Global Showbiz Briefs: Altitude Boards Stone Roses Doc, K5 & ‘Beware Of Mr Baker’, Oz Filmmaker Launches PicSeeder, ‘In The Shadow’ & More
Altitude To Proffer Stone Roses Doc at EFM
Will Clarke’s Altitude Film Sales has boarded This Is England director Shane Meadow’s The Stone Roses: Made Of Stone as the UK-based company heads into its first European Film Market in Berlin. Set up just prior to Cannes last year by Optimum founder Clarke, along with former Exclusive Media managing director Andy Mayson and former Pathé International exec Mike Runagall, Altitude will also handle international sales on Catch Me Daddy, the first feature written and directed by commercials and music video director Daniel Wolfe. Documentary The Stone Roses: Made Of Stone chronicles the cult British rock band on their 2012 reunion tour after a 15-year split. Warp Films’ Mark Herbert is producing the Film4-financed picture which will be released in the UK by Revolver Entertainment. Catch Me Daddy director Daniel Wolfe’s credits include work for and videos for rapper Plan B, boy band Take That and French group The Shoes. His thriller follows a couple on the run and is produced by Mike Elliott of Emu Films with backing from Film4 and the BFI Film Fund. Studiocanal is distributing in the UK.
K5 Brings ‘Beware Of Mr Baker’ To Berlin
K5 International has taken on foreign rights to SXSW documentary Grand Jury Prize winner Beware Of Mr Baker. The story of Cream and Blind Faith drummer Ginger Baker is directed by Jay Bulger and produced by Insurgent Media’s Andrew Karsch and Fisher Stevens and executive produced by Julie Goldman. Bulger spent three months with Baker to capture the unpredictable artist who worked with Eric Clapton and Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti. Interviewees include Clapton, Charlie Watts, Stevie Winwood, Carlos Santana and Stewart Copeland. K5 will proffer at the EFM next month in Berlin.
Australian Filmmaker Bill Bennett Launches Global Pitching Contest
Sales exec/producer Robbie Little, Evolution Entertainment’s Stephen Gates, Top Of The Lake star Michelle Ang, French financier/producer Jean-Charles Levy and Indian producer Udayan Baijal will serve on the jury of picSeeder, a new global, online pitching competition designed to enable aspiring filmmakers to fund short films. The brainchild of Australian filmmaker Bill Bennett, the inaugural edition will reward the winner with a cash prize of up to $A50,000 ($52,200). For a $28 entry fee, contestants will be asked to submit a 1-minute video to www.picseeder.com where members will vote on their favorite pitch. Those who submit the 12 most popular pitches will be asked to provide a 3-minute video. From that shortlist the winner will be determined by the jury. The actual prize money will depend on the number of entries and will be paid out of the proceeds, minus an administration fee. Videos can be in any language, but those in foreign languages must carry English subtitles. PicSeeder launches on February 4, entries are open in March/April, closing May 4. The shortlist will be announced May 18 and the winner declared June 15. Bennett (Backlash, Spider & Rose) hopes to stage the event two or three times per year. He developed the concept with his wife, producer Jennifer Cluff. – Don Groves
‘In The Shadow’ Emerges A Winner With Czech Critics
David Ondříček’s In The Shadow won five prizes at the Czech Film Critics’ Awards this past weekend. The movie, which was the country’s foreign language Oscar submission, was also a surprise breakout during its Academy screenings, despite not ending up with a nomination. It’s set in 1950s Czechoslovakia where a detective takes matters into his own hands and struggles against the Communist police after a burglary becomes a political affair. The film took prizes as best picture and best director along with nods for lead actor (Ivan Trojan), music and cinematography, according to Cineuropa.
Serial Killer Saga ‘Wolf Creek 2’ Rounds Out Cast
Ryan Corr, Shannon Ashlyn and Philippe Klaus have joined the cast of Greg Mclean’s Wolf Creek 2, the sequel to his 2005 hit, which began shooting in South Australia last week. John Jarratt again stars as sadistic serial killer Mick Taylor, who encounters three backpackers in the Outback. Corr’s character is a Brit and the other two are Germans. Mclean and Aaron Sterns wrote the screenplay and Mclean is producing with Helen Leake and Steve Topic. Corr starred alongside Ryan Kwanten and Sarah Snook in Not Without My Children and is a regular in TV’s Packed To The Rafters. It’s the film debuts of Ashlyn and Klaus, who both featured in the Oz miniseries Devil’s Dust. Arclight has pre-sold the film to eOne in Canada and the UK and to Scandinavia, Turkey, Middle East, Malaysia and Poland. Roadshow Films will distribute in Australia.- Don Groves.
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