With a fascinating professional roadmap as a filmmaker, choreographer and teaching artist, Sarah Friedland is set to launch her feature debut in 2024. Produced by Alexandra Byer — Sollers Point (2017), Colewell (2019), Funny Face (2020) and Noah Pritzker’s just preemed San Sebastian Film Festival title Ex-Husbands) and Matthew Thurm (2014’s H. and 2020’s Sylvie’s Love), Familiar Touch might address cognitive decline related to dementia, but its not a film that is solely about subtraction as it sheds light on what might be gained and both usurps the coming-of-age film format and tackles conventions of ageism. I had the chance to speak to Sarah Friedland in Wroclaw.…...
- 11/29/2023
- by Eric Lavallée
- IONCINEMA.com
Not long ago, an award-winning Polish composer who’d scored dozens of films approached Ula Śniegowska about U.S. in Progress, an industry event conceived as a bridge between the Polish and American markets that runs parallel to the American Film Festival in Wrocław, Poland.
“He approached me saying, ‘I’ve done enough in the Polish market. I need an introduction to the international market. Can you, as U.S. in Progress, help me?’” Śniegowska recalls. “It seems we are a perfect matchmaker for those types of companies to have their work exposed in the U.S.”
Celebrating its 13th edition, U.S. in Progress was launched as a showcase for emerging independent American filmmakers. Each year, the event presents a curated selection of American indie titles in the final stages of production to European sales agents, distributors and festival programmers. This year’s edition takes place Nov. 8 – 10.
Since its inception,...
“He approached me saying, ‘I’ve done enough in the Polish market. I need an introduction to the international market. Can you, as U.S. in Progress, help me?’” Śniegowska recalls. “It seems we are a perfect matchmaker for those types of companies to have their work exposed in the U.S.”
Celebrating its 13th edition, U.S. in Progress was launched as a showcase for emerging independent American filmmakers. Each year, the event presents a curated selection of American indie titles in the final stages of production to European sales agents, distributors and festival programmers. This year’s edition takes place Nov. 8 – 10.
Since its inception,...
- 10/24/2023
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
After a world premiere at the San Sebastian International Film Festival and its North American premiere over the weekend at the Hamptons International Film Festival, Noah Pritzker’s (Quitters) second film goes for a mix of Woody Allen, John Cassavetes, Paul Mazursky, Noah Baumbach and other white male filmmakers, past and present, who enjoy basking in the midlife marital crisis in which many guys find themselves trapped. While not on the level of those acclaimed filmmakers, in this case, Pritzker manages to cast his net wider into an early-, mid-, and late-life crisis over three generations of the men in the Pearce clan.
The result is an engaging indie exercise that’s for sale to any distributor who finds promise in a premise that might be a tough sell for mainstream buyers despite a game cast that lifts it up a notch or two. Art houses would seem to be its theatrical future,...
The result is an engaging indie exercise that’s for sale to any distributor who finds promise in a premise that might be a tough sell for mainstream buyers despite a game cast that lifts it up a notch or two. Art houses would seem to be its theatrical future,...
- 10/9/2023
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
Noah Pritzker’s San Sebastian competition feature ‘Ex-Husbands’ stars Griffin Dunne and James Norton
Luxbox has picked up international sales rights to Noah Pritzker’s San Sebastian competition feature Ex-Husbands and has sold the film to Avalon in Spain and September Films in Benelux.
UTA is handling North American rights for Pritzker’s second feature about three generations of men in the same family simultaneously experiencing marital disappointment.
Griffin Dunne stars as a man floundering after his father (Richard Benjamin) leaves his mother after 65 years of marriage and his own wife (Rosanna Arquette) leaves him after thirty-five. With the wedding...
Luxbox has picked up international sales rights to Noah Pritzker’s San Sebastian competition feature Ex-Husbands and has sold the film to Avalon in Spain and September Films in Benelux.
UTA is handling North American rights for Pritzker’s second feature about three generations of men in the same family simultaneously experiencing marital disappointment.
Griffin Dunne stars as a man floundering after his father (Richard Benjamin) leaves his mother after 65 years of marriage and his own wife (Rosanna Arquette) leaves him after thirty-five. With the wedding...
- 10/9/2023
- by Rebecca Leffler
- ScreenDaily
Noah Pritzker’s bittersweet father and sons tale Ex-Husbands (aka Men Of Divorce) world premieres in Competition at the San Sebastian Film Festival on Sunday as one of the few U.S. productions to be accompanied by its cast this year thanks to its SAG-AFTRA interim agreement.
Griffin Dunne co-stars as a New York dentist who is reeling from his wife’s demand for a divorce after 35 years of marriage, opposite James Norton and Miles Heizer as his sons.
In search of some respite, he unwittingly travels to the Mexican resort of Tulum the same weekend as his oldest son’s bachelor party, where it emerges that he is not the only one suffering a life crisis.
The mainly Spanish press gave the warm-hearted picture – exploring family bonds and questions about love, life and death – an enthusiastic reception at a packed 8.30 am screening on Sunday morning ahead of a gala screening this evening.
Griffin Dunne co-stars as a New York dentist who is reeling from his wife’s demand for a divorce after 35 years of marriage, opposite James Norton and Miles Heizer as his sons.
In search of some respite, he unwittingly travels to the Mexican resort of Tulum the same weekend as his oldest son’s bachelor party, where it emerges that he is not the only one suffering a life crisis.
The mainly Spanish press gave the warm-hearted picture – exploring family bonds and questions about love, life and death – an enthusiastic reception at a packed 8.30 am screening on Sunday morning ahead of a gala screening this evening.
- 9/24/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Griffin Dunne (This Is Us), Rosanna Arquette (Pulp Fiction), Richard Benjamin (Michael Crichton’s Westworld), Miles Heizer (13 Reasons Why) and James Norton (Little Women) will lead the cast of an as-yet-untitled comedy from writer-director Noah Pritzker (Quitters).
Others joining the ensemble include Eisa Davis (Mare of Easttown), Marcia Jean Kurtz (If Beale Street Could Talk), John Ventimiglia (The Sopranos), Lou Taylor Pucci (You), Echo Kellum (Grand Crew), Ian Owens (Shrill), Pedro Fontaine (Spider), Simon Van Buyten (Chaussée d’Amour), Nate Mann (Licorice Pizza), Zora Casebere (On the Rocks) and Rachel Zeiger-Haag (Monsterland).
The film from Play Book Productions and Pimienta Films—marking Pritzker’s follow-up to the 2015 dramedy, Quitters—will center on Dunne’s character, Peter Pearce. Overwhelmed by his pending divorce from Maria (Arquette) and the declining health of his father (Benjamin), Peter plans a getaway to Tulum, insistent he knows nothing of his sons’ (Heizer and...
Others joining the ensemble include Eisa Davis (Mare of Easttown), Marcia Jean Kurtz (If Beale Street Could Talk), John Ventimiglia (The Sopranos), Lou Taylor Pucci (You), Echo Kellum (Grand Crew), Ian Owens (Shrill), Pedro Fontaine (Spider), Simon Van Buyten (Chaussée d’Amour), Nate Mann (Licorice Pizza), Zora Casebere (On the Rocks) and Rachel Zeiger-Haag (Monsterland).
The film from Play Book Productions and Pimienta Films—marking Pritzker’s follow-up to the 2015 dramedy, Quitters—will center on Dunne’s character, Peter Pearce. Overwhelmed by his pending divorce from Maria (Arquette) and the declining health of his father (Benjamin), Peter plans a getaway to Tulum, insistent he knows nothing of his sons’ (Heizer and...
- 7/26/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: HBO has acquired exclusive broadcast and streaming rights to the family drama De Lo Mio directed by Diana Peralta and starring Sasha Merci, Darlene “Dee Nasty” Demorizi and Héctor Aníbal. The film is set to premiere in November on the premium cabler and will be available to stream on HBO Max.
De Lo Mio, which marks Peralta’s feature debut, made its world premiere as the closing night film at BAMcinemaFest 2019. The drama follows. Rita (Merci) and Carolina (Demorizi), two high-spirited sisters raised in New York who travel to the Dominican Republic to reunite with their estranged brother Dante (Aníbal) to clean out their late father’s home before it is sold and demolished. While sorting through the remnants of their family’s legacy, things beome emotional as joys, pains and traumas resurface — all of which the siblings must confront.
“De Lo Mio is a universal story about staying...
De Lo Mio, which marks Peralta’s feature debut, made its world premiere as the closing night film at BAMcinemaFest 2019. The drama follows. Rita (Merci) and Carolina (Demorizi), two high-spirited sisters raised in New York who travel to the Dominican Republic to reunite with their estranged brother Dante (Aníbal) to clean out their late father’s home before it is sold and demolished. While sorting through the remnants of their family’s legacy, things beome emotional as joys, pains and traumas resurface — all of which the siblings must confront.
“De Lo Mio is a universal story about staying...
- 7/15/2020
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
The production company Rathaus is partnering with a Filmmaker for a free three-night screening series, April 14 – 16, of its new and recent work, both features and shorts. The films include 2020 Sundance selection The Mountains are a Dream that Call to Me and 2019 BAMcinemafest title De Lo Mio. Says Rathaus producer and partner Alexandra Byer, “Our Escapes series comes from wanting to give people a night off to feign normalcy and just go to the movies in these weird times. Amongst all the chaos, we feel we have an opportunity to let people, even if just for […]...
- 4/11/2020
- by Scott Macaulay
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
The production company Rathaus is partnering with a Filmmaker for a free three-night screening series, April 14 – 16, of its new and recent work, both features and shorts. The films include 2020 Sundance selection The Mountains are a Dream that Call to Me and 2019 BAMcinemafest title De Lo Mio. Says Rathaus producer and partner Alexandra Byer, “Our Escapes series comes from wanting to give people a night off to feign normalcy and just go to the movies in these weird times. Amongst all the chaos, we feel we have an opportunity to let people, even if just for […]...
- 4/11/2020
- by Scott Macaulay
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
The 2020 Film Independent Spirit Awards were handed out Saturday in recognition of the best in indie films from 2019.
Willem Dafoe won the first award, Best Supporting Male, for his role in “The Lighthouse.” “Uncut Gems” won Best Editing, while the Best Documentary award went to “American Factory.” Best Cinematography went to Jarin Blaschke for “The Lighthouse.”
Kelly Reichardt was awarded The Bonnie Award, which recognizes a mid-career female director with a $50,000 unrestricted grant. The John Cassavetes Award, given to the best feature made for under $500,000, was given to “Give Me Liberty.”
Also Read: Independent Spirit Awards 2020: Aubrey Plaza's Best Jokes (So Far)
“Parasite” won Best International Film. Zhao Shuzhen won Best Supporting Female for her role in “The Farewell.” “Marriage Story” won Best Screenplay. Adam Sandler won Best Male Lead for his performance in “Uncut Gems” and Renée Zellweger received the Best Female Lead for her role in “Judy.
Willem Dafoe won the first award, Best Supporting Male, for his role in “The Lighthouse.” “Uncut Gems” won Best Editing, while the Best Documentary award went to “American Factory.” Best Cinematography went to Jarin Blaschke for “The Lighthouse.”
Kelly Reichardt was awarded The Bonnie Award, which recognizes a mid-career female director with a $50,000 unrestricted grant. The John Cassavetes Award, given to the best feature made for under $500,000, was given to “Give Me Liberty.”
Also Read: Independent Spirit Awards 2020: Aubrey Plaza's Best Jokes (So Far)
“Parasite” won Best International Film. Zhao Shuzhen won Best Supporting Female for her role in “The Farewell.” “Marriage Story” won Best Screenplay. Adam Sandler won Best Male Lead for his performance in “Uncut Gems” and Renée Zellweger received the Best Female Lead for her role in “Judy.
- 2/8/2020
- by Beatrice Verhoeven
- The Wrap
London-based production, finance and sales company Film Constellation has added Tim Sutton’s Berlinale title “Funny Face” to its international sales slate. UTA is representing North American rights.
The film stars Cosmo Jarvis, newcomer Dela Meskienyar, Jonny Lee Miller, and Victor Garber.
Written and directed by Sutton, the film portrays the innocence of love against the backdrop of gentrification, and will have its world premiere as part of Berlinale’s newest section, Encounters, which aims to foster aesthetically and structurally daring works from independent, innovative filmmakers.
The film centers on a power-hungry real estate developer, who decides to destroy Saul’s (Jarvis) grandparents’ home to make way for a parking lot. Saul is left desperate and angry, impotent in a world beyond his control. Young, reckless and alone, he takes on the persona of the “Funny Face” mask to take revenge.
Then he meets the rebellious Zama (Meskienyar), and as...
The film stars Cosmo Jarvis, newcomer Dela Meskienyar, Jonny Lee Miller, and Victor Garber.
Written and directed by Sutton, the film portrays the innocence of love against the backdrop of gentrification, and will have its world premiere as part of Berlinale’s newest section, Encounters, which aims to foster aesthetically and structurally daring works from independent, innovative filmmakers.
The film centers on a power-hungry real estate developer, who decides to destroy Saul’s (Jarvis) grandparents’ home to make way for a parking lot. Saul is left desperate and angry, impotent in a world beyond his control. Young, reckless and alone, he takes on the persona of the “Funny Face” mask to take revenge.
Then he meets the rebellious Zama (Meskienyar), and as...
- 2/4/2020
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Two dark and unruly films released by A24, Robert Eggers’ “The Lighthouse” and the Safdie brothers’ “Uncut Gems,” led all films in nominations for the 2020 Film Independent Spirit Awards, Film Independent announced on Thursday.
In the Best Feature category, “Uncut Gems” was joined by Lulu Wang’s “The Farewell,” Terrence Malick’s “A Hidden Life,” Chinonye Chukwu’s “Clemency” and Noah Baumbach’s “Marriage Story.”
“Uncut Gems” was the only film nominated in both the Best Feature and Best Director categories, though “Marriage Story” was nominated in the former category and was also voted the special John Cassavetes Award, which goes to a film’s director, cast and casting director.
Also Read: 'Marriage Story,' 'The Farewell,' 'Uncut Gems' Top Gotham Award Nominations
“Honey Boy” and “Give Me Liberty” received four nominations each, while “Hustlers,” “Clemency” and “Luce” received three.
As usual, the Spirit Awards’ system of...
In the Best Feature category, “Uncut Gems” was joined by Lulu Wang’s “The Farewell,” Terrence Malick’s “A Hidden Life,” Chinonye Chukwu’s “Clemency” and Noah Baumbach’s “Marriage Story.”
“Uncut Gems” was the only film nominated in both the Best Feature and Best Director categories, though “Marriage Story” was nominated in the former category and was also voted the special John Cassavetes Award, which goes to a film’s director, cast and casting director.
Also Read: 'Marriage Story,' 'The Farewell,' 'Uncut Gems' Top Gotham Award Nominations
“Honey Boy” and “Give Me Liberty” received four nominations each, while “Hustlers,” “Clemency” and “Luce” received three.
As usual, the Spirit Awards’ system of...
- 11/21/2019
- by Brian Welk and Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Sundance Survival Guides are a tradition here at Filmmaker. Producer and Contributing Editor Alicia Van Couvering wrote one in 2009 and again in 2012, and producer Mynette Louie offered her advice in ’15. This year, producer Alexandra Byer (Dark Night) remembers her own rituals for making it safely through the Park City gauntlet. Ignore these at your own peril. — Editor 1. Dress warmly, leave the heels at home. You are headed to the snowy mountains of Utah! Most people traveling to Park City in the winter months are headed to ski or snowboard, but you are just planning to […]...
- 1/19/2017
- by Alexandra Byer
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
For many people, filmmaking is a process of ongoing education. The filmmakers who succeed are often the ones willing to learn from their mistakes and taking advice. IndieWire recently checked in with the up-and-coming indie directors behind the exciting films playing in the “New Auteurs” and “American Independent” categories at this year’s AFI Fest to find out what they learned while making their festival breakout.
Read More: AFI Fest 2016 – What Cameras Were Used to Shoot This Year’s Films
Kris Avedisian, “Donald Cried”: There was a time while shooting that I got lost in the process. I started to see the movie take shape but it was in a very deformed state. There are times when you have to make decisions, changes and adjust because of what you’re seeing. But it could be hard to know sometimes if I was only reacting to seeing scenes out of order,...
Read More: AFI Fest 2016 – What Cameras Were Used to Shoot This Year’s Films
Kris Avedisian, “Donald Cried”: There was a time while shooting that I got lost in the process. I started to see the movie take shape but it was in a very deformed state. There are times when you have to make decisions, changes and adjust because of what you’re seeing. But it could be hard to know sometimes if I was only reacting to seeing scenes out of order,...
- 11/14/2016
- by Chris O'Falt
- Indiewire
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