Exclusive articles:
IFC Solves ‘Puzzle’
Natalia Smirnoff, an art director-turned casting director-turned filmmaker will see her debut film, what appears to be a Berlin Film Festival favorite, get a theatrical run via the IFC folks. Smirnoff, who's worked with Lucrecia Martel and Pablo Trapero, saw her debut film Puzzle receive a Films In Progress screening at the San Sebastian Film Festival, just prior to landing a main comp spot in Berlin.
Cannes 2010 Predictions (Sidebars): Marchand, Villeneuve, Veiroj, Araki and Doillon
In many ways, Cannes' parallel sidebars (Director's Fortnight, Critic's Week and I'm including Un Certain Regard here) are the hardest sections to forecast - the high volume of films from all corner of the globe and the actual number of available slots makes it perhaps more difficult to predict than the actual Main Competition predictions..
10 Reasons to Visit the Multiplex: Oscar Nominated Live Action & Animated Short Films
How many office Oscar pools are won by the wise ass who happens to know the competition in the often neglected short film categories? This year's winner could be you, but all joking aside, Magnolia Pictures has, for the past five years, made watching Oscar nominated short films in both the animated and live action categories easier than pie.
SPC Traps David Michod’s ‘Animal Kingdom’
Sony Pictures Classics have finally made a Sundance pick-up - and let me tell you, they've pretty much landed themselves a masterwork in David Michôd's debut -- and trust me, I don't use a word like masterwork lightly. Animal Kingdom was perhaps the biggest title that had yet to find a high bidder, and almost one month to the date that it premiered in Park City's Egyptian theater, SPC have grabbed the all US and Latin American rights to the pic.
Cannes 2010 Predictions (Competition Films): Loach, Tarr, Allen, Malick and Sofia Coppola
It's always fun to guess how the jury might end up voting and whether the head of juror will indeed sway the final vote. Last year The White Ribbon won and the wave of reactions obviously pointed to Huppert and Haneke's well-known rapport. The previous year, Sean Penn gave the Palme d'Or to The Class, not a politically-themed picture, but a social drama that represents a common pandemic. This year we have Tim Burton as the master of ceremonies -- knowing him he has a taste for noir and fantasy.
