News

Let's hear it for the writers!

The Writer's Guild of America held their annual awards show on Sunday night at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles, where Barry Jenkins' Moonlight, The People vs. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, and Donald Glover's breakout series, Atlanta were among those recognized for their achievement of the written word.

Read on below to see the full list of winners.

More: John Legend, Justin Timberlake and Lin-Manuel Miranda Among 2017 Oscars Performers

Film Winners

Original Screenplay

Moonlight, Screenplay by Barry Jenkins, Story by Tarell Alvin McCraney; A24

Adapted Screenplay

Arrival, Screenplay by Eric Heisserer; Based on the Story “Story of Your Life” by Ted Chiang; Paramount Pictures

Documentary Screenplay

Command and Control, Telescript by Robert Kenner & Eric Schlosser, Story by Brian Pearle and Kim Roberts; Based on the book Command and Control by Eric Schlosser; American Experience Films

Television And New Media Winners

Drama Series

The Americans, Written...

The Writers Guild Awards and the Academy writing nominees always don’t line up; many films are ineligible. This year, those included Oscar-writing nominees “Lion” and “The Lobster.”

This year, the WGA and the Academy differed dramatically. While the WGA deemed “Moonlight” and “Loving” as Original Screenplays, the Academy considered both as Adapted; only “Moonlight” landed a nomination.

At the WGA, as at the BAFTAs, Barry Jenkins’ script for “Moonlight” competed for the Original Screenplay Award against both Kenneth Lonergan’s “Manchester by the Sea” and Damien Chazelle’s “La La Land.” Unlike the BAFTAs, Jenkins emerged the winner over Lonergan, a sign of strength for “Moonlight,” which is nominated for eight Oscars.

Read More: Yes, Damien Chazelle’s ‘La La Land’ Really Will Win Director and Picture Oscars — Here’s Why

However, in the Oscars’ Original Screenplay contest, lauded playwright and Oscar-nominated screenwriter Lonergan (“You Can Count On Me,...

Brothers should have each other’s back, but love can make you blind… with bloodlust. Brotherly love is replaced with brimming rage in the southern gothic musical, Ghost Brothers of Darkland County, a collaboration between legendary singer/songwriters T Bone Burnett and John Mellencamp, along with the master of macabre, Stephen King. With the show’s tour kicking off in November, the cast has been announced.

The musical’s album became available on June 4th, and in addition to featuring the timeless chops of Elvis Costello, Kris Kristofferson and many more, it also showcases the voice acting talents of Matthew McConaughey and Meg Ryan. For more information on the album and the musical, visit:

http://www.ghostbrothersofdarklandcounty.com/

(September 30, 2014) – “The full cast for the southern gothic, supernatural musical Ghost Brothers of Darkland County, was announced today, with actor/writer/producer Billy Burke (The Twilight Saga) and actress/writer/singer Gina Gershon (Killer Joe,...

The ninth annual promotional showcase runs during the Cannes market and features competition entries from David Cronenberg, Atom Egoyan and Xavier Dolan.

The films in Perspective Canada are: Ricardo Trogi’s 1987; Adam Macdonald’s Backcountry; Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart’s I Put A Hit On You; Denis Côté’s Joy Of Man’s Desiring; Jaret Belliveau’s Kung Fu Elliot; Matthew Komalchuk’s Lawrence & Holloman; David Cronenberg’s Map To The Stars; and Daniel Grou (Podz)’s Miraculum.

The roster continues with Xavier Dolan’s Mommy; Craig Goodwill’s Patch Town; Deanne Foley’s Relative Happiness; Yan Lanouette Turgeon’s Rock Paper Scissors; Atom Egoyan’s The Captive; Pat Kiely’s Three Night Stand; Andrew Huculiak’s Violent; and Stéphane Lafleur’s Directors’ Fortnight entry Tu Dors Nicole (You’re Sleeping Nicole).

The Telefilm line-up includes the Not Short On Talent short film spotlight.

“Cannes is also vital in terms of deal making,” said Telefilm...

It's your typical story: girl asks boy to dinner, girl proposes, boy turns her down, girl hires a hitman to kill him. Okay, maybe it's not so typical, but those are all of the necessary moving parts you need to know about Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart's "I Put A Hit On You," a lean comedy about a breakup that takes a very dark turn. When we first meet Harper (Sara Canning), there's an energetic desperation that surrounds her, as she busily picks the right shoes to wear to the restaurant where she'll meet Ray (Aaron Ashmore) for dinner. Harper is dressed to impress, but the first sense that something is off is seen on the face of Ray as he sits down. He reminds Harper they had an awful fight, one that seems to have kept the dating couple apart for about a week now. But Harper is still all smiles,...

Exclusive: The Toronto-based sales agent has come on to represent international rights on Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart’s Slamdance-bound I Put A Hit On You.

Apa Agency will handle Us sales on the anticipated dark comedy, set to premiere in Park City on January 18.

Aaron Ashmore from Smallville and Sara Canning of The Vampire Diaries star in the tale of a spurned woman who impulsively hires a hitman online to eliminate her fiancé after he rejects her proposal of marriage.

Jordan Gross and Mike MacMillan produced I Put A Hit On You and previously collaborated with the Toronto-based husband-and-wife writer-director team on their short film Long Branch.

Exclusive: The Toronto-based sales agent has come on to represent international rights on Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart’s Slamdance-bound I Put A Hit On You.

Apa Agency will handle Us sales on the anticipated dark comedy, set to premiere in Park City on January 18.

Aaron Ashmore from Smallville and Sara Canning of The Vampire Diaries star in the tale of a spurned woman who impulsively hires a hitman online to eliminate her fiancé after he rejects her proposal of marriage.

Jordan Gross and Mike MacMillan produced I Put A Hit On You and previously collaborated with the Toronto-based husband-and-wife writer-director team on their short film Long Branch.

The names might not be as big, and the swag bags not nearly as bursting, but as the more rebellious cousin to the bigger Sundance Film Festival, the lineup at the Slamdance Film Festival brings with it films and filmmakers creating inventive movies with fewer resources. And that means the films tend to be infused with a more playful spirit, and that feeling is certainly evident in this exclusive trailer for "I Put A Hit On You."  Written and directed by Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart, and led by Aaron Ashmore ("Smallville") and Sara Canning ("The Vampire Diaries"), the oddball comedy tells the story of Harper, who is awkwardly rejected by her boyfriend Ray after proposing to him, and drunkenly puts out an ad online looking for someone to kill him. But when someone responds, with every intention of carrying out job, Harper warns Ray of what's coming and the...

Many filmmakers got their start on the independent film circuit.

So who will follow the greats such as Christopher Nolan (“The Dark Knight Rises”), Oren Peli (“Paranormal Activity”), Marc Forster (“World War Z”) and Jared Hess (“Napoleon Dynamite”)?

The Slamdance Film Festival announced their lineup for the Narrative and Documentary Feature Film Competition after receiving over 5,000 submissions this year.

All of the competing films are directorial debuts with less than $1 million and without Us distribution. The films include 11 world premieres, 4 North American premieres and one Us premiere.

The 2014 Slamdance Film Festival will take place January 17-23in Park City, Utah at the Treasure Mountain Inn, 255 Main Street.

Here’s the lineup:

Narrative Features Program

Copenhagen – Director & Screenwriter: Mark Raso

(USA, Canada, Denmark) World Premiere

A charming scoundrel visiting the city of his father’s birth, William is drawn to his impromptu guide Effy – wise, spontaneous, and half his age.

Cast: Gethin Anthony,...

Top brass at the upcoming 20th Slamdance Film Festival have revealed their narrative feature and documentary line-up, one day before the first programme announcements are due from Park City neighbour Sundance.

There are 10 narrative and eight documentary films including 11 world premieres, four North American and one Us.

Festival organisers sorted through more than 5,000 submissions to find the 18 titles, all of which are feature directorial debuts budgeted at under $1m and without Us distribution.

Jury awards are presented to feature films in both categories and all films are eligible for the Spirit Of Slamdance Award judged by the film-makers themselves. The festival also presents Audience Awards.

“The 2014 Feature Competition bristles with raw talent and innovative filmmaking,” said Slamdance president and co-founder Peter Baxter. “As an organisation run by film-makers for film-makers, we couldn’t imagine a truer way of representing the first 20 years and beginning our next.”

The 2014 Slamdance Film Festival will run concurrently with the Sundance Film Festival...

Why Watch? It becomes clear around the third minute of this excellent short from Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart why the act of planting a small tree in their backyard is so harrowing for this young couple. Beyond the frozen ground, beyond the difficulty of the act, there is something deeper. Quiet yet forcefully acted, and shot with a delicate precision, it’s a grand emotional pendulum that swings to both extremes. In simpler terms, it’s beautiful sweet, sweet sorrow. What Will It Cost? About 7 minutes A New Short Film Every Weekday...

Years ago I was very ill with stomach pains but was socially obligated for some reason to see the film Juno with a friend. The film made me so angry that I forgot all about my illness, and instead of shaking with pain I was trembling with rage. I tell this story because it's the last time I can remember being so disgusted at a movie which treated its audience with such utter contempt. With Old Stock I got some serious deja vu, as director James Genn and writer Dane Clark have obviously been watching the back catalogue of Wes Anderson and Miranda July (a very, very dangerous combination) and have been taking notes. I suspect they also watched Garden State. [Continued ...]...

Old Stock

Directed by James Genn

Written by Dane Clark

Canada, 2012

We live in a youth-obsessed culture. That much we know. We worship at the altar of infinite possibility, saying “youth must have its fling” – and we bemoan those lost opportunities to “make our mistakes”. But there’s nothing bracing or invigorating about living through a real folly of youth. One that hurts the ones we care about. Those kinds of mistakes can make people instantly old, no matter what their calendar age. Old Stock explores the consequences of two such follies: one that engulfs its title character at the end of high school, and another committed by an older man in the grip of second child(hood)ishness.

When we first meet Stock Burton (Noah Reid), he is living in a retirement home with his grandfather (Harold, played with old-time Allen Jenkins-ish charm by Danny Wells), who is...

• James McAvoy, with his streamlined combo of looks and smarts, is in talks to star as activist and author Daniel Domscheit-Berg alongside Benedict Cumberbatch as WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in a movie about the controversial whistleblowing website. With Bill Condon (Dreamgirls) directing and a screenplay adaptation by Josh Singer, the as yet untitled film is based on Domscheit-Berg’s book “Inside WikiLeaks: My Time With Julian Assange At The World’s Most Dangerous Website,” as well as another tome, “WikiLeaks: Inside Julian Assange’s War On Secrecy,” by reporters David Leigh and Luke Harding. [Variety]

• Jennifer Jason Leigh has joined the cast of Hateship,...

Toronto – The Vampire Dairies' Sara Canning has jumped on board the dark romantic comedy I Put a Hit on You, the feature film debut of Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart. Canning is to play a broken-hearted woman who goes on Craigslist in a drunken stupor to arrange a hit on her ex-boyfriend, played by Aaron Ashmore (Warehouse 13), only to then attempt to stop the hitman from carrying out the contract. Story: Sara Canning, Catherine O'Hara Cast in Ryan Kwanten Starrer 'Sex and Sunsets' The online-posting-disaster feature from Lithium Studios Productions and Dark Hope Entertainment

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