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Munich-based sales agency Arri Media Intl.’s has signed a North American distribution deal with Rock Salt Releasing for “Curveball – A True Story. Unfortunately.,” which had its world premiere at the Berlin Film Festival in the Berlinale Special Gala section this year.

The film, co-written and directed by Johannes Naber, is released in German cinemas on Nov. 26, and will be released in North America by Rock Salt in the first quarter of next year.

The film tells the true story of how the Iraq war, with the involvement of the German government and secret service, was started based on faulty intelligence.

Bioweapons expert Dr. Arndt Wolf of the German Federal Intelligence Service (Bnd) is obsessed with the idea that, despite Un inspections, anthrax is still being produced in Iraq. Back home in Germany, Wolf’s superior Schatz assigns him as case officer for the Iraqi asylum seeker Rafid Alwan because...

By now, there have been enough movies and TV dramas focused on the fraying ties between individuals gradually diminished by Alzheimer’s disease and their supportive but increasingly stressed loved ones to constitute an entire subgenre. If “The Artist’s Wife” stands apart from the pack, it’s largely because this familiar but affecting drama spends less time on depicting the systematic lessening of an exceptional intellect — though, rest assured, that tragedy is not at all minimized — and focuses more on the psychic toll taken on a loyal life partner whose selflessness is running on empty.

Right from the start, director Tom Dolby, working in concert with co-writers Nicole Brending and Abdi Nazemian, makes it clear that Claire (Lena Olin), the younger but no longer young wife of aged celebrity artist Richard Smythson (Bruce Dern), long ago settled into subservience in the spacious confines of their well-appointed East Hamptons home.

“I...

The Artist’S WIfE Strand Releasing Reviewed for Shockya.com & BigAppleReviews.net linked from Rotten Tomatoes by: Harvey Karten Director: Tom Dolby Screenwriter: Nicole Brending, Tom Dolby, Abdi Nazemian Cast: Lena Olin, Bruce Dern Screened at: Critics’ link, NYC, 2/28/20 Opens: April 3, 2020 Memo to women asked to give up promising careers to support their husband’s […]

The post The Artist’s Wife Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.

Rock Salt Releasing has picked up the animated satirical film, Dollhouse: The Eradication of Female Subjectivity from American Popular Culture, and will launch international sales at the 2020 online Cannes Film Festival, as well as release the film in the U.S. in August.

From writer-director-producer Nicole Brending, the pic is in the bubble gum pop world of Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan and told by entertainment reporters. Junie Spoon’s pop star story runs the gamut: from losing her virginity in a sex tape, to 24-hour marriages to a Patty-Hearst style kidnapping and bank heist, to the murder of her mother. The stylized puppets reveal the hypocrisies of an opportunistic society that preys on the talents and contributions of women.

The film stars Aneikit Bonnel (Grosse Pointe Blank), Erik Hoover (The Stranger), Peter Ooley (The Life of Riley), Adam Sly, and Sydney Bonar.

“My fiancé laughed harder than I did,...

For decades, Bruce Dern has been one of the industry’s most compelling and often underrated actors. In recent years, Dern has only occasionally gotten central roles to play, more often being given supporting parts. This April, however, he gets a plum role in The Artist’s Wife, an independent drama which he stars in. Truly, for fans of great acting, this is a treat. A Trailer has dropped for the flick, which you will be able to see at the end of this post. If you love Dern, in particular, you’re in for something special here. The movie is a drama that will almost certainly tug at the heartstrings. IMDb describes the film as such: “Claire Smythson, wife of the renowned abstract artist Richard Smythson, is plunged into a late-life crisis when her husband is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and is in danger of not completing the paintings for his final show.

Strand Releasing has acquired all U.S. rights to Tom Dolby’s “The Artist’s Wife” starring Lena Olin and Bruce Dern. The movie premiered at the Hamptons Film Festival, went on to play at the Mill Valley festival and will next go on to screen at Palm Springs.

Shot in the Hamptons and New York City, the film centers on Claire (Olin), who was once a promising painter and has long lived in the shadow of her husband, a renowned artist named Richard Smythson (Dern). When Richard is diagnosed with dementia, Claire must make challenging decisions for her family, her husband and ultimately, herself.

“The Artist’s Wife is about new beginnings and how challenges can open doors to self-discovery in life’s third act,” said Dolby, who added that the film “showcases Lena and Bruce’s talents front and center.”

The film was produced by Mike S. Ryan at Greyshack Films and by Dolby,...

Slamdance Film Festival has unveiled its 26th anniversary narrative and documentary feature film competition programs, as well as the lineup for its new breakouts section.

The narrative lineup includes director Heather Young’s drama “Murmur.” The movie, which won the Fipresci Discovery Prize at the Toronto International Film Festival, stars Shan MacDonald as an older woman who, while performing community service at an animal shelter, begins compulsively adopting pets to ease her loneliness.

The festival, launched in 1995 as an alternative to Sundance, has included showings of such notable titles as Oren Peli’s “Paranormal Activity.” The fest, which takes place at the Treasure Mountain Inn in Park City, Utah, from Jan. 24 to Jan. 30, will screen 23 movies including 10 world premieres, five North American premieres, and one U.S. premiere.

Slamdance alumni include Joe and Anthony Russo, Christopher Nolan, Marc Forster, Jared Hess, Lena Dunham, Benh Zeitlin, Seth Gordon, and Lynn Shelton.

Chicago – Closing Night is upon the 26th Chicago Underground Film Festival (Cuff), and a provocative film will bring down the curtain on the fest. “Dollhouse,” subtitled “The Eradication of Female Subjectivity from American Popular Culture,” will screen at 8:30pm on Sunday, June 9th, 2019, at the Logan Theatre in Chicago. Click here for details and tickets.

“Dollhouse” – created and directed by Nicole Brending – is a puppet film, similar to “Team America” by Matt Stone and Trey Parker, that is framed in a mock-cumentary “Behind the Music” format. Junie Spoon is a stage-Mom-driven child performer, who burns bright with sexual-themed pop songs before becoming a teenager. The society that uplifts also burns her out, as this extreme farcical satire puts Junie Spoon through the wringer before discarding her. As frank and un-pc as a film can be, it symbolically comments on misogyny in American culture, through the blank stares of creator...

Awards were handed out Thursday at the 25th annual Slamdance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, with nine films earning honors in the jury, audience and sponsored categories.

The narrative jury prize was awarded to the feminist puppet animation film “Dollhouse: The Eradication of Female Subjectivity in American Popular Culture,” directed by Nicole Brending. Honorable mention was given to “Cat Sticks,” directed by Ronny Sen.

“Dollhouse wasn’t like any other film at the festival or any festival. It was outrageous, bold, hilarious,” read the jury statement from Frédéric Forestier, Shih-Ching Tsou and Jeremiah Zagar. “We’re also giving it the grand prize because we think it really embodies the spirit of the Slamdance. ‘Cat Sticks’ is unbelievably gorgeous and has some of the most incredible poetic moments of any movies we’ve ever seen. We hope it finds a vein in American culture!”

The documentary jury prize was awarded to David Hambridge’s “Kifaru,...

Nicole Brending’s “Dollhouse: The Eradication of Female Subjectivity in American Popular Culture” has won the Narrative Feature Grand Jury prize and the Spirit of Slamdance award at the 25th Slamdance Film Festival.

The film follows rise and fall of fictional child pop star Junie Spoons as her life story unfolds, as told by those who knew her.

“’Dollhouse’ wasn’t like any other film at the festival or any festival,” the feature film jury said. “It was outrageous, bold, hilarious. We’re also giving it the grand prize because we think it really embodies the spirit of the Slamdance.”

Winners were announced at a ceremony at the Treasure Mountain Inn in Park City, Utah on Thursday evening. The festival runs concurrently with the Sundance Film Festival. The Slamdance feature competition is limited to films made by first-time directors with budgets under $1 million and without U.S. distribution.

“The Vast of Night,...

We have the prize winners from the 25th anniversary Slamdance Film Festival in Park City. Dollhouse: The Eradication of Female Subjectivity in American Popular Culture took the Jury Award for Narrative Features, and its director Nicole Brending also scored the George Starks Spirit of Slamdance Award. Kifaro won both the Jury Award and Audience Award for Documentary Features.

A no-holds-barred look at misogyny as told by puppets, Dollhouse charts the life and times of Junie Spoons, a once-popular child star and tween idol who peaks at 18 and is D-listed to society’s where-are-they-now junk drawer. Spanning four years, Kifaru follows two ranger recruits mentored by a seasoned ranger with an unorthodox approach to caring for the world’s last northern white rhino.

The fest’s two other Audience Awards went to Andrew Patterson’s The Vast of Night (Narrative Feature) and Patrick Creadon’s Ski Bum: The Warren Miller Story...

Dollhouse: The Eradication of Female Subjectivity in American Popular Culture, Nicole Brending’s puppet animation about the rise and fall of a female pop star, took home the Narrative Feature Grand Jury Prize and the George Sparks Spirit of Slamdance Award at the Slamdance Film Festival’s award ceremony at Treasure Mountain Inn in Park City Utah tonight. Kifaru, David Hambridge’s documentary about two young Kenyan men who join a rhino caretaking conservatory, won the Documentary Feature Grand Jury Prize as well as a documentary Audience Award. “Dollhouse wasn’t like any other film at the festival or any festival,” said the jury […]...

Dollhouse: The Eradication of Female Subjectivity in American Popular Culture, Nicole Brending’s puppet animation about the rise and fall of a female pop star, took home the Narrative Feature Grand Jury Prize and the George Sparks Spirit of Slamdance Award at the Slamdance Film Festival’s award ceremony at Treasure Mountain Inn in Park City Utah tonight. Kifaru, David Hambridge’s documentary about two young Kenyan men who join a rhino caretaking conservatory, won the Documentary Feature Grand Jury Prize as well as a documentary Audience Award. “Dollhouse wasn’t like any other film at the festival or any festival,” said the jury […]...

Kifaru named best documentary, audience award winner.

Dollhouse: The Eradication Of Female Subjectivity In American Popular Culture was awarded the Slamdance 2019 narrative grand jury prize on Thursday night (31).

Nicole Brending’s film took its place on the honour roll alongside David Hambridge’s documentary prize winner Kifaru.

Audience Awards went to Andrew Patterson’s narrative feature The Vast Of Night and Kifaru again, while Patrick Creadon’s Ski Bum: The Warren Miller Story earned the Best of Breakouts Audience Award in Park City.

“Slamdance has helped launch many filmmakers that have gone on to change the face of entertainment,” said Slamdance co-founder Peter Baxter.

The full title is intimidating to behold -- Dollhouse: The Eradication of Female Subjectivity From American Popular Culture -- but the film itself appears to be a tour de force of puppet animation and looks quite inviting. Nicole Brending wrote, directed, produced, and "stars" in Dollhouse, which will debut later this week at the Slamdance Film Festival. Here is the official synopsis: "Fictional child pop star Junie Spoons just can't get a break (and can't even tell her own story) in this wild, demented romp into the psychology behind misogyny - the missing female subjective perspective. "A puppet animation told a la VH1's Behind the Music, Dollhouse: The Eradication of Female Subjectivity from American Popular Culture charts the rise and fall of Junie's career as...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

American independent cinema has gone through several generations since the end of the 1990s. The accelerated evolution might mirror the technological advances of the past 20 years, from the easy availability of early, consumer-grade digital cameras to the ubiquity of streaming platforms, as well as new social networks and the rising impact of regional film festivals.

You can put all that in perspective by spending a week in, of all places, Wrocław, Poland, where the ninth edition of the American Film Festival concluded this fall. The festival thoughtfully reframes highlights from the preceding year’s run of major (and minor) film gatherings, cherry-picking selections out of Sundance, South by Southwest, Tribeca, and others, as well as more multiplex-friendly items getting a premium introduction to the Polish market.

But the festival isn’t a rehash. While accounting for work along an auteurist arc from Frederick Wiseman to Alex Ross Perry (“Her Smell...

The Slamdance Film Festival has unveiled its 25th anniversary narrative and documentary feature film competition programs, as well as the lineup for its new breakouts section.

The narrative lineup includes the coming-of-age drama “Spiral Farm,” starring Piper De Palma, daughter of director Brian De Palma, who is making her feature debut as a teenage girl growing up on a commune where life is disrupted by the arrival of two outsiders, a father and son. Amanda Plummer (“The Hunger Games: Catching Fire”), Teo Halm (“Earth to Echo”), and Jade Fusco (“Youth in Revolt”) co-star.

The festival, launched in 1995 as an alternative to Sundance, has included showings of such notable titles as Oren Peli’s “Paranormal Activity.” The fest, which takes place at the Treasure Mountain Inn in Park City, Utah, from Jan. 25 to Jan. 31, will screen 18 movies including 10 world premieres, four North American premieres, and four U.S. premieres.

Slamdance alumni include Joe and Anthony Russo,...

Slamdance has revealed their narrative and documentary feature film competition lineup for their 2019 festival. The fest takes place January 25-31, 2019 in Park City.

This year marks the 25th year of the festival and includes 11 narrative features and 9 documentaries throwing their hats in the ring for the competition. The fest will also include 10 World, 4 North American, and 4 U.S. premieres. All competition films were selected by a team of Slamdance alumni and are feature length directorial debuts with budgets of less than $1 million Usd, and without Us distribution.

Slamdance will also welcome back the Russo Fellowship — a $25,000 prize launched in 2018 by celebrated festival alumni Anthony Russo and Joe Russo to provide a deserving filmmaker with mentorship from the Russo duo.

In addition, the festival will introduce the new Breakouts section, which features non-first-time-feature directors who demonstrate a determined vision...

Festival to run in Park City, Utah, from January 25-31.

The Slamdance Film Festival organisers have unveiled the narrative and documentary feature competition line-ups, as well as the new Breakouts section for the festival’s 25th edition in January.

The feature competition programme boasts 18 premieres, including 10 world, four North American, and four Us debuts from an array of global filmmakers hailing from Argentina, Belarus, Brazil, Germany, India, Italy, Kenya, Poland, South Africa, and the UK.

All competition films are feature-length directorial debuts with budgets of less than $1m, and without Us distribution. Films in both categories are eligible for the Audience Award,...

The Slamdance Film Festival has announced the lineups for its 2019 Narrative and Documentary Feature Film Competition programs. The festival, which takes place annually in Park City, Utah, is celebrating its 25th anniversary next year. In addition to the narrative and documentary features in competition, Slamdance has also announced the lineup for its inaugural Breakouts Section.

Featured films playing at Slamdance are all directorial debuts made for less than $1 million and without U.S. distribution. The films were selected for the 2019 festival by a team of Slamdance alumni. Films in both categories are eligible for the Audience Award and Spirit of Slamdance Award, the latter of which is voted upon by filmmakers at the festival.

“When it comes to discovering talent, Slamdance has consistently shown that its artist led community can do it themselves,” said Slamdance Co-founder and President, Peter Baxter. “In a milestone year, our competition lineup symbolizes this ongoing endeavor.

Exclusive: Actor Avan Jogia has joined Bruce Dern, Lena Olin, and Juliet Rylance in The Artist's Wife, directed by Call Me By Your Name exec producer Tom Dolby, from a screenplay he co-wrote with Nicole Brending and Abdi Nazemian. It follows Claire (Olin), the wife of famed artist Richard Smythson (Dern), who lives in the shadow of her husband. However, while preparing work for his latest exhibition, Richard is diagnosed with dementia and Claire shields his illness from…...

Australia’s Revelation Perth International Film Festival will be holding it’s explosive 15th annual edition on July 5-15 with one of it’s most jam-packed lineups yet.

One of the most special events that Revelation will be holding is July 14‘s retrospective of the films of Jeff Keen, the pioneering British underground filmmaker who very sadly just passed away on June 21. Keen’s work has been having a major resurgence lately and Revelation is the latest organization to so boldly feature his breathtaking experimental film work, from classics like 1967′s Marvo Movie to modern films like Artwar (1993) and Joy Thru Film (2000). This is absolutely an event not to be missed.

Another staggering event this year is a very special live presentation of Crispin Hellion Glover‘s notorious underground films What Is It? and It Is Fine! Everything Is Fine. (Click film titles for Bad Lit reviews!) These very...

For their 5th annual event, which is set to run Sept. 8-11, the Sydney Underground Film Festival is looking a little more demented than ever. And that’s saying a lot for this scrappy, still relatively young fest, which typically offers ample twisted cinematic offerings.

The fun kicks off with the Opening Night film, the demented superhero comedy Super, written and directed by former Troma go-to screenwriter James Gunn (Tromeo & Juliet); then ends with the Closing Night wallowing in Sydney’s seedy underbelly, X, by homegrown filmmaker Jon Hewitt.

Crammed between these two excursions into violence and depravity is a lineup filled with perverse visions, scandalous public figures, sickening horror, experimental pop culture remixes and more.

For Bad Lit: The Journal of Underground Film, the highlight of the fest is Usama Alshaibi‘s Profane, a complex psychological, psychosexual, spiritual morality play about a Muslim sex worker who endures a “reverse...

Berlinale Co-Production Market

Thirty-eight film projects from twenty-five countries have been selected for the eighth Berlinale Co-Production Market which will run from February 13 to 15, 2011. The producers and directors of these projects will meet with 450 potential co-production and financing partners during the event. No Indian project has found a place in the 38 projects that have been chosen out of 352 entries.

Three projects have also been chosen for the “Rotterdam-Berlinale Express”, in collaboration with CineMart Rotterdam. These projects will participate in both the CineMart and the Berlinale Co-Production Market.

In cooperation with the Berlinale Talent Campus, eleven projects by newcomers have been selected from 270 additional entries for the “Talent Project Market”.

The official selection of projects for the Berlinale Co-Production Market 2011:

Love Isreal (dir: Julia von Heinz), 2Pilots Filmproduction, Germany

They Are All Dead (dir: Beatriz Sanchis), Avalon P.C., Spain

Saints (dir: Seyfi Teoman), Bulut Film, Turkey

Darkness by Day (dir: Martin Desalvo), Doménica Films,...