A Serious Man Spoiler

Spoilers:

Filming has officially begun for "A Serious Man," starring Tony Award nominee Michael Stuhlbarg, Fred Melamed (from "Suspect") and Richard Kind ("The Visitor"). The Coen brothers Ethan and Joel will write, direct and produce and Working Title's Eric Fellner and Tim Bevan are serving as execs alongwide Robert Graf who has worked six times previously with the brothers. Also cast are actors Sari Wagner, Jessica McManus and Aaron Wolf from Minnesota where filming is taking place.

The story follows an ordinary mans search for clarity in a universe where Jefferson Airplane is on the radio and F-Troop is on TV. It is 1967, and Larry Gopnik, a physics professor at a quiet midwestern university, has just been informed by his wife Judith that she is leaving him. She has fallen in love with one of his more pompous colleagues, Sy Ableman, who seems to her a more substantial person than the feckless Larry. Larrys unemployable brother Arthur is sleeping on the couch, his son Danny is a discipline problem and a shirker at Hebrew school, and his daughter Sarah is filching money from his wallet in order to save up for a nose job. While his wife and Sy Ableman blithely make new domestic arrangements, and his brother becomes more and more of a burden, an anonymous hostile letter-writer is trying to sabotage Larrys chances for tenure at the university. Also, a graduate student seems to be trying to bribe him for a passing grade while at the same time threatening to sue him for defamation. Plus, the beautiful woman next door torments him by sunbathing nude. Struggling for equilibrium, Larry seeks advice from three different rabbis. Can anyone help him cope with his afflictions and become a righteous person; a mensch, a serious man?
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Starring:

Michael Stuhlbarg, Fred Melamed, Richard Kind, Aaron Wolf, Sari Wagner, Jessica McManus, Adam Arkin
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Rumors:

1. Production Begins on the Coens' A Serious Man
Production began on Monday on location in Minnesota on A Serious Man, for Focus Features and Working Title Films. Joel and Ethan Coen, Academy Award winners for No Country for Old Men and Fargo, are writing, producing, and directing the film. Working Title co-chairs Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner are executive-producing the film with Robert Graf, who has worked on the Coens' last six features in various producing capacities.

The director of photography on A Serious Man is seven-time Academy Award nominee Roger Deakins, who is marking his tenth feature collaboration with the Coens. Mary Zophres is the film's costume designer, marking her ninth feature collaboration with the Coens. Jess Gonchor is the production designer, marking his third feature collaboration with the Coens.

A Serious Man is the story of an ordinary man's search for clarity in a universe where Jefferson Airplane is on the radio and F-Troop is on TV. It is 1967, and Larry Gopnik, a physics professor at a quiet midwestern university, has just been informed by his wife Judith that she is leaving him. She has fallen in love with one of his more pompous colleagues, Sy Ableman, who seems to her a more substantial person than the feckless Larry. Larry's unemployable brother Arthur is sleeping on the couch, his son Danny is a discipline problem and a shirker at Hebrew school, and his daughter Sarah is filching money from his wallet in order to save up for a nose job. While his wife and Sy Ableman blithely make new domestic arrangements, and his brother becomes more and more of a burden, an anonymous hostile letter-writer is trying to sabotage Larry's chances for tenure at the university. Also, a graduate student seems to be trying to bribe him for a passing grade while at the same time threatening to sue him for defamation. Plus, the beautiful woman next door torments him by sunbathing nude. Struggling for equilibrium, Larry seeks advice from three different rabbis. Can anyone help him cope with his afflictions and become a righteous person – a mensch – a serious man?

Tony Award nominee Michael Stuhlbarg (whose films include The Grey Zone) stars as Larry; Fred Melamed (Suspect) plays Sy; Richard Kind (The Visitor) portrays Arthur; and Minnesota actors Aaron Wolf, Sari Wagner, and Jessica McManus are cast as Danny, Judith, and Sarah, respectively.

The Coens' comedy thriller Burn After Reading, also from Focus Features and Working Title Films, world-premiered last month as the opening-night film of the 2008 Venice International Film Festival; made its North American premiere last week at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival; and will be released by Focus nationwide on Friday, September 12th. The film stars George Clooney, Frances McDormand, John Malkovich, Tilda Swinton, Richard Jenkins, and Brad Pitt.
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2. St. Olaf gets 'Serious'
Production has begun on A Serious Man, a new film written, produced and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen -- Academy Award winners for No Country for Old Men and Fargo. The film is being shot on a variety of locations throughout Minnesota, including St. Olaf College. The brothers and their crew will spend a day filming in the college's old Science Center in October.

According to the production comedy, A Serious Man is a comedy about an ordinary man's search for clarity in his confused universe. The year is 1967 and Larry Gopnik (played by Tony Award nominee Michael Stuhlbarg), a physics professor at a "quiet Midwestern university," has just learned that his wife is leaving him for one of his colleagues. Larryýs unemployable brother is sleeping on the couch, his son is a discipline problem at Hebrew school and his daughter is filching money from his wallet in order to save up for a nose job.

Meanwhile, an anonymous hostile letter-writer is trying to sabotage Larry's chances for tenure at the university. On top of that, a graduate student seems to be trying to bribe him for a passing grade while at the same time threatening to sue him for defamation. Struggling for equilibrium, Larry seeks advice from three rabbis to help him cope with his afflictions and become a righteous person -- a mensch -- a serious man.
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3. Check out the trailer for the Coens' A Serious Man
Prior to this morning, all we knew about Joel and Ethan Coen's new movie A Serious Man was that it's set in late '60s Minnesota and stars little-known actor Michael Stuhlbarg as a Jewish academic with marital and spiritual troubles. (Oh, and that we'll get to see it long before you do, since it'll be at the Toronto FIlm Festival in September, prior to its October opening. Nyah.) Well, now we know a little more... sort of. The trailer for A Serious Man was released late last night and it's a strange little number, looking like a combination of Barton Fink and The Man Who Wasn't There, with some of the slapstick violence of Raising Arizona. Definitely the Coens exploring their own headspace again. Check it out:
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4. More TIFF titles for Galas and Special Presentations sections
A couple of Gala films, most notable the world premier of Dorian Gray has been added, along with the UK crime comedy flick Perrier's Bounty which stars Cillian Murphy which I'm honestly surprised to see as part of the lineup. I've been keeping my eye on it for a while, and honestly it didn't sound that great, but then again, I haven't seen footage.

There's also the world premier of Drew Barrymore's hot women rollerderby flick Whip It! and Herzog's remake of Bad Lieutenant.

New films after the break!

GALAS

Dorian Gray Oliver Parker, United Kingdom
World Premiere
In Victorian London, the handsome Dorian Gray (Ben Barnes) is swept into a social whirlwind by the charismatic and cunning Lord Wotton (Colin Firth). Immersed in the hedonistic pleasures of the city, Dorian vows he would give anything to keep his youth and beauty - even his soul. Based on the Oscar Wilde novel, Dorian Gray examines the destructive power of beauty, the blind pursuit of pleasure and the darkness that can result from both.

The Private Lives of Pippa Lee Rebecca Miller, USA
North American Premiere
From all outward appearances, Pippa Lee (Robin Wright Penn) leads a charmed existence. An anchor of feminine serenity, she is the devoted wife of an accomplished publisher (Alan Arkin) 30 years her senior, the proud mother of two grown children, a trusted friend and confidant. But as Pippa dutifully follows her husband to a new life in a staid Connecticut retirement community, her idyllic world and the persona she has built over the course of her marriage will be put to the ultimate test. Adapted from writer-director Rebecca Miller's novel of the same name, The Private Lives of Pippa Lee presents the complex portrait of the many lives behind a single name.

SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS

Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans Werner Herzog, USA
North American Premiere
Terence McDonagh (Nicolas Cage), a homicide detective with the New Orleans Police Department, is promoted to Lieutenant after he saves a prisoner from drowning in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. However, during his heroic act, he severely injures his back and is put on prescription pain medication. A year later, Terence - struggling with his addictions to sex, Vicodin and cocaine - finds himself in the battle to bring down drug dealer Big Fate, who is suspected of massacring an entire family of African immigrants.

Capitalism: A Love Story Michael Moore, USA
North American Premiere
On the 20-year anniversary of his groundbreaking masterpiece Roger & Me, Michael Moore's Capitalism: A Love Story comes home to the issue he's been examining throughout his career: the disastrous impact of corporate dominance on the everyday lives of Americans (and by default, the rest of the world). But this time the culprit is much bigger than General Motors, and the crime scene far wider than Flint, Michigan. From Middle America, to the halls of power in Washington, to the global financial epicenter in Manhattan, Michael Moore will once again take film-goers into uncharted territory.

Harry Brown Daniel Barber, United Kingdom
World Premiere
Harry Brown is a provocative and thought-provoking modern urban western featuring a tour-de-force lead performance from two-time Academy Award®-winner Michael Caine. Harry Brown has lived to see his community descend into crime and violence, and ruled over by a gang of teenage thugs. After his best friend is brutally murdered and the gang leader responsible walks free, Harry reaches a breaking point and revenge becomes his only aim.

Perrier's Bounty Ian Fitzgibbon, Ireland/United Kingdom
World Premiere
When Michael's (Cillian Murphy) debt to Dublin kingpin Darren Perrier (Brendan Gleeson) is called in and one of Perrier's goons accidentally ends up dead, Michael escapes to the mountains with his father Jim (Jim Broadbent) and best friend, Brenda. Flat broke, on the run and with only 24 hours to pay up, Michael is forced to confront his true feelings for Brenda and make amends with his father. However, with Perrier and his gang in hot pursuit, time is running out for Michael and only fate, a bit of luck and possibly a gang of savage dogs will save him, in this cracking gangster comedy.

A Serious Man Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, USA
World Premiere
Imaginatively exploring questions of faith, familial responsibility, delinquent behaviour, dental phenomena, academia, mortality and Judaism - and intersections thereof - A Serious Man is the new film from Academy Award®-winning writer-directors Joel and Ethan Coen.

Triage Danis Tanovic, Ireland/Spain
World Premiere
Mark (Colin Farrell), a war photographer, returns home from Kurdistan without his friend and colleague David (Jamie Sives). As time goes on, it becomes clear that Mark holds the key to the truth of David's disappearance.

Whip It Drew Barrymore, USA
World Premiere
Drew Barrymore's directorial debut stars Ellen Page (Juno) as Bliss, a rebellious Texas teen who throws in her small-town beauty pageant crown for the rowdy world of roller-derby. Marcia Gay Harden (Mystic River, Pollock) plays Bliss's disapproving mother, while Drew Barrymore, Kristen Wiig (Saturday Night Live) and Juliette Lewis (Old School) play roller-derby stars. Whip It also stars Eve, Jimmy Fallon, Daniel Stern, Alia Shawkat, Ari Graynor, Andrew Wilson, Zoe Bell and singer-songwriter Landon Pigg.

Women Without Men Shirin Neshat, Germany/France/Austria
North American Premiere
Shirin Neshat's first feature-length film is based on a magic-realist novel written by Iranian author Sharnush Parsipur. The narrative interweaves the lives of four Iranian women during the summer of 1953, a pivotal moment in Iranian history when an American led coup d'état brought down the democratically elected prime minister Mohammed Mossadegh and reinstalled the Shah to power. The film chronicles each woman's quest for change and their mysterious encounter in a magical orchard.
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A Serious Man Trailer

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A Serious Man

Release Date: October 2, 2009 (limited)

Studio: Focus Features

Director: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen

Screenwriter: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen

Starring: Michael Stuhlbarg, Fred Melamed, Richard Kind, Aaron Wolf, Sari Wagner, Jessica McManus, Adam Arkin

Genre: Comedy, Drama

MPAA Rating: R (for language, some sexuality/nudity and brief violence)

Plot Summary: "A Serious Man" is the story of an ordinary man's search for clarity in a universe where Jefferson Airplane is on the radio and F-Troop is on TV. It is 1967, and Larry Gopnik (Michael Stuhlbarg), a physics professor at a quiet Midwestern university, has just been informed by his wife Judith (Sari Lennick) that she is leaving him. She has fallen in love with one of his more pompous colleagues, Sy Ableman (Fred Melamed), who seems to her a more substantial person than the feckless Larry. Larry's unemployable brother Arthur (Richard Kind) is sleeping on the couch, his son Danny (Aaron Wolf) is a discipline problem and a shirker at Hebrew school, and his daughter Sarah (Jessica McManus) is filching money from his wallet in order to save up for a nose job. While his wife and Sy Ableman blithely make new domestic arrangements, and his brother becomes more and more of a burden, an anonymous hostile letter-writer is trying to sabotage Larry's chances for tenure at the university. Also, a graduate student seems to be trying to bribe him for a passing grade while at the same time threatening to sue him for defamation. Plus, the beautiful woman next door torments him by sunbathing nude. Struggling for equilibrium, Larry seeks advice from three different rabbis. Can anyone help him cope with his afflictions and become a righteous person – a mensch – a serious man?
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Richard John Kind (born November 22, 1956) is an American actor known for his roles in the sitcoms "Mad About You" (as Dr. Mark Devanow) and "Spin City" (as Paul Thomas Lassiter).
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Adam Arkin (born August 19, 1957)[1] is an American television, film, and stage actor and director. He is best known for playing neurosurgeon Aaron Shutt on Chicago Hope. He is also one of the three actors to portray Dale "The Whale" Biederbeck on Monk. As of 2009[update] he stars in the NBC drama Life. He is the son of actor Alan Arkin.
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George Wyner (born October 25, 1945) is an American film and television actor. He is probably best known for his role as ADA Bernstein on the series Hill Street Blues. Wyner graduated from Syracuse University in 1968 as a drama major, and was an in-demand character actor by the early 1970s. To date, Wyner has made guest appearances in over 100 television series and co-starred in nine. He is also noted for memorable turns in cult classics such as Spaceballs, American Pie 2 and Fletch.
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Philip “Fyvush” Finkel (born October 9, 1922 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American actor best known as a star of Yiddish theater and for his role as lawyer Douglas Wambaugh on the television series Picket Fences, for which he earned an Emmy Award in 1994. He is also known for his portrayal of Harvey Lipschultz, a crotchety U.S. history teacher, on the Fox Broadcasting TV series Boston Public.
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The Blue Tooth Virgin Spoiler

Plot:

Two writers must face a dilemma that is common to anyone who has ever had an artistic friend: what happens when you have to give feedback, and the news isn't good? Sam, an aspiring screenwriter, and David, a successful magazine editor, have been pals for years. When David doesn't appreciate Sam's latest attempt, it opens a fissure in their friendship, one that spreads through the rest of their lives. Ultimately, both men must reevaluate their motivations to write, their need for praise and validation, and what it means to see yourself as you actually are. Written by Anonymous

In The Bluetooth Virgin, two writers must face a dilemma that is common to anyone who has ever had an artistic friend: What happens when you have to give feedback, and the news isn't good? Sam, an aspiring screenwriter, and David, a successful magazine editor, have been pals for years. When David doesn't appreciate Sam's latest attempt, it opens a fissure in their friendship, one that spreads through the rest of their lives. Ultimately, both men must reevaluate their motivations to write, their need for praise and validation, and what it means to see yourself as you actually are. Written by Anonymous
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Starring:

Austin Peck, Bryce Johnson
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Rumors:

1. The Blue Tooth Virgin (2009)
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The Blue Tooth Virgin Trailer

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The Blue Tooth Virgin

Release Date: September, 2009 (limited)

Studio: Regent Releasing

Director: Russell Brown

Screenwriter: Russell Brown

Starring: Austin Peck, Bryce Johnson

Plot Summary: Two writers must face a dilemma that is common to anyone who has ever had an artistic friend: what happens when you have to give feedback, and the news isn't good? Sam, an aspiring screenwriter, and David, a successful magazine editor, have been pals for years. When David doesn't appreciate Sam's latest attempt, it opens a fissure in their friendship, one that spreads through the rest of their lives. Ultimately, both men must reevaluate their motivations to write, their need for praise and validation, and what it means to see yourself as you actually are.
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Jeffrey Austin Peck (born April 9, 1971 in Hawaii) is an American actor.

Peck is best known for his role as Austin Reed on the daytime soap opera Days of our Lives from April 13, 1995 to April 5, 2002, and from September 20, 2005 to October 26, 2006.

Peck was a recast to the role, and succeeded a popular actor, Patrick Muldoon. Peck became a fan favorite, reportedly getting the most fan mail of anyone in the "Days" cast. He appeared on the cover of "Playgirl" and "YM" covers. In 1997,and"playgirl" in 2002. Peck, along with DAYS co-star Christie Clark, won the Soap Opera Digest Award for Hottest Romance. The actors came back to the show in 2005, but were released from their contracts in 2006. Peck is currently in the process of writing a children book dedicated to his son Roman Austin.

It was announced in November 2006 that Peck would be moving to New York to assume the role of Brad Snyder on the CBS daytime drama As The World Turns. He first aired in January 2007. [1] Austin Peck also guest starred on Sabrina the Teenage Witch.
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Bryce Johnson (born April 18, 1977) is an American actor.
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I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell Spoiler

Spoilers:

basically, this film is the be all end all of film. it's an awesome LOLromp road trip where crazy stuff happens involving hot chicks and beer. you never seen this movie before. id go on, but i can't even continue to type it's so funny - LMAO. see this film guys, it's revolutionary.

anyway, this film is so awesome i can't fill 10 lines on it's synopsis. so instead here's a random excerpt from a wikipedia entry on thomas pain:

In July 1761, Paine returned to Thetford to work as a supernumerary officer. In December 1762, he became an excise officer in Grantham, Lincolnshire; in August 1764, he was transferred to Alford, at a salary of £50 per annum. On August 27, 1765, he was fired as an Excise Officer for "claiming to have inspected goods he did not inspect." On July 31, 1766, he requested his reinstatement from the Board of Excise, which they granted the next day, upon vacancy. While awaiting that, he worked as a stay maker in Diss, Norfolk, and later as a servant (per the records, for a Mr. Noble, of Goodman's Fields, and for a Mr. Gardiner, at Kensington). He also applied to become an ordained minister of the Church of England and, per some accounts, he preached in Moorfields.[10]

In 1767, he was appointed to a position in Grampound, Cornwall; subsequently, he asked to leave this post to await a vacancy, thus, he became a schoolteacher in London. On February 19, 1768, he was appointed to Lewes, East Sussex, living above the fifteenth-century Bull House, the tobacco shop of Samuel Ollive and Esther Ollive. There, Paine first became involved in civic matters, when Samuel Ollive introduced him to the Society of Twelve, a local, élite intellectual group that met semestrally, to discuss town politics. He also was in the influential Vestry church group that collected taxes and tithes to distribute among the poor. On March 26, 1771, at age 34, he married Elizabeth Ollive, his landlord's daughter.

From 1772 to 1773, Paine joined excise officers asking Parliament for better pay and working conditions, publishing, in summer of 1772, The Case of the Officers of Excise, a twenty-one-page article, and his first political work, spending the London winter distributing the 4,000 copies printed to the Parliament and others. In spring of 1774, he was fired from the excise service for being absent from his post without permission; his tobacco shop failed, too. On April 14, to avoid debtor's prison, he sold his household possessions to pay debts. On June 4, he formally separated from wife Elizabeth and moved to London, where, in September, a friend introduced him to Benjamin Franklin, who suggested emigration to British colonial America, and gave him a letter of recommendation. In October, Thomas Paine emigrated from Great Britain to the American colonies, arriving in Philadelphia on November 30, 1774.
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Starring:

Matt Czuchry, Jesse Bradford, Geoff Stults, Keri Lynn Pratt, Denise Quinones
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Rumors:

1. Three confirmed for 'Beer In Hell'
The principal cast for the Tucker Max movie I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell has been confirmed.

Matt Czuchry, Jesse Bradford and Geoff Stults will all appear in the big screen adaptation of Max's memoirs.

Keri Lynn Pratt and Denise Quinones have also signed for the project, which is scheduled to begin shooting in July. Bob Gosse will helm the film.

Tucker Max found fame in 2002 after he launched a website featuring bawdy tales about his personal life.

The movie will follow the story of Max and his friends attending a bachelor party, where they end up causing trouble for the groom.
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I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell Trailer

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I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell

Release Date: September 29, 2009 (limited)

Studio: Freestyle Releasing

Director: Bob Gosse

Screenwriter: Tucker Max, Nils Parker

Starring: Matt Czuchry, Jesse Bradford, Geoff Stults, Keri Lynn Pratt, Denise Quinones

Genre: Comedy

MPAA Rating: R (for nudity, strong sexual content including graphic dialogue throughout, language and some crude material)

Plot Summary: "I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell" chronicles Max's alcohol-fueled true adventures. The film will follow his trip to a friend's bachelor party, where he ensnares the groom in a lie that threatens the wedding, then abandons him to pursue further carnal knowledge. After being banned from the nuptials, Max attempts to get back into his friend's good graces.
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Matthew Charles Czuchry (born May 20, 1977) is an American actor.
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Jesse Bradford Watrouse (born May 28, 1979), better known as Jesse Bradford, is an American actor.
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Geoffrey Manton Stults (born December 15, 1977) is an American actor.
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Keri Lynn Pratt (born September 23, 1978) is an American actress of film and television. She is well known for her role of Missy Belknap on Jack & Bobby or as Dee Vine in Drive Me Crazy,[1] which was her debut role. She is also known for her distinctive, mousy voice.[citation needed]
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Denise Marie Quiñones August (born September 9, 1980 in Ponce, Puerto Rico) was the fourth Puerto Rican winner of the Miss Universe contest. Prior to winning the Miss Universe pageant, she represented her hometown of Lares in the Miss Puerto Rico Universe 2001 pageant.
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We Live in Public Spoiler

Spoilers:

We Live in Public is the story of the Internets revolutionary impact on human interaction as told through the eyes of Internet pioneer and visionary, Josh Harris. Though once considered the godfather of the downtown Internet scene in NYC in the 90s, known far and wide for his outrageous parties, innovations in chat, streaming audio and the creation of the first online television network, Harris is but a footnote in history at this point all because he took his experiments with the Internet and media consumption too far. Award-winning filmmaker, Ondi Timoner, has been documenting his incredible experiments, and his ups and downs, for over a decade from puppeteer to puppet, from millionaire to exiled and broke. Timoner sets out with We Live in Public to tell the story of yet another walking cautionary tale in Josh Harris who, as Anton Newcombe did for artists everywhere in DIG!, will inevitably shake us all to the core about what the future brings for all of us as we increasingly live, work and love through media and technology.

The film charts the rise and fall of the man who, as far back as the early 1990s, predicted a future dominated by life online, where people will be actively willing to reveal all aspects of their private lives as significance and fame become more accessible, only to find themselves trapped in virtual boxes. Josh Harris foresaw online social networks like MySpace, Facebook, and YouTube, and created the companies that serve as the direct predecessors to these fabulously successful ventures. But as Josh says, "The first guy gets the arrow, the second guy gets the castle.

Founder of the first Internet market research company (Jupiter Communications), and the first Internet-based television network (Pseudo.com), Josh Harris told his brother, I have to do this, or someone else will do it first. It didnt matter that less than 1% of the population had broadband when he unveiled Pseudo, so very few people could watch his 10 channels online. It mattered to him that he did it, and showed anyone who was watching, the future. Called by many the Warhol of the Web, Josh has spent his life coming to terms with his vision of the future and how media and technology affects social interaction and the development of personal identity.

How Harris became a media casualty provides the emotional core of our story. The youngest child of seven, and neglected by his parents, Harris was a lonely child, nurtured, as he says, on the electronic calories of television. He claims to have been raised by the tube and found his spiritual family in Gilligans Island. After several successful business ventures in the first dotcom boom, Harris set out to make up for his lonesome childhood by surrounding himself with people and cameras, creating his own island.

Theories that first made Harris a wealthy and successful Internet pioneer during the dotcom boom of the mid-90s are the same ideas that eventually drove him towards a mental collapse. Harris continued to place himself and the people around him in the middle of a not-so-distant future where he believed we will all want to live in public, using the media and technology to publicize our lives and create our virtual selves. He created an underground bunker in the heart of NYC at the turn of the Millennium and had over 100 people move into his living human Petri dish an artificial society where they lived in pods, each with their own surveillance camera and channel in a closed circuit network, and subjected themselves to artillery training and interrogations in order to be on camera. It was busted by FEMA as a Millennial Cult on January 1st 2000, where upon, Harris decided to take the experiment a step farther

This time, he was the guinea pig. He had his loft rigged with 32 motion-controlled surveillance cameras from the toilet to the bedroom, and announced weliveinpublic.com A live, 24/7 look into the lives of Harris and his girlfriend, Tanya. They set out to broadcast every aspect of their lives for six months, and even hopefully to conceive in public! The experiment backfired as the chatters began to control the Harris life, resulting in the deterioration of his personal relationship as well as his mental state. After having lived under complete surveillance while losing the majority of his money in the dotcom crash as well as his mind, Harris fled into seclusion on an apple farm in upstate New York for the next five years. He cut himself off from all the media and fame he had been obsessed with, to shed the electronic calories hed been consuming through that media his whole life - and find himself.

During his exile, Harris visionary predictions about technology and online social networking were manifesting in companies like Friendster, and then MySpace and Facebook, among others.

Harris returned to the tech world with his newest creation "Operator 11, an online streaming video hub where users could create and broadcast their own content never found an audience. This time he was too late. YouTube had already cornered the market with its slogan broadcast yourself.

Having sunk the remainder of his money into Operator 11, Josh Harris was now broke. With no money and the burning desire to finally prove himself as the greatest artist of the 21st century, Harris vanished to Ethiopia while the world he so succinctly predicted blows up around him.

Sundance Award-Winning director Ondi Timoner and Interloper Films have been chronicling Harriss story since his peak in 1999. As with Timoners previous films DIG! and JOIN US, We Live In Public takes us deep underground into a world we would never otherwise have access to. Told through visually-stimulating vérité footage woven into a dramatic narrative, the film then takes the power of documentary cinema one step further thanks to Harriss obsession with constantly documenting himself and the world around him. We are currently crafting an exciting hour and a half adventure out of the 3-4000 hours of footage accumulated for the project over the last ten years. The result will without doubt be a visceral ride through our recent history, back to a time not so long ago when life was markedly different for most all of us, before the decade between web 1.0 and web 2.0, before the greatest invention of our lifetime had taken hold of our lives, and according to Harris - were only seeing the smoke on the horizon.
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Starring:

Josh Harris
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Rumors:

1. We Live in Public – most impactful movie of 2009
I left and was in a bit of a daze (and no, it wasn’t from sitting near The Dude though he was indeed just a few rows over) rather it was from just how impactful the movie is for any of us who are now, ourselves, living in public. I have been active online since 1991. I started this blog many years ago and deep in my archives you can find a great deal of highly personal stuff, my musings over time about life, relationships and more. Since 2007 I have been using twitter actively and have posted more than 9000 times, often inviting anyone who gets my messages to join me for coffee, lunch or as I did just minutes ago here at the Web 2.0 Expo invite anyone to join me for dinner.

I live in public.

My friends, people such as Jason Calacanis, who are featured throughout We Live In Public have also been living their lives in public. The movie is, however, not Jason’s story but is:

… the story of the effect the web is having on our society, as seen through the eyes of “the greatest Internet pioneer you’ve never heard of,” visionary Josh Harris. Award-winning director, Ondi Timoner (DIG!), documented his tumultuous life for more than a decade, to create a riveting, cautionary tale of what to expect as the virtual world inevitably takes control of our lives.

I will be pondering this movie for months, likely years to come. Weeks after I viewed it, I still feel the impact. It is a fun movie at times, a difficult movie throughout, and I’m certain my personal connection to many of the participants definitely shaped the impact which the film had on me as I viewed it.

However if you are reading this post, if you follow me on Twitter, if you Tweet yourself, if you video blog, post status updates to Facebook, you too are starting to live in public, in ways which Josh Harris explored a decade ago. His story highlights the many impacts this life can have on us, the impact that pervasive surveillance can have on all of us.

We Live in Public won the Sundance Grand Jury prize for Documentaries this year for a very good reason.
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2. Sundance Review: We Live in Public
"The unexamined life is not worth living." -- Socrates

"Night City was like a deranged experiment in social Darwinism, designed by a bored researcher who kept one thumb permanently on the fast-forward button." -- William Gibson, Neuromancer (1986)

We Live in Public, the newest documentary from director Ondi Timoner (Dig!, Join Us), looks at internet technology and how it's changing us, prying into these larger issues through looking at the life and times of Josh Harris, who the press notes call "The greatest internet pioneer you've never heard of ..." Harris made a fortune from the internet before you ever heard of it with his consulting and analysis firm Jupiter Communications, then launched a revolutionary web-based set of video programs called Pseudo and then descended into a series of ornate and risky multimedia art projects: First was Quiet, a constantly-broadcast bunker and residence in 1999 New York that offered participants comforts and privileges in exchange for certain rights and concessions. Then came We Live in Public, where Harris and his girlfriend Tanya Corrin lived in a loft with a 24/7 web broadcast of everything they did, said and were to each other.

The unexamined life is not worth living, to be sure, but what We Live in Public asks -- as a pertinent question in the age of blogging and MySpace and Facebook and Twitter -- is if perpetually broadcasting your life is the same thing as examining it, and asks the question of who, exactly, is doing the watching. Harris was the bored researcher with his thumb on the fast-forward button for a while, and he tumbled through these thorny philosophical issues years before any of us even had the chance to, and wound up scratched and bruised by them. He's currently broke, living in Ethiopia, pursuing the interest-slash-obsession with Gilligan's Island he acquired in his youth and expressed in weird, wild ways throughout his whole life. He also claims to be working on some new revolutionary project he speaks of only in the vaguest possible terms. Perhaps he's being cagey about a brilliant new big idea; perhaps he's trying to hide the fact he's got nothing. Like many tech entrepreneurs, Harris walks a fine, tangled line between genius and charlatan, between insight and obliviousness.

Watching We Live in Public, you see how Timoner was in the right place at the right time to meet Harris and get the background for this film, (she worked for Pseudo before it crashed, as well as being a regular guest of Quiet before it imploded) and also see Harris' knack for making any place the wrong place at the wrong time. We see scary footage from Quiet, with interrogators Harris hired breaking the residents down as bizarre experiments; we see Quiet residents enjoying live-fire 'fun' with a huge, crazy arsenal of guns in a basement firing range; we see other, far more questionable curious moments as well. The cops shut Quiet down after a month, and looking at the footage, you understand precisely why.

Much as Dig! went from showing the battles between two bands to showing the challenges and opportunities indie rock created, We Live in Public uses Harris as a wedge to open up a discussion about internet-era culture. New-school web entrepreneur Jason Calacanis appears as an interpreter of the field and as an intimate of Harris'. I know Jason -- he founded Weblogs, which used to own Cinematical -- and consider him a friend, which is why I can note that in his appearances in the doc he's thoughtful, he's articulate and on several occasions when he's overly rah-rah about 'user-generated content' and 'the human internet,' he's sometimes fascinatingly wrong. (Calacanis asks us to imagine an edition of The New York Times where the staff can write " ... whatever they want ... that would be the best Sunday New York Times!" Actually, if you look to The Times for information about things you don't already know and insight about the issues of the day -- instead of enthusiasm and randomness and minutiae -- it would actually be the worst.)

But even with the occasional bit of loopy tech-talk or burbling enthusiasm only lightly tinged with forethought, many of the insights Calacanis, Harris, Timoner and the film offer are fascinating. How much of our lives are we sacrificing for the illusory intimacy of Facebook and the 140-character blurps of Twitter? Has the ability to say what we're thinking to a broader and broader group diluted the quality of what we have to say? Who owns these electric extensions of our self, and how long will they endure? (I can't help but wait for the first news story about a political candidate undone by the revelation of their Twitter feed or status updates -- if that hasn't happened yet.) Were people meant to live in the absence of privacy, or with their every utterance stored in digital database 'memories' that remember for them? And who's ultimately profiting from all of this?

Timoner incorporates much of Harris' own footage from Pseudo, Quiet and We Live in Public, but the grace of Timoner and Josh Altman's editing and the power of Timoner's new footage make it clear this the film is not merely some simple act of gimlet-eyed picking through Harris' vast archive. Some of Timoner's voice-over may sound too conversational (before explaining Facebook's targeted ads, she grabs our attention by saying "But check this out ..."). But, more importantly, she has a firm and fierce but ultimately human capacity for portraying a friend in a less-than-flattering light when required, and she looks at Harris' life in ways that he himself has not.

I walked out of We Live in Public ready to use my smartphone to Twitter a reaction -- as I, and so many of my peers have been doing to make post-film snap judgments and endorsements during this year's Sundance -- but actually instead took pause after the film's conclusion: Why would I be doing that? To say something real? To look clever? To reach out to a like-minded community when far from home? To be 'First!'? To avoid actually thinking? Ultimately, We Live in Public made me take a 24-hour vow of silence from Twitter, and made me think about my own signal-to-noise ratio in the interconnected world. (I tried to go for a similar break from Facebook, but Scrabulous is a cruel taskmaster.) Watching the film's finale -- Harris living and working in Ethiopia far from the numb hum of the modern age he helped create -- you can't help but wonder about our new age of miracles, and how soon it will be too much, and what refuge or relief we'll seek out when that happens. Timoner hasn't made the definitive documentary about the internet -- who could? -- but she's crafted a incisive, exciting and thought-provoking examination of the ways our new chances to live in public both make and mar the way we now live.
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We Live in Public Trailer

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We Live in Public

Release Date: September 25, 2009 (L.A.)

Studio: Not Available

Director: Ondi Timoner

Screenwriter: Not Available

Starring: Josh Harris

Genre: Documentary

MPAA Rating: Not Available

Official Website: WeLiveinPublicthemovie.com

Plot Summary: "We Live in Public" is the story of the Internet's revolutionary impact on human interaction as told through the eyes of Internet pioneer and visionary, Josh Harris. Though once considered the godfather of the downtown Internet scene in NYC in the 90s, known far and wide for his outrageous parties, innovations in chat, streaming audio and the creation of the first online television network, Harris is but a footnote in history at this point all because he took his experiments with the Internet and media consumption too far. Award-winning filmmaker, Ondi Timoner, has been documenting his incredible experiments, and his ups and downs, for over a decade from puppeteer to puppet, from millionaire to exiled and broke. Timoner sets out with We Live in Public to tell the story of yet another walking cautionary tale in Josh Harris who, as Anton Newcombe did for artists everywhere in DIG!, will inevitably shake us all to the core about what the future brings for all of us as we increasingly live, work and love through media and technology.
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Surrogates Spoiler

Spoilers:

The filmmaking trio behind the hit sci-fi sequel Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines re-team to explore a future in which humans live in isolation while only communicating with their fellow man through robots that serve as social surrogates and are better-looking versions of their human counterparts. Bruce Willis stars as an FBI agent who enlists the aid of his own surrogate to investigate the murder of the genius college student who invented the surrogates. As the case grows more complicated, however, the withdrawn detective discovers that in order to actually catch the killer he will have to venture outside the safety of his own home for the first time in many years, and enlists the aid of another agent (Radha Mitchell) in tracking his target down. Jonathan Mostow directs co-screenwriters Michael Ferris and John Brancato's adaptation of the graphic novel by author Robert Venditti and illustrator Brett Weldele. [D-Man2010]

In the near future, humans live in isolation and only interact through robotic bodies that serve as surrogates. When several humans are murdered when their surrogates are destroyed, a cop (Bruce Willis) investigates the crimes through his own surrogate. After a near fatal encounter, the cop's surrogate is destroyed and forces him to bring his human form out of isolation and unravel a conspiracy behind the crimes. [D-Man2010]
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Starring:

Bruce Willis, Radha Mitchell, Rosamund Pike, James Francis Ginty, Boris Kodjoe, Ving Rhames
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Rumors:

1. Disney wins rights for 'Surrogates'
Disney has acquired rights to the graphic novel "The Surrogates" and will develop it into a sci-fi thriller that Jonathan Mostow will direct.

Michael Ferris and John Brancato will write. The trio last teamed on "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines."

Published by Top Shelf Comix, graphic novel "The Surrogate," written by Robert Venditti and illustrated by Brett Weldele, is set in a futuristic world where humans live in isolation. They interact vicariously, through surrogate robots.

Mandeville's David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman will produce, along with Max Handelman and Elizabeth Banks.

"This is a Philip K. Dick-like futuristic universe, but people who live a second life already on the Internet can relate to some of the themes here," said Brancato, who with Ferris is adapting the Robert Ludlum novel "Sigma Protocol" for Strike Entertainment.

Subject matter is edgy for Disney, and Oren Aviv is eyeing Touchstone as a home for it.

"This is a grounded sci-fi premise, but there are big effects, and it's clear from '300' that people want to see different kinds of things, and this falls into that category," Hoberman said.

Project was hatched by husband-wife team of Handelman and Banks; the latter is an actress most recently seen in "Invincible" and "The 40-Year-Old Virgin." They found "Surrogates" and enlisted Lieberman, with whom they attended college.

Mostow will develop the project while he continues to write "Sub-Mariner," an adaptation of the Marvel Comics character for Universal.

WMA repped the writers.
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2. Bruce Willis to star in 'Surrogates'
Bruce Willis will star in “The Surrogates,” a sci-fi thriller that Jonathan Mostow will direct for Disney. The studio is eyeing a February production start in Boston.

A Willis deal comes just as United Artists unplugs “Pinkville,” the My Lai massacre drama in which Willis was going to star for director Oliver Stone next month.

Michael Ferris and John Brancato scripted “The Surrogates” based on a graphic novel from Top Shelf Comix. They collaborated with Mostow on the last film he directed, “Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines.” The scribes also wrote “Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins,” the Halcyon-financed sequel that McG will direct at Warner Bros. (Daily Variety, Oct. 10).
More than one option

* (Co) Daily Variety
Filmography, Year, Role
* (Co) Daily Variety

“The Surrogates” is being produced by Mandeville’s David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman, along with Max Handelman and Elizabeth Banks.

Story is set in the near future, where humans live in isolation and interact vicariously through surrogate robots who are better-looking versions of themselves. Willis plays a cop who, through his surrogate, investigates the murders of others’ surrogates. The cop is forced to venture from his own home for the first time in years and unravels a conspiracy.

Movie is expected to be released through Touchstone, and becomes the eighth picture slotted for an early 2008 production start by topper Oren Aviv.

Disney also is readying the P.J. Hogan-directed “Shopaholic”; the Adam Sandler-Adam Shankman comedy “Bedtime Stories”; “Witch Mountain,” to star Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson; “High School Musical 3”; “Hannah Montana”; the Robert Zemeckis-directed Jim Carrey starrer “Christmas Carol”; and the Sandra Bullock comedy “The Proposal.”

Bullock pic is being produced by Mandeville’s Hoberman and Lieberman.
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3. Mitchell, Pike join 'Surrogates'
Radha Mitchell and Rosamund Pike have signed on to star opposite Bruce Willis in Disney's sci-fi thriller "The Surrogates."

Jonathan Mostow is directing the film from a Michael Ferris and John Brancato screenplay.

Based on a graphic novel by Robert Venditti and Brett Weldele, story is set in the near future, where humans live in isolation and interact vicariously through surrogate robots who are better-looking versions of themselves.

Shooting is scheduled to start in April in Boston.

Mandeville's David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman are producing alongside Max Handelman and Elizabeth Banks.

Mitchell's credits include "Feast of Love" and "Finding Neverland." She has a number of films awaiting release including "Henry Poole Is Here" opposite Luke Wilson.

Pike most recently appeared in the psychological thriller "Fracture." She next stars in the drama "Fugitive Pieces," which bows in the U.S. next month.
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Surrogates Trailer

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Surrogates

Release Date: September 25, 2009

Studio: Touchstone Pictures (Disney)

Director: Jonathan Mostow

Screenwriter: Michael Ferris, John Brancato

Starring: Bruce Willis, Radha Mitchell, Rosamund Pike, James Francis Ginty, Boris Kodjoe, Ving Rhames

Genre: Sci-Fi, Thriller

MPAA Rating: Not Available

Official Website: ChooseYourSurrogate.com

Plot Summary: FBI agents (Bruce Willis and Radha Mitchell) investigate the mysterious murder of a college student linked to the man who helped create a high-tech surrogate phenomenon that allows people to purchase unflawed robotic versions of themselves—fit, good looking remotely controlled machines that ultimately assume their life roles—enabling people to experience life vicariously from the comfort and safety of their own homes. The murder spawns a quest for answers: in a world of masks, who's real and who can you trust?
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Walter Bruce Willis (born March 19, 1955), better known as Bruce Willis, is a American actor and producer. His career began in television in the 1980s and has continued both in television and film since. One of his more popular roles was that of John McClane in the Die Hard series, which were critical and financial successes. Willis has released several albums and has appeared in several television shows. He has also appeared in over sixty films, including Pulp Fiction, Sin City, 12 Monkeys, Armageddon, and The Sixth Sense.
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Radha Rani Amber Indigo Anunda Mitchell (born November 12, 1973) is an Australian actress.
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Rosamund Pike (born 27 January 1979) is an English actress. She is perhaps best known for her portrayals of Bond villainess Miranda Frost in Die Another Day and Jane Bennet in Pride and Prejudice.
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Irving Rameses "Ving" Rhames (born May 12, 1959) is a Golden Globe-winning American actor.
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The Invention of Lying Spoiler

Plot:

A comedy set in a world where no one has ever lied, until a writer seizes the opportunity for personal gain.
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Starring:

Ricky Gervais, Jennifer Garner, Rob Lowe, Jonah Hill, Louis C.K., John Hodgman, Tina Fey, Christopher Guest, Jeffrey Tambor, Nate Corddry, Patrick Stewart, Jason Bateman
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Rumors:

1. "The Invention of Lying"-- potentially the best comedy
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The Invention of Lying Trailer

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The Invention of Lying

Release Date: September 25, 2009

Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures

Director: Ricky Gervais, Matt Robinson

Screenwriter: Ricky Gervais, Matt Robinson

Starring: Ricky Gervais, Jennifer Garner, Rob Lowe, Jonah Hill, Louis C.K., John Hodgman, Tina Fey, Christopher Guest, Jeffrey Tambor, Nate Corddry, Patrick Stewart, Jason Bateman

Genre: Comedy

MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for language including some sexual material and a drug reference)

Official Website: The-Invention-of-Lying.com

Plot Summary: "The Invention of Lying" is set in a contemporary world where no one has ever lied. Gervais will play a performer who tells the first lie and harnesses its power for personal gain.
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Ricky Dene Gervais (born 25 June 1961) is an English comedian, author, actor, director, producer, screenwriter and former pop musician. Gervais achieved mainstream fame with his television series The Office and the subsequent series Extras, both of which he co-wrote and co-directed with friend and collaborator Stephen Merchant. Besides writing and directing the shows, Gervais also played the lead roles of David Brent in The Office and Andy Millman in Extras. Gervais has also appeared in several Hollywood films, including For Your Consideration, Stardust, Night at the Museum and Ghost Town, in which he assumes the leading role.
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Jennifer Anne Affleck[1] (born April 17, 1972), better known as Jennifer Garner, is an American actress. She is best known for her role as CIA agent Sydney Bristow on the TV show Alias; as well as for her roles in the films Juno, Pearl Harbor, Dude, Where's My Car?, 13 Going on 30, Catch Me if You Can, Daredevil, Elektra, Catch and Release, and The Kingdom.
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Robert Hepler "Rob" Lowe (born March 17, 1964) is an American actor. He became known after appearing in popular 1980s movies such as The Outsiders and St. Elmo's Fire, which included other members of the Brat Pack. Lowe is also known for his role as Sam Seaborn on The West Wing and as Senator Robert McCallister on Brothers & Sisters.
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Louis C.K. (born Louis Szekely; September 12, 1967) is an American stand-up comedian, writer, actor, producer and director. He was ranked #98 on Comedy Central's list of the 100 Greatest Stand-ups of All Time.
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Fame Spoiler

Spoilers:

This movie is based upon the 1980 film which follows NYC talent attending the New York City High School for the Performing Arts, (Known today as Fiorello H. Laguardia H.S.) students get specialized training that often leads to success as actors, singers, etc. In 1936, New York City Mayor Fiorello H. LaGuardia founded the High School of Music & Art in order to provide a facility where the most gifted and talented public school students of New York City could pursue their talents in art or music, while also completing a full academic program of instruction. In 1948, the School of Performing Arts was created to provide training in performance skills to students who wished to prepare for professional careers in dance, music or drama.
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Starring:

Asher Book, Kristy Flores, Paul Iacono, Paul McGill, Naturi Naughton, Kay Panabaker, Kherington Payne, Collins Pennie, Walter Perez, Anna Maria Perez de Tagle, Debbie Allen, Charles S. Dutton, Kelsey Grammer, Megan Mullally, Bebe Neuwirth
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Rumors:

1. First New ‘Fame’ (2009) Movie Trailer is Unleashed
Acouple of Days ago, MGM released the teaser trailer for their new “Fame” remake,and I must say it doesn’t look half bad. It starts off with a girl singing her heart out. Then it breaks into show other cast members dancing to a new ,upgraded 21st century theme song, “I’m Gonna Live Forever”along with scenes from the movie. I really enjoyed listening to the new theme song. It was good and had a nice beat to it. I actually kind of expected a new updated sort of feel to the new 21st century “Fame” remke,but to actually hear that new sound was great.

The movie is going to be starring : Asher Book, Kristy Flores, Paul Iacono, Paul McGill, Naturi Naughton, Kay Panabaker, Kherington Payne, Collins Pennie, Walter Perez, Anna Maria Perez de Tagle, Debbie Allen, Charles S. Dutton, Kelsey Grammer, Megan Mullally, Bebe Neuwirth. Debbie Allen,Charles S. Dutton,Kelsey Grammer,Megan Mullally,and Bebe Neuwirth are hired to play teachers in the film by Lakeshore and MGM. Dutton will play an acting teacher. Grammer plays the part of orchestra maestro. Mullally will play a voice instructor. Neuwirth will play the school’s dance instructor. Debbie Allen who was in the original 1980 film and then the 1982 tv show will play the school’s principle after she gets a promotion.
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Fame Trailer

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Fame

Release Date: September 25, 2009

Studio: MGM

Director: Kevin Tancharoen

Screenwriter: Allison Burnett

Starring: Asher Book, Kristy Flores, Paul Iacono, Paul McGill, Naturi Naughton, Kay Panabaker, Kherington Payne, Collins Pennie, Walter Perez, Anna Maria Perez de Tagle, Debbie Allen, Charles S. Dutton, Kelsey Grammer, Megan Mullally, Bebe Neuwirth

Genre: Drama, Musical

MPAA Rating: PG (for thematic material including teen drinking, a sexual situation and language)

Official Website: GenerationFame.com

Plot Summary: A reinvention of the original Oscar®-winning hit film, "Fame" follows a talented group of dancers, singers, actors, and artists over four years at the New York City High School of Performing Arts, a diverse, creative powerhouse where students from all walks of life are given a chance to live out their dreams and achieve real and lasting fame...the kind that comes only from talent, dedication, and hard work.

In an incredibly competitive atmosphere, plagued by self-doubt, each student's passion will be put to the test. In addition to their artistic goals, they have to deal with everything else that goes along with high school, a tumultuous time full of schoolwork, deep friendships, budding romance, and self-discovery.

As each student strives for his or her moment in the spotlight, they’ll discover who among them has the innate talent and necessary discipline to succeed. With the love and support of their friends and fellow artists, they’ll find out who amongst them will achieve Fame...

The cast includes Asher Book as Marco, Kristy Flores as Rosie, Paul Iacono as Neil, Paul McGill as Kevin, Naturi Naughton as Denise, Kay Panabaker as Jenny, Kherington Payne as Alice, Collins Pennie as Malik, Walter Perez as Victor, and Anna Maria Perez de Tagle as Joy. Their instructors include Debbie Allen as Principal Simms, Charles S. Dutton as Alvin Dowd, Kelsey Grammer as Joel Cranston, Megan Mullally as Fran Rowan, and Bebe Neuwirth as Lynn Kraft.
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Paul Stanley Iacono (born September 7, 1988) is an American actor and playwright.
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Deborrah Kaye “Debbie” Allen (born January 16, 1950) is an American actress, choreographer, television director, television producer, and a member of the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities.[1][2] She is probably best known for her role as Lydia Grant in the hit 1982 TV series Fame. She is the sister of Phylicia Rashād, best known for The Cosby Show.
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Allen Kelsey Grammer (born February 21, 1955), best known as Kelsey Grammer, is an American actor best known for his two-decade portrayal of psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane in the NBC sitcoms Cheers (nine years) and Frasier (eleven years), and providing the voice of Sideshow Bob on the FOX animated series The Simpsons. He was nominated for Emmys for playing his character on three different sitcoms (the third being a guest appearance on Wings). He has also worked as a television producer, director, writer, and a voice artist.
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Charles Stanley Dutton (born January 30, 1951) is an American actor and director.
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Kay Stephanie Panabaker (born May 2, 1990) is an American film and television actress. She is the younger sister of Sky High star, Danielle Panabaker.
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Megan Mullally (born November 12, 1958) is an American actress, singer and media personality.
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The Damned United Spoiler

Plot:

Taking over England's top football club Leeds United, previously successful manager Brian Clough's abrasive approach and his clear dislike of the players' dirty style of play make it certain there is going to be friction. Glimpses of his earlier career help explain both his hostility to previous manager Don Revie and how much he is missing right-hand man Peter Taylor who has loyally stayed with Brighton & Hove Albion. Written by Jeremy Perkins {jwp@aber.ac.uk}
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Starring:

Michael Sheen, Timothy Spall, Colm Meaney, Jim Broadbent, Stephen Graham, Peter McDonald
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Rumors:

1. The Damned United (15)
First things first. Drop your prejudices.

As a manager who brought glory to both Forest and Derby, Brian Clough was never going to win a popularity contest in Leicester.

But The Damned United, like the truly brilliant book it’s drawn from, has an appeal that conquers football’s deepest grudges.

Even the most blinkered Leicester City fan would concede Old Big ’Ead was a true one-off. In the annals of English football, he remains one of the most charismatic, bullish and successful figures in the history of the game and is still the only domestic manager to win back-to-back European cups.

He’s been the subject of many biographies, but there has been none quite like The Damned Utd.

David Peace’s word-of- mouth bestseller is a strikingly original portrait of that rare blip in Clough’s career, his ill-fated stint in the Leeds United hot seat.

Friends and family reacted angrily to Peace’s depiction of a bullying, selfish Clough, who was bombastic in public but privately plagued by self-doubt.

Those same loved ones, predictably, have refused to watch Tom Hooper’s film, adapted for the screen by Peter Morgan.

They needn’t have worried. Steeped in nostalgia and blessed with a commanding performance from Michael Sheen, this borders on a love letter to the man called “the greatest England manager we never had’’.

It opens in July 1974, with Brian and his two boys, Simon and Nigel, travelling to Leeds to succeed the lionised Don Revie (Colm Meaney) as manager of the reigning Division One champions.

But the whites of Leeds have long been Clough’s bête noires. In an impromptu interview with Granada TV, he openly criticises Revie’s tactics and more or less declares war against senior squad members including Billy Bremner (Stephen Graham), Johnny Giles (Peter McDonald) and Norman Hunter (Mark Cameron).

That comes back to haunt him when the very same players stand between his success or his failure.

It doesn’t exactly help when Clough gathers his new charges together and tells them: “You lot may have won all the domestic honours there are but, as far as I am concerned, the first thing you can do for me is to chuck all your medals and all your caps into the biggest dustbin you can find, because you’ve never won any of them fairly. You’ve done it all by bloody cheating.”

Like Peace’s acclaimed book, the film shifts restlessly between two sharply contrasting eras in Clough’s career.

Flashbacks chart his Herculean struggle to take Derby from the foot of Division Two to the dizzy heights of Division One with the help of his loyal, but eventually sidelined assistant Peter Taylor (Timothy Spall).

It’s heaven and hell, then. But these flashbacks are more than just neat juxtaposition.

As Derby prosper, the roots of Clough’s all-encompassing dislike of Revie are gradually revealed.

Morgan’s script elegantly navigates the time frames, providing us with the motivation for the rivalry which drives Clough to the brink of self-destruction.

The Damned United – and nope, we don’t know why the title was fractionally altered either – is an enthralling and largely affectionate tribute to a man who wears egotistical bravado like that comfortable, green sweatshirt he used to sport.

Sheen’s rapport with Spall galvanises the picture, which drips with lovingly reconstructed period detail.

There may be some of you who flinch at the idea of watching a film which invites you to revel in Derby’s success.

Get over it, just for an evening. You miss this at your peril.
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The Damned United Trailer

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The Damned United

Release Date: September 25, 2009 (limited)

Studio: Sony Pictures Classics

Director: Tom Hooper

Screenwriter: Peter Morgan

Starring: Michael Sheen, Timothy Spall, Colm Meaney, Jim Broadbent, Stephen Graham, Peter McDonald

Genre: Drama, Sports

MPAA Rating: R (for language)

Plot Summary: Set in 1960's and 1970's England, "The Damned United" tells the confrontational and darkly humorous story of Brian Clough's doomed 44 day tenure as manager of the reigning champions of English football Leeds United.

Previously managed by his bitter rival Don Revie, and on the back of their most successful period ever as a football club, Leeds was perceived by many to represent a new aggressive and cynical style of football - an anathema to the principled yet flamboyant Brian Clough, who had achieved astonishing success as manager of Hartlepool and Derby County building teams in his own vision with trusty lieutenant Peter Taylor. Taking the Leeds job without Taylor by his side, with a changing room full of what in his mind were still Don's boys, would lead to an unheralded examination of Clough's belligerence and brilliance over 44 days. This is that story. The story of The Damned United.

"The Damned United" stars Michael Sheen ("The Deal," "The Queen," "Frost/Nixon") as the legendary, opinionated football manager Brian Clough with Timothy Spall ("Secrets and Lies," "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," "Sweeney Todd") as his right hand man, only friend, and crutch Peter Taylor. Colm Meaney ("Layer Cake," "Intermission," "The Commitments") plays Clough's nemesis Don Revie, Jim Broadbent plays Sam Longson, Derby Chairman. Stephen Graham plays Leeds Captain Billy Bremner and Peter McDonald his midfield partner Johnny Giles.
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Michael Sheen, OBE (born 5 February 1969) is a BAFTA- and Laurence Olivier Award-nominated Welsh actor.

Having worked with screen writer Peter Morgan on five films,[1] Sheen has become known for his portrayals of well-known public figures: Tony Blair in the Stephen Frears directed films The Deal and The Queen, and again in the upcoming The Special Relationship; David Frost in both the stage production and the film version of Frost/Nixon; and football manager Brian Clough in The Damned United. He is also known for his role as Lucian in the Underworld film series.
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James "Jim" Broadbent (born 24 May 1949) is an Academy Award-, BAFTA-, Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning, theatre, film and television actor from the United Kingdom. He is perhaps best known for his roles in Iris, Moulin Rouge!, Topsy-Turvy, and Bridget Jones' Diary. His most recent appearance was in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince .
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Colm J. Meaney (Irish: Colm Ó Maonaigh; first name pronounced /ˈkɒləm/[1] born 30 May, 1953) is a Golden Globe-nominated Irish actor widely known for playing Miles O'Brien in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine.
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Timothy Leonard Spall OBE (born 27 February 1957) is a BAFTA award-nominated English actor and occasional presenter.
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Coco Before Chanel Spoiler

Plot:

The story of Coco Chanel's rise from obscure beginnings to the heights of the fashion world.
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Starring:

Audrey Tautou, Benoit Poelvoorde, Alessandro Nivola, Marie Gillain, Emmanuelle Devos
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Rumors:

1. Coco Before Chanel
Katharine Hepburn played Coco Chanel in a 1969 musical, produced on Broadway two years before the couturier's death at the age of 87, Shirley MacLaine impersonated her in a three-hour TV mini-series last year, this year's Cannes Festival concluded with Coco Chanel and Igor Stravinsky (with Bond villain Mads Mikkelsen as the composer) and there are other pictures in the pipeline. As the title suggests, this film centres on her early years from her time in a grim orphanage where she learnt to be seamstress, through her attempts at being a professional singer up to the concurrent liaisons in the Edwardian era with the rich French playboy Etienne Balsan and the British industrialist Arthur "Boy" Capel.

While exploiting Balsan and loving Capel, she revolted against the exploitation of women and the restrictive fashions in clothes. She's played by Audrey Tautou as a wilful, manipulative, increasingly confident woman, her bisexuality part of her independence. We see her develop by trial and error that loose, androgynous, simple elegance that was the keynote of her revolutionary style. We witness the birth of the little black dress and "la mode garçon", the latter fashioned from borrowings from Balsan's wardrobe, which makes Tautou look a dead ringer for Diane Keaton's Annie Hall.

It's a handsomely designed film, tasteful, reserved, rather dull, that leads up to Coco opening her first shops, followed by a dazzling epilogue set in the 30s in which a succession of stunning models descend a spiral staircase lined with mirrors. There is nothing here quite as amusing as that moment in the 1981 biopic Chanel Solitaire (starring Marie-France Pisier), where the title of Coco's most famous perfume comes to her during a sapphic embrace with her lover, the Polish beauty Misia Sert, who says: "Why nart - eet's ulways been my fevureet nomber, nomber fife."
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Coco Before Chanel Trailer

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Coco Before Chanel

Release Date: September 25, 2009 (NY, LA)

Studio: Sony Pictures Classics

Director: Anne Fontaine

Screenwriter: Anne Fontaine, Camille Fontaine

Starring: Audrey Tautou, Benoit Poelvoorde, Alessandro Nivola, Marie Gillain, Emmanuelle Devos

Genre: Drama

MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for sexual content and smoking)

Official Website: SonyClassics.com/CocoBeforeChanel

Plot Summary: A little girl who is sent with her sister to an orphanage in the heart of France, who waits in vain every Sunday for her father to come for her...

A cabaret performer with a weak voice who sings to an audience of drunken soldiers...

A humble seamstress, who stitches hems at the back of a provincial tailor's shop...

A young, skinny courtesan, to whom protector Etienne Balsan offers a safe haven, amongst the idle and decadent...

A woman in love who knows she will never be anyone's wife, refusing marriage even to Boy Capel, the man who returned her love...

A rebel who finds the conventions of her time oppressive, and instead dresses in her lovers' clothes...

This is the story of Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel, who begins her life as a headstrong orphan, and through an extraordinary journey becomes the legendary couturier who embodied the modern woman and became a timeless symbol of success, freedom and style.
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Audrey Justine Tautou (born 9 August, either in 1976[1][2][3][4][5] or 1978)[6][7][8][9] is a French film actress, known to worldwide audiences for playing the title character in the award-winning 2001 film Amélie, Sophie Neveu in the 2006 thriller The Da Vinci Code, and more recently Irène in Priceless (2006). She won the César Award for Most Promising Actress in Venus Beauty Institute (1999).
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Benoît Poelvoorde (born September 22, 1964, in Namur, Belgium) is a Belgian actor.

His first movie was the 1987 short student film Pas de C4 pour Daniel Daniel (which he co-directed and co-wrote). It was a stylized trailer for a mock-spy film. It was followed by C'est arrivé près de chez vous (Man Bites Dog internationally) originally a low-budget school graduation project (1992), which went on to become a critically acclaimed cult movie.

He subsequently starred in several movies which made him famous in France and Belgium, and was selected to be member of the Cannes Film Festival Jury in 2004, on request of Quentin Tarantino, a big fan of Man Bites Dog.

In 2005 he came in 7th place in the Walloon version of the Greatest Belgian. In the Flemish version he came in nr. 300 outside the official list of nominations.
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Alessandro Antine Nivola (born June 28, 1972) is an American actor, perhaps best known for his roles in the films Best Laid Plans, Jurassic Park III, Face/Off, and the Goal! trilogy.
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Marie Gillain (born on 18 June 1975 in Liège, Belgium) is a Belgian actress.

In 1996 Gillain received the Prix Romy Schneider. She is single but has one daughter, Dune (born on 2004).
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Emmanuelle Devos, born May 10, 1964 in Puteaux (Île-de-France), is a French actress. She won a César Award for Best Actress in the 2002 ceremony for her performance in Sur mes lèvres, a movie directed by Jacques Audiard.
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Brief Interviews with Hideous Men Spoiler

Spoilers:

After her boyfriend mysteriously leaves her with little explanation, a doctoral candidate in anthropology at a prestigious East Coast university Sara Quinn is left looking for answers as to what went wrong. Directing all her energies into her anthropological dissertation, Sara conducts a series of interviews with men in an effort to uncover the secret thoughts that drive their behavior. She thinks she can remedy both her heartache and her academic challenges with a new research project and begins conducting a series of interviews with men. As she records the astonishing and disquieting experiences of various subjects, Sara discovers much more about men and herself than she bargained for.
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Starring:

Julianne Nicholson, Timothy Hutton, John Krasinski, Christopher Meloni
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Rumors:

1. 2009 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES FILMS IN COMPETITION
Park City, UT—Sundance Institute announced today the lineup of films selected to screen in the U.S. and World Cinema Dramatic and Documentary Competitions for the 25th Sundance Film Festival. In addition to the four Competition categories, the Festival presents films in five out-of-competition sections to be announced tomorrow. The 2009 Sundance Film Festival runs January 15-25 in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden, and Sundance, Utah.

"This year's films are not narrowly defined. Instead we have a blurring of genres, a crossing of boundaries: geographic, generational, socio-economic and the like," said Geoffrey Gilmore, Director, Sundance Film Festival. "The result is both an exhilarating and emotive Festival in which traditional mythologies are suspended, discoveries are made, and creative storytelling is embraced."

"Audiences may be surprised by how much emotion this year's films evoke," said John Cooper, Director of Programming, Sundance Film Festival. "We are seeing the next evolution of the independent film movement where films focus on storytelling with a sense of connection and purpose."

For the 2009 Sundance Film Festival, 118 feature-length films were selected including 87 world premieres, 19 North American premieres, and 4 U.S. premieres representing 21 countries with 42 first-time filmmakers, including 28 in competition. These films were selected from 3,661 feature- length film submissions composed of 1,905 U.S. and 1,756 international feature-length films.

DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION
This year's 16 films were selected from 879 submissions. Each film is a world premiere.

The films screening in Documentary Competition are:

Art & Copy (Director: Doug Pray; Screenwriter: Timothy J. Sexton) - Rare interviews with the most influential advertising creative minds of our age illustrate the wide-reaching effect advertising and creativity have on modern culture. World Premiere

Boy Interrupted (Director: Dana Perry) - An intimate look at the life, mental illness and death of a young man told from the point of view of the filmmaker: his mother. World Premiere

The Cove (Director: Louie Psihoyos; Screenwriter: Mark Monroe) - Dolphins are dying, whales are disappearing, and the oceans are growing sick. The horrors of a secret cove nestled off a small, coastal village in Japan are revealed by a group of activists led by Ric OÕBarry, the man behind Flipper. World Premiere

Crude (Director: Joe Berlinger) - The inside story of the ÒAmazon ChernobylÓ case in the rainforest of Ecuador, the largest oil-related environmental lawsuit in the world. World Premiere

Dirt! The Movie (Directors: Bill Benenson and Gene Rosow) - The story of the relationship between humans and dirt, Dirt! The Movie humorously details how humans are rapidly destroying the last natural resource on earth. World Premiere

El General (Director: Natalia Almada) - As great-granddaughter of Mexican President Plutarco Elias Calles, one of MexicoÕs most controversial revolutionary figures, filmmaker Natalia Almada paints an intimate portrait of Mexico. World Premiere

Good Hair (Director: Jeff Stilson) - Comedian Chris Rock turns documentary filmmaker when he sets out to examine the culture of African-American hair and hairstyles. World Premiere

Over the Hills and Far Away (Director: Michel Orion Scott) - Over the Hills and Far Away chronicles the journey of the Isaacson family as they travel through Mongolia in search of a mysterious shaman they believe can heal their autistic son. World Premiere

The Reckoning (Director: Pamela Yates; Screenwriters: Peter Kinoy, Paco de Onis, Pamela Yates) - A battle of monumental proportions unfolds as International Criminal Court Prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo faces down warlords, genocidal dictators and world superpowers in bringing perpetrators of crimes against humanity to justice. World Premiere

Reporter (Director: Eric Daniel Metzgar) - Set in Africa, this documentary chronicles, in verit� fashion, the haunting, physically grueling and shocking voyage of Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist, Nicholas D. Kristof. World Premiere.

The September Issue (Director: R.J. Cutler) - With unprecedented access, director R.J. Cutler and his crew shot for nine months as they captured Vogue editor in chief Anna Wintour and her team preparing the 2007 Vogue September issue, widely accepted as the "fashion bible" for the year's trends. World Premiere

Sergio (Director: Greg Barker) - Sergio examines the role of the United Nations and the international community through the life and experiences of Sergio Vieira de Mello, the U.N.'s High Commissioner for Human Rights, including interviews with those who knew and worked with him over the course of his extraordinary career. World Premiere

Shouting Fire: Stories from the Edge of Free Speech (Director: Liz Garbus) - An exploration of the history and current state of free speech in America narrated by the filmmaker's father, First Amendment attorney Martin Garbus. World Premiere

We Live in Public (Director and Screenwriter: Ondi Timoner) - We Live in Public is the story of the InternetÕs revolutionary impact on human interaction as told through the eyes of maverick web pioneer, Josh Harris and his transgressive art project that shocked New York. World Premiere

When You're Strange (Director and Screenwriter: Tom DiCillo) - The first feature documentary about The Doors, When You're Strange enters the dark and dangerous world of one of AmericaÕs most influential bands using only footage shot between 1966 and 1971. World Premiere

William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe (Directors: Sarah Kunstler and Emily Kunstler) - With clients including Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and the Chicago 10, the late civil rights attorney William Kunstler was one of the most famous lawyers of the 20th century. Filmmakers Emily and Sarah Kunstler explore their fatherÕs life from movement hero to Òthe most hated lawyer in America.Ó World Premiere

U.S. DRAMATIC COMPETITION
This year's 16 films were selected from 1,026 submissions.

The films screening in Dramatic Competition are:

Adam (Director and Screenwriter: Max Mayer) - A strange and lyrical love story between a somewhat socially dysfunctional young man and the woman of his dreams. Cast: Hugh Dancy, Rose Byrne, Peter Gallagher, Amy Irving, Frankie Faison, Mark Linn-Baker. World Premiere

Amreeka (Director and Screenwriter: Cherien Dabis) - When a divorced Palestinian woman and her teenage son move to rural Illinois, they find their new lives replete with challenges. Cast: Nisreen Faour, Melkar Muallem, Hiam Abbass, Yussuf Abu-Warda, Alia Shawkat, Joseph Ziegler. World Premiere

Arlen Faber (Director and Screenwriter: John Hindman) - A reclusive author of a groundbreaking spiritual book awakens to new truths when two strangers enter his life. Cast: Kat Dennings, Lauren Graham, Olivia Thirlby, Jeff Daniels, Tony Hale. World Premiere

Big Fan (Director and Screenwriter: Robert Siegel) - The world of a parking garage attendant who happens to be the New York Giants' biggest fan is turned upside down after an altercation with his favorite player. Cast: Patton Oswalt, Michael Rapaport, Kevin Corrigan, Marcia Jean Kurtz, Matt Servitto. World Premiere

Brief Interviews with Hideous Men (Director and Screenwriter: John Krasinski) - When her boyfriend leaves with little explanation, a doctoral candidate in anthropology tries to remedy her heartache by interviewing men about their behavior. Cast: Julianne Nicholson, John Krasinski, Timothy Hutton, Dominic Cooper, Christopher Meloni, Bobby Cannavale. World Premiere

Cold Souls (Director and Screenwrtier: Sophie Barthes) - In the midst of an existential crisis, a famous American actor explores soul extraction as a relief from the burdens of daily life. Cast: Paul Giamatti, David Strathairn, Dina Korzun, Emily Watson, Lauren Ambrose, Katheryn Winnick. World Premiere

Dare (Director: Adam Salky; Screenwriter: David Brind) - Three very different teenagers discover that, even in the safe world of a suburban prep school, no one is who she or he appears to be. Emmy Rossum, Zach Gilford, Ashley Springer, Ana Gasteyer, Alan Cumming, Sandra Bernhard, Rooney Mara. World Premiere

Don't Let Me Drown (Director: Cruz Angeles; Screenwriters: Maria Topete and Cruz Angeles) - Two Latino teens whose lives are affected by the attack on the World Trade Center discover that love is the only thing that keeps them from drowning. Cast: E.J. Bonilla, Gleendilys Inoa, Dami‡n Alc‡zar, Ricardo Chavira, Gina Torres. World Premiere

The Greatest (Director and Screenwriter: Shana Feste) - After the tragic loss of their teenage son, a family is again thrown into turmoil by the arrival of a young woman. Cast: Pierce Brosnan, Susan Sarandon, Carey Mulligan, Johnny Simmons, Aaron Johnson, Mike Shannon. World Premiere

Humpday (Director and Screenwriter: Lynn Shelton) - A farcical comedy about straight male bonding gone a little too far. Cast: Mark Duplass, Joshua Leonard, Alycia Delmore, Lynn Shelton, Trina Willard. World Premiere

Paper Heart (Director: Nicholas Jasenovec; Screenwriters: Nicholas Jasenovec and Charlyne Yi) - Even though performer Charlyne Yi doesn't believe in love, she bravely embarks on a quest to discover its true nature - a journey that takes on surprising urgency when she meets unlikely fellow traveler, actor Michael Cera. Cast: Charlyne Yi, Michael Cera, Jake Johnson. World Premiere

Peter and Vandy (Director and Screenwriter: Jay DiPietro) - Peter and Vandy is a love story told out of order. Juxtaposing Peter and Vandy's romantic beginnings with the twisted-manipulative-regular couple they become, the film explores the question most couples ask themselves... “How the hell did we get this way?” Cast: Jess Weixler, Jason Ritter, Jesse L. Martin, Tracie Thoms. World Premiere

Push (Director and Screenwriter: Lee Daniels; Damien Paul) - Based on the acclaimed, best-selling novel by Sapphire, Push is the redemptive story of Precious Jones, a young girl in Harlem struggling to overcome tremendous obstacles and discover her own voice. Cast: Gabourey ÒGabbyÓ Sidibe, Paula Patton, MoÕNique Imes, Lenny Kravitz, Mariah Carey. World Premiere

Sin Nombre (Director and Screenwriter: Cary Joji Fukunaga) - A teenaged Mexican gang member maneuvers to outrun his violent past and elude unforgiving former associates in this thriller set among Central American migrants seeking to cross over to the United States. Cast: Edgar Flores, Paulina Gaitan, Kristyan Ferrer, Tenoch Huerta Mej’a, Luis Fernando Pe–a, Diana Garc’a. World Premiere

Taking Chance (Director: Ross Katz; Screenwriters: LtCol Michael R. Strobl, USMC (Ret.) and Ross Katz) - Based on real-life events, Lt. Col. Michael Strobl, a volunteer military escort officer, accompanies the body of 19-year-old Marine Chance Phelps back to his hometown of Dubois, Wyoming. Cast: Kevin Bacon. World Premiere

Toe to Toe (Director and Screenwriter: Emily Abt) - The story of an inter-racial friendship put to the test by the intense pressures of a competitive Washington, D.C. prep school. Cast: Sonequa Martin, Louisa Krause, Silvestre Rasuk, Leslie Uggams, Gaius Charles, Ally Walker. World Premiere

WORLD CINEMA DOCUMENTARY
This year's 16 films were selected from 744 submissions.

Films screening in World Cinema Documentary Competition are:

211:Anna/ Italy (Directors:Paolo Serbandini & Giovanna Massimetti) - The story of Anna Politkovskaya, a Russian journalist and human rights activist who risked her life to report the truth about the Chechen conflict and President Vladimir Putin. World Premiere

Afghan Star/Afghanistan/UK (Director: Havana Marking) - After 30 years of war and Taliban rule, Pop Idol has come to television in Afghanistan: millions are watching and voting for their favorite singer. This film follows the dramatic stories of four contestants as they risk their lives to sing. North American Premiere

Big River Man/ USA (Director: John Maringouin) - An overweight, wine-swilling Slovenian world-record-holding endurance swimmer resolves to brave the mighty Amazon - in nothing but a Speedo¨. World Premiere

Burma VJ/Denmark (Director: Anders Ostergaard) - In September 2007, Burmese journalists risking life imprisonment to report from inside their sealed-off country are suddenly thrown onto the global stage as their pocket camera images of the Saffron Revolution make headlines everywhere. U.S. Premiere

The End of the Line/ UK (Director: Rupert Murray) - Based on the book by journalist Charles Clover, The End of the Line reveals the devastating effect that global overfishing is having on fish stocks and the health of our oceans. World Premiere

The Glass House/USA (Director: Hamid Rahmanian) - The Glass House follows four teenage girls striving to overcome drug addiction, abandonment and abuse by attending a rehabilitation center in Tehran. North American Premiere

Kimjongilia/France/USA (Director: N.C. Heikin) - Defectors from North Korea finally speak out about the terrifying reality of their lives--and escapes. World Premiere

Let's Make Money/ Austria (Director: Erwin Wagenhofer) - From the factories of India, to financial markets in Singapore, to massive housing developments in Spain and offshore banks in Jersey, Let's Make Money reveals complex and shocking workings of global money flow. World Premiere

Nollywood Babylon/Canada (Directors: Ben Addelman and Samir Mallal) - Welcome to the wacky world of Nollywood, Nigeria's bustling home-grown movie industry. U.S. Premiere

Old Partner/South Korea (Director: Chung-ryoul Lee) - A humble octogenarian farmer lives out his final days with his spitfire wife and his loyal old ox in the Korean countryside. North American Premiere

Prom Night in Mississippi/ Canada (Director: Paul Saltzman) - When a small-town Mississippi high school resolves to hold its first integrated senior prom, strong emotions fly and traditions are challenged to their core. World Premiere

The Queen and I (Drottningen och jag) / Sweden (Director: Nahid Persson Sarvestani - Swedish filmmaker Sarvestani, an Iranian exile who helped overthrow the Shah's regime in 1979, confronts her own assumptions and complex truths about Iran when she enters the life of the Shah's widow. World Premiere

Quest for Honor/ Kurdistan / USA (Director: Mary Ann Bruni) - A former teacher and tireless activist works with local lawmen, Kurdish government agencies and her colleagues to investigate and eradicate honor killings in the tribal regions of Kurdistan. World Premiere

Rough Aunties/ UK (Director: Kim Longinotto) - Fearless, feisty and unwavering, the 'Rough Aunties' protect and care for the abused, neglected and forgotten children of Durban, South Africa. North American Premiere

Thriller in Manila/ UK (Director: John Dower) - A tale of betrayal stoked by the racial politics of 1970s America, Thriller in Manila chronicles the most intense and bitter sporting rivalry ever: the 1975 final match between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier. North American Premiere

Tibet in Song / USA (Director: Ngawang Choephel) - Through the story of Tibetan music, this film depicts the determined efforts of Tibetan people, both in Tibet and in exile, to preserve their unique cultural identity. Choephel served six years of an 18-year prison sentence for filming in Tibet. World Premiere

WORLD CINEMA DRAMATIC COMPETITION
This year's 16 films were selected from a record 1,012 submissions.

Films screening in World Cinema Dramatic Competition are:

Before Tomorrow (Le Jour Avant Lendemain) / Canada (Directors: Madeline Piujuq & Marie-Helene Cousineau)—A wise old woman fights to survive impossible circumstances with her young grandson in the Canadian arctic. Cast: Peter-Henry Arnatsiaq, Paul-Dylan Ivalu, Madeline Piujuq Ivalu, Mary Qulitalik, Tumasie Sivuarapik.

Bronson / UK (Director: Nicolas Winding Refn; Screenwriter: Brock Norman Brock; Nicolas Winding Refn) - Bronson traces the transformation of Mickey Peterson into Britain's most notorious, dangerous, and charismatic prisoner, Charles Bronson. Cast: Tom Hardy. North American Premiere

Carmo, Hit the Road / Spain (Director and Screenwriter: Murilo Pasta)— A lonely, handicapped smuggler and a beautiful girl embark on a reckless ride through a South American border landscape. Cast: Mariana Loureiro, Fele Martínez, Seu Jorge. North American Premiere

The Clone Returns Home(Kuron Wa Kokyo-Wo Mezasu)/ Japan (Director and Screenwriter: Kanji Nakajima) - A Japanese astronaut who dies during a mission is subsequently resurrected as a clone and returns to his childhood home. Cast: Mitsuhiro Oikawa, Eri Ishida, Hiromi Nagasaku. North American Premiere

Dada's Dance / China (Director: Zhang Yuan; Screenwriter: Li Xiaofeng) - Dada is a flirtatious young woman who lives with her mother in a small town. Having to fend off the constant advances of her mother's boyfriend who tells her she is adopted, she undertakes a journey in search of her birth mother. Cast: Li Xinyun, Li Xiaofeng, Gai Ge, Chen Jun. North American Premiere.

An Education/UK (Director: Lone Scherfig; Screenwriter: Nick Hornby) - In the early 60s, a sharp 16-year-old with sights set on Oxford meets a handsome older man whose sophistication enraptures and sidetracks both her and her parents. Cast: Peter Sarsgaard, Carey Mulligan, Alfred Molina, Emma Thompson. World Premiere

Five Minutes of Heaven /UK / (Director: Oliver Hirschbiegel; Screenwriter: Guy Hibbert) - Two men from the same town but from different sides of the Irish political divide discover that the past is never dead - in fact it isn't even past. Cast: Liam Neeson, James Nesbitt, Anamaria Marinca. World Premiere

A French Gigolo (Cliente) / France (Director and Screenwriter: Josiane Balasko) - An attractive, successful 50-something woman regularly treats herself to the sexual services of young men selected on Internet sites. When one particular escort becomes a habit, the relationship gets a bit more complicated. Cast: Nathalie Baye, Eric Caravaca, Isabelle Carr�, Josiane Balasko. North American Premiere

Heart of Time (Corazon Del Tiempo)/ Mexico (Director and Screenwriter: Alberto Cortes) - In La Esperanza de San Pedro, Chiapas, in the midst of the Zapatista struggle, a young woman makes serious waves when she falls in love with a revolutionary fighter from the mountains. Cast: Roc’o Barrios. North American Premiere

Louise-Michel/France (Directors: Benoit Delepine and Gustave Kervern) - When a French factory is abruptly closed by its corrupt management, a group of disgruntled female workers pool their paltry compensation money and hire a hit man to knock off the corrupt executive behind the closure. Cast: Yolande Moreau, Bouli Lanners. North American Premiere

Lulu and Jim (Lulu und Jimi)/ Germany (Director: Oskar Roehler) - Bright garish colors, rock and roll and wild dance numbers mark this road movie about lovers fleeing from the evil powers of a 1950s deeply bigoted German society.Cast: Jennifer Decker, Ray Fearon, Katrin Sa§, Rolf Zacher, Udo Kier. World Premiere

The Maid (La Nana)/Chile (Director and Screenwriter: Sebastian Silva) - When her mistress brings on another servant to help with the chores, a bitter and introverted maid wreaks havoc on the household. Cast: Catalina Saavedra, Claudia Celed—n, Mariana Loyola, Alejandro Goic, Andrea Garc’a-Huidobro. North American Premiere

One Day in a Life (Un Altro Pianeta)/Italy (Director and Screenwriter: Stefano Tummolini) - One languid summer day, a man heads to the beach in search of sunshine and bit of peace, but finds himself tangled up in the dramas of an eclectic group of nearby sunbathers.Cast: Antonio Merone, Lucia Mascino. World Premiere

Unmade Beds/ UK (Director and Screenwriter: Alexis Dos Santos) - Two young foreigners find romance in the vibrant, artistic underground of London's East End.Cast: Deborah Francois, Fernando Tielve. World Premiere

Victoria Day/Canada (Director and Screenwriter: David Bezmozgis)—Over the course of one week in 1988, the search for a missing teammate, parental expectations, a burgeoning sexual awakening and the rock concert of the century all threaten to jolt a sixteen year old into adulthood. Cast: Mark Rendall, Sergiy Kotelenets, Nataliya Alyexeyenko, Holly Deveaux, John Mavrogiannis. World Premiere

Zion and His Brother (Zion Ve-Achiv)/ France / Israel (Director and Screenwriter: Eran Merav) - The disappearance of a young boy sends a wedge between two teenage brothers whose loyalty had been unshakeable, in this gritty story of a working class Tel Aviv single-parent family. Cast: Reuven Badalov, Ronit Elkabetz, Tzahi Grad. World Premiere

2009 Sundance Film Festival Sponsors
The 2009 Sundance Film Festival Sponsors help sustain not only the Festival but also the year-round programs of the non-profit Sundance Institute. Their support is crucial to the Institute's mission of nurturing independent artists, inspiring risk-taking, and encouraging diversity in the arts. This year's Festival Sponsors include: Presenting Sponsors - Entertainment Weekly, HP and Honda; Leadership Sponsors - American Express, Delta Air Lines, DIRECTV, Google, Microsoft Corporation and; Sustaining Sponsors - Blockbuster Inc., FilterForGoodSM, a partnership between Brita¨ and Nalgene¨, the National Milk Mustache "got milk?"¨ Campaign, Le Tourment Vert Absinthe Francaise, LÕOr�al Paris, The New York Times, Ray-Ban, Sony Electronics, Inc., Stella Artois¨, Timberland, and Utah Film Commission. Sundance Channel is the Official Television Network of the 2009 Sundance Film Festival

Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is the premier showcase for U.S. and international independent film, held each January in and around Park City, Utah. Presenting approximately 120 dramatic and documentary feature-length films in seven distinct categories and between 60 and 80 short films each year, the Sundance Film Festival has introduced American audiences to some of the most ground-breaking films of the past two decades, including sex lies and videotape, Maria Full of Grace, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, An Inconvenient Truth, Trouble the Water and Central Station.

Sundance Institute
Founded by Robert Redford in 1981, Sundance Institute is a not-for-profit organization that fosters the development of original storytelling in film and theatre, and presents the annual Sundance Film Festival. Internationally recognized for its artistic development programs for directors, screenwriters, producers, film composers, playwrights and theatre artists, Sundance Institute has nurtured such projects as Angels in America, Spring Awakening, Boys Don't Cry and Born into Brothels.
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