Every week, I get several press releases, screening invitations and other notifications from a handful of studio contacts. While I won’t be sharing any information regarding my screening invites, some of the press releases might be of interest to my readers, so I thought I’d start sharing them in toto with all of you. These could include new image galleries for various films or important updates to upcoming releases from various smaller studios and art house production companies.

• Image Gallery: Brick Mansions
• Press Release: Winners Announced for 2014 Full Frame Documentary Film Festival
• Press Release: Roger from “American Dad” Named “Gayest Cartoon Character of All Time”
• Press Release: Icarus Films Acquires “Level Five”
• Press Release: Vertical Entertainment Acquires “Behaving Badly”

Image Gallery: Brick Mansions

Updated Gallery, added images #10-#18

Press Release: Winners Announced for 2014 Full Frame Documentary Film Festival

Full Frame Documentary Film Festival Announces 2014 Award Winners

Award winners will be rescreened Sunday afternoon and evening; Screening times and venues are available at FullFrameFest.org

Durham, N.C. — April 6th, 2014 — The 2014 Full Frame Documentary Film Festival award winners were announced this afternoon at the festival’s annual Awards Barbecue.

One of the nation’s premier documentary film festivals, Full Frame is celebrating its 17th annual festival. Full Frame is a qualifying event for consideration for nominations for both the Academy Award® for Best Documentary Short Subject and The Producers Guild of America Awards.

2014 Full Frame Documentary Film Festival Award Winners

The Reva and David Logan Grand Jury Award
Sponsored by the Reva and David Logan Foundation

The Reva and David Logan Grand Jury Award was presented to Evolution of a Criminal, directed by Darius Clark Monroe. Ten years after robbing a bank as teenager, filmmaker Darius Clark Monroe returns home and turns the camera on himself — to tell the story of what happened and look at the fallout from his actions.

Jury members Shola Lynch, Robb Moss, and Christine O’Malley stated: “For its mix of autobiographical storytelling and inventive use of recreations, for its ability to disrupt what has become a familiar narrative, we award the Grand Jury Award to Evolution of a Criminal.”

The Full Frame Jury Award for Best Short
Provided by Drs. Andrew and Barbra Rothschild

The Full Frame Jury Award for Best Short was given to White Earth, directed by J. Christian Jensen. Against the backdrop of an ethereal North Dakota winter, three children and their immigrant mother describe scenes of isolation and exertion — the impact of the oil boom to their everyday lives.

Jury members Brian McGinn, Rick Prelinger, and Toby Shimin stated: “Short filmmaking is the art of working within the constraints of limited resources. For its elegant images of an environmentally precarious practice, its enigmatic and often surprising characters, and its vivid depiction of a place undergoing rapid transition, we recognize White Earth with the Jury Award for Best Short.”

Full Frame Audience Award – Feature
Sponsored by Merge Records

The Hand That Feeds, directed by Rachel Lears and Robin Blotnick, received the Full Frame Audience Award for Feature. The film, a moving story of a bitter labor dispute, follows a group of New York City restaurant workers who stand up for their rights, despite the threat of job loss and deportation.

Full Frame Audience Award – Short
Sponsored by Vimeo

The Silly Bastard Next to the Bed, directed by Scott Calonico, received the Full Frame Audience Award Short. The film is a humorous retelling of how JFK handled a scandal over some pricey bedroom furniture during the last summer of his presidency.

The Center for Documentary Studies Filmmaker Award
Provided by the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University

The Center for Documentary Studies Filmmaker Award was given to Evolution of a Criminal, directed by Darius Clark Monroe. Provided by the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University, this award honors a documentary artist whose work is a potential catalyst for education and change. Representatives from the Center for Documentary Studies juried the prize: Randy Benson, Wesley Hogan, Katie Hyde, Lynn McKnight, Dan Partridge, Elena Rue, Teka Selman, and April Walton.

The Charles E. Guggenheim Emerging Artist Award
Provided by the Charles E. Guggenheim Family

Return to Homs, directed by Talal Derki, was awarded the Charles E. Guggenheim Emerging Artist Award. The film takes viewers to the frontlines of the Syrian Civil War as two friends who are determined to defend their city abandon peaceful resistance and take up arms, heading straight for the heart of the warzone. Provided by the Charles E. Guggenheim family, this prize honors a first-time documentary feature director. Zak Piper, Roger Ross Williams, and Martha Shane juried this award.

Full Frame Inspiration Award
Sponsored by the Hartley Film Foundation

The Overnighters, directed by Jesse Moss, received the Full Frame Inspiration Award. The film deals with a pastor in an oil boomtown who opens his doors to desperate and disillusioned jobseekers, and the unintended consequences that result from his good intentioned actions. Sponsored by the Hartley Film Foundation, this award is presented to the film that best exemplifies the value and relevance of world religions and spirituality. Sarah Masters, Jason Osder, and Dawn Porter juried this award.

Full Frame President’s Award
Sponsored by Duke University

The Full Frame President’s Award was presented to Santa Cruz del Islote, directed by Luke Lorentzen. The film is about the remote island of Santa Cruz del Islote, one of the most densely populated on the planet, where a community struggles to main its way of life as resources and opportunities dwindle. Sponsored by Duke University, representatives on behalf of the President’s Office juried the prize.

The Kathleen Bryan Edwards Award for Human Rights
Sponsored by the Julian Price Family Foundation in memory of Melanie Taylor

Private Violence, directed by Cynthia Hill, won the Kathleen Bryan Edwards Award for Human Rights. This urgent and inspiring film confronts the question, “Why didn’t you leave?” through two women’s complex stories of survival, while exploring the way we talk about and deal with domestic violence as a society. Provided by the Julian Price Foundation, this award is presented to a film that addresses a significant human rights issue in the United States. Representatives from the Kathleen Bryan Edwards family juried the prize: Anne Arwood, Laura Edwards, Clay Farland, Margaret Griffin, and Pricey Harrison.

The Nicholas School Environmental Award
Sponsored by the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University

The Nicholas School Environmental Award was presented to The Great Invisible, directed by Margaret Brown. The film is a chilling investigation of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, told through the stories of people still experiencing its after effects — from oil executives to Gulf Coast residents — long after the media moved on. The Nicholas School Environmental Award honors the film that best depicts the conflict between our drive to improve living standards through development and modernization, and the imperative to preserve both the natural environment that sustains us and the heritages that define us. Representatives from the Nicholas School of the Environment juried the prize: Lisa Campbell, Erin Espelie, Cindy Horn, Rebecca Patton, and Tom Rankin.

About Full Frame
The Full Frame Documentary Film Festival is an annual international event dedicated to the theatrical exhibition of nonfiction cinema. Each spring, Full Frame welcomes filmmakers and film lovers from around the world to historic downtown Durham, N.C., for a four-day, morning to midnight array of over 100 films, as well as discussions, panels, and southern hospitality. Set within a four-block radius, the intimate festival landscape fosters community and conversation between filmmakers, film professionals, and the general public. The 2013 Full Frame Documentary Film Festival yielded $2,375,000 for Durham’s local economy. Full Frame also promotes the festival’s mission throughout the year by presenting documentary work in the Full Frame Theater and other venues both locally and nationally.

The Festival is a program of the Center for Documentary Studies (a nonprofit 501c3), and receives support from corporate sponsors, private foundations, and individual donors whose generosity provides the foundation that makes the event possible. To learn more on the mission of Full Frame, scheduled films, festival tickets, or how to support Full Frame, visit http://www.fullframefest.org.

Press Release: Roger from “American Dad” Named “Gayest Cartoon Character of All Time”

ROGER FROM AMERICAN DAD CROWNED “GAYEST CARTOON CHARACTER OF ALL TIME” IN LOGO TV’S FIRST-EVER MARCH MADNESS COMPETION FOR POP CULTURE FANS

Roger Defeated 31 of Animation’s Biggest Names Including Stewie Griffin, Snagglepuss, Velma and Vanity Smurf

New York, April 8, 2014 – After hundreds of thousands of votes, Roger, the brazen intergalactic disguise-yielding space alien from American Dad, has been crowned “Gayest Cartoon Character of All Time” in Logo TV’s first-ever March Madness style competition for pop culture fans. The announcement was made by during last night’s episode of “RuPaul’s Drag Race”

“I’d like to thank everyone that voted for me. And I’d like to personally thank every MAN who voted for me…Tonight. Within a twelve mile radius,” said Roger.

The path to victory wasn’t easy for Roger, as four grueling matchups pitted him head-to-head against Captain Planet, Peppermint Patty/Marcie (Peanuts), Vanity Smurf (The Smurfs) and ultimately Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune (Sailor Moon) in the final round.

The bracket style completion featured an eclectic mix of current and classic cartoon characters, including some out-and-proud toons (“South Park’s” Big Gay Al), some who’ve definitely made you wonder over the years (like “Scooby Doo’s” Velma or MTV’s Daria) as well as some that defy all explanation (can a rabbit, lion or a smurf be gay?).

The battle kicked off on March 18th on Logo’s NewNowNext.com and TheBackLot.com with 32 animated contenders facing off in traditional head-to-head bracket-style voting. Each round featured a myriad of upsets with cartoon royalty Squidward (Spongebob Squarepants) and He-Man (He-Man) being ousted in round one, Wayland Smithers (The Simpsons) and Bugs Bunny (Looney Toons) in round 2, Betty Deville (Rugrats) and Xander (Drawn Together) in round three and Stewie Griffin (Family Guy) and Big Gay Al (South Park) in round 4. The full tournament results can be found here.

ABOUT LOGO
Logo TV is a leading entertainment brand inspired by the LGBT community and reflects the creative class across television, digital and social platforms. Logo features one-of-a-kind personalities, shows, specials, and unique stories. Logo is part of MTV’s network of brands including MTV, MTV2, MTV.com, mtvU, MTV Hits and MTV Jams.

Press Release: Icarus Films Acquires “Level Five”

Icarus Films acquires Chris Marker’s LEVEL FIVE

April 09, 2014, New York: ICARUS FILMS today announced its acquisition of all North American distribution rights, including theatrical, non-theatrical, home entertainment, and television rights, to the LEVEL FIVE (106 minutes), Chris Marker’s 1996 feature film about a female video game developer, computer networks, and the Battle of Okinawa, in a new restoration.

While working on a game about the Battle of Okinawa, Laura, played with quiet intensity by Catherine Belkhodja, becomes increasingly drawn into her work and fascinated by the WWII battle that took place there, in which 150,000 Japanese were killed, many by suicide.

An elaborate, colorful patchwork of mesmerizing, pixelated images, fiction sequences with Belkhodja, archives, history, interviews (including with the Japanese director Nagisa Oshima), and quasi-science fiction, LEVEL FIVE prefigures the legendary auteur’s fascination with digital worlds, which he also explored in installations, interactive CD-ROMs, and later, digital platforms.

ICARUS FILMS plans a long-awaited LEVEL FIVE U.S. theatrical premiere release later this summer 2014 at BAMcinématek in New York, followed by a consumer DVD and digital release for home entertainment audiences.

The deal for North American distribution was negotiated by Jonathan Miller for Icarus Films and Florence Dauman of Argos Films (Paris, France).

LEVEL FIVE joins eighteen other films by Chris Marker that are distributed by Icarus Films, including LE JOLI MAI, FAR FROM VIETNAM, A GRIN WITHOUT A CAT, and ONE DAY IN THE LIFE OF ANDREI ARSENEVICH.

LEVEL FIVE is available now for other theatrical engagements, film festivals and other bookings, on DCP and other digital formats. Previews are available for covering journalists and film programmers.

Press Release: Vertical Entertainment Acquires “Behaving Badly”

“BEHAVING BADLY” Acquired by Vertical Entertainment

Nat Wolff/Selena Gomez Comedy set for August 2014 release

Los Angeles, April 9, 2014 – Vertical Entertainment has acquired all U.S. rights to Tim Garrick’s BEHAVING BADLY, starring Nat Wolff (“The Fault in our Stars”) and Selena Gomez along with Mary-Louise Parker, Elisabeth Shue, Dylan McDermott, Jason Lee, Heather Graham, Cary Elwes, Gary Busey, and Patrick Warburton. The deal was announced by the company’s President, Rich Goldberg, who plans to release the film in theaters in August 2014.

In this outrageous comedy BEHAVING BADLY directed by Tim Garrick, Rick Stevens (Nat Wolff) is willing to do whatever it takes to try and win the heart of Nina Pennington (Selena Gomez) – even if this means making a bet with a mobster’s son! The pressure is on, but the mob isn’t the only thing that’s standing in his way. If he ever hopes to land the girl of his dreams, he’ll also have to deal with a group of strippers, his best friend’s horny mother (Elisabeth Shue), his drug-abusing boss (Dylan McDermott), a perverted principal (Patrick Warburton), a priest with a really bigsecret (Jason Lee), a sultry defense attorney (Heather Graham), and a patron saint who dispenses cryptic advice (Mary-Louise Parker). No one ever said love was easy.

Rich Goldberg, President of Vertical Entertainment, said this about the acquisition: “This film spoke to us on many levels and we are excited to show audiences how funny this cast can be together. It is a return to the classic comedies of the late 80’s and early 90’s as Tim Garrick and his team did a wonderful job capturing that fine line between endearing and off-the-wall.”

BEHAVING BADLY is directed by Tim Garrick, with the screenplay written by Tim Garrick and Scott Russell that was based on Ric Browde’s book “While I’m Dead…Feed The Dog”, produced by Andrew Lazar and Miri Yoon, executive produced by Barry Quart and Kevin Tang, with original music by David Newman, and editing by Matt Friedman. The film stars Nat Wolff and Selena Gomez along with Mary-Louise Parker, Elisabeth Shue, Dylan McDermott, Jason Lee, Heather Graham, Cary Elwes, Gary Busey, and Patrick Warburton. For more information about the film, please visit www.behavingbadly.com.

The deal was negotiated by Peter Jarowey at Vertical Entertainment, with Elisabeth Costa de Beauregard of Voltage Pictures and Kevin Iwashina and Zac Bright of Preferred Content on behalf of the filmmakers. BEHAVING BADLY was fully financed by Starboard Entertainment and is a Mad Chance production.

ABOUT VERTICAL ENTERTAINMENT
Vertical Entertainment is a full service content marketing and distribution company, providing highly effective end-to-end solutions. It focuses on the acquisition and distribution of studio quality films, servicing a variety of revenue streams throughout North America including theatrical distribution, DVD, Blu-ray, digital, electronic sell-through, streaming, VOD, PPV, Pay and Free TV. Vertical Entertainment’s long standing relationships in both the content and retailer communities, along with the company’s marketing and sales expertise, creates a dynamic advantage for content partners. Recent titles include “Anna (Mindscape)”, “Hairbrained”, and “Boys of Abu Ghraib.”

ABOUT VOLTAGE PICTURES
Founded in 2005, Voltage Pictures is an international sales, finance and production operation run by Academy Award winner Nicolas Chartier. In nine years, Voltage has built a library of over 175 films. Voltage’s first in house production was “The Hurt Locker” which went on to win six Oscars including Best Picture. The company has since produced a number of films, including “The Company You Keep”, directed by Robert Redford, starring Robert Redford and Shia LaBeouf, and “Don Jon,” written and directed by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who also starred alongside Scarlett Johansson and Julianne Moore, and had a wide release in the fall of 2013 by Relativity Media.

Voltage was recently up for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, for “Dallas Buyers Club.” The film won three Oscars; Matthew McConaughey for Best Actor in a Lead Role, Jared Leto for Best Actor in a Supporting Role, and Best Hair/Makeup.

Voltage is currently in production on the Ethan Hawke film “Good Kill,” which also stars January Jones, Zoe Kravitz, Bruce Greenwood and Jake Abel. Production will soon begin on the Gabriele Muccino-helmed “Fathers and Daughters,” starring Russell Crowe, Amanda Seyfried, Aaron Paul, Quvenzhane Wallis, Octavia Spencer and Diane Kruger.