In today’s film news roundup, the Gotham Awards have been set for Dec. 2, “The Twentieth Century” and “Feast of the Seven Fishes” are acquired and The Writers Lab selects a dozen participants.
AWARDS DATE
The Independent Filmmaker Project announced that the 29th IFP Gotham Awards will take place this year at Cipriani in New York City on Dec. 2.
The Gotham Awards are one of the first major shows during awards season. Submissions for the competitive categories opened Thursday and close on Sept. 19. Categories include Best Feature, Best Documentary, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Screenplay, Breakthrough Actor, the Bingham Ray Breakthrough Director Award and two television categories – Breakthrough Series (over 40 minutes) and Breakthrough Series (under 40 minutes).
Last year, Chloe Zhao’s “The Rider” won the Best Feature Award, following previous winners “Call Me By Your Name,” “Moonlight,” “Spotlight” and “Birdman.”
Nominees will be announced Oct. 24.
ACQUISITIONS
Oscilloscope Laboratories has acquired U.S. rights to filmmaker Matthew Rankin’s debut feature, “The Twentieth Century.”
The film will have its world premiere in the Midnight Madness section at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival. Oscilloscope will release the film in theaters before a rollout to digital platforms.
“The Twentieth Century” is set in Toronto in 1899 where an aspiring young politician dreams of becoming the Prime Minister of Canada. But his romantic hesitations between a British soldier, a French-Canadian nurse, and a furtive, fetishistic obsession may bring about his downfall. The film was produced by Gabrielle Tougas-Fréchette and Ménaïc Raoul at Voyelles Films, a Montreal-based production company.
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Shout! Studios has bought North American rights to comedy-drama “Feast of the Seven Fishes,” directed by Robert Tinnell and based on his graphic novel and the Italian cookbook of the same name.
The cast includes Skyler Gisondo, Madison Iseman, Josh Helman, Addison Timlin, Joe Pantoliano and Paul Ben-Victor. Producers are Tinnell’s Allegheny Image Factory and Witty-Michaels Entertainment.
Shout! plans a November theatrical release along with distribution on VOD, digital, broadcast and home entertainment. The film is set during 1983 as a family prepares for the Feast of the Seven Fishes and romance blooms between Gisondo and Iseman’s characters.
WRITERS SELECTED
The Writers Lab co-founders Elizabeth Kaiden and Nitza Wilon and New York Women in Film & Television have selected 2 screenwriters to participate in The Writers Lab’s fifth year.
The four-day program is the only lab in the world devoted exclusively to script development for women writers over the age of 40. The Writers Lab is supported by Meryl Streep and Nicole Kidman, and is presented in collaboration with the Writers Guild of America East.
Mentors include Susan Cartsonis, Shruti Ganguly, Lisa Jones, Theresa Rebeck, Mary Jane Skalski, Robin Swicord, and Pat Verducci. Participants are Tara Orr Brenninkmeyer, Susan Brunig, Tricia Cerrone, Meg Waite Clayton, Jiwon Lee, Ann LeSchander, Julie O’Hora, Alyson Richards, Miatta Ronca, Kenyetta Raelyn, C.C. Webster, and Elizabeth Ziemska.
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