U.S.-based distributor Synkronized Distribution has acquired the world rights for the crime drama “The Vortex,” represented by Iuvit Media Sales at the upcoming European Film Market in Berlin.
The film is directed by Richard Zelniker (“As Night Comes”) and written by Steven Barr. It stars Billy Gardell, Jaina Lee Ortiz and Jamie McShane.
“The Vortex” looks at the tragic 1980 MGM Grand fire on the Las Vegas Strip, and tells the story of a Native American Paiute cleaning lady who enters the casino, setting off a chain of weird events and unexplained gambling wins.
The events center on the in-house comedian (played by Gardell), who is struggling with a gambling addiction, and plays shrink to a host of colorful characters and is forced to make a life-altering decision.
“The Vortex” is produced by Lucid Pictures, with the participation of Olliecorp. It is produced by Richard Zelniker, Adriana Rotaru, Callie Nguyen Zelniker and Justin Richards.
The film is directed by Richard Zelniker (“As Night Comes”) and written by Steven Barr. It stars Billy Gardell, Jaina Lee Ortiz and Jamie McShane.
“The Vortex” looks at the tragic 1980 MGM Grand fire on the Las Vegas Strip, and tells the story of a Native American Paiute cleaning lady who enters the casino, setting off a chain of weird events and unexplained gambling wins.
The events center on the in-house comedian (played by Gardell), who is struggling with a gambling addiction, and plays shrink to a host of colorful characters and is forced to make a life-altering decision.
“The Vortex” is produced by Lucid Pictures, with the participation of Olliecorp. It is produced by Richard Zelniker, Adriana Rotaru, Callie Nguyen Zelniker and Justin Richards.
- 2/7/2024
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
The New Zealand Film Commission has launched several measures to help emerging writers, directors and producers to make features.
One initiative is Premiere Pathways, a new fund which will provide up to $NZ500,000 to help get features into production. Applicants can submit a short film, concept reel, scenes, a teaser trailer and a second-draft script.
Another fund will help talented teams coming out of the 48Hours competition to get features into production.
Nzfc CEO Dave Gibson announced the measures at the Big Screen Symposium in Auckland last Sunday.
.I am not convinced that the pathways have been clear or open to new talent,. he said. .I am not convinced that we have been good at identifying that talent. And I am not convinced that we have been able to help people move forward quickly and well..
Gibson said Sir Peter Jackson had given him a chart that showed in the...
One initiative is Premiere Pathways, a new fund which will provide up to $NZ500,000 to help get features into production. Applicants can submit a short film, concept reel, scenes, a teaser trailer and a second-draft script.
Another fund will help talented teams coming out of the 48Hours competition to get features into production.
Nzfc CEO Dave Gibson announced the measures at the Big Screen Symposium in Auckland last Sunday.
.I am not convinced that the pathways have been clear or open to new talent,. he said. .I am not convinced that we have been good at identifying that talent. And I am not convinced that we have been able to help people move forward quickly and well..
Gibson said Sir Peter Jackson had given him a chart that showed in the...
- 10/1/2014
- by Don Groves
- IF.com.au
More new original series from Own... this time a 6-episode series that follows the dramatic transformation of New Orleans' John McDonogh High School. It premieres Saturday, March 2 at 9 p.m. Et/Pt . "Blackboard Wars" centers on a high school tarnished by failing academic performance and stigmatized by a culture of violence. Granted unprecedented access, cameras go behind the scenes to follow education maverick Steve Barr and no-nonsense principal Dr. Marvin Thompson as they embark together on an unpredictable mission to reinvent and revive the struggling school. Throughout the series, viewers will witness the daily challenges the staff face as their students struggle...
- 2/13/2013
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
Own has announced the launch of their new non-scripted TV series, Blackboard Wars, that follows the transformation of a high school in New Orleans. It will premiere on Saturday, March 2nd and run for six episodes.
Here's the press release:
New Original Docu-series "Blackboard Wars" Premieres Saturday, March 2 On Own: Oprah Winfrey Network
Los Angeles - Own: Oprah Winfrey Network's new original docu-series "Blackboard Wars," depicting the dramatic transformation of New Orleans' John McDonogh High School, premieres Saturday, March 2 at 9 p.m. Et/Pt with six weekly one-hour episodes.
"Blackboard Wars" centers on a high school tarnished by failing academic performance and stigmatized by a culture of violence. Granted unprecedented access, cameras go behind the scenes to follow education maverick Steve Barr and no-nonsense principal Dr. Marvin Thompson as they embark together on an unpredictable mission to reinvent...
Here's the press release:
New Original Docu-series "Blackboard Wars" Premieres Saturday, March 2 On Own: Oprah Winfrey Network
Los Angeles - Own: Oprah Winfrey Network's new original docu-series "Blackboard Wars," depicting the dramatic transformation of New Orleans' John McDonogh High School, premieres Saturday, March 2 at 9 p.m. Et/Pt with six weekly one-hour episodes.
"Blackboard Wars" centers on a high school tarnished by failing academic performance and stigmatized by a culture of violence. Granted unprecedented access, cameras go behind the scenes to follow education maverick Steve Barr and no-nonsense principal Dr. Marvin Thompson as they embark together on an unpredictable mission to reinvent...
- 2/1/2013
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
OWN will roll out its first two scripted series, both from Tyler Perry, in May, and it's also picked up four new unscripted shows for later this year.
The two shows from Perry are "The Haves and the Have Nots," an upstairs-downstairs drama about an affluent family and their housekeeper's family; and "Love Thy Neighbor," a comedy about the eccentric regulars at a diner. Both shows are set to premiere May 29.
The four new shows are:
"Blackboard Wars," a docu-series about charter school operator Steve Barr and principal Dr. Marvin Thompson trying to revive a troubled high school in New Orleans. It premieres in March.
"Raising Whitley," which follows actress Kym Whitley ("Animal Practice") as she raises her adopted son with the help of a group of friends she calls The Village.
"Golden Sisters," a "real-life comedy" about YouTube stars the 3 Golden Sisters, a trio of senior-citizen sisters who became...
The two shows from Perry are "The Haves and the Have Nots," an upstairs-downstairs drama about an affluent family and their housekeeper's family; and "Love Thy Neighbor," a comedy about the eccentric regulars at a diner. Both shows are set to premiere May 29.
The four new shows are:
"Blackboard Wars," a docu-series about charter school operator Steve Barr and principal Dr. Marvin Thompson trying to revive a troubled high school in New Orleans. It premieres in March.
"Raising Whitley," which follows actress Kym Whitley ("Animal Practice") as she raises her adopted son with the help of a group of friends she calls The Village.
"Golden Sisters," a "real-life comedy" about YouTube stars the 3 Golden Sisters, a trio of senior-citizen sisters who became...
- 1/5/2013
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
Update, 12:45 Pm: The Screen Actors Guild issued a response saying, in part: “We believe that this suit is completely without merit and we will vigorously defend all claims in court. We are confident that our actions are appropriate and consistent with the law and our own rules of procedure.” Full statement posted below. Breaking… Exclusive 11 Am: (Click here for .pdf of lawsuit) A number of Screen Actors Guild members filed a lawsuit today asking the court for a preliminary and permanent injunction to stop SAG from calling for a vote on the proposed SAG-aftra merger. The suit claims that the SAG Board has breached its fiduciary duties to conduct an actuarial impact study detailing the effects of the proposed merger on SAG membership pension and health benefits. The complaint was filed in U.S. District Court, Central District of California. The members filing suit are: Martin Sheen, Edward Asner,...
- 2/22/2012
- by NIKKI FINKE
- Deadline TV
Update, 12:45 Pm: The Screen Actors Guild issued a response saying, in part: “We believe that this suit is completely without merit and we will vigorously defend all claims in court. We are confident that our actions are appropriate and consistent with the law and our own rules of procedure.” Full statement posted below. Breaking… Exclusive 11 Am: (Click here for .pdf of lawsuit) A number of Screen Actors Guild members filed a lawsuit today asking the court for a preliminary and permanent injunction to stop SAG from calling for a vote on the proposed SAG-aftra merger. The suit claims that the SAG Board has breached its fiduciary duties to conduct an actuarial impact study detailing the effects of the proposed merger on SAG membership pension and health benefits. The complaint was filed in U.S. District Court, Central District of California. The members filing suit are: Martin Sheen, Edward Asner,...
- 2/22/2012
- by NIKKI FINKE
- Deadline Hollywood
Don't go gazing at the Los Angeles skyline if you want to see the most exciting new architecture in town. The 9.5-acre Vista Hermosa Park in downtown L.A. was given the grand prize at the 39th annual Los Angeles Architectural Awards, proving that cutting-edge design and sustainability can not only play together well, they can help to transform a marginalized community. The $15 million project is, incredibly, the first new park built in downtown Los Angeles since 1895, and includes a terraced lawn, watershed features, a playground, and synthetic athletic fields for one of the poorest neighborhoods in the United States. Architects at Mia Lehrer + Associates worked closely with the community--which suffers from poverty, vandalism and gang violence--to create a safe, sustainable oasis for its residents.
Although L.A. has long been celebrated as a center for cutting-edge architectural innovation--think of the imposing red-lit Caltrans building by Thom Mayne or Frank Gehry...
Although L.A. has long been celebrated as a center for cutting-edge architectural innovation--think of the imposing red-lit Caltrans building by Thom Mayne or Frank Gehry...
- 6/5/2009
- by Alissa Walker
- Fast Company
The controversial MembershipFirst faction of SAG announced Friday a slate of 33 potential candidates who will vie for openings on the national and local boards and go head-to-head with the newly formed opposition group, Unite for Strength.
Among the actors looking to fill Hollywood's 11 national board seats and 22 local seats are 11 new MembershipFirst candidates, including Scott Bakula, Keith Carradine, Charles Shaughnessy and Joely Fisher. Also on the slate are 22 incumbents to the board, including JoBeth Williams, Joe Bologna, and Lainie Kazan.
The announcement of the candidates comes a day before a crucial SAG national board meeting Saturday and two days after Unite for Strength announced its intention to contest seats held by those in MembershipFirst. Unite's 31 candidates include Amy Brenneman, Kate Walsh and Doug Savant.
MembershipFirst came to power in 2005 and currently dominates the Hollywood board, holding the majority of seats as well as backing current president Alan Rosenberg. The group is the controlling voice in the SAG contract negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers, which is currently at a stand still.
Unite for Strength blames MembershipFirst for its hardline approach to the negotiations as well as its anti-aftra sentiment, which led to the unsuccessful campaign to get members to vote down the sister union's primetime/TV deal with the AMPTP.
In its announcement, MembershipFirst said its goals for the coming year include uniting "all actors under the Screen Actors Guild banner, protect actors wages and working conditions in all areas, fight for residuals in all media platforms, protect the right of every dues paying member to vote on SAG issues and to secure complete jurisdiction in new media."
Unite for Strength's main goal is to merge SAG with AFTRA, something the MembershipFirst faction has bitterly opposed in the last two attempts in 1999 and 2003.
The potential MembershipFirst national board candidates are:
Scott Bakula
Joe Bologna (incumbent)
Clancy Brown
Keith Carradine,
Joely Fisher
Lainie Kazan (incumbent)
William Russ (incumbent)
Alan Ruck
Charles Shaughnessy
JoBeth Williams (incumbent).
Joe d'Angerio (incumbent)
Jane Austin (incumbent)
Jeff Austin (incumbent)
Renee Aubrey (incumbent)
Steve Barr (incumbent)
Michael Bell (incumbent)
Warren Berlinger (incumbent)
Eugene Bogs (incumbent)
Tom Bower
Anthony Desantis (incumbent)
Ron Harper (incumbent)
David Jolliffe (incumbent)
Russell McConnell (incumbent)
Peggy Miley (incumbent)
Paul Napier (incumbent)
Peter Van Norton
France Nuyen (incumbent)
F.J. O'Neil (incumbent)
Vic Polizos
Yale Summers (incumbent)
Charles Malik Whitfield
Christopher R. Wielh
Scott Wilson (incumbent)
Current MembershipFirst sitting members of the SAG National Board of
the Hollywood Division are:
1st Vice President Kent McCord
Angel Tompkins
Bonnie Bartlett
Justine Bateman
Joanna Cassidy
Seymour Cassel
George Coe
Anne DeSalvo
Frances Fisher
Leigh French
Elliott Gould
Valerie Harper
Sumi Haru
Robert Hays
Anne-MarieJohnson
Diane Ladd
Piper Laurie
William Mapother
Esai Morales
Barbara Niven
Harrison Page
Susan Savage
Nancy Sinatra
Renee Taylor
Angela Watson
Jenny Worman...
Among the actors looking to fill Hollywood's 11 national board seats and 22 local seats are 11 new MembershipFirst candidates, including Scott Bakula, Keith Carradine, Charles Shaughnessy and Joely Fisher. Also on the slate are 22 incumbents to the board, including JoBeth Williams, Joe Bologna, and Lainie Kazan.
The announcement of the candidates comes a day before a crucial SAG national board meeting Saturday and two days after Unite for Strength announced its intention to contest seats held by those in MembershipFirst. Unite's 31 candidates include Amy Brenneman, Kate Walsh and Doug Savant.
MembershipFirst came to power in 2005 and currently dominates the Hollywood board, holding the majority of seats as well as backing current president Alan Rosenberg. The group is the controlling voice in the SAG contract negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers, which is currently at a stand still.
Unite for Strength blames MembershipFirst for its hardline approach to the negotiations as well as its anti-aftra sentiment, which led to the unsuccessful campaign to get members to vote down the sister union's primetime/TV deal with the AMPTP.
In its announcement, MembershipFirst said its goals for the coming year include uniting "all actors under the Screen Actors Guild banner, protect actors wages and working conditions in all areas, fight for residuals in all media platforms, protect the right of every dues paying member to vote on SAG issues and to secure complete jurisdiction in new media."
Unite for Strength's main goal is to merge SAG with AFTRA, something the MembershipFirst faction has bitterly opposed in the last two attempts in 1999 and 2003.
The potential MembershipFirst national board candidates are:
Scott Bakula
Joe Bologna (incumbent)
Clancy Brown
Keith Carradine,
Joely Fisher
Lainie Kazan (incumbent)
William Russ (incumbent)
Alan Ruck
Charles Shaughnessy
JoBeth Williams (incumbent).
Joe d'Angerio (incumbent)
Jane Austin (incumbent)
Jeff Austin (incumbent)
Renee Aubrey (incumbent)
Steve Barr (incumbent)
Michael Bell (incumbent)
Warren Berlinger (incumbent)
Eugene Bogs (incumbent)
Tom Bower
Anthony Desantis (incumbent)
Ron Harper (incumbent)
David Jolliffe (incumbent)
Russell McConnell (incumbent)
Peggy Miley (incumbent)
Paul Napier (incumbent)
Peter Van Norton
France Nuyen (incumbent)
F.J. O'Neil (incumbent)
Vic Polizos
Yale Summers (incumbent)
Charles Malik Whitfield
Christopher R. Wielh
Scott Wilson (incumbent)
Current MembershipFirst sitting members of the SAG National Board of
the Hollywood Division are:
1st Vice President Kent McCord
Angel Tompkins
Bonnie Bartlett
Justine Bateman
Joanna Cassidy
Seymour Cassel
George Coe
Anne DeSalvo
Frances Fisher
Leigh French
Elliott Gould
Valerie Harper
Sumi Haru
Robert Hays
Anne-MarieJohnson
Diane Ladd
Piper Laurie
William Mapother
Esai Morales
Barbara Niven
Harrison Page
Susan Savage
Nancy Sinatra
Renee Taylor
Angela Watson
Jenny Worman...
- 7/25/2008
- by By Leslie Simmons
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Visual effects facility Digital Domain has joined forces with Shrek scribes Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio to develop the screenplay Plant Life by writers Tina Anderson and Steve Barr. Digital Domain president Scott Ross, Rossio and Elliott will produce the live-action/CGI project, which centers on an office plant-lady who gains the ability to speak with plants and becomes the ultimate corporate spy. "After this film, you'll never look at the plant in your office the same way again," Rossio said. "Steve and Tina have created an enchanting group of characters -- both human and foliage." Plant Life marks the third collaboration between Ross, Rossio and Elliot, who are also developing two other CGI/live action films, Instant Karma and Shadowplay. The trio is looking to find financing and presales through an outside partner for their slate of films.
- 10/2/2002
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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