Search results for: Paul King

Esteemed Mexican film critic Carlos Bonfil makes an interesting point in a recent article for La Jornada, independent Mexican films which garner critical acclaim in the international film circuit and are therefore perceived as the state of Mexican films, are rarely if ever seen by the general public in its own country.

Foreign film specialists Music Box Films have grabbed the rights to Marcel Rasquin's directorial debut - a sport-themed drama where the two exits for a better life are either making the team or joining another "sort" of team. Considering that the field is rather strong this year, Brother (Hermano) -- this year's Venezuelan submission for the Foreign Language Oscar, does appear to be a long-shot for a shortlist nomination.

Two years after their appearance on the 2008 Black List, topper films such as The Beaver, Oranges and Butter are all in the bank and awaiting a release next year, while if we plunge into the 2009 list, we see a bunch of titles that have had half the time to get into the starting gate and yet, there are a handful of projects on this list that should, barring disaster, be completed and readied for a 2011 release.

While the top of the 2008 list does have some exceptional projects that have already gone under the lense, Quentin Tarantino's war epic is the only film in this section that hasn't had trouble monetizing on it's Black List "status". Just behind picks 1 to 15 we find The Descendants, Going the Distance, Nowhere Boy and Kevin Smith's Couple of Dicks (Cop Out).

Next week is when hopeful screenwriters who've had one of their scripts circulate the respective production houses are hoping that their screenplay gets a couple of extra bites. Now in it's sixth year, it'll also be a time when curious onlookers such as film executives, development people, agents and hardcore cinephiles take a gather at a list that emphasizes quality and original writing. blcklst.com has been all spruced up for the occasion --- so you should definitely check back there to see what 2010 will reveal -- and if you're like us and like to revisit Best of Lists of the previous years. Last year over 300 executives contributed their opinion to make up a Black List that had a Muppet Movie (not the Jason Segel project) in the number one spot and The Social Network at number 2.