After a successful inaugural edition in New York last summer, the
Hola Mexico Film Festival has spread nationwide for '09. Having just left L.A. last week, Hola will be running from June 19-24 in Chicago and June 23-28 in New York.
Considered the largest Mexican film festival abroad, the Hola program presents 13 feature films, some of them U.S. premieres, showcasing the rich diversity of contemporary Mexican cinema and includes works by celebrated up-and-coming directors such as
Fernando Eimbcke (
Lake Tahoe, Winner Alfred Bauer Award, Berlin Film Festival 2008) and
Gerardo Naranjo (
I’m Gonna Explode, Official Selection New York Film Festival 2008), along with Mexican blockbusters
Tear this Heart Out by
Roberto Sneider (Mexico’s official selection to the Academy Awards) and the animated film
Another Egg Movie and a Chick by
Rodolfo and Gabriel Rivas Palacio.
Learn more at
http://www.holamexicoff.comLabels: Festival Ambassador
# posted by Jason Guerrasio @ 6/16/2009 02:25:00 PM
Saturday, June 13, 2009
CINEVEGAS SNAPSHOTS
"
Humpday" stars
Joshua Leonard and
Mark Duplass mingle and interview during the daily CineVegas Happy Hour.
At the CineVegas Filmmaker Brunch,
IFC's
Arianna Bocco played a game of "Distribution Roulette" whereby distrib heads from different companies were given a fictitious film's brief description. Then they had to give their best strategy for the film's release.
A panel of judges awarded the best pitch a round-trip air ticket from Southwest Airlines.
The winner:
Magnolia's
Tom Quinn. For this "edgy, sexy indie" Quinn said, "I'd recruit strippers to do group sales. You're laughing but I think that's worth its weight in gold."
Labels: Festival Ambassador
# posted by Mike Jones @ 6/13/2009 10:17:00 PM
CINEVEGAS SNAPSHOTS
"
Frozen River" producer
Heather Rae with CineVegas artist director
Trevor Groth at the Palms Pool Party.
AFI Dallas fest programmers
Sarah Harris and
James Faust with CineVegas'
Mike Plante.
Harris and Faust have been walking the fest with a Flip camera, recording testimonials on the importance of programmers attending other festivals. Their hope: to convince their own board of directors not to cut their travel expenses.
Denver fest's
Britta Erickson and Gen Art's
Jeffrey Abramson compare notes on their own BOD challenges.
Erickson, no stranger to
fest board conflicts, was recently named interim exec director after
Bo Smith was ousted following a staff mutiny.
Labels: Festival Ambassador
# posted by Mike Jones @ 6/13/2009 12:54:00 PM
Friday, June 12, 2009
CINEVEGAS SNAPSHOTS
Cinetic's
Matt Dentler with "
Winnebago Man" writer/producer
Malcolm Pullinger and director
Ben Steinbauer.
Dentler talked up his company's new VOD channel called
Cinetic Film Buff, going live on July 15. Every month the channel will release 5 new or library films, which effectively puts Dentler, the former film producer of
SXSW, back into a curatorial role. Dentler said they are in talks with several distributors to air their libraries, including the troubled
New Yorker Films.
Mike Plante, newly promoted to Film Programmer of the fest, makes a quick correction to his badge. Why not print a new one? "In this ecomony?" joked Plante.
Poker legend
Amarillo Slim with
Doug Tirola, director of the doc "
All In: The Poker Movie." Cinetic is selling the rights after the pic's CineVegas premiere. "We just want to make our money back so we can do another movie," said Tirola.
Labels: Festival Ambassador
# posted by Mike Jones @ 6/12/2009 11:41:00 PM
Thursday, June 11, 2009
CINEVEGAS OPENS WITH SAINT
Wednesday night,
CineVegas artist director
Trevor Groth opened the fest with the premiere of
Hue Rhodes' comedy "
Saint John of Las Vegas."
Fest Grand Poobah
Dennis Hopper makes his way to the opener.
"Saint John of Las Vegas" actors
Aviva,
Romany Malco and
Jesse Garcia celebrate after the screening.
Labels: Festival Ambassador
# posted by Mike Jones @ 6/11/2009 04:38:00 PM
