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Former heavyweight boxing champion Leon Spinks Jr., who defeated Muhammad Ali for the world heavyweight title in 1978, has died. He died Friday after a five-year battle with prostate and other cancers, his representatives at Firm PR confirmed. He was 67.

“Leon fought his battle with numerous illnesses resiliently, never losing his trademark smile,” said a statement from Firm PR. “Showing true Spinks determination, he never threw in the towel.”

Born on July 1, 1953 in St. Louis, Spinks discovered his loved for boxing while serving in the Marines. He kicked off his career taking home multiple wins in the light heavyweight division. He first won the bronze medal at the 1974 World Championships, then the silver at the 1975 Pan American Games and later the gold medal at the 1976 Montreal Olympics.

While Spinks had numerous wins under his belt before debuting professionally in 1977, he cemented his place in boxing history by upsetting the legendary Muhammad Ali on Feb.

Plus: Robert De Niro in line for Fslc Chaplin Award; and more…

Marcos Carnevale collected the career Precious Gems Award on Sunday as the four-day Gems festival ended under the auspices of the Miami International Film Festival.

Carnevale, the director of such films as Inseparables, Elsa y Fred and Corazón de León, took part in an on-stage conversation looking back on his work.

The Gems Audience prize went to Ken Loach’s I, Daniel Blake.

Robert De Niro will receive the Film Society Of Lincoln Center’s Chaplin Award on May 8, 2017, and take part in a career tribute. De Niro stars in The Comedian, which will premiere at AFI Fest on November 11 and opens in North America through Sony Pictures Classics.Aisling Walsh’s Maudie has won the 35th Vancouver International Film Festival’s Super Channel People’s Choice Award. Ken Loach’s I, Daniel Blake won the Viff Most Popular International Feature, Yann Arthus-Bertrand’s [link...

Robert De Niro will receive the Film Society Of Lincoln Center’s Chaplin Award on May 8, 2017, and take part in a career tribute.“De Niro has long been such a legendary presence that one can overlook the remarkably fine-tuned craft and quality he has brought to his roles over his multi-decade career,” said Lesli Klainberg, executive director of the Film Society Of Lincoln Center.“If you watch his performances, from Mean Streets and The Godfather Part II to

Robert De Niro will receive the Film Society Of Lincoln Center’s Chaplin Award on May 8, 2017, and take part in a career tribute.

“De Niro has long been such a legendary presence that one can overlook the remarkably fine-tuned craft and quality he has brought to his roles over his multi-decade career,” said Lesli Klainberg, executive director of the Film Society Of Lincoln Center.

“If you watch his performances, from Mean Streets and The Godfather Part II to [link...

Pete McCormack’s documentary I Am Bruce Lee chronicles martial arts legend Bruce Lee life from a troubled youth spent street fighting in Hong Kong to his departure to the United States where he got his first taste of fame that grew in the years that followed. Through it all he devoted himself to martial arts as a form of self-expression, and in so doing he crossed the paths of many fighting legends like Chuck Norris and Gene LeBell and influenced countless others including Gina Carano, Manny Pacquiao, and more. As a documentary, I Am Bruce Lee benefits from numerous family, friends, and acquaintances with anecdotes to share, and frankly, it would have been a wholly enjoyable 94 minutes had it stuck to that. Unfortunately it also gives people like Dana White opportunities to say some really stupid things and features questionable editing and interview footage of people with very little to say.

The Dark Knight Rises (12A)

(Christopher Nolan, 2012, Us/UK) Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Gary Oldman, Marion Cotillard, Michael Caine. 164 mins

As big and dark and serious as The Avengers was big and light and fun, the climax to Nolan's Batman trilogy ticks most of the boxes it was demanded to – which is quite an achievement. There's an Occupy-style theme to baddy Bane's Gotham City lockdown, which forces Bruce Wayne to consider his 1% financial status and Batman to revive his punching and growling skills (prompted by Hathaway's slinky cat burglar). Some cheesy cliches (and questionable politics) are needed to tie it all together, but it's still the solid, epic finale you'd hoped for.

Something From Nothing: The Art Of Rap (15)

(Ice-t, Andy Baybutt, 2012, UK/Us) 111 mins

The well-connected director calls on the biggest names in rap (Eminem, Q-Tip, Melle Mel, Snoop Dogg, etc), asks them a...

Martial-arts fans will love this Bruce Lee tribute – cinephiles might be less satisfied

Martial arts fans, and particularly Mixed martial arts followers, are the target audience of this amiable fan-letter tribute to Bruce Lee. His wife and surviving family are interviewed, along with students, ex-colleagues, modern-day fighters and Bruce worshippers, some throwing some moves at the camera and imitating the classic high-pitched howl-whine. They discuss a range of issues including the still explosively controversial topic of whether Bruce Lee could beat Chuck Norris in a straight fight. But I wished that director Pete McCormack had put Lee in more of a film context, saying more about his fascinating career as a child star in Hong Kong cinema: "The Macaulay Culkin of his day." Anyway, Lee's charming, garrulous and interestingly innocent persona shines out, like an Asian-American Muhammad Ali. His early death at 32 is still a painful mystery to his family and global fanbase.

Surely a must for Bruce Lee fans!? Pete McCormack’s compelling and visually thrilling documentary I Am Bruce Lee examines the fascinating life, continuing influence and lasting legacy of one of the most iconic actors and martial artists of all time, and its coming to UK Cinemas for a very limited time from 20th July 2012! Synopsis: Despite his tragic and sudden death on 20th July 1973 at the age of 32, Bruce Lee’s enormous influence on martial arts, entertainment and popular culture lives on to this day. Utilizing rare archive footage, photos, movie clips and brand new interviews with members of his close family, as well as with numerous stars from the worlds of sport, music and acting who have been inspired by Lee’s legacy, I Am Bruce Lee goes more deeply into the true story behind the legend t...

Everett Bruce Lee in ‘Enter the Dragon,’ 1973.

“From my point of view, the 20th century gave us just two icons who rose above time, space and race: There was Muhammad Ali, and there was Bruce Lee,” says documentary filmmaker Pete McCormack, explaining the rationale behind his two most recent projects, the feature documentary “Facing Ali,” shortlisted for the Academy Award in 2010, and its new followup “I Am Bruce Lee,” which hits 160 theaters across the country for special screenings on February...

When documentary filmmaker Pete McCormack last focused his camera lens on the life of a man who used his physical prowess and gift for gab to transcend athleticism, break down social barriers and become an icon, his subject was "The Greatest" boxer, Muhammad Ali. In his follow-up to Facing Ali, McCormack's subject is martial arts pioneer, physical fitness advocate and movie legend Bruce Lee, who was voted one of the most important people of the 20th Century in Time Magazine's Time 100.

Scheduled for a limited theatrical release on February 9th, I Am Bruce Lee, explores Lee's life and philosophy, with commentary from such notable celebrities as actor Mickey Rourke (Immortals), Mma fighter-turned-actress Gina Carano (Haywire), the L.A. Lakers' Kobe Bryant, Wbo Welterweight Champion Manny Pacquiao and Taboo of the Black Eyed Peas.

Next Showing:

Link | Posted 1/24/2012 by BrentJS

Pete McCormack | Bruce Lee | Mickey Rourke | Taboo | Kobe Bryant | Gina Carano...

Although I’ve seen most of the man’s motion pictures, I really don’t know much about Bruce Lee’s life beyond “Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story”. And that, in my opinion, is pretty freaking sad. Not that you need to know everything about actors to enjoy their work, mind you, but Lee’s life is so interesting that I should know more about it. I’ll get an opportunity to learn more about the martial arts legend when director Pete McCormack’s “I am Bruce Lee” hits theaters this February. Assuming, of course, it plays somewhere nearby. Which I seriously doubt. Enough bellyaching. Read this synopsis: The amazing story of Bruce Lee, one of the most iconic human beings ever to enter the public consciousness. The film is a compelling and visually stunning uncovering of Bruce’s life, his enormous impact, and his ever-expanding legacy in the world of martial arts,...

Pete McCormack (Facing Ali) has made a new documentary about the late Bruce Lee; the film will have a limited run starting February 9. I Am Bruce Lee features clips from Lee’s films and interviews, the movie also has a showcase of celebrities sharing admiration for the legend, a little late to that bandwagon guys. I don’t know what that would add to a decent documentary about Bruce Lee, I guess it might appeal to today’s youth? They all love Ed O’Neill.

The amazing story of Bruce Lee, one of the most iconic human beings ever to enter the public consciousness. The film is a compelling and visually stunning uncovering of Bruce’s life, his enormous impact, and his ever-expanding legacy in the world of martial arts, entertainment, and beyond–despite his tragic and sudden death at the age of 32. Featuring interviews with people who knew Bruce intimately,...

When it comes to the world of martial arts films (and martial arts a whole), you don’t get more famous or more legendary than Bruce Lee. Yes, there have been others that have reached his level of popularity in the years since his premature death in 1973 (Jackie Chan and Jet Li, to name a couple), but while they have been good in their own right they have never been able to replicate the intense style and the machismo that were integral to the Lee persona. In essence, they have all been pretenders to the throne.

I Am Bruce Lee, the upcoming documentary from Pete McCormack, seems to want to not only prove that very point but to help reintroduce the legendary martial artist to a whole new generation. A trailer for the movie has been released, which you can view below or in HD over at Apple.

I Am Bruce Lee...

Documentary filmmaker Pete McCormack (Facing Ali) has made a new doc about the late martial arts legend Bruce Lee, which will show up in a limited theatrical engagement starting February 9. The film, I Am Bruce Lee, features clips from Lee's films and his few filmed interviews, and is bolstered by a host of celebrity Bruce Lee admirers. Check out a trailer for the doc below. The interview clips seen in this trailer are from Lee's long interview filmed in 1971 for an appearance on the Pierre Berton Show. You can watch that interview in its entirety below, though I imagine most Lee fans have seen it already. That "baby, here I am, man" kicker quote in the trailer is actually Lee talking about Steve McQueen's attitude in that interview, not a statement representing Lee himself. And while the celebrity soundbites seen in the trailer are fun, I'm not sure what...

Martial arts legend Bruce Lee has been the subject of many documentaries before, yet the world can't get enough of the man.  Even after over three decades since his death, his spirit and inspiration continues to burn fiercely to this very day. Directed by Pete McCormack (Facing Ali), I Am Bruce Lee tells his extraordinary life story and features loads of interviews from martial artists, athletes, actors, directors and producers in the entertainment business including Mickey Rourke, Ed O'Neill, Manny Pacquiao, Black Eyed Peas' Taboo, Haywire's Gina Carano and Jon Jones.  The amazing story of Bruce Lee, one of the most iconic human beings ever to enter the public consciousness. The film is a compelling and visually stunning uncovering of Bruce's life, his enormous impact,...

Here's an awesome new trailer for a upcoming documentary called I Am Bruce Lee. There's already a good amount of Bruce Lee documentaries that have been made over the years, but this one looks pretty badass. The movie was directed by Pete McCormack, and includes a ton of footage of Lee as well as several interviews with different celebrities including Mickey Rourke, Ed O'Neill, Manny Pacquiao, Gina Carano, and Kobe Bryant. I'm a huge fan of Bruce Lee, and I already watch the same old docs about him over and over again, so it will be great to see a new one. The movie will get a limited theatrical release on February 9th, 2012. Check out the trailer for the film below and tell us what you think!

Synopsis:

‘I Am Bruce Lee’ tells the amazing story of one of the most iconic human beings ever to enter the public consciousness.

"Empty your mind, be formless. Shapeless, like water." There can never be enough Bruce Lee, in movies especially. And now someone has made an entire documentary about his legacy and his spirit. It's titled simply, I Am Bruce Lee, directed by Pete McCormack, and features a whole hell of a lot of celebrities, including Mickey Rourke, Ed O'Neill, Manny Pacquiao, Black Eyed Peas' Taboo, Haywire's Gina Carano and yes, even Kobe Bryant himself pops up in here. This looks like a kick ass doc for a martial arts legend, just exploring who he was and why he was such a legend, but we already know the reasons anyway. Check it out! Watch the official trailer for Pete McCormack's doc I Am Bruce Lee, found via TheMovieBox: Bruce Lee is universally recognized as the pioneer who elevated martial arts in film to an art form, and this doc...

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences kicks off Part Two of its 29th annual .Contemporary Documentaries. screening series with .Food, Inc.. and .Under Our Skin. Tonight, Wednesday, March 23, at 7 p.m. at the Linwood Dunn Theater in Hollywood. Admission to all screenings in the series is Free.

From cruel and unsanitary conditions in cattle and chicken farming to the addition of corn syrup and sodium to many foods, .Food, Inc.. examines the ways in which large corporations in the American food industry dominate the marketplace and affect the quality of what we consume. Directed by Robert Kenner and produced by Kenner and Elise Pearlstein, .Food, Inc.. earned an Academy Award® nomination for Documentary Feature. Robert Kenner & Elise Pearlstein will be present to take questions from the audience following the screening.

Directed and produced by Andy Abrahams Wilson, .Under Our Skin. investigates the untold story of Lyme disease.  As...

Following some festival exposure, notably the AFI Silverdocs last summer, and a limited Oscar-qualifying theatrical run in Los Angeles and New York, in the fall, Facing Ali is now headed for cable TV, via the “male-centered” Spike TV network next month – February 10th.

Directed by Pete McCormack, Facing Ali won the most popular film award at last year’s Vancouver International Film Festival, and is one of 15 feature documentary finalists for the upcoming Oscars.

In the doc, 10 of Ali’s most formidable opponents pay tribute to perhaps the world’s most beloved and inspiring athlete, recounting their pivotal experiences in the ring with Ali, offering “unique insights into a man who remains one of the most prominent figures in American history.” Some of these fighters include, Ken Norton, Earnie Shavers, Joe Frazier, George Foreman, Leon Spinks and Larry Holmes.

Every review I’ve read of this “riveting,” “compelling,” “impeccably researched...

A few days ago, I posted an interview I did with director Pete McCormack for his documentary, Facing Ali. On that same day, I spoke with Facing Ali’s producer, Derik Murray. Like Pete, producer Derik Murray is very passionate about his involvement in filmmaking. Also like Pete, technology was unfortunately against me when speaking to Derik, so I lost a lot of really hard-hitting questions, but what was saved can be read after the jump. This is a pretty cool interview, as this is the first time Gatw has interviewed a producer. Enjoy!

Read more on Interview: Derik Murray (producer, Facing Ali)…...

I have to hand it to director Pete McCormack – he’s made one of the most original and touching documentaries about Muhammad Ali. Facing Ali features untold stories from opponents who faced Ali in some of his most famous boxing matches. I spoke with Pete during the holidays about the process of the film. Unfortunately, technology was against me that day, as the last 10 minutes of the interview got completely skewed, but I did manage to salvage a few of the questions. Take a few minutes to read this interview – Pete’s an interesting person and you can tell in his answers to my questions that he’s purely in this for the love of the job.

Read more on Interview: Pete McCormack (director, Facing Ali)…...

Film rating: 7/10

DVD rating: 3/10

Director: Pete McCormack

Studio: Lionsgate

Facing Ali is a documentary that doesn’t take the usual approach to telling Muhammad Ali’s story. In fact, very little of the film is actually about his personal life. This film focuses mainly on his most historic fights, and the boxers who faced him. It features some of the biggest names in boxing at the time, such as George Chuvalo, Joe Fraizer, and George Foreman (yes, the grill guy).

Read more on DVD Review: Facing Ali…...

James Toback’s candid interview with “Iron” Mike Tyson may have missed the short list of 15 films vying for the Academy’s “Best Documentary,” but another boxing movie is a contender as the field narrows in a little over a month.

Out on DVD Tuesday (Dec. 29), Facing Ali recalls the career of Cassius Clay, better known as the self-proclaimed greatest boxer of all-time, Muhammad Ali. Ten fighters who faced the man, from George Foreman to Joe Frazier and Leon Spinks to Ken Norton, reminisce on his ring persona and the key bouts that changed their lives.

No former fighter is more open than George Chuvalo, who helps piece together the portrait of a powerful athlete and controversial figure. He recalls the famous taunts that earned Ali the nickname “the Mouth from the South,” the religious and political stands during a turbulent time, and of course the contests that shaped the sport in its prime.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences revealed their list of the final group of 15 films that will contend for the Best Documentary Feature award this week, and with said announcement comes a twinge of bittersweetness. On one hand, the very powerful documentary The Cove -- a Sundance premiere that takes on the brutal killing of dolphins in Japan -- did make it to the final 15, as did the sensational SXSW pic Garbage Dreams and the incredibly fascinating food industry doc Food Inc. On the other hand, fan (and critic) favorite Anvil! The Story of Anvil -- the energetic, sad story of one of the most famous rock bands that you've never heard of -- was curiously missing from the list, as was multi-Oscar nominee Michael Moore's latest film Capitalism: A Love Story, a doc about our current financial crisis. While Michael Moore has had his date with Oscar, his...

I’m sure if you analyze and dissect the rules for eligibility, you’ll find some kind of loophole that kept films like Capitalism: A Love Story, Anvil!: The Story Of Anvil, and Crude off this list of finalists for Best Documentary Feature.

Maybe it’s not based on eligibility at all. Maybe those movies just didn’t make the cut, which, in my opinion, and a lot of other people’s, as well, is a shame. This isn’t even taking into account some of the festival docs that didn’t make the cut, films like Pulling John, We Live In Public, and The Yes Men Fix The World. Politics wins out once again (as if there was every going to be a question of it), and here are the list of 15 films that have moved on in the voting process:

The Beaches Of Agnes directed by Agnès Varda...

The AMPAS has chosen 15 films from the qualifying 89 documentaries to its shortlist. The hopefuls, vying for a final spot in the Documentary Feature category of the 82nd Academy Awards, are listed below, but the list is not without a bit of controversy. Some prominent omissions include the acclaimed smash Anvil! The Story of Anvil, James Toback's Tyson, and, most notably, Michael Moore's Capitalism: A Love Story. Moore's previous film Sicko was nominated in 2008 and his documentary Bowling for Columbine won an Oscar in 2003. However, the 15 documentaries listed below are still all more than deserving of a selection. The Beaches of Agnes - Directed by Agnes Varda Burma VJ - Directed by Anders Ostergaard The Cove - Directed by Louie Psihoyos Every Little Step - Directed by James D. Stern and Adam Del Deo Facing Ali - Directed by Pete McCormack Food, Inc. - Directed by Robert Kenner Garbage Dreams...

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced the 15 films in the Documentary Feature category that will advance in the voting process for the 82nd Academy Awards. Eighty-nine pictures had originally qualified in the category.

The 15 films are listed below in alphabetical order by title, with their production company: The Beaches of Agnes, Agnes Varda, director (Cine-Tamaris) Burma VJ, Anders Østergaard, director (Magic Hour Films) The Cove, Louie Psihoyos, director (Oceanic Preservation Society) Every Little Step, James D. Stern and Adam Del Deo, directors (Endgame Entertainment) Facing Ali, Pete McCormack, director (Network Films Inc.) Food, Inc., Robert Kenner, director (Robert Kenner Films) Garbage Dreams, Mai Iskander, director (Iskander Films, Inc.) Living in Emergency: Stories of Doctors Without Borders, Mark N. Hopkins, director (Red Floor Pictures LLC) The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers, Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith, directors (Kovno Communications) Mugabe and the White African,...

Beverly Hills, CA — The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that 15 films in the Documentary Feature category will advance in the voting process for the 82nd Academy Awards®. Eighty-nine pictures had originally qualified in the category. The 15 films are listed below in alphabetical order by title, with their production company: “The Beaches of Agnes,” Agnès Varda, director (Cine-Tamaris) “Burma VJ,” Anders Østergaard, director (Magic Hour Films) “The Cove,” Louie Psihoyos, director (Oceanic Preservation Society) “Every Little Step,” James D. Stern and Adam Del Deo, directors (Endgame Entertainment) “Facing Ali,” Pete McCormack, director (Network Films Inc.) “Food, Inc.,” Robert Kenner, director (Robert [...]...

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced the 15 semi-finalists in the 2010 Academy Awards’ Documentary Feature category. Eighty-nine films had been in the running. The 15 documentary feature semi-finalists are: The Beaches of Agnes, Agnès Varda, director (Cine-Tamaris) Burma VJ, Anders Østergaard, director (Magic Hour Films) The Cove, Louie Psihoyos, director (Oceanic Preservation Society) Every Little Step, James D. Stern and Adam Del Deo, directors (Endgame Entertainment) Facing Ali, Pete McCormack, director (Network Films Inc.) Food, Inc., Robert Kenner, director (Robert Kenner Films) Garbage Dreams, Mai Iskander, director (Iskander Films, Inc.) Living in Emergency: Stories of Doctors Without Borders, Mark N. Hopkins, director (Red Floor Pictures LLC) The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers, Judith Ehrlich [...]...

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has shortlisted 15 films that will advance in the race for the documentary feature category, culled down from 89 films that originally qualified.

  The titles include the work of veteran French director Agnes Varda, "The Beaches of Agnes"; "Every Little Step," James D. Stern and Adam Del Deo's doc about the making of a revival of "A Chorus Line"; Robert Kenner's expose of the food industry, "Food Inc."; and Matt Tyrnauer's fashion doc "Valentino, the Last Emperor."

Not listed were such prominent titles as Michael Moore's "Capitalism: A Love Story" and James Toback's "Tyson."

The 15 films are:

-- "The Beaches of Agnes," Agnes Varda, director (Cine-Tamaris)

-- "Burma VJ," Anders Østergaard, director (Magic Hour Films)

-- "The Cove," Louie Psihoyos, director (Oceanic Preservation Society)

-- "Every Little Step," James D. Stern and Adam Del Deo, directors (Endgame Entertainment)

-- "Facing Ali,...

The 28th annual Vancouver International Film Festival (Viff) concluded its 16-day run today with the closing gala screening of director Caroline Bottaro's Queen To Play, in the Visa Screening Room @ the Empire Granville 7 Cinemas, Vancouver. Director Bottaro was present to introduce the film to the audience. The winners of three juried awards and five audience awards were announced prior to the screening; a fourth juried award was announced previously. Juried Awards: Canwest Award for Best Canadian Feature Film: The jury for the Canadian Images program awarded the inaugural Canwest Award for Best Canadian Feature Film and its $20,000 cash prize to director Xavier Dolan of Montreal for the feature I Killed My Mother (J.ai tué ma mere). The winner was selected from 19 films in competition. The jury included Vancouver-based actor, writer, Ben Ratner, filmmaker Lynne "Kissed" Stopkewich, and producer/writer Kevin Tierney. Robyn Rudolph of Global Television presented the award on behalf of Canwest.

Muhammad Ali has already been the subject of documentaries, films and biopics, but Facing Ali is different because it looks at the man, the fighter, through the eyes of those who faced him in the ring.

And in looking at the man — and the myth — of Ali, we're told the story of modern prize fighting. It is, English fighter Henry Cooper says in the film's early moments, a story of immigrants and the working class. Fighters, he explains, are motivated to get out of their environment.

Presented by director Pete McCormack (Uganda Rising) and producer Derik Murray (Legends of Hockey chronologically, starting with the 1963 fight between Ali — he was Cassius Clay then — and Cooper, and ending with Ali's 1980 loss to Larry Holmes.

The soundtrack for the film matches the shifting era, too, moving from jazz to funk as we move from the '60s into the '70s.

Along the way...

The 28th annual Vancouver International Film Festival (Viff) will be held October 1-16, 2009. Founded in 1982, Viff's mandate is "...to encourage the understanding of other nations through the art of cinema, to foster the art of cinema, to facilitate the meeting in British Columbia of cinema professionals from around the world and to stimulate the motion picture industry in British Columbia and Canada..." Over 150,000 people are expected to attend 640 screenings of 360 films from 80 countries. Here is an up-to-date list of directors, confirmed to attend Viff 2009, along with their films : "1428" Du Haibin "1999" Lenin Sivam "65_RedRoses" Philip Lyall & Nimisha Mukerji "Adelaide" Liliana Greenfield-Sanders "The Agony and the Ecstasy of Phil Spector" Vikram Jayanti "Ana & Arthur" Larry Young "The Anchorage" Anders Edström & Curtis Winter "Antoine" Laura Bari "Argippo Resurrected" Dan Krames "The Art of Drowning" Diego Maclean "At Home By Myself... With You" Kris Booth "At The Edge Of The World" Dan Stone...

Fiction be damned this week as the documentary makes an impressively strong showing amongst the new releases. For those who simply must make believe, there are vampire slayers, guys and girls in love, guys and guys in love, and a guy pretending to be a guy who loves other guys.

Download this in audio form (MP3: 7:58 minutes, 10.9 Mb) Subscribe to the In Theaters podcast: [Xml] [iTunes]

"Blood: The Last Vampire"

Since beginning its (after)life back in 2000 as an animated feature, the teen-oriented "Blood" saga has spawned a comic book sequel, three novels, a video game and a 50-episode anime TV series. Now "Crouching Tiger" producer William Kong delivers an English language live-action version with a script from "Fearless" scribe Chris Chow and "Kiss of the Dragon" helmer Chris Nahon in the big chair. South Korean actress Gianna Jun stars as Saya, a 400-year-old half-human who, on order from a...

George Ovashvili's "The Other Bank" was awarded the grand jury's New Directors Showcase Award and Barbara Schroeder's "talhotblond" was the documentary grand jury winner at the 35th International Seattle Film Festival, which concluded Sunday.

The doc jury also awarded a special jury prize to Yoshio Harada's "Manhole Children."

The Golden Space Needle Audience Award for best film went to Scott Sanders' "Black Dynamite." First runner-up was Benoit Pilon's "The Necessities of Life," with runner-up awards also going to: second runner-up: Marc Webb's "(500) Days of Summer"; third (tie): Kevin Hamedani's "Zmd: Zombies of Mass Destruction" and Lucy Akhurst's "Morris: A Life with Bells On"; and fourth: Philipp Stolzl's "North Face."

Louie Psihoyos' "The Cove" took home the Golden Space Needle Award for best documentary.

Runners-up were: Sandy Cioffi's "Sweet Crude"; Sarah Kunstler and Emily Kunstler's "William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe"; James D. Stern...

• Mandate might not be a supplier of films for Cannes' competition, but they supply tons of stuff: not only for Lionsgate, but in Grant Heslov's debut The Men Who Stare at Goats, Drew Barrymore's roller derby film Whip It! and Tarsem's third feature film in the soon to be shooting War of Gods. Facing Ali  by Pete McCormack - Completed    Five Killers  by Robert Luketic - Production    The Baster  by Josh Gordon - Production    The Widows' Adventures  by Danny Leiner - Pre-Production    Warrior  by Gavin O'Connor - Production    Alpha And Omega: 3-D  by Anthony Bell - Production    Dear John  by Lasse Hallstrom - Post-Production    More Than A Game  by Kristopher Belman - Completed    Saw VI  by Kevin Greutert - Production    Season Of The Witch  by Dominic Sena - Post-Production    Shrink  by Jonas Pate - Completed    The 4th Kind  by Olatunde Osunsanmi - Completed    The Haunting In Connecticut

...

Which will include Coppola's Tetro which premiers at Cannes for a total of 392 films which includes 31 world premiers and 203 narrative features. Man, Siff always has good stuff, I wish I could go. Any writers in Seattle want to provide coverage for us?

Check out some of the premiers after the break.

World Premieres

Back to the Garden, Flower Power Comes Full Circle, directed by Kevin Tomlinson (USA, 2009)

Dancing Across Borders, directed by Anne H. Bass (USA/Cambodia, 2009)

Facing Ali, directed by Pete McCormack (Canada, 2009)

The Hills Run Red, directed by Dave Parker (USA, 2009)

Icons Among Us, directed by Michael Rivoira, Lars Larson, Peter J. Vogt (USA, 2009)

I’m No Dummy, directed by Bryan W. Simon (USA, 2009)

Pop Star On Ice, directed by David Barba (USA/Canada/Russia/Japan, 2009)

The Spy and the Sparrow, directed by Garrett Bennett (USA, 2009)

talhotblond, directed by Barbara Schroeder (USA, 2008)

The Whole Truth, directed by Colleen Patrick (USA,...

Wow, this certainly came out of nowhere! A fantastic new trailer for a documentary about legendary boxer Muhammad Ali called Facing Ali has debuted on Apple today. I actually saw this for the first time in theaters last night before Crank: High Voltage, and it looked incredible on the big screen. I, of course, knew about the Mike Tyson doc, but hadn't heard of this at all until last night, and was stunned. It looks pretty incredible, and I'd much rather watch this than anything about Tyson. I think Ali's life story is a bit more remarkable and this doc looks like it will be an unforgettable look at one of the greatest athletes ever. Watch the trailer for Pete McCormack's Facing Ali: [flv:http://media2.firstshowing.net/firstshowing/facing-ali-trailer.flv http://media2.firstshowing.net/firstshowing/facing-ali-trailer.jpg 598 316] You can also watch the trailer for Facing Ali in High Definition on Apple Three-time World Heavyweight Champion Muhammad Ali defeated almost every top fighter of...

NEW YORK -- Message in a Bottle producer Jim Wilson is set to direct and produce the indie feature Whirly Girl, starring U.K. actor Julian Morris and Just Married's Monet Mazur. Girl is a coming-of-age drama set at a New England boarding school. The project was penned by Pete McCormack (The Blue Butterfly) and is set to shoot this month in New Haven, Conn. Wilson -- who is Kevin Costner's producing partner in the duo's Tig Prods. banner -- has produced The Postman, Wyatt Earp and The Bodyguard, among other projects. As a director, his credits include Head Above Water, with Cameron Diaz and Harvey Keitel. Morris (Spin) is repped by CAA. Mazur (Torque) is repped by UTA.