by Marla Lewin
This Sunday is Independence Day a time for backyard BBQs, friends, and fireworks. Next Sunday, July 11, is time for the Bastille Day Los Angeles Festival. As an homage to the French holiday and to France’s major significance in the formation of classical ballet, the American Ballet of Los Angeles (ABLA) will make its official L.A. debut performing "flirtatious and fun dance vignettes" set to the musical styling of Brigitte Bardot at the Elysian Pa...
by Marla Lewin
We will be attending another Shorts Film Fest this time here in Los Angeles. They proclaim themselves to be the largest short film festival in the world with 285 film screenings and 9 days of educational panels, interactive and entertaining events. Their host venue is the Laemmle Sunset 5 Theaters located at 8000 Sunset Blvd. West Hollywood CA 90046.
They tell me that the festival has quickly become the industry standard for showcasing and awarding undiscov...
Farewell poster
by Marc Halperin
One of the films I looked forward to watching at the LA Film Festival was Farewell which premiered last November at the International Documentary Film Festival in Amsterdam. Ever since I was a child I have had a fascination for these stately airships. Maybe it was the archival footage of the Hindenburg or just the Led Zeppelin album cover?
Farewell tells the story of Lady Grace Drummond-Hay, the only female passenger on the first journey ...
Roger Corman Independent Film Legendby Marla LewinThe LA film festival had a free outdoor screening at a new mixed use residential complex named The Los Angeles Center it is a short walk from the Disney Concert Hall and the MOCA, The Museum of Contemporary Art. It was a film named Climate Refugees based on the effects of climate change. Marc talked with Ed Begley, Jr, who remembered him from working with The Grifters, at that time Ed was dating Annette Benning. Ed had driven to the Acade...
Images Copyright Marvel Comics and Columbia Pictures All Rights Reserved by Marc HalperinAfter a comprehensive worldwide casting search Columbia Pictures and Marvel Studios have their new Spiderman, Andrew Garfield has been chosen to portray Peter Parker. Spider-Man returns to the big screen in 3D on July 3, 2012. The new film directed by Marc Webb, will begin production in early December from a screenplay by James Vanderbilt. Bloggers, pop culture commentators, and everyday fans have spe...
James Franco comes out to support Palm Springs Shortfest - photo(c) Lani Garfield by Marla LewinThe largest short film festival in North America announced its Winners Sunday at an Award Ceremony at the Camelot Theatre. Some of the finest award winning shorts were shown in-between announcing the winners. Darryl Macdonald said, “The sheer quality and diversity of the work on view provided testament to extraordinary new talents emerging worldwide.” Darryl also said that next year he wo...
(c) 20th Century Fox all Rights Reserved
by Marla Lewin
There is no doubt that John Lithgow is an accomplished serious actor who can never be too over the top for his own liking. Tuesday night was a rare opportunity to see him in a conversation with David Ansen, the new Artistic Director of LAFF. What was so special about this was that they were college roommates at Harvard and are still best friends. That gave David a unique insight and made it a more personal co...
The Fantastical Worlds of Ray Harryhausen: Images courtesy of The Ray & Diana Harryhausen Foundation by Marc HalperinRay Harryhausen is a national treasure with his groundbreaking work with stop motion animation he has changed the world of filmmaking. He has inspired everyone working in special effects today and his pioneering work ushered in the world of digital effects. It is only fitting that the Academy present this special summer tribute to him as Ray was responsible for so many summ...
by Marc Halperin
We had lunch last Saturday with Michael Nash the director of Climate Refugees which has a free screening today at the LA film festival. The film focuses on Bangladesh, Chad, China, Kenya, Tuvalu, and the USA and promises to be a riveting 89 minutes.
“Climate Refugees” is a term few people outside the U.S. military and U.N. circles are familiar with until now. This illuminating documentary takes the next step after An Inconvenient Truth and examines...
by Marc Halperin
The latest James Bond film is on hold because of financial problems at MGM and Connery has been replaced by a string of new Bonds that still haven't overcome his signature performance. Russell Crowe has stepped into the role of Robin Hood. Sir Sean hasn't been seen in a new movie since 2003's The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen as Alan Quartermain. Some of us still think he was the last definitive Robin Hood in 1976's Robin and Marion with the wonderful ...
by Marla Lewin The LAFF Premiere of Davis Guggenheim's WAITING FOR “SUPERMAN” was on Monday, June 21st, Celebrities attending include: Jerry O’Connell, Rebecca Romijn, Pamela Reed (Jericho), Jay Roach (Producer), Elisabeth Rohm (Law & Order), Lesley Ann Warren (In Plain Sight), Cheryl Hines, Brett Ratner, Kate Bosworth, Alexander Skarsgard (True Blood). There was another Gala screening and Conversation with John Legend, director Davis Guggenheim, and school expert Gregory Canada,...
by Marla LewinThe play “Arcadia” is set at the English estate of the Coverlys, a family of the nobility, and bounces back and forth between 1809 and the present day. Arcadia refers to the classical Greek state of mind which is pastorial and harmonius. There is little of that actually in the play where both classic and present day characters look for love, relics, and recommendation and confirmation of their talents.There is repeated mention of poet, playboy Lord Byron himself, though we ne...
by Marla LewinThe World Premiere of "One Lucky Elephant" at the L.A. Film Festival attracted Lily Tomlin, Academy Award-director, Kathryn Bigelow and actress Persia White ("Girlfriends"), who saw the film and stayed for a special panel discussion hosted by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) that focused on the plight of elephants and other wild animals in captivity. Moderated by NY Times journalist and author Charles Siebert, the panel featured the film’s di...
The Marvel Universe: (c) 2010 Marvel Comics All Rights Reserved.
by Marc Halperin
Toying with Transmedia was a lecture by MIT professor Henry Jenkins, this trend has been around for more than a decade but has gained traction lately. I first heard about Transmedia at the San Diego Comic-Con years ago. Robert Gould an old friend created Imaginosis in 1999 to focus on visual artists who create "World Properties." At the center of that company is the World of Brian...
by Marla Lewin
The 2010 Palm Springs International ShortFest announced that it has selected 314 films from more than 3,000 worldwide entries. Among the films screening and in competition areaward-winning films from 43 countries around the world. The 16th ShortFest will showcase 58 World Premieres, 55 North American Premieres and 24 U.S. Premieres. All selections are structured into 52 themed programs, which will screen June 22-28, at the Camelot Theatres in ...
Del Shores’ Yellow in West Hollywood by Marla LewinThis is Del Shores first new play in seven years! There is something so special about going to the opening night, and a World Premiere, because the living author/playwright/director/producer brings an emotional, engaging new play alive. With of course the help of so many great artists actors and his other producers. There is something so exciting when all of this comes together and the chemistry all works. It is magical.So what does one w...
DAVID ANSEN, Artistic director of the LA film festival
by Marla Lewin
I just got off the phone with David Ansen, who I have known from the festival circuit, as well as I must admit we are neighbors. Through the years I loved reading his Newsweek reviews, as he is so highly regarded as one of Americas top film critics. It was an honor to speak with him today in his new position.
Marla: So David, I remember last year you were on the Jury of the LA film festival, and w...
by Marla LewinFriday we went to see a film about the Canadian Royal Winnipeg Ballet School titled Tutu Much. We knew Vonnie Holmett from several film festivals a few years ago. We originally met at a speed dating PR session in Victoria. This year we met her again at the Canadian pavilion. It is so exciting to see Vonnie here in Cannes with her ballet film screening. Her film is a sensitive exploration of the development of young ballerinas during a six week summer course. This is a mak...
photo by Marc Halperin by Marla Lewin There are many producers in the Producer’s Network this year who have made wonderful films out of England, the US, Germany, and South Africa. There is a comradery between those who are attending for several years and each year the level of work and production is evolving. There are new people to meet from China, Kurdistan, and old mates from Rio, Estonia, Scotland, and Italy. There are funds available for international filmmakers to learn and ...
The Palais at Cannes: photo by Marc Halperinby Marla Lewin There was a protest today about the Algerian movie, and the French people are concerned how this piece of history might reflect its point of view. Passing through Paris there was news of a protest in the city which greatly effected traffic. Last Monday meetings and flights were cancelled again for those flying in and out of Heathrow and Rotterdam, with ...
by Marla LewinThe security to get into the film Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives from Thailand at the Palais was extremely tight. When you are at Cannes one feels cut off from outside news. Yet we had heard of the burning of two theatres in Thailand during the latest protests. That situation and this movie, make other films we have seen here almost surreal.Uncle Boonmee is a story of ghosts and Buddhist ritual. It is set in modern day in the country where a man is preparing to ...
photo by Marc Halperin by Marla LewinOne of the most interesting documentaries I saw at Cannes 2010 is My Films Are My Mistress by Stig Bjorkman. A compilation of backstage moments and interviews with master director Ingmar Bergman. The film is interspersed with comments from Martin Scorsese , Woody Allen and many other great directors speaking about his style and the lessons they learned from his work. Their interpretations of Bergman and his importance to world cinema, in a...
by Marla LewinAttendance of Americans and other foreign buyers is down again at Cannes this year. Mostly French people seem to be filling the Palais and theatres for screenings. There are still international press and buyers present but activity in the market is very subdued. There are a few companies who seem to be making sales, many people with booths in the market have left early, those who stayed were complaining it is very slow. Some though are seeing progress and finding opportunities. ...
by Marla Lewin We arrived in Cannes and went right to the Carlton hotel and I said hello to Brian Grazer in the lobby, who said he was excited to be in Cannes for the opening night premiere of his film Robin Hood! We had flown in on the same plane as Donna Langley co-chairman of Universal. We were all relieved when the airline held our connecting flight to Nice because our Los Angeles flight had been late. We had heard rumors in the airport that officials were considering closing airports...
by Marc HalperinToday , Wednesday was the opening of our first Cannes as working press. We have attended almost every year since 2001 working in the Film Market. Wednesday started and ends with Robin Hood. Press screenings were held in the morning but with some press reviews already out in the States it was more important to attend the press conference. A typical media circus. We arrived at the event early to make sure we were inside where we ran into many of our press friends from around the...
Marla is a producer, playwright, screenwriter, publicist and now a journalist. She attends 12 to 20 film festivals per year. She has spoken on filmmaking at many festivals including Cannes and SXSW.
