote, directed and co-starred in with Anne Dorval – won three prizes at the Director’s Fortnight, the independent film program at the festival.

In 2010, his second film, Les Amours imaginaires, also premiered at Cannes as part of Un Certain Regard.

Laurence Anyways is set in 1989, and is about a man who decides on his 30th birthday that he wants to become a woman.

The film stars Nathalie Baye, Melvil Poupaud and Dolan regular Monia Chokri, and is scheduled for release in May.

Among the films joining Laurence Anyways as part of this year’s Un Certain Regard is Antiviral, the first feature by Brandon Cronenberg, son of acclaimed Canadian director David Cronenberg.

At the Cannes festival’s main event, movies starring Brad Pitt and Nicole Kidman will premiere and works by U.S. director Wes Anderson and David Cronenberg will be among 22 films vying for the coveted “Palme d’Or”, the top prize at the glitzy cinema showcase which can significantly boost a picture’s box office and awards potential.

Famous director/father David-Cronenberg with son Brandon-Cronenberg on his heel

Officials will be hoping that the blend of Hollywood star power and auteurs from around the globe will help the festival recover from last year’s controversy when Danish director Lars Von Trier was expelled for making Nazi jokes during a press conference.

“Killing Me Softly,” from New Zealand-born director Andrew Dominik, and co-starring “The Sopranos” James Gandolfini, sees Pitt investigating a heist during a mob-protected poker game.

Anderson’s 1960s drama “Moonrise Kingdom,” starring Ed Norton and Bill Murray, is set to kick off the May 16-27 festival, while Cronenberg’s “Cosmopolis,” starring “Twilight” hearthrob Robert Pattison, is also in the main running.

And Twilight fans will also be keen to get their teeth into “On the Road,” the adaptation of Jack Kerouac’s classic novel from Brazilian director Walter Salles. Its cast includes Twilight co-star Kristen Stewart as well as Viggo Mortensen and Kirsten Dunst.

Contenders from host country France include “Vous N’Avez Encore Rien Vu,” from veteran European festival favorite Alain Resnais, 89, and Jacques Audiard’s “De Rouille et D’Os” (“Rust and Bone”) starring Oscar-winner Marion Cotillard.

Austrian filmmaker Michael Haneke, a former Palme d’Or winner, is also competing with his French film “Amour” starring Isabelle Huppert.

At a press conference held in the grand salon of a Paris hotel flanked by this year’s festival poster of Marilyn Monroe, organizers saluted great filmmakers from around the world.

This is a partial Article from The Montreal Gazette…

Continue reading at this link. http://www.montrealgazette.com/entertainment/movie-guide/Xavier+Dolan+heading+back+Cannes+film+festival/6484114/story.html

MOONRISE KINGDOM, the new film by American Wes Anderson, will open the 65^thFestival de Cannes on Wednesday, 16 May in the Grand théâtre Lumière of the Palais des Festivals, with the Jury presided over by Italian filmmaker Nanni Moretti in attendance.

MOONRISE KINGDOM was filmed on an island in New England. It recounts a tormented and surprising story of children and adults during the stormy days of the summer of 1965.

Born in 1969, Wes Anderson is the director of Bottle Rocket (1996), Rushmore (1998), The Royal Tenenbaums (2011), The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004), The Darjeeling Limited (2007), and Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009).

Thierry Frémaux, the Festival’s General Delegate, commented: “Wes Anderson is one of the rising powers of American cinema, to which he brings a highly personal touch, particularly in MOONRISE KINGDOM, which once again is a testimony to the creative freedom in which he continues to evolve. Sensitive and independent, this admirer of Fellini and Renoir is also in his own right a brilliant and inventive filmmaker.”

Gilles Jacob, President of the Festival, is glad to proclaim: “With Wes Anderson opening the 65^th Festival de Cannes, young American cinema will be celebrated on the Croisette.”

Distributed in France by Studio Canal, the film will be released in cinemas on 16 May, the same day as its screening in Cannes. For the second consecutive year, with the agreement of its partner Canal+ and the support of the Fédération Nationale des Cinémas Français, the Festival de Cannes will make the Opening Ceremony available to all the cinemas that request it, so that spectators can experience “live” the full programme of the opening night of the Festival. In the USA, the film will be released on 25 May

I will have the reviewed list of official selection (Competition, Un Certain Regard, Out of Competition) on Thursday, 19 April.

The Cannes Film Festival, whose 65th edition plays from May 16 to 27, has immortalized Hollywood actress Marilyn Monroe in an official poster.

Happy 65 Cannes - your one and only Marilyn Monroe.

The black and white picture shows Monroe in an intimate moment, seductively blowing a kiss.  The image conveys an exhilarating flash of myth meeting reality.

Monroe was just 36 when she was found dead in bed. Officially, she had overdosed herself with sleeping pills, but 50 years after this tragic end in 1962, nobody is sure whether it was an accident or a suicide or a murder.

But Marilyn Monroe remains after all these decades as sexily captivating as she was on screen, the innocence of her pout (matched today only by Angelina Jolie’s), and  the allure of her frock flying in the breeze still a source of  titillation.

The festival says – She enchants us with this promising gesture: a seductively blown kiss. The Festival is a temple of glamour and Marilyn is its perfect incarnation. Their coming together symbolises the ideal of simplicity and elegance.

What do you think of the official Cannes Poster…lets us know

Nanni Moretti will be President of the Jury of the 65th Festival de Cannes to be held from May 16 to 27, 2012.

Italian Director Nanni Moretti

Accepting the invitation, the Italian actor and director said: “This is a real joy, an honour and a tremendous responsibility to preside over the jury of the most prestigious festival of cinematography in the world, a festival that is held in a country where film has always been treated with interest and respect.
As a director, I was always very moved when my films were presented at the Festival de Cannes. I also have very happy memories of my experience as a jury member during the fiftieth anniversary season, and of the attentiveness and passion that went into the jury’s viewing and discussion of all the films.
As a spectator, fortunately I still have the same curiosity that I had in my youth and so it is a great privilege for me to embark on this voyage into the world of contemporary international film.”

Nanni Moretti  has presented six films at the Festival de Cannes, including last year’s highly praised Habemus Papam(We Have a Pope).

To read more on Moretti’s films credits: www.festival-cannes.fr/en/article/58800.html

Like TIFF or Sundance many festivals will select a number of features ( let’s say minimum 110 films) from a total near 4,042 submissions for their festival’s lineups. Based on most festival’s history, it’s fair to say that less than 40 of those films will be acquired by established, full-service film distributors. At best, this translates to a 1% success rate for aspiring filmmakers.

Given this sobering reality, producers — members of the 99% — are embracing a post-distributor marketplace. But understanding how to navigate this alternate landscape is essential.

This means recognizing the sound of a reshuffling deck. In the old game, producers relied on key factors beyond their control: top-tier film festival invites, prestigious jury prizes, audience awards and, all too frequently, the particular tastes and needs of distribution executives.

From this new shuffle, producers will deal their own cards, managing risk and seeking out rewards that include some combination of maximum exposure, return on investment and recognition.

Of course, traditional distributors will continue to service independent films. However, I believe most producers will market and distribute their projects on their own by incorporating old and new media, within and outside the traditional marketplace. Benefits include greater control, reduced costs, increased financial rewards and transparent accounting. However, this also means assuming full responsibility from the onset and taking all measures required to achieve their objectives.

With that in mind, here’s seven key practices producers must embrace to succeed in the post-distributor marketplace.
Embrace the Role of Entrepreneur.
Understand the odds: Whether by design or default, you probably won’t have a conventional distributor. Research best practices; collaborate with other successful producers and industry professionals. Create and adhere to success plans grounded in hard numbers.

Mix Old and New Distribution.
Assume responsibility for building an integrated media platform; successful marketing and distribution plans are a mix of old and new media. While you may sidestep turnkey arrangements, you’ll still leverage traditional platforms where appropriate. Specialty theatrical releases, DVD, VOD, television broadcasts, digital streaming and downloads, whether for sale or subscription, all figure in. Like recording artists who release content through their own labels, producers can establish their own branded distribution companies. Thanks to an emerging class of service providers and content aggregators, there’s a number of distribution options that act as facilitators rather than gatekeepers and render essential delivery services (digital encoding, quality control) for relatively modest fees.

Create Key Marketing Elements, and Then Create Some More.
Constantly create content. Take an abundance of photographs and videos that capture each step of production, both in front of the camera and behind the scenes; they will be vital for marketing. Images are the connective tissue between the production and its fanbase.

Integrate Social Media.
Your project’s success depends on your ability to incorporate social media as an essential marketing platform. YouTube, Facebook and Twitter are indispensable for developing an audience and generating a robust and substantive dialogue with their fans.

Forge Partnerships with Friends, Family and Fans.
Musicians have understood this for years: Success depends on establishing a personal relationship with fans. Create a network of digital hubs (YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, your own websites) to share project-related content; partner with support groups that will mobilize for both fundraising and distribution. Over the past year, we’ve witnessed a slew of producers who cultivated and partnered with rabid fanbases to achieve their goals.
David Dinerstein, now president of LD Entertainment, helped manage Kevin Smith’s “Red State” marketing strategy. “Every project comes with its own brand of drama,” he says. “With entertaining and informative posts, empowered producers can create positive value even from production setbacks.” While following the production’s own dramatic narrative, audiences vest in the film’s outcome and can become a service for financial and marketing support.

Collaborate with Experts.
You will need a team of specialists to replace the people who manage publicity, marketing and distribution in the traditional model. Key is a digital marketer to design and manage unique strategies; author and industry consultant Jonathan Reiss says these individuals are important enough to deserve producer status — Producers of Marketing and Distribution, aka PMDs.

Incorporate Crowdfunding.
It’s not just production money; crowdfunding is an invaluable tool for financing marketing and distribution. It also increases audience awareness and can motivate an army of loyal supporters. 

This list is by no means exhaustive, but it’s a powerful blueprint: Members of the 99 percent hold the power to change the course of independent film.

Indiewire.com – writing credit Steven C. Beer

Steven C. Beer is a shareholder in the international entertainment practice of Greenberg Traurig’s New York office. Steven has served as counsel to numerous award-winning writers, directors and producers, as well as industry-leading film production, film finance and film distribution companies.