Gotham Award Winners 2011: 'Tree of Life,' 'Beginners' Tie for Best Feature

And you thought the NY Film Critics Circle was the unofficial official kick-off of awards season. On Monday night in NY, the Gotham Independent Film Awards were handed out for the 21st time -- though this edition was slightly different than usual. Two films tied for the top spot of Best Feature: Mike Mills's 'Beginners' and Terrence Malick's 'The Tree of Life,' both of which defeated 'The Descendants' for the award. Alexander Payne's presumed Oscar favorite was nominated three times (Feature, Ensemble, Breakthrough Actor), but failed to win one award. 'Beginners' also took home Best Ensemble. The film, which is about a dying man coming out to his grown son, co-stars Christopher Plummer -- already in the thick of the Oscar race -- and Ewan McGregor, as well as Melanie Laurent ('Inglourious Basterds'). Other awards handed out on Monday night: Felicity Jones won Breakthrough Actor for 'Like Crazy,' while Dee Rees won Breakthrough director for 'Pariah.' Previous Gotham Award winners include Oscar films 'Winter's Bone' and 'The Hurt Locker.' Whether 'The Tree of Life' or 'Beginners' will get a similar boost from the ceremony remains to be seen. [via Deadline] [Photo: Fox Searchlight] Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook

A 'Friday' Follow-up With Ice Cube and Chris Tucker? Maybe, States Small Lister

Obtain a matches ready, there can be another 'Friday' inside the works. Sadly, for 420 fans, the operative word here's "may." News a completely new 'Friday' follow-up was reported by TMZ, who spoken with Small Lister (a.k.a. the dude who carried out Debo) outdoors a Hollywood club on Tuesday evening. Lister states there's been talks with Ice Cube and Chris Tucker on possibly developing a fourth 'Friday.' Meanwhile, on Wednesday, Deadline reported that New Line has received discussions with Cube regarding another movie. Possibly they need to start lurking within the same clubs as Lister. So! There maybe possibly may be another 'Friday.' Your friendly Moviefone editors loved the very first (as well as the second the very first is fun), but: does anybody want 'Friday 4'? The ultimate time Chris Tucker carried out Smokey, he was 23 that was 16 in the past. Maybe for the reason that one he'd play a parent searching to obtain his kids to avoid smoking? Or even Smokey's in jail now and Ice Cube must bust him out, simply to uncover Debo being the prison guard. We smell marijuana two potential plots! [via TMZ and Deadline] Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook

Gaghan polishes Shyamalan's 'A.E.'

Stephen Gaghan has completed a polish of Sony Pictures and Overbrook Entertainment's futuristic sci-fi pic "One Thousand A.E.," which will be directed by M. Night Shyamalan. Shyamalan was credited as the sole writer on the first nine films he directed, but his latest, "A.E.," was scripted by Gary Whitta ("The Book of Eli"). Shyamalan rewrote the screenplay to fit his needs, but Gaghan was tasked with getting the script in shooting shape. He turned his revisions in to the studio nearly a month ago and may continue to work with Shyamalan to fine-tune the current draft as the pic's February start date draws near. Will and Jaden Smith are set to star as a father and son who crash-land on Earth one thousand years after mankind has abandoned the planet. The crash leaves the elder Smith badly injured, and it's up to the boy to find help in what is now a strange and dangerous place. The duo previously shared the screen in Sony's 2006 drama "The Pursuit of Happyness." Shyamalan and Will Smith are producing with the latter's Overbrook partners James Lassiter, Ken Stovitz and Jada Pinkett Smith. Gaghan, who won a best-adapted screenplay Oscar for "Traffic," is developing two projects as a director: a WB pic about a Mexican cartel, and Flashlight Pictures' indie drama about a Snakehead who trafficks in human cargo from China. His last bigscreen project was as writer-helmer of Warner Bros.' 2005 drama "Syriana." Gaghan is repped by CAA. Contact Jeff Sneider at jeff.sneider@variety.com

Pilot Season Hot Trends: Comedies, Books, Formats, Westerns And Large Obligations

Economic decline be damned — the broadcast systems happen to be investing enjoy it’s 2007 this season. A slew of putting in a bid wars brought to some staggering 9 pilot orders/production obligations and 33 put pilot obligations to date this purchasing season. Furthermore, NBC is eying straight-to-series orders for just two Bryan Larger-written dramas: a Munsters reboot and Hannibal, in line with the Hannibal Lecter character. With dire needs, new proprietors prepared to invest lots of money inside a turnaround and new management wanting to make their mark, NBC continues to be probably the most aggressive this purchasing season. Additionally towards the likely straight-to-series orders, four from the 9 pilot orders/production obligations to date happen to be provided through the peacock network: comedy Isabel, inspired with a French Canadian format, and John Scott Shepherd’s comedy Save Me, that are casting, and also the J.J. Abrams/Eric Kripke adventure thriller Revolution and crime drama Blue Tilt, compiled by Chris Brancato and starring Ethan Hawke and Vince D’Onofrio, that have pilot production obligations. The rest of the 4 pilot production orders visited Jon Favreau comedy spec Tweaked along with a multi-camera place of work comedy from Bill Lawrence and Greg Malins at CBS, multi-camera family comedy The Manzanis starring Kirstie Alley as well as an untitled Serta Fogelman comedy at ABC and also the Mike Royce-composed cast-contingent comedy pilot Little Brother at Fox. It wasn’t precisely the mass hysteria of summer time 2007 once the systems were stockpiling when confronted with a possible authors strike, but the amount of emergency this year came pretty close. (NBC) got cash, (ABC) got competitive against that cash, and that we required the bait, Fox’s entertainment leader Kevin Reilly stated in the HRTS lunch recently. All of us think i was performed a bit. Indeed, there have been numerous projects, especially around the comedy side, which had NBC, ABC and Fox putting in a bid strongly against one another. How aggressive was ABC this year, which marked the very first full development cycle for that network’s topper Paul Lee? It paid out some 10 put pilot obligations, a lot more than every other network. Which is even though a sizable part of ABC’s development originates from sister studio ABC Galleries in which the huge most of sales don't have any penalties attached because the transaction involves moving money in one pocket to a different. Fox and CBS aren't far behind with 9 put pilot obligations each, while NBC has 5, through it a lot more than composed the main difference with several bigger obligations in addition to a slew of script sales with penalties attached. Area of the reason behind the staggering quantity of put pilot obligations this year may be the devaluation from the term, which once put on penalties of $a million but has become employed for penalties as little as $500,000 or even lower. The relaxation was fierce competition, especially between NBC and ABC. Both systems bought more projects compared to what they did this past year. NBC got second wind per month approximately ago once the network’s brass apparently examined their slate and made the decision it was missing in certain areas. When I have noted ad nauseam, it has been the growing season of comedy. Lengthy prior to the genre’s red-colored-hot fall with breakout hits New Girl, 2 Broke Women and Suburgatory and solid artist Last Guy Standing, the systems went strongly following the genre, which wound up eclipsing drama in sales this season the very first time in quite some time. With a recent account (you will find a couple of more comedy projects in play, therefore the comedy tally continues to be growing), there has been about 252 comedy and 250 drama sales this season versus. 233 comedy and 269 drama last season. Seven from the 9 pilot orders/production obligations visited comedy projects. In comparison, all large obligations in pre-WGA strike 2007 received to dramas: straight-to-series orders to Section 8 at ABC, The Philanthropist, Fear Itself and Robinson Crusoe at NBC and Very Last Minute at CBS and series resolve for Ryan Murphy’s Full B, The Trees andThe FBI at Fox and also the Kingdom at CBS. Aside from the astounding overall quantity of comedy buys, also remarkably high this season was the amount of half-hrs that included talent attached, especially at NBC and ABC. They include NBC comedy projects starring Roseanne Barr, Sean Hayes, Sarah Silverman, Portia p Rossi, Kal Penn, Snoop Dogg, Nick Thune and Omid Djalili. ABC went for comedies toplined by Kirstie Alley, Reba McEntire, Jim Belushi, Judy Greer, Ashley Tisdale, Shaun Garlin, Jim Breuer, Romeo Santos, Nia Vardalos, Marlon Wayans, Craig Kilborn and Sharon Horgan. Final 4 will even create their starring automobiles, as will Aasif Mandvi who's headlining a comedy for CBS. Fox has comedies starring Tyler Labine and Hannibal Buress. The popularity is nearly non-existent around the drama side save for NBC’s Blue Tilt which was offered with Hawke and D’Onofrio aboard. Talent continues to be large this year, with the big amount of comedy projects with stars attached but additionally within the rise of talent holding deals, which in fact had almost gone away recently. The second is yet another manifestation of the elevated competition this year, using the broadcast systems and also the galleries building war chests heading in to the craziness of pilot casting season. The stars signed in talent/development deals to date include Vanessa Williams, Jesse Martin, Leah Remini and Scott Michael Promote at ABC Dane Prepare, Jason Ritter, Sally Pressman and Corey Reynolds at NBC Martin Lawrence at CBS Greg Grunberg at Warner Bros. TV, and Tim Roth and Sarah Chalke at 20th TV. Also hot for any second straight season are book adaptations. I’ve counted a minimum of 4 dozen this season. One of the most prominent are Stephen Gaghan’s adaptation of Leif G.W. Perssons books about homicide detective Evert Backstrom at Fox, Shane Brennan’s adaptation from the King & Maxwell number of books by David Baldacci at CBS, the CW’s series according to Candace Bushnell’s Sex And Also The City prequel The Barbara Journals, NBCs Easy Rawlins, according to Walter Mosleys best-selling books, NBC’s Valley from the Dolls, composed by Lee Daniels (though that's based more about the film the book created), Peter Tolan’s single-camera comedy for ABC Angelas Bachelor's, in line with the book Angelinas Bachelor's: A Novel With Food and X-Males: Top Class co-authors Ashley Burns & Zack Stentz’s adaptation of Lev Grossmans popular fantasy novel The Masters of magic for Fox. Not really a large year for comic adaptations, with merely a handful, brought by Fox’s collaboration with Marvel around the Punisher, compiled by Erectile dysfunction Bernero. Another comics getting potential series treatment this year range from the Spectre at Fox and Deadman in the CW. Also escaping . of favor as source material are blogs and Twitter feeds, with just one major representative, Silvio Horta’s comedy at Fox in line with the Texts From Last Evening blog. Around the drama side, Westerns are hot this year, and also the streak began prior to the strong premiere of AMC’s Hell On Wheels on Sunday. CBS is restarting The Rifleman with Laeta Kalogridis, Chris Columbus and Carol Mendelsohn, Fox includes a Wyatt Earp Western composed by John Hlavin, NBC comes with an untitled Kerry Ehrin project occur the 1880s, while ABC has Ron Moores Hangtown , occur the first 1900, and David Zabels Gunslinger. The Western buys underline the broadcast systems’ ongoing curiosity about period dramas regardless of the struggles of sixties records The Playboy Club and Pan Am this fall. Shonda Rhimes alone setup 2 period projects: Gilded Lillys at ABC, a 1895 drama compiled by KJ Steinberg and Wildwood, a eighties dramedy compiled by Diane Ruggiero, which received a put pilot commitment at Fox. Furthermore, NBC’s Valley From The Dolls is occur sixties out of the box CBS’ Rob Lamb, from Goodfellas author Nicholas Pileggi. ABC bought 2 projects about seventies families who've their very own variety shows: an untitled comedy from author Joe Keenan and also the Lockharts, a musical hour drama from authors Michael Gans & Richard Register. The systems’ curiosity about series/movie reboots also wasn't wet through the quick demise of ABC’s Charlie’s Angels. (though the majority of the new projects were setup prior to the series opened). Series revamps include Bewitched and also the Rifleman at CBS, Wiseguy and also the Munsters at NBC (the second is technically a redevelopment from last season) and sweetness And Also The Animal in the CW. Movies getting series adaptations range from the 1984 action-adventure romantic comedy Romancing the Stone at NBC, with Mark Friedman and Shawn Levy potentially pointing, a comedy series in line with the 2010 British comedy feature The Infidel, using the film’s star Omid Djalili reprising his role, one half-hour series version of Zombieland at Fox, with original authors Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick aboard, along with a drama at ABC in line with the Lincoln subsequently Lawyer. Format adaptations also were extremely popular this season, using the geographic region from the source material ongoing to grow. You will find 3 projects according to Israeli formats — CBS’ comedy Existence Is not Everything, NBCs drama Support beams Of Smoke and also the CW drama Danny Hollywood. That's on componen with the amount of formats in the typically most widely used destination, United kingdom: Suburban Shootout and Whitened Guy Van at ABC and Friday Evening Dinner at NBC, that is shepherded by Greg Daniels. ABC has 2 high-profile remakes of Mexican telenovelas: Devious Service personnel, that is compiled by Desperate Average women creator Marc Cherry, as well as an adaptation of hit Soy Tu Duea, composed by Jorge Zamacona. Buddies co-creator Marta Kauffman is behind 2 format adaptations at ABC, Red-colored Band Society, which she's writing in line with the The spanish language format Polseres Vermelles, and musical drama The Avalon, in line with the Pan Asian format Your Kitchen Musical, which Kauffman will write with Jessica Queller. Furthermore, ABC has place in development Anti-Mafia Squad, a drama in line with the 2009 Italian series Squadra Antimafia Palermo Oggi. You will find 2 French Canadian comedy formats that made their method to the U.S. broadcast systems: Le Monde P Charlotte now, which offered as inspiration for that NBC pilot Isabel, and L'ensemble des Invincibles at Fox. The effective launch of fairytale-designed new series Not So Long Ago on ABC and Grimm on NBC came past too far to help the broadcast systems’ purchasing designs though ABC might have recognized that they are onto something with Not So Long Ago because it bought 2 drama projects with magical/fairytale elements in front of the show’s debut: the Jonathan E. Steinberg-composed Beauty and also the Animal, referred to being an epic fantasy re-imagining from the classic Beauty and also the Animal tale, along with a project from author Michael Eco-friendly and 20th TV, which focuses on a lady cop who finds out an enchanting world that is available within NY City. The second received a put pilot commitment in the network. While the amount of large obligations this year is definitely staggering, industry veterans realize that they don’t mean much. If your network doesn’t such as the finished script, generally it won’t get the project to pilot no matter the commitment. And often it won’t spend the money for steep penalty stipulated within the commitment either, resulting in the typical equine buying and selling between systems and galleries and moving of obligations to next season. This is a word of caution about how exactly irrelevant large obligations are: From the 4 projects with series commitment in 2007, none managed to get to pilot. From the five with series orders, one, Section 8, was scrapped (it lately resurfaced on Syfy as Alphas) and also the others didn’t last beyond that initial order. Approaching in a few days: A glance how showrunners and producers did this development season.

Eddie Murphy Quits as Oscars Host

File this under least surprising news of the day. Less than 24 hours after Brett Ratner resigned his Oscar producing duties, Eddie Murphy has stepped down as host of the 84th annual Academy Awards. Murphy leaves the high-profile position after the uproar surrounding Ratner's controversial comments at a 'Tower Heist' screening last week, when the director said, "Rehearsing's for fags." "First and foremost I want to say that I completely understand and support each party's decision with regard to a change of producers for this year's Academy Awards ceremony," said Murphy in a statement released by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences. "I was truly looking forward to being a part of the show that our production team and writers were just starting to develop, but I'm sure that the new production team and host will do an equally great job." Said AMPAS president Tom Sherak about Murphy's decision, "I appreciate how Eddie feels about losing his creative partner, Brett Ratner, and we all wish him well." With Murphy officially gone, the question must be asked: Who is going to step up as host? Neil Patrick Harris, come on down? RELATED: Robin Williams comments on Murphy's departure RELATED: Is this the new Oscars producer? EARLIER: Brett Ratner quits Oscars after gay slur controversy 10 Possible Oscar-Host Replacements Ricky GervaisRobert Downey Jr.The MuppetsMeryl StreepTina FeySteve Martin and Alec BaldwinNo OneNeil Patrick HarrisHugh JackmanBilly Crystal See All Moviefone Galleries » [via Oscars.org] [Photo: Getty Images] Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook

Joseph Gordon-Levitt's 10 Best Pop Song Covers

Joseph Gordon-Levitt is a conundrum: He’s an immensely likable actor, though he’s also very self-serious. He’s hammy, yet pretentious. He’s always rousing crowds with spirited acoustic covers, yet he’s always pimping that website of his. Bottom line: He’s an interesting mix, and because he gave an amazing performance in Mysterious Skin, I grant him extra leeway — and a tribute to his best moments as a viral singing sensation! Yesterday we watched him strum the bejesus out of R. Kelly’s “Ignition (Remix)” and today let’s tally up all his fun covers, sort out our favorites, and declare one favorite. 10. “You Can’t Hurry Love” JGL opts for a disturbing falsetto that Robin Thicke might admire with his cover of the Supremes classic. Apparently, you also can’t hurry this song, since he sings it at roughly half-speed. 9. “Don’t Look Back in Anger” He interrupts his fine piano work and rollicking vocals before the song can really pick up steam, but JGL’s cover of the Oasis tune is perfectly salable. 8. “Who’s Loving You” I prefer JGL’s fast-strumming, crowd-energizing moments, but he goes for gusto with this longing Jackson 5 track. I can hear Simon Cowell muttering, “It was loud, screechy, self-indulgent…” but I’d rather he be bombastic than simpering. Thumbs up, I say. 7. “La Valse Mille Temps” I won’t knock the singing (which is very good), but I will knock JGL’s girl-baiting French trilling. Come on. That’s level-one pandering in the flirt world. 6. “I Don’t Want to Live on the Moon” I’m sticking mostly to live performances on the list, but his version of the heartbreaking Sesame Street song “I Don’t Want to Live on the Moon” would do Aaron Neville and Ernie proud.

Hal Kanter dies at 92

Kanter produced TV series Julia and authored for that Oscars. Emmy Award-winning comedy author Hal Kanter, who composed material for Bob Hope, Bing Crosby and various Oscarcasts and produced the floor-breaking TV series "Julia," died Sunday in Encino. He was 92 and died of complications from pneumonia.Kanter shared Emmys in 1991 and 1992 for writing the Oscars after first adding towards the Oscarcast in 1952, annually prior to the ceremony made the transition from radio to television.Kanter also directed numerous films, including 1957 Elvis pic "Loving You." In TV, he earned his finest mark using the comedy "Julia," a landmark for that TV biz in starring African-American actress Diahann Carroll inside a nonstereotypical role. She performed a widowed nurse having a youthful boy within the series that went from 1968-1971 on NBC.Younger crowd offered being an professional producer on "All in the household,Inch among other shows.Born in Savannah, Ga., the boy of Albert L. Kanter, who founded a effective comicbook line, Kanter started like a comedy author for radio within the nineteen thirties, then segued into TV as mind author for comedy-variety skein "The Erectile dysfunction Wynn Show" in 1949-50. The guy who'd later create "Julia" authored in early '50s for "The Amos 'n' Andy Show," a set scorned for that minstrelsy that it portrayed black figures.Kanter started writing for that bigscreen in 1951. His first effort was "Two Tickets to Broadway." Beginning with "My Personal Favorite Spy" that same year, he authored or co-authored numerous films starring Hope, such as the 1952 Hope-Crosby effort "Route to Indonesia," "Not Allowed,Inch "Here Come the Women" and "Casanova's Large Evening." Younger crowd composed the 1953 Jerry Lewis-Dean Martin comedy "Money At HomeInch and then authored the Elvis photos "Loving You" and "Blue Hawaii" and also the Doris Day-James Garner vehicle "Make Room Darling."Showing a significant side, Kanter did the variation of Tennessee Williams' "The Rose Tattoo" in 1955. Other screenwriting credits include George Cukor's "Let us Have Sex,Inch with Marilyn Monroe and Yves Montand, and also the Frank Capra film "Pocketful of Miracles."Within the mid-'50s, Kanter produced, created and authored "The George Gobel Show," winning his first Emmy for his efforts. Throughout the seventies, Kanter authored and created for comedies including "All in the householdInch and "Chico and also the Guy" but he progressively moved focus to TV special offers and honours events, writing "NBC Salutes the 25th Anniversary from the Wonderful Realm of Disney" and "AFI Existence Achievement Award: A Tribute to Henry Fonda" in 1978. He started fairly steady focus on the Oscarcasts in 1991 that they ongoing until 2008.Kanter was heavily involved with activities in the Authors Guild of America, finding the WGA West's Valentine Davies Award (for industry/community service) in 1983, the WGA West's Morgan Cox Award for plan to the guild in 2005 and also the WGA West's Paddy Chayefsky Laurel Award for Television (an eternity achievement jerk) in 1989.Kanter also located many Authors Guild and Company directors Guild of America honours dinners.Children include wife Doris, to whom he was married for 70 years three kids: Donna Kanter, a author, producer and director and who owns the Donna Kanter Co., Lisa Kanter Shafer and Abigail Kanter Jaye a sister along with a daughter. Contact Carmel Dagan at carmel.dagan@variety.com

AMC's 'Hell on Wheels' draws 4.4 million in debut

AMC's latest series, the western "Hell on Wheels," came 4.4 million in the debut Sunday evening. That's far beneath the recent second season launch from the cabler's zombie drama "The Walking Dead," however the second greatest debut within the net's history. "Wheels," which broadcast at 10 p.m., had the advantage of a "Walking Dead" lead-in. Sunday's 9 o'clock "Walking Dead" received 6.3 million audiences, meaning while "Hell of Wheels" was strongly tried, there is a drop-from nearly two million audiences (31%). Next week's rankings determines if "Wheels" has got the strength to become a season-lengthy hit for that cabler. Within the 18-49 demo, "Wheels," the industry Canadian production shot in Calgary, Alberta, came 2.4 million in comparison towards the 4.3 million for "Dead." Retention was certainly better with older audiences, making sense thinking about "Wheels" happens within the Old West and it is a genre that's an appropriate fit for lengthy-time TV viewers. Within the 25-54 demo, 2.3 million audiences updated in, only a hair beneath the 18-49 total. Show happens in publish-Civil War America and focuses on a revengeful Confederate soldier and also the building from the Transcontinental Railroad. Anson Mount, Common and Colm Meaney star. Skein was produced by Joe Gayton and Tony Gayton, who professional produce with Jeremy Gold, John Shiban and David Von Ancken, who directed the pilot. Series was created by Endemol USA, in a single of their couple of non-reality endeavors, and Entertainment One. Contact Stuart Levine at stuart.levine@variety.com

Violeta Visited Paradise (Violeta se fue a los cielos)

A BF release (in Chile) from the Minera Escondida presentation from the Wood Producciones, Maiz Producciones, Bossa Nova Films production in colaboration with BG TV. (Worldwide sales: Wood Producciones, Santiago.) Executive producers, Patricio Pereira , Pablo Rovito, Fernando Sokolowicz, Denise Gomes, Paula Cosenza, Billy Garlick. Directed by Andres Wood. Script, Eliseo Altunaga, Rodrigo Bazaes, Guillermo Calderon, Wood, good book by Angel Parra.With: Francisca Gavilan, Thomas Durand, Christian Quevedo, Patricio Ossa, Luis Machin, Stephania Barbagelata, Roberto Faras, Gabriela Aguilera. (The the spanish language language, French dialogue)The intense, amazing existence in the Chilean singer-songwriter Violeta Parra is looked into with sensitivity and exquisite lightness of touch in Andres Wood's "Violeta Visited Paradise." Getting a searching central perf from Francisca Gavilan, this fantastically lensed portrait moves stylishly forward and backward with time to limn the presence of the woman who constantly fought to discover her place. Chile's Oscar submission reps a formidable addition to Wood's already solid oeuvre, in addition to its particularly Chilean subject isn't likely to prevent it from following Wood's "Machuca" into offshore arthouses. Despite the fact that some poetic license is inevitably taken, the pic is carefully good occasions of Parra's own existence, structured around a TV interview the singer gave in 1962. Elevated in poverty in southern Chile since the daughter from the alcoholic schoolteacher named Nicanor (Christian Quevedo), Parra will be a spirited child immediately. Becoming an adult, she was deeply romantic and deeply political, writing tunes that might be achingly lyrical or stridently defend the oppressed. Key occasions proven include Parra's travels using the Andes hills giving shows just like a duet along with her sister Hilda her visit to a vintage guy inside the countryside from whom sherrrd like to know tunes, but who'll not sing carrying out a dying of his grandchild her trip to the Intl. Youth Festival in Belgium, that they returns to discover her year-old daughter has died of pneumonia her in time Paris, where she exhibits her focus on the Louvre her tempestuous, on-off relationship with anthropologist Gilbert Favre (Thomas Durand) and her installment from the arts center in the remote tent within the Andes. These occasions are proven considerably from sequence, though Andrea Chignoli's precision editing guarantees that moments set years apart are created lighting rather than confusing by their juxtaposition. Some welcome comic relief comes through the 1962 interview, through which Parra handles persistence while using snide questions from the right-wing Argentinean interviewer (Luis Machin). Gavilan supplies a profoundly committed, rangy perf that handles being intense, gutsy and nuanced at one time, and bespeaks a idea of the value of getting Parra right regarding Chilean auds. The script allows for just about any warts hpv warts-and-all portrait that's definately not simple hagiography. Parra's multiple contradictions exist: She's headstrong but insecure, social but lonely, adventurous but home-loving, and more importantly, never quite able to be an excellent mother to her children. (Pic is founded on the memoirs of one of these simple, Angel.) Typically of Wood's films, production values are topnotch. Using locations is especially strong, and lenser Miguel Joan Littin, Wood's longtime collaborator, renders the peculiar light and textures from the Andean mountain village as capably while he does people in the banks in the Seine by evening. Visually, the pic is not dull and often demonstrates a daring sense of framework, as being a lovemaking scene shot using the gaps between floormats. Pic features about 20 mostly guitar-based tunes that repetition a fantastic choice of Parra's work, although her most broadly used tune, "Gracias a la vida," is missing. The highlight can be a searing, soul-baring performance of "El gavilan" (The Sparrowhawk), featuring the street that the pic might have been built: "I have nowhere being.InchDigital camera (color/ B&W), Miguel Joan Littin editor, Andrea Chignoli music, Violeta Parra art director, Rodrigo Bazaes appear (Dolby Digital SR), Miguel Hormazabal. Examined on DVD, Madrid, March. 29, 2011. Running time: 110 MIN. Contact the number newsroom at news@variety.com

FilmDistrict Undergoing Major Reorganization

Upstart distribution company FilmDistrict is reorganizing and consolidating its operation, with Bob Berney, its theatrical distribution president, and Jeanne R. Berney, its exec vp of marketing, leaving the company.our editor recommendsAngelina Jolie's Directorial Debut Lands U.S. Distributor (Cannes)Drive: Cannes 2011 Review The duo will stay on until March 1, 2012, to help oversee the December 23 opening of the Angelina Jolie-directed In the Land of Blood and Honey. FilmDistrict, which distributes movies for GK Films (the company is an investor in FilmDistrict) as well as films it acquires, is moving its operations to Los Angeles, shuttering operations in NY. PHOTOS: 'The Rum Diary' Premiere at LACMA FilmDistrict was launched just over a year ago under the aegis of Peter Schlessel, who was previously at Sony. The company had a hit right out of the gate with the surprisingly strong showing of horror movie Insidious, followed by the inspirational surfer movie Soul Surfer. FilmDistrict picked up Don't Be Afraid of the Dark, the Guillermo del Toro-produced horror movie, for distribution after the closing of Disney's label Miramax put that movie in limbo, as well as the critically acclaimed arty thriller Drive, starring Ryan Gosling. Audiences didn't show up for Afraid of the Dark, which has grossed only $24 million domestically, while the company's most recent release, The Rum Diary, opened to a dismal $5.1 million last weekend. The tally of the FilmDistrict movies adds up to more than $150 million domestically. STORY: Johnny Depp's 'Rum Diary' Tanks at Box Office: What Went Wrong Sources say that friction may have led to the parting of way between the two parties. Insiders say the big marketing spends for Drive and Afraid of the Dark didn't pay off at the box office while others say personality clashes eventually undid working relationships. "While I believe in the strategy of FilmDistrict, I remain committed to my roots and family in NY where there is a vibrant film community," said Bob Berney in a statement. "The team Jeanne and I assembled in NY and Chicago are second to none and we all are proud of the work we've done and the great successes we've had. I wish my colleagues at FilmDistrict good luck in the years to come." Said Schlessel: "This consolidation was necessary due to the inherent difficulties of having our production, acquisition and business divisions in Los Angeles with our distribution and marketing team in NY. We are very excited about next year's slate of films." Bob Berney is considered a guru in terms of marketing and distributing art house fare and helping those films cross over. His list of hits include Christopher Nolan's early film Memento, Nia Vardalos' My Big Fat Greek Wedding, del Toro's Pan's Labyrinth, and Alfonso Cuaron's Y Tu Mama Tambien. Related Topics FilmDistrict

Anchor Bay Acquires Channing Tatum's Senior High School Reunion Comedy 'Ten Year'

Anchor Bay Films has acquired U.S. privileges to Jamie Linden's Ten Year, an ensemble comedy set in a 10-year senior high school reunion that first showed in the Toronto Worldwide Film Festival.our editor recommendsEXCLUSIVE: Rosario Dawson and Lynn Collins Graduate to 'Ten Year'EXCLUSIVE: Oscar Isaac Joins Cast of Channing Tatum Film 'Ten Year' Anchor Bay is planning for a spring release for that movie,which stars Lynn Collins, Rosario Dawson, Jenna Dewan-Tatum, John Geraghty, Ari Graynor, Oscar Issac, Ron Livingston, Justin Lengthy, Anthony Mackie, Kate Mara, Max Minghella, Aubrey Plaza, Scott Porter, Chris Pratt and Channing Tatum. It had been created by Marty Bowen, Wyck Godfrey, Tatum and the Iron Equine Entertainment partner Reid Carolin. It had been executive created by Eric Gores, Scott Lumpkinand Frank Mancuso, Junior. with financing from Gores and Mancuso's Boss Media. Paradigm repped Linden, using the Paradigm Film Finance Group repping Gores, Mancuso and Boss Media and settling the offer with Anchor Bay. The purchase was introduced Wednesday by Anchor Bay Entertainment leader Bill Clark and Kevin Kasha, executive vice president, purchases and co-productions, Anchor Bay Films. Related Subjects Channing Tatum Rosario Dawson