I've long felt that if she couldn't make Cannes or Venice that she would aim for NY because it gives her film maximum visibility. Most of the important critics are there and it is the last major festival and the closest to her release date. It means she can get the needed press exposure without having to go through the full Fall festival grind and still be well positioned to generate buzz and momentum that could eventually lead to an Awards campaign.
Obviously, this tactic would not work for most new directors since slots in the NYFF are highly competitive. Roman Polanski's Carnage has been confirmed as the Opening Night offering and other films mentioned as possible entries include Clint Eastwood's J. Edgar and Tomas Alfredson's Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. But it is hard to picture a festival that would not welcome the opportunity to be the first to unveil Angelina's debut effort especially with all the buzz that is already swirling around it. And there is no event in the world that would not love to have her on the Red Carpet. Additionally, Bob Berney, the head of FilmDistrict, is an old and widely respected hand who would know most of the members of the screening committee in the remote event that Blood and Honey needed help in securing a spot.
While Angelina may not be as obsessed with Awards as many of her peers, a heavy film about war like Blood and Honey could use Awards buzz to help boost its box office just as it did for The Hurt Locker. At the end of the day, even if she is loathe to talk about it now, she will undoubtedly be very thrilled if she were to be regarded as a serious contender for a nomination in any category for a project that clearly means a lot to her.
Since 1963, The New York Film Festival has continued to bring new and important cinematic works by filmmakers from around the world. The Festival includes official film selections along with special events, panel discussions, directors dialoges, the experimental film showcase Views from the Avant-Garde, and much more.
The 2011 New York Film Festival will take place September 30 - October 16, 2011.
The New York Film Festival is produced by the Film Society of Lincoln Center to celebrate the development of international film art and contemporary trends in content, form and style. The Festival is highly competitive with an average of 28 feature film and 12 short films selected each year. There are no categories and no prizes are awarded. The selection is made by a five-person committee headed the Film Society's Program Director, Richard Peña. The other committee members include Scott Foundas, Associate Programmer, Film Society, and film critics Melissa Anderson, Dennis Lim and Todd McCarthy. The New York Film Festival takes place at Lincoln Center in Alice Tully Hall, the Walter Reade Theater and the Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center.
Deadlines for submissions in 2011 are:
Early entry: June 24 - short $35 / feature $45
Regular entry: July 15 - short $50 – feature $70
Late entry: July 22 - short $75 – feature $100
Festival information will be available on FilmLinc starting mid-August.
Polanski’s Latest Opening NYFF
Posted by Eugene Hernandez on 7.29.2011
With two months until the start of the 49th New York Film Festival, the Film Society has some big news this afternoon. The 2011 NYFF will open with the North American premiere of Carnage, Roman Polanski’s adaptation of Yasmina Reza’s Tony Award winning play, God of Carnage.
The festival will kick-off at Alice Tully Hall here at Lincoln Center on Friday, September 30th and continue at Lincoln Center through October 16th.
Polanski’s new film, set amidst a tumultuous encounter inside a Brooklyn apartment, stars Jodie Foster, Kate Winslet, Christoph Waltz and John C. Reilly. It follows the events of an evening when two Brooklyn couples are brought together after their children are involved in a playground fight.
The Polish-French filmmaker is no stranger to the New York Film Festival. His first feature, Knife in the Water, played at the first New York Film Festival in 1963.
"From Knife in the Water to Repulsion to The Tenant, Roman Polanski has shown himself to be an absolute master at making the most restricted spaces come to dramatic life,” praised Film Society program director Richard Peña today, “In Carnage, aided by four remarkable performances, he has reached a new pinnacle in his already extraordinary career.”
Peña is chair of the selection committee for the New York Film Festival and this year he’s again joined by four committee members, including Village Voice critic Melissa Anderson, Film Society associate program director Scott Foundas, Moving Image Source editor Dennis Lim and chief film critic from The Hollywood Reporter Todd McCarthy.
This year’s selection committee is still screening films for the upcoming New York Film Festival. The complete lineup for the event will be announced in mid-August.
General public tickets will go on sale September 12th. There will be an advance ticketing opportunity for Film Society of Lincoln Center Patrons and Members prior to that date.
"We are delighted to kick off the festival with a quintessential New York story featuring superb performances from a quartet of the finest actors working today," explained Film Society executive director Rose Kuo. "The film will certainly provoke the kind of discussions about contemporary issues that guarantee a memorable night."
Deauville American Film Fest Unveils Lineup
Francis Ford Coppola will be this year’s guest of honor at the fest, which kicks off Sept. 2.
PARIS -- Old school Hollywood glam will storm the Normandy beaches with an army of star power including Francis Ford Coppola, Blake Edwards, Todd Solondz, Shirley MacLaine, Danny Glover and Naomi Watts when the 37th annual Deauville American Film Festival kicks off on Sept. 2.
Coppola will be this year’s Guest of Honor while Edwards, Solondz, MacLaine, Glover and Watts will all receive special career hommages during the fest complete with screenings of their films.
French director Olivier Assayas will lead the feature film jury while French writer-director Samuel Benchetrit will lead the Revelations jury to pick this year’s Cartier trophy winner.
Tate Taylor’s The Help will open the festival with the film’s talents expected to add some red carpet sparkle. The film, based on the best-selling novel, stars Viola Davis, Emma Stone, Octavia Spencer, Jessica Chastain and Bryce Dallas Howard in the story about women in 1960s Mississippi who form an unlikely friendship. Michel Hazanavicius’ Festival de Cannes Competition entry The Artist will also screen in a special “Awards Ceremony Screening” slot.
This year’s Deauville lineup features an eclectic mix of premiere screenings including Robert Redford’s The Conspirator with James McAvoy, Kevin Kline and Robin Wright, Famke Janssen’s Bringing up Bobby starring Milla Jovovich, Marcia Cross and Bill Pullman, David Dobkin’s The Change-up with Ryan Reynolds, Jason Bateman and Olivia Wilde, plus Nicolas Winding Refn’s Festival de Cannes hit Drive, Craig Gillespie’s Fright Night with Colin Farrelland Anton Yelchin and a special children's screening of The Lion King-3D.
This year’s Uncle Sam Documentaries category will feature Alex Stapleton’s Corman’s World: Exploits of a Hollywood Rebel that tracks the rise of Roger Corman and features Coppola, Quentin Tarantino, Martin Scorsese and Robert de Niro. Other Uncle Sam highlights include Cindy Meehl’s Buck, James Marsh’s Project Nim, Andrew Rossi’s Page One: A Year inside the New York Times, Chris Paine’s Revenge of the Electric Car, Susanne Rostock’s Sing Your Songand Goran Hugo Olsson’s The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975.
The fest will put the small screen in the spotlight for the second year in a row with TV sidebar “Deauville Season 2.” Canal Plus’ mega international project The Borgias will host its premiere for fest-goers complete with the series’ first two episodes that will air on the pay TV network in Gaul this fall. Borgias creator Tom Fontana will be in town for a Masterclass. This year’s Lucien Barriere Literary Prize will go to Michael Collins for his book Midnight in a Perfect Life.
The Deauville American Film Festival will run Sept. 2 – 11.
