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Federico Fellini’s 8½ Screening

In conjunction with its exhibition “Fellini’s Book of Dreams” — which is definitely worth a visit — the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will present a special screening of Federico Fellini’s Academy Award-winning 1963 extravaganza 8½ on Friday, April 17, at 7:30 p.m. at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills. The evening will be hosted by Robert Rosen, dean of the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television.
There have been homages and imitations ever since (Bob Fosse’s All That Jazz comes to mind), but no self-analytical film that I’ve seen gets even close to what Fellini accomplished in 8½, while very few films about the art of moviemaking have been nearly as artful [...]

2009 UCLA Festival of Preservation V: RUTHLESS, Vitaphone Varieties

Schedule and synopses from the UCLA Film & Television Archives press release.
Saturday, April 18
7:30 p.m.
Preservation funded by The Film Foundation
RUTHLESS (top photo)
(1948, Edgar G. Ulmer)
Director Edward G. Ulmer’s complex psycho-melodrama Ruthless (1948) is undoubtedly worthy of rediscovery. A flashback-structured tale of a sociopath’s remorseless drive for station and wealth, Ruthless (often referred to as Ulmer’s Citizen Kane) employs a relentless undercurrent of emotional violence. As relayed in an interview with Peter Bogdanovich, Ulmer envisioned his feature as “a Jesuitic morality play… a very bad indictment against 100 percent Americanism—as Upton Sinclair saw it.” [...]

2009 UCLA Festival of Preservation I: A WOMAN UNDER THE INFLUENCE, A TALE OF TWO CITIES

Schedule and synopses from the UCLA Film & Television Archives press release:
Photos: Courtesy of UCLA Film & Television Archives
Click on the photos to enlarge them.
Friday, March 13
7:30 p.m
Preservation funded by The Film Foundation and GUCCI
A WOMAN UNDER THE INFLUENCE
(1974, John Cassavetes)
Over 30 years after its self-distributed release, screenwriter-director John Cassavetes’ masterpiece retains the power to shock and unnerve for its raw, often harrowing depiction of a blue-collar Los Angeles family on the rocks. At its trembling heart, Gena Rowlands’ performance as Mabel Longhetti, wife of everyman Nick (Peter Falk) and mother of three, stands as a virtually unmatched tour [...]

UCLA Festival of Preservation 2009

The UCLA Film & Television Archives‘ 2009 UCLA Festival of Preservation, which kicks off this evening and continues until April 26, leaves me at a loss. The problem is: I don’t know what not to recommend. (See full schedule below.)
Now, it’s not that I think every single one of the listed films are waiting-to-be-rediscovered masterpieces — or even that they’re mostly enjoyable fare. What makes me so excited about the Festival of Preservation is that it features films that for the most part are incredibly rare, thus offering audiences a unique chance to either get to know (or to get reacquainted with) our cinematic past.
Here’s some of what’s in store for you if you live in the [...]

Howard Hawks at LACMA

"Late Hawks" is the title of a film series featuring the, what else?, later works of Hollywood auteur Howard Hawks, which runs at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art from March 13-27.
Personally, I tend not to buy into the auteur theory in general, and certainly not when it comes to the widely varied work of Howard Hawks. That said, who cares?
The good thing about LACMA’s Hawks series is the chance to catch on the big screen some of the director’s lesser-known efforts such as the battle-of-the-sexes comedy Man’s Favorite Sport? (1965), with Rock Hudson and Paula Prentiss; the car-racing soap opera Red Line 7000 (1965), with James Caan; and the Western Rio Lobo (1970), with John Wayne. [...]

Douglas Fairbanks’ THE THIEF OF BAGDAD and THE IRON MASK Screening

Rare screenings of the Douglas Fairbanks adventure classics The Thief of Bagdad (1924) and The Iron Mask (1929) will be presented on Friday, March 20, and Monday, March 23, respectively, at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills. Both screenings will start at 7:30 pm. Silent film historian and preservationist Kevin Brownlow will be a guest presenter at both events.
In the enjoyable The Thief of Bagdad (1924), directed by Raoul Walsh, Fairbanks plays a (mostly bare-chested) thief who falls in love with the Caliph of Bagdad’s daughter (Julanne Johnston, in her most important film role). There’s just one glitch: in order to win [...]

SARI’S MOTHER, SICKO: Contemporary Documentaries Screening

Part II of the 27th annual "Contemporary Documentaries" screening series, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, kicks off with two Academy Award-nominated documentaries, James Longley’s short Sari’s Mother and Michael Moore’s controversial feature Sicko, on Wednesday, March 25, at 7 p.m. at the Linwood Dunn Theater in Hollywood. Admission to all screenings in the series is free.
Sari’s Mother chronicles an Iraqi woman’s struggle to help her 10-year-old son, Sari, who is dying of AIDS.
Directed by Michael Moore and produced by Moore and Meghan O’Hara, Sicko is an indictment against the ailing U.S. health care system, through which huge corporations get richer at the expense of [...]

American Cinematheque’s Filmmaking Seminars

PRESS RELEASE
Seminars for Filmmakers
The American Cinematheque continues its program of one night seminars for filmmakers. The American Cinematheque debuted its Filmmaking Seminars for Filmmakers and other artists in September 2007 with the concept of offering concrete, practical information on a variety of filmmaking, marketing, creative and business practices at a very reasonable cost to the many independent filmmakers working in the Los Angeles area.
Film consultant and festival programmer Thomas Ethan Harris leads many of our seminars in tandem with guest speakers working in the spotlighted fields.
Topics include: Navigating the Film Festival World; Marketing & Publicity for Festivals, Short Film, Documentary Film and Feature Film Distribution and Creating a More Visually [...]

Jan Troell’s EVERLASTING MOMENTS Opens in the US

Mike Hale interviews Jan Troell in the New York Times:
"At the age of 77 the Swedish director Jan Troell ­ after a four-decade career that includes a best picture prize at the Berlin Film Festival, a Golden Palm nomination at Cannes and a best picture Oscar nomination ­ is among the world’s most distinguished filmmakers. He is also practically invisible in the United States.
"Only two of his films, the well-regarded 1996 Hamsun, about the Norwegian novelist Knut Hamsun, and Hurricane, a misfire from his brief sojourn in Hollywood in the late 1970s, are available here on DVD. His masterpieces ­ The Emigrants, The New Land, The Flight of the Eagle ­ have not been in print since the days of [...]

THE CAKE EATERS Sneak Preview at the Egyptian Theatre

A sneak preview of Mary Stuart Masterson’s directorial debut, The Cake Eaters, starring Kristen Stewart, Aaron Stanford, and Bruce Dern, will be presented on Wed., March 11, at 7:30 p.m. at the American Cinematheque’s Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood. The screening will be followed by a discussion with Masterson, actor Bruce Dern, and various other cast members.

Written by Jayce Bartok (who also co-stars), The Cake Eaters is described as "a light-hearted, bittersweet romantic drama set in a small town where the intimate secrets and tensions of two families force them to come to terms with life, love and death." The film took the audience award at the Ashland Independent and Ft. Lauderdale film festivals.
Also in the Cake Eaters [...]

Robert Todd at the REDCAT

PRESS RELEASE
Robert Todd’s Cinema of Discovery
Mon March 30 | 8:30 pm
Robert Todd’s lyrical films demonstrate both a masterful command of the medium and an openness to chance. Painting, musical form and poetry infuse these short films. Of his latest work he writes, “These films offer a series of celebratory explorations, and, in some cases, transformations, of varied components of my life. To me, this set of works is an odd blend of performance and alchemical construction, freedom and control, a highly crafted and rather baroque diary.” Featured in this program are Dig, 21 Alleys, Riverbed, Interplay, Office Suite, Passing, and Rose.
In person: Robert Todd
“Since 1989, Boston-based filmmaker Robert Todd has [...]

THE MAN IN THE MOON: Robert Mulligan Tribute at the Aero

The American Cinematheque will screen the 1991 drama The Man in the Moon as a tribute to recently deceased veteran director Robert Mulligan on Friday, March 13, at 7:30 pm at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica.
The film’s star, Reese Witherspoon, was supposed to appear in person to introduce the screening, but she’ll apparently be unavailable.
Schedule/info from the American Cinematheque:
Friday, March 13 – 7:30 PM
THE MAN IN THE MOON, 1991, MGM Repertory, 99 min. Director Robert Mulligan’s final film is also one of his finest, a subtle, beautifully realized coming of age story. Reese Witherspoon plays a fourteen-year old girl who discovers romance when she develops a crush on [...]

THE HOT ROCK/COPS AND ROBBERS: Donald E. Westlake Tribute at the Aero

The American Cinematheque will present a memorial tribute to writer Donald E. Westlake, who died last December, with a screening of two films based on his novels, The Hot Rock and Cops and Robbers, on Thursday, March 12, at 7:30 pm at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica.
I haven’t seen Cops and Robbers, but I remember finding the caper comedy The Hot Rock quite enjoyable. Directed by Peter Yates from an Academy Award-nominated screenplay by William Goldman, The Hot Rock stars Robert Redford and George Segal as jewel thieves attempting — and generally failing at — the perfect heist.
Clip: Annie7676.
Schedule/info from the American Cinematheque:
Thursday, March 12 – 7:30 PM
THE HOT ROCK, 1972, 20th Century Fox, [...]

Fusion 2009: Los Angeles Gay People of Color Film Festival

Fusion 2009: The Sixth Annual Los Angeles LGBT People of Color Film Festival will be presented by Outfest and HBO on March 6-8, 2009. The three-day festival includes screenings of features and short films, in addition to panels, workshops, and parties throughout the Los Angeles area. The screenings will be held at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood; the panels and workshops will take place at Universal Studios and the Village at Ed Gould Plaza.
As per the Outfest press release, Fusion "is a growing part of Outfest and is the only multi-racial, gender-inclusive film festival of its kind." I don’t believe that the color white is included, but I’m not going [...]

Carl Reiner at the Aero

Writer, director, actor, and producer Carl Reiner, among whose feature-film credits are the George Burns hit Oh God! (1977) and several Steve Martin vehicles, is the subject of a mini-retrospective at the American Cinematheque’s Aero Theatre in Santa Monica that runs March 6-11. Reiner will make a personal appearance on March 6 for the double feature The Man with Two Brains (1983) and Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid (1982), both starring Martin.
I’m actually unfamiliar with Reiner’s work. Of the movies listed below, I’ve only seen two: Where’s Poppa? and All of Me (1984). Where’s Poppa? is chiefly memorable because of Ruth Gordon’s quirky performance as a Jewish Mother who mixes Coke (or Pepsi?) with her morning cereal, while in All [...]

Oscar 2009: Editors’ Seminar at the Egyptian Theatre

"You saw their names in the opening credits. Then you saw their names in Variety. Now discover how they went from dailies to Oscar-nominated films."
That’s the American Cinematheque’s call for "Invisible Art, Visible Artists," an Editors’ Seminar presented by the American Cinema Editors on Saturday, Feb. 21, at 10 am at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood. The 150-minute program will feature an open discussion with all of this year’s Oscar-nominated editors, subject to availability.
This year’s Oscar nominees in the best editing category are:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall
The Dark Knight (Warner Bros.), Lee Smith
Frost/Nixon (Universal), Mike Hill and Dan Hanley
Milk [...]

Adrian Presentation at the Lasky-DeMille Barn in Hollywood

"Adrian: Nothing from a Store," a lecture on designer Gilbert Adrian (best known as Adrian) and his time working with Cecil B. DeMille will be presented by author Richard Adkins, who’s currently working on an Adrian biography, on Wednesday, March 11, at 7:30 pm at at the Hollywood Heritage Museum’s Lasky-DeMille Barn at 2100 North Highland Avenue (across from the Hollywood Bowl).
Adrian, actress Janet Gaynor’s husband from 1939 to his death in 1959 (theirs was a curious relationship), began his Hollywood career in the mid-1920s. He became associated with DeMille in 1925, later rising to the position of head of the costume department at the DeMille (later Pathé-DeMille) studio. When the [...]

Oscar 2009: Art Direction Nominees at the Egyptian Theatre

The 2009 Academy Award-nominated Production Designers and Set Decorators will take part in a panel discussion about their work in the nominated films on February 21 at 2:30 pm, the eve of the Academy Awards ceremony, at the American Cinematheque’s Egyptian Theatre (6712 Hollywood Boulevard) in Hollywood. Excerpts of each nominated film will precede the discussion, which will be moderated by Art Directors Guild president Tom Walsh.
The 2009 Oscar nominees expected to attend are:
Production Designers: James J. Murakami (Changeling), Donald Graham Burt (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), Nathan Crowley (The Dark Knight), Michael Carlin (The Duchess), and Kristi Zea (Revolutionary Road).
Set Decorators: Gary Fettis (Changeling), Victor J. Zolfo (The [...]

South East European Film Festival – Los Angeles Calls for Entries

The annual South East European (SEE) Film Festival – Los Angeles is currently accepting submissions for its 2009 edition, which runs April 30-May 5, 2009. The film submission form can be downloaded at the festival’s website.
Among the submission rules are:

1. The festival accepts feature, documentary, short and animated films from and about South East Europe.
2. Deadline for submissions is March 6.
3. The festival does not charge entry fees.
4. Once a film is selected to be screened at the SEE Film Festival of Los Angeles, producers or distributors agree not to hold a screening of the film in Los Angeles prior to the festival screening.

The festival is [...]

Van Johnson Tribute at the Aero

A Van Johnson Tribute featuring two of his most successful films, The Caine Mutiny (1954) and Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo (1944), will be held on Thursday, Feb. 26, at 7:30 pm at the American Cinematheque’s Aero Theatre in Santa Monica (1328 Montana Avenue). Johnson died last December 13 at the age of 92.
Of the two Van Johnson films screening at the Aero, I’ve only seen The Caine Mutiny (top photo, with Johnson, Robert Francis, and Fred MacMurray), directed by Edward Dmytryk, one of the Hollywood Ten and the only one in that group who was able to resume his career after performing a radical turnabout and denouncing his colleagues to the House Un-American Activities Committee.
Dmytryk [...]

Tippi Hedren, Robert Osborne at THE BIRDS Screening

Turner Classic Movies host Robert Osborne will be in Los Angeles to introduce a special screening of Alfred Hitchcock’s 1963 classic The Birds at the ArcLight on Feb. 18 at 7:30 pm. The object of the birds’ murderous desire, Tippi Hedren, will also be present. No word on Rod Taylor, though it would be cool if he showed up as well.
The first 25 guests to arrive will receive a copy of Osborne’s latest tome, 80 Years of the Oscar: The Official History of the Academy Awards.
Those attending the screening must RSVP at tcmscreening@turner.com or (404) 575-9990.
 
Robert Osborne on Kate Winslet’s THE READER Role
Oscar 2009: Animated and Live Action Short Film Screenings in New York City
Focus on the Art [...]

Art Director Film Series at the American Cinematheque

For the third consecutive year, the Art Directors Guild (ADG) Film Society and the American Cinematheque (AC) are co-hosting a series of monthly screenings highlighting the work of legendary production designers, art directors, and set decorators. The screenings, beginning on March 29, will take place at both the Lloyd E. Rigler Theatre at the Egyptian (6712 Hollywood Boulevard, Hollywood) and the Max Palevsky Theatre at the Aero (1328 Montana Avenue, Santa Monica).
Among the feature films are:

The Wolf Man (1941) and Gaily Gaily (1969), both designed by Honorary Oscar winner Robert Boyle (who’s turning 100 next October);
the campy sci-fi capers Flash Gordon — both the 1936 serial and Dino De Laurentiis‘ 1980 flick, [...]

Foreign Language Film Oscar Nominees Symposium 2009

 
The 2009 Foreign Language Film Award Nominees Symposium, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, will be held on Saturday, February 21, at 10 a.m. at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills. The symposium will be moderated by Foreign Language Film chair Mark Johnson (among whose producing credits are Rain Man and The Chronicles of Narnia).
The two-hour Foreign Language Film Award Nominees Symposium will feature the directors (subject to availability) of this year’s nominated foreign language films in a live onstage discussion, in addition to the presentation of clips from the nominated films.
The 2008 Foreign Language Film nominees are:

Austria, Revanche, Götz Spielmann, director
France, The Class, Laurent [...]

Animated Feature Symposium 2009

The first Animated Feature Symposium will be presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Thursday, February 19, at 7:30 p.m. at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills. Moderated by animator and animation historian Tom Sito, the evening will feature onstage discussions with the nominated filmmakers (subject to availability) and film clips.
The 2009 Animated Feature Film nominees are:

Bolt, Chris Williams and Byron Howard, directors
Kung Fu Panda, John Stevenson and Mark Osborne, directors
WALL-E, Andrew Stanton, director

Note: Admission is free, but advance tickets are required. Since the Animated Feature Symposium is already sold out, a standby line will be formed at the theater’s west doors on the day of [...]

Los Angeles Film Festival 2009: Submission Deadlines

PRESS RELEASE
The final deadline for the 2009 Los Angeles Film Festival is coming up fast.  The last day to submit short films and music videos is Friday, February 6.  The deadline for feature-length narrative and documentary films is Monday, March 2.  Spread the word amongst your filmmaker friends and readers, as this is a must-attend event on the film festival circuit!
Please visit http://www.filmindependent.org/events/la_Film_Festival+/guidelines for submission guidelines.
This summer, over the course of ten days from June 18 – 28 in Westwood Village, Film Independent’s Los Angeles Film Festival will showcase the best of American and international independent cinema. With an expected audience of over 100,000 people, the festival will screen over 175 narrative features, documentaries, [...]

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