This year’s Toronto was competing in my psyche with the recent loss of my mother. My focus was less on finding the greatest of films this year. I hear from others that the festival offered a good mix, if not the most outstanding, selection of films. Personally, I am discovering that a new community has opened its arms to me and the films that are standing out most for me are by women and about women. My community, those women who have lost their mothers, is sharing a unique and profound rite of passage whose meaning continuously unfolds.
In Toronto I was hyper aware of the women and their position in this corner of the world I inhabit. Canadian women, Helga Stephenson, Director Emerita of the Toronto Film Festival, predecessor to Piers Handling; Michele Maheux, Executive Director and COO of Tiff ever since I've known her which has been a long time; Linda Beath who headed United Artists when I was beginning my career and who has since moved to Europe where she teaches at Eave (European Audio Visual Entrepreneurs), Kay Armitrage, programmer of the festival for 24 years and professor at University of Toronto, are all women to helped me envisage myself as a professional in the film business, and they are still as vibrant and active as when we met more than 25 years ago. Carolle Brabant, Telefilm Canada’s Executive Director continues Canada’s female lineage as does Karen Thorne-Stone, the President and CEO of Ontario Media Development Corporation.
18 films currently are in a large part attributable to Omdc; they include Nisha Pahuja’s doc The World Before Her (contact Cinetic) (Best Doc Feature of 2012 Tribeca Ff), Sarah Polley’s Take This Waltz (Isa: TF1), Deepa Mehta’s Midnight’s Children (Isa: FilmNation), Anita Doron’s The Lesser Blessed, (Isa: EOne) Ruba Nadda’s Inescapable (Isa: Myriad), Alison Rose’s doc, Following the Wise Men.
Tiff’s new program for year-round support of mid-level Canadian filmmakers, Studio, under the directorship of Hayet Benkara is bringing industry mentorship to 16 filmmakers with experience, shorts in the festival circuit, features in development. Exactly half of these filmmakers are women. This was a conscious move on Hayet’s part. She said there is always such a predominance of males without thinking about it that she decided to bring balance.
Then a look at some more of the Canadian talent here brings me to the Birks Diamonds celebration of seven Canadian women: Anais Barbeau-Lavalette, Manon Briand, Anita Doron, Deepa Mehta (Midnight’s Children), Kate Melville, and Ruba Nadda which honored each with a Birks diamond pendant in a reception hosted by Shangri-La Hotel and Telefilm Canada where 300 guests mingled and caught up with each other. The pre-eminence of women was again made so apparent to me.
Talking to publicist Jim Dobson at Indie PR at the reception of Jordanian filmmaker Annemarie Jacir whose film When I Saw You was so evocative of the 60s, a time of worldwide freedom and even optimism among the fedayeem in Jordan looking to resist the Expulsion of the Palestinians from Palestine; he said that all five of his clients here are women directors, “I had When I Saw You, (Isa: The Match Factory), Satellite Boy (Isa: Celluloid Dreams/ Nightmare), Hannah Arendt (The Match Factory), Inch'allah (Isa: eOne), English Vinglish (Isa: Eros Int')."
Of the 289 features here at Tiff, Melissa Silverstein at Women and Hollywood is trying to zero in on the women directors, so watch her blogs More Women-Directed Films Nab Deals out of Tiff, Tiff Preview: Women Directors to Watch and Tiff Preview: The Female Directing Masters Playing at the 2012 Toronto Film Festival.
Add to this the upcoming Sundance initiative on women directors that Keri Putnam is heading up (more on that later!) and I am feeling heartened by the consciousness of women, directors and otherwise, out there. That is saying a lot since last season in Cannes with the pathetic number of women directors showing up in the festival and sidebars this past spring.
Here is the Female Factor for Tiff 12 which scores an A in my book:
Gala Presentations - 6 out of 20 = c. 30% which is way above the usual 13% which has been the average up until Cannes upended that with its paltry 2%..2 of these were opening night films.
Mira Nair The Reluctant Fundamentalist - Also showed in Venice. Isa: K5. Picked up for U.S. and Canada by IFC. Shola Lynch Free Angela & All Political Prisoners. Isa: Elle Driver Deepa Mehta Midnight’s Children. Isa: FilmNation already sold to Roadshow for Australia/ N.Z., Unikorea for So. Korea, DeaPlaneta for Spain. Ruba Nadda Inescapable. Isa: Myriad. Canada: Alliance. Liz Garbus Love, Marilyn. Isa: StudioCanal. HBO picked up No. American TV rights. Madman has Australia. Gauri Shinde English Vinglish. Isa: Eros International.
Masters – 0 – Could we say that women directors have not been around that long or shown such longevity as the men? Lina Wertmiller was a long time ago. I don’t even know if she is still alive. Ida Lupino was an anomaly. Who else was there in those early days? Alice Guy-Blaché ?
Special Presentations - 13 out of 70 = 19%
Everybody Has A Plan - Argentina/ Germany/ Spain - Ana Piterbarg - Isa: Twentieth Century Fox International - U.S.: Ld Entertainment, U.K.: Metrodome Lines Of Wellington - Also in Venice, San Sebastian Ff - Portugal - Valeria Sarmiento - Isa: Alfama Films. Germany: Ksm Cloud Atlas--Germany - Lana Wachowski, Tom Tykwer, Andy Wachowski - Isa: Focus Int'l. - U.S. and Canada: Warner Bros. , Brazil - Imagem, Finland - Future Film, Eastern Europe - Eeap, Germany X Verleih, Greece - Odeon, Iceland - Sensa, India - PVR, So. Korea - Bloomage, Benelux - Benelux Film Distributors, Inspire, Slovenia - Cenemania, Sweden - Noble, Switzerland - Ascot Elite, Taiwan - Long Shong, Turkey - Chantier Inch'allah – Canada - Anaïs Barbeau-Lavalette - Isa and Canada: Entertainment One Films Hannah Arendt – Germany – Margarethe von Trotta – Isa: The Match Factory Imogine – U.S. – Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini - Isa: Voltage. U.S.: Lionsgate/ Roadside Attractions acquired from UTA, Netherlands: Independent Ginger and Rosa – U.K. – Sally Potter – Isa: The Match Factory. U.S. contact Cinetic Love is All You Need – Also played in Venice) Denmark – Susanne Bier – Isa: TrustNordisk - U.S. : Sony Pictures Classics, Canada: Mongrel, Australia - Madman, Brazil - Art Films, Bulgaria - Pro Films, Colombia - Babilla Cine, Czech Republic - Aerofilms, Finland - Matila Rohr Nordisk, Germany - Prokino, Hungary - Cirko, Italy - Teodora, Japan - Longride, Poland - Gutek, Portugal - Pepperview Lore – Australia/ Germany/ U.K. – Cate Shortland – Isa: Memento. U.S.: Music Box, France: Memento, Germany - Piffl, Hong Hong - Encore Inlight, So. Korea - Line Tree, Benelux - ABC/ Cinemien, U.K., Artificial Eye Dreams for Sale – Japan – Miwa Nishkawa – Isa: Asmik Ace Stories We Tell – Canada – Sarah Polley - Isa: Nfb. U.K.: Artificial Eye Liverpool – Canada – Marion Briand - Isa: Max Films. Canada: Remstar Venus and Serena – U.S./ U.K. – Michelle Major, Maikin Baird. Producer's Rep: Cinetic
Mavericks - 3 out of 7 “Conversations With” were with women (43%)
Discovery 11 out of 27 = 40% which includes The-Hottest-Public Ticket for the Israeli Film directly below (a Major Buzz Film Among its Public)
Fill the Void by Rama Burshtein, a first-time-ever Hasidic woman director Kate Melville’s Picture Day Alice Winocour Augustine - Isa: Kinology 7 Cajas by Tana Schembori from Paraguay - Isa: Shoreline Gabriela Pichler’s Eat Sleep Die from Sweden, Serbia and Croatia - Isa: Yellow Affair Oy Rola Nashef’s Detroit Unleaded France’s Sylive Michel’s Our Little Differences Contact producer Pallas Film Russian censored film Clip from Serbia by Maja Milos - Isa: Wide sold to Kmbo for France, Maywin for Sweden, Artspoitation for U.S. Satellite Boy by Australian Catriona McKenzie - Isa: Celluloid Dreams/ Nightmares Ramaa Mosley’s The Brass Teapot - Isa: TF1 sold to Magnolia for U.S., Intercontinental for Hong Kong, Cien for Mexico, Vendetta for New Zealand Veteran Korean-American Grace Lee’s Janeane from Des Moines.
Tiff Docs 7 out of 29 = 24% - Women traditionally have directed a greater portion of docs
Christine Cynn (codirector ) The Act of Killing - Isa: Cinephil Janet Tobias No Place on Earth - Isa: Global Screen Sarah Burns (codirector) The Central Park Five Isa: PBS sold to Sundance Select for U.S. Treva Wurmfeld Shepard & Dark - Contact Tangerine Entertainment Nina Davenport First Comes Love - Contact producer Marina Zenovich Roman Polanski: Odd Man Out - Isa: Films Distribution Halla Alabdalla As If We Were Catching a Cobra (Comme si nous attraptions un cobra) about the art of caricature in Egypt and Syria! Halla is Syrian herself, studied science and sociology in Syria and Paris - Isa: Wide
Contemporary World Cinema 11 out of 61 = 18%
Children of Sarajevo by Aida Begic, Sarajevo - Isa: Pyramide Baby Blues by Katarzyna Rostaniec, Poland. Contact producer The Cowards Who Looked to the Sky by Yuki Tanada, Japan - Isa: Toei Comrade Kim Goes Flying by Anja Daelemans (co-director), Belgium/ No. Korea. The first western financed film out of No. Korea Three Worlds by Catherine Corsini, France - Isa: Pyramide sold to Lumiere for Benelux, Pathe for Switzerland Middle of Nowhere by Ava DuVernay, U.S. - Contact Paradigm Talent Agency The Lesser Blessed by Anita Doron, Canada - Isa: eOne Watchtower by Pelin Esmer, Turkey/ France/ Germany- Isa: Visit Films Jackie by Antoinette Beumer, Netherlands - Isa: Media Luna When I Saw You by Annemarie Jacir, Palestine,/ Jordan/ Greece All that Matters is Past by Sara Johnsen, Norway- Isa: TrustNordisk
Tiff Kids 0 out of 5. Any meaning to this???
City To City – Mumbai 0 Out Of 10 Any meaning to this???
Vanguard 2 out of 15 = 13% (the average for most festivals)
90 Minutes– Norway – Eva Sorhaug - Isa: Level K Peaches Does Herself – Germany - Peaches. Contact producer. See Indiewire review.
Midnight Madness 0 out of 9 which is fine with me, thank you. This is a boy's genre or a date-night genre for girls and boys with a plan for the night.
In Toronto I was hyper aware of the women and their position in this corner of the world I inhabit. Canadian women, Helga Stephenson, Director Emerita of the Toronto Film Festival, predecessor to Piers Handling; Michele Maheux, Executive Director and COO of Tiff ever since I've known her which has been a long time; Linda Beath who headed United Artists when I was beginning my career and who has since moved to Europe where she teaches at Eave (European Audio Visual Entrepreneurs), Kay Armitrage, programmer of the festival for 24 years and professor at University of Toronto, are all women to helped me envisage myself as a professional in the film business, and they are still as vibrant and active as when we met more than 25 years ago. Carolle Brabant, Telefilm Canada’s Executive Director continues Canada’s female lineage as does Karen Thorne-Stone, the President and CEO of Ontario Media Development Corporation.
18 films currently are in a large part attributable to Omdc; they include Nisha Pahuja’s doc The World Before Her (contact Cinetic) (Best Doc Feature of 2012 Tribeca Ff), Sarah Polley’s Take This Waltz (Isa: TF1), Deepa Mehta’s Midnight’s Children (Isa: FilmNation), Anita Doron’s The Lesser Blessed, (Isa: EOne) Ruba Nadda’s Inescapable (Isa: Myriad), Alison Rose’s doc, Following the Wise Men.
Tiff’s new program for year-round support of mid-level Canadian filmmakers, Studio, under the directorship of Hayet Benkara is bringing industry mentorship to 16 filmmakers with experience, shorts in the festival circuit, features in development. Exactly half of these filmmakers are women. This was a conscious move on Hayet’s part. She said there is always such a predominance of males without thinking about it that she decided to bring balance.
Then a look at some more of the Canadian talent here brings me to the Birks Diamonds celebration of seven Canadian women: Anais Barbeau-Lavalette, Manon Briand, Anita Doron, Deepa Mehta (Midnight’s Children), Kate Melville, and Ruba Nadda which honored each with a Birks diamond pendant in a reception hosted by Shangri-La Hotel and Telefilm Canada where 300 guests mingled and caught up with each other. The pre-eminence of women was again made so apparent to me.
Talking to publicist Jim Dobson at Indie PR at the reception of Jordanian filmmaker Annemarie Jacir whose film When I Saw You was so evocative of the 60s, a time of worldwide freedom and even optimism among the fedayeem in Jordan looking to resist the Expulsion of the Palestinians from Palestine; he said that all five of his clients here are women directors, “I had When I Saw You, (Isa: The Match Factory), Satellite Boy (Isa: Celluloid Dreams/ Nightmare), Hannah Arendt (The Match Factory), Inch'allah (Isa: eOne), English Vinglish (Isa: Eros Int')."
Of the 289 features here at Tiff, Melissa Silverstein at Women and Hollywood is trying to zero in on the women directors, so watch her blogs More Women-Directed Films Nab Deals out of Tiff, Tiff Preview: Women Directors to Watch and Tiff Preview: The Female Directing Masters Playing at the 2012 Toronto Film Festival.
Add to this the upcoming Sundance initiative on women directors that Keri Putnam is heading up (more on that later!) and I am feeling heartened by the consciousness of women, directors and otherwise, out there. That is saying a lot since last season in Cannes with the pathetic number of women directors showing up in the festival and sidebars this past spring.
Here is the Female Factor for Tiff 12 which scores an A in my book:
Gala Presentations - 6 out of 20 = c. 30% which is way above the usual 13% which has been the average up until Cannes upended that with its paltry 2%..2 of these were opening night films.
Mira Nair The Reluctant Fundamentalist - Also showed in Venice. Isa: K5. Picked up for U.S. and Canada by IFC. Shola Lynch Free Angela & All Political Prisoners. Isa: Elle Driver Deepa Mehta Midnight’s Children. Isa: FilmNation already sold to Roadshow for Australia/ N.Z., Unikorea for So. Korea, DeaPlaneta for Spain. Ruba Nadda Inescapable. Isa: Myriad. Canada: Alliance. Liz Garbus Love, Marilyn. Isa: StudioCanal. HBO picked up No. American TV rights. Madman has Australia. Gauri Shinde English Vinglish. Isa: Eros International.
Masters – 0 – Could we say that women directors have not been around that long or shown such longevity as the men? Lina Wertmiller was a long time ago. I don’t even know if she is still alive. Ida Lupino was an anomaly. Who else was there in those early days? Alice Guy-Blaché ?
Special Presentations - 13 out of 70 = 19%
Everybody Has A Plan - Argentina/ Germany/ Spain - Ana Piterbarg - Isa: Twentieth Century Fox International - U.S.: Ld Entertainment, U.K.: Metrodome Lines Of Wellington - Also in Venice, San Sebastian Ff - Portugal - Valeria Sarmiento - Isa: Alfama Films. Germany: Ksm Cloud Atlas--Germany - Lana Wachowski, Tom Tykwer, Andy Wachowski - Isa: Focus Int'l. - U.S. and Canada: Warner Bros. , Brazil - Imagem, Finland - Future Film, Eastern Europe - Eeap, Germany X Verleih, Greece - Odeon, Iceland - Sensa, India - PVR, So. Korea - Bloomage, Benelux - Benelux Film Distributors, Inspire, Slovenia - Cenemania, Sweden - Noble, Switzerland - Ascot Elite, Taiwan - Long Shong, Turkey - Chantier Inch'allah – Canada - Anaïs Barbeau-Lavalette - Isa and Canada: Entertainment One Films Hannah Arendt – Germany – Margarethe von Trotta – Isa: The Match Factory Imogine – U.S. – Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini - Isa: Voltage. U.S.: Lionsgate/ Roadside Attractions acquired from UTA, Netherlands: Independent Ginger and Rosa – U.K. – Sally Potter – Isa: The Match Factory. U.S. contact Cinetic Love is All You Need – Also played in Venice) Denmark – Susanne Bier – Isa: TrustNordisk - U.S. : Sony Pictures Classics, Canada: Mongrel, Australia - Madman, Brazil - Art Films, Bulgaria - Pro Films, Colombia - Babilla Cine, Czech Republic - Aerofilms, Finland - Matila Rohr Nordisk, Germany - Prokino, Hungary - Cirko, Italy - Teodora, Japan - Longride, Poland - Gutek, Portugal - Pepperview Lore – Australia/ Germany/ U.K. – Cate Shortland – Isa: Memento. U.S.: Music Box, France: Memento, Germany - Piffl, Hong Hong - Encore Inlight, So. Korea - Line Tree, Benelux - ABC/ Cinemien, U.K., Artificial Eye Dreams for Sale – Japan – Miwa Nishkawa – Isa: Asmik Ace Stories We Tell – Canada – Sarah Polley - Isa: Nfb. U.K.: Artificial Eye Liverpool – Canada – Marion Briand - Isa: Max Films. Canada: Remstar Venus and Serena – U.S./ U.K. – Michelle Major, Maikin Baird. Producer's Rep: Cinetic
Mavericks - 3 out of 7 “Conversations With” were with women (43%)
Discovery 11 out of 27 = 40% which includes The-Hottest-Public Ticket for the Israeli Film directly below (a Major Buzz Film Among its Public)
Fill the Void by Rama Burshtein, a first-time-ever Hasidic woman director Kate Melville’s Picture Day Alice Winocour Augustine - Isa: Kinology 7 Cajas by Tana Schembori from Paraguay - Isa: Shoreline Gabriela Pichler’s Eat Sleep Die from Sweden, Serbia and Croatia - Isa: Yellow Affair Oy Rola Nashef’s Detroit Unleaded France’s Sylive Michel’s Our Little Differences Contact producer Pallas Film Russian censored film Clip from Serbia by Maja Milos - Isa: Wide sold to Kmbo for France, Maywin for Sweden, Artspoitation for U.S. Satellite Boy by Australian Catriona McKenzie - Isa: Celluloid Dreams/ Nightmares Ramaa Mosley’s The Brass Teapot - Isa: TF1 sold to Magnolia for U.S., Intercontinental for Hong Kong, Cien for Mexico, Vendetta for New Zealand Veteran Korean-American Grace Lee’s Janeane from Des Moines.
Tiff Docs 7 out of 29 = 24% - Women traditionally have directed a greater portion of docs
Christine Cynn (codirector ) The Act of Killing - Isa: Cinephil Janet Tobias No Place on Earth - Isa: Global Screen Sarah Burns (codirector) The Central Park Five Isa: PBS sold to Sundance Select for U.S. Treva Wurmfeld Shepard & Dark - Contact Tangerine Entertainment Nina Davenport First Comes Love - Contact producer Marina Zenovich Roman Polanski: Odd Man Out - Isa: Films Distribution Halla Alabdalla As If We Were Catching a Cobra (Comme si nous attraptions un cobra) about the art of caricature in Egypt and Syria! Halla is Syrian herself, studied science and sociology in Syria and Paris - Isa: Wide
Contemporary World Cinema 11 out of 61 = 18%
Children of Sarajevo by Aida Begic, Sarajevo - Isa: Pyramide Baby Blues by Katarzyna Rostaniec, Poland. Contact producer The Cowards Who Looked to the Sky by Yuki Tanada, Japan - Isa: Toei Comrade Kim Goes Flying by Anja Daelemans (co-director), Belgium/ No. Korea. The first western financed film out of No. Korea Three Worlds by Catherine Corsini, France - Isa: Pyramide sold to Lumiere for Benelux, Pathe for Switzerland Middle of Nowhere by Ava DuVernay, U.S. - Contact Paradigm Talent Agency The Lesser Blessed by Anita Doron, Canada - Isa: eOne Watchtower by Pelin Esmer, Turkey/ France/ Germany- Isa: Visit Films Jackie by Antoinette Beumer, Netherlands - Isa: Media Luna When I Saw You by Annemarie Jacir, Palestine,/ Jordan/ Greece All that Matters is Past by Sara Johnsen, Norway- Isa: TrustNordisk
Tiff Kids 0 out of 5. Any meaning to this???
City To City – Mumbai 0 Out Of 10 Any meaning to this???
Vanguard 2 out of 15 = 13% (the average for most festivals)
90 Minutes– Norway – Eva Sorhaug - Isa: Level K Peaches Does Herself – Germany - Peaches. Contact producer. See Indiewire review.
Midnight Madness 0 out of 9 which is fine with me, thank you. This is a boy's genre or a date-night genre for girls and boys with a plan for the night.
- 9/21/2012
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Toronto's finished and a couple more key film acquisitions have taken place over the past week. Here's the breakdown:
Roadside Attractions and Lionsgate have snapped up U.S. rights to Peter Webber’s English-language epic "Emperor" about the real-life story of whether to try Emperor Hirohito for war crimes. Roadside will release the movie theatrically.
Wrekin Hill has acquired the Australian surfing drama "Drift" starring Sam Worthington and Xavier Samuel. An early 2013 release is being targeted.
IFC Films has acquired Neil Jordan's "Byzantium" stars Gemma Arterton and Saoirse Ronan as mother and daughter vampires. A platform release is planned.
Lionsgate and Roadside have picked up Joss Whedon's zero-budget adaptation of Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing". The film was shot in Whedon’s house in just under a fortnight with his actor friends like Nathan Fillion and Alexis Denisof.
Anchor Bay Films acquired U.S. distribution rights to Rob Zombie...
Roadside Attractions and Lionsgate have snapped up U.S. rights to Peter Webber’s English-language epic "Emperor" about the real-life story of whether to try Emperor Hirohito for war crimes. Roadside will release the movie theatrically.
Wrekin Hill has acquired the Australian surfing drama "Drift" starring Sam Worthington and Xavier Samuel. An early 2013 release is being targeted.
IFC Films has acquired Neil Jordan's "Byzantium" stars Gemma Arterton and Saoirse Ronan as mother and daughter vampires. A platform release is planned.
Lionsgate and Roadside have picked up Joss Whedon's zero-budget adaptation of Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing". The film was shot in Whedon’s house in just under a fortnight with his actor friends like Nathan Fillion and Alexis Denisof.
Anchor Bay Films acquired U.S. distribution rights to Rob Zombie...
- 9/17/2012
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Magnolia Pictures has acquired North American distribution rights to "The Brass Teapot," the feature debut of award-winning commercial and music video director Ramaa Mosley. Mosley (left), who has directed ads for Microsoft, Wal-Mart, Powerade and McDonald's, developed the story with Tim Macy, who wrote the script. The film chronicles penniless but enraptured newlyweds who find a special teapot that gives them cash in exchange for physical pain. It debuted this past week at the Toronto Film Festival. Juno Temple of "Killer Joe" and Michael Angarano of "Haywire" star as the couple. "'The Brass Teapot' is...
- 9/14/2012
- by Lucas Shaw
- The Wrap
Magnolia Pictures has picked up North American distribution rights for "The Brass Teapot," starring Juno Temple and Michael Angarano, following the film's debut at the Toronto International Film Festival. The black comedy follows a broke newlywed couple who discover a magical teapot that rewards physical pain with cash. The film is the debut feature of commercial and music video director Ramaa Mosely. Darren Goldberg of Atlantic Pictures, Kirk Roos of Northern Lights and James Graves are producers. Here's a more extensive film description from the Tiff programming notes: Alice (Juno Temple) and John (Michael Angarano) are young, in love, and completely broke. While their more successful friends enjoy a life of luxury and comfort, the two struggle to pay the bills. Just as their financial troubles are reaching their peak, they get into a fender-bender in front of a roadside curiosity shop. Moved by an unseen force, Alice is drawn inside the shop towards.
- 9/14/2012
- by Beth Hanna
- Thompson on Hollywood
In its second pick-up of the festival, Magnolia Pictures has pocketed North American distribution rights to “The Brass Teapot,” from first-time feature-film director Ramaa Mosley and screenwriter Tim Macy. The dark and quirky love story had its world premiere Saturday at the Toronto International Film Festival. Juno Temple and Michael Angarano star as a young, poor, newly married couple who find a magic teapot that grants them cash for pain. Darren Goldberg of Atlantic Pictures, Kirk Roos of Northern Lights and James Graves produced. Read More: Toronto 2012: Magnolia Pictures Acquires Holocaust Doc 'No Place on Earth' "‘The Brass Teapot’ is a remarkably funny and assured debut from the very talented Ramaa Mosley," said Magnolia president Eamonn Bowles. "Michael Angarano and Juno Temple have terrific chemistry in this dark comedy that manages to be sincerely sweet and romantic without ever losing its bite." ...
- 9/14/2012
- by Jay A. Fernandez
- Indiewire
Toronto — Dealmaking continued at a steady pace on Friday as Magnolia Pictures acquired North American distribution rights to The Brass Teapot, which marks the feature directorial debut of commercial and music video director Ramaa Mosley. The fantasy-comedy, making its premiere earlier this week at the Toronto International Film Festival, headlines Juno Temple and Michael Angarano. The duo play broke newlyweds who stumbled upon a magical teapot that rewards physical pain with wads of cash. However, they soon learn to be careful for what they wish for. Mosely developed the story, with Tim Macy developing the script. Brass Teapot
read more...
read more...
- 9/14/2012
- by Pamela McClintock
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Born in a California ashram, director Ramaa Mosley says that homeschooling left her plenty of time during her childhood to watch movies. She was from her earliest years, "transfixed by stories about magical objects and supernatural events," and knew by her twelfth birthday that she wanted to get behind the camera herself. It should come as no surprise then, that for her first feature film, Mosley has adapted "The Brass Teapot," a comic book that follows a down-and-out young couple who stumble upon a mysterious teapot, and "believe that it might be the answer to all of their dreams." What it's about: "Many people would read the script and think of it as dark but I saw it as very funny and whimsical. At its core, 'The Brass Teapot' is a fable about temptation and how people can be tempted by greed. The combination of the incredible mythology...
- 9/8/2012
- by Indiewire
- Indiewire
"The Brass Teapot" is a darkly quixotic film starring Juno Temple and Michael Angarano as a young, financially-strapped couple who discover a way to earn cash fast without taking on an extra part-time gig at Starbucks. The film premieres at Tiff this Saturday, and marks director Ramaa Mosley's first foray into feature filmmaking. Compelled on a whim to steal a brass teapot from a roadside antique shop, Alice (Temple) finds that the magical teapot is the key to escaping their unglamorous lifestyle. With every physical pain inflicted to either she or John (Angarano), the brass teapot grants them a flurry of bills. As the injuries ensue, Alice and John discover the greater the pain, the greater the reward. In this exclusive Indiewire clip, Alice tests the brass teapot's powers at the expense of an unwitting John. As per the clip, perhaps it will be Temple's and Angarano's sharp, humorous interplay (in this scene,...
- 9/5/2012
- by Nigel M Smith
- Indiewire
Above: Ernie Gehr's Auto-Collider Xv.
The vast bulk of Tiff's 2012 has been announced and listed here, below. We'll be updating the lineup with the previous films announced, as well as updating links to specific films for more information on them in the coming days. Of particular note is that the Wavelengths and Visions programs have been combined to create what is undoubtedly the most interesting section of the festival. Stay tuned, too, for our own on the ground coverage of Tiff.
Galas
A Royal Affair (Nikolai Arcel, Demark/Sweden/Czech Republic/Germany)
Argo (Ben Affleck, USA)
The Company You Keep (Robert Redford, USA)
Dangerous Liaisons (Hur Jin-ho, China)
Emperor (Peter Webber, Japan/USA)
English Vinglish (Gauri Shinde, India)
Free Angela & All Political Prisoners (Shola Lynch)
Great Expectations (Mike Newell, UK)
Hyde Park on Hudson (Roger Michell, UK)
Inescapable (Ruba Nadda, Canada)
Jayne Mansfield's Car (Billy Bob Thorton, USA/Russia)
Looper (Rian Johnson,...
The vast bulk of Tiff's 2012 has been announced and listed here, below. We'll be updating the lineup with the previous films announced, as well as updating links to specific films for more information on them in the coming days. Of particular note is that the Wavelengths and Visions programs have been combined to create what is undoubtedly the most interesting section of the festival. Stay tuned, too, for our own on the ground coverage of Tiff.
Galas
A Royal Affair (Nikolai Arcel, Demark/Sweden/Czech Republic/Germany)
Argo (Ben Affleck, USA)
The Company You Keep (Robert Redford, USA)
Dangerous Liaisons (Hur Jin-ho, China)
Emperor (Peter Webber, Japan/USA)
English Vinglish (Gauri Shinde, India)
Free Angela & All Political Prisoners (Shola Lynch)
Great Expectations (Mike Newell, UK)
Hyde Park on Hudson (Roger Michell, UK)
Inescapable (Ruba Nadda, Canada)
Jayne Mansfield's Car (Billy Bob Thorton, USA/Russia)
Looper (Rian Johnson,...
- 8/22/2012
- MUBI
Director Ramaa Mosley’s feature debut, The Brass Teapot, was announced as one of the final additions to the Tiff line-up next month, and now we’ve got our first images of the leading stars, Juno Temple (The Dark Knight Rises) and Michael Angarano (Red State).
The film is based on a short story by Tim Macy, who penned the screenplay, having worked with Mosley on a 2007 short film adaptation of the same story.
“An impoverished young couple (Juno Temple and Michael Angarano) stumble upon an antique teapot that magically dispenses cash whenever either of them feels pain, inspiring them to ever-greater extremes, as they ascend the ranks of the nouveau riche. Director Ramaa Mosley eschews violence for a more whimsical, Tim Burton–esque treatment in this offbeat, darkly funny satire.”
The brilliant Alia Shawkat (Arrested Development), Alexis Bledel (Sin City), Ben Rappaport (Outsourced), and Matt Walsh (Ted) complete the supporting cast nicely.
The film is based on a short story by Tim Macy, who penned the screenplay, having worked with Mosley on a 2007 short film adaptation of the same story.
“An impoverished young couple (Juno Temple and Michael Angarano) stumble upon an antique teapot that magically dispenses cash whenever either of them feels pain, inspiring them to ever-greater extremes, as they ascend the ranks of the nouveau riche. Director Ramaa Mosley eschews violence for a more whimsical, Tim Burton–esque treatment in this offbeat, darkly funny satire.”
The brilliant Alia Shawkat (Arrested Development), Alexis Bledel (Sin City), Ben Rappaport (Outsourced), and Matt Walsh (Ted) complete the supporting cast nicely.
- 8/22/2012
- by Kenji Lloyd
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Tiff Completes 2012 Festival Lineup with Masters, Discovery, Mavericks & Docs: Plus Who's Showing Up
Toronto 37 has rounded out its 2012 festival titles, adding 40-plus titles to its massive slate. New films announced in the Masters program include the North American premieres of Michael Haneke's "Amour," Olivier Assayas's "Something in the Air," Abbas Kiarostami's "Like Someone in Love" and the world premieres of Michael Winterbottom's "Everyday" and Goran Paskaljevic's "When Day Breaks." The Discovery program adds twenty-seven new titles from up-and-coming filmmakers from around the world, including world premieres of Pablo Berger's "Blancanieves," Ramaa Mosley's "The Brass Teapot," "Mikael Marcimain's "Call Girl" and Rola Nashaf's "Detroir Unleaded." The Mavericks program will feature a range of conversations topics and appearances by Johnny Depp, Javier Bardem and Jackie Chan. Journalists are already tumbling iover each other to gain access to...
- 8/21/2012
- by Anne Thompson and Sophia Savage
- Thompson on Hollywood
With Killer Joe, Little Birds and even The Dark Knight Rises, actress Juno Temple has been keeping busy this summer and it looks like that schedule will continue into the fall as Jack and Diane arrives, as well as another indie set for a Tiff premiere. We’ve got the first images today of the latter film, titled The Brass Teapot, which teams the star with Haywire, Ceremony and Red State star Michael Angarano. The duo play a couple who finds an “an antique teapot that magically dispenses cash whenever either of them feels pain.” Director Ramaa Mosley adapted from her short of the same name.
We have also got the first images from the next film by the prolific Michael Winterbottom. Everyday has been an on-and-off production for him for the last five years, following the life of an inmate with a documentary-styl, using both actual actors and non-professionals.
We have also got the first images from the next film by the prolific Michael Winterbottom. Everyday has been an on-and-off production for him for the last five years, following the life of an inmate with a documentary-styl, using both actual actors and non-professionals.
- 8/21/2012
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
After a string of announcements, it looks like the Toronto International Film Festival have locked down their line-up and it’s looking like a fantastic slate. Much of the additions today come in the form of previous Cannes premieres, including Michael Haneke‘s Amour (review), Cristian Mungiu‘s Beyond the Hills (review), Abbas Kiarostami‘s Like Someone in Love (review), Bernardo Bertolucci‘s Me and You (review), Hong Sang-soo‘s In Another Country and the Venice premiere Olivier Assayas‘ Something in the Air. Most notably missing is Leos Carax‘s Holy Motors, but we do get a new Michael Winterbottom film titled Everyday. Out of the Discovery section, the biggest film seems to be The Brass Teapot, and indie drama starring Juno Temple and Michael Angarano and one can check out all the additions below.
Masters
Amour Michael Haneke, Austria/France/Germany North American Premiere Screen legends Jean-Louis Trintignant and...
Masters
Amour Michael Haneke, Austria/France/Germany North American Premiere Screen legends Jean-Louis Trintignant and...
- 8/21/2012
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
A little bit of luck and money are coming to Juno Temple and Michael Angarano in "The Brass Teapot," an offbeat comedy set to make its world premiere at Tiff next month. Now the first images from the film have landed. Co-starring Alexis Bledel, Alia Shawkat, Bobby Moynihan, Matt Walsh and more, the film is an expansion of a 2007 short written by Tim Macy, based on his short story, and is directed by commercial and music video helmer Ramaa Mosley, and both are again on board for the feature version. Here's the official synopsis: John and Alice are in their 20s, married, very much in love, and broke. In high school, gorgeous Alice was voted “most likely to succeed” but now she’s just trying to make ends meet while her friends are enjoying the good life. Her husband John, loving but immature, just wants to get the bills paid.
- 8/21/2012
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
Our brother site, ComingSoon.net, sat down with actress Juno Temple, who will be seen this month in The Three Musketeers and stars in next summer's The Dark Knight Rises . She told the site that she recently finished a film called The Brass Teapot from director Ramaa Mosley. The film is based on a script by Tim Macy who, in turn, adapted his short story . More psychological mindf**k than straight horror, it certainly has our attention. Here's what Temple had to say... Cs: Can you talk about what's next for you? Have you finished shooting "The Dark Knight Rises"? Temple: Yeah, I finished "Dark Knight." I also just finished shooting an independent in upstate New York called "The Brass Teapot." It's about a young married couple which is...
- 10/5/2011
- shocktillyoudrop.com
Hi guys, it's Star here. You might remember me doing a couple of movie reviews for HorrorDaily, but today I'm trying something of my own that isn't just for HorrorDaily.com. I'm doing a review on a horror short story today, called The Brass Teapot, by Tim Macy. At the end of the review I will have a link to the story, so if you're interested you can check it out. The story starts off in an unknown setting, where an old woman who looks like she's…...
- 8/25/2011
- Horrorbid
[1] Alia Shawkat may not be quite as ubiquitous as Arrested Development co-star Jason Bateman, but she's been quietly beefing up her film resume over the past few years. Recently, Shawkat added two more projects to her slate: He Loves Me, Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris' follow-up to Little Miss Sunshine; and The Brass Teapot, starring Juno Temple and Michael Angarano. He Loves Me revolves around a lonely young novelist (Paul Dano) who writes a fictional dream girl for himself — and manages to will her into existence. (She'll be played by Dano’s real-life girlfriend Zoe Kazan, who also wrote the script). Shawkat will play a hipster who's obsessed with one of Dano's literary creations, and who has a crush on the novelist himself. Annette Bening, Deborah Ann Woll, Steve Coogan, Elliot Gould, and Chris Messina are also set to star. The Brass Teapot marks the feature film debut of director Ramaa Mosley,...
- 7/28/2011
- by Angie Han
- Slash Film
Alia Shawkat ("Arrested Development," "Whip It, "Cedar Rapids") has joined the cast of Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris' "He Loves Me" at Fox Searchlight and the indie morality tale "The Brass Teapot" reports Variety.
In 'Loves', Shawkat will play Mabel, a cute hipster who has a crush on Paul Dano's character and is obsessed with one of his literary creations.
'Brass' follows a broke young couple who steal a brass teapot that produces cash whenever someone feels pain. Shawkat will play Louise, a friend of Juno Temple's character.
Raama Mosley is directing 'Brass' from a script by Tim Macy.
In 'Loves', Shawkat will play Mabel, a cute hipster who has a crush on Paul Dano's character and is obsessed with one of his literary creations.
'Brass' follows a broke young couple who steal a brass teapot that produces cash whenever someone feels pain. Shawkat will play Louise, a friend of Juno Temple's character.
Raama Mosley is directing 'Brass' from a script by Tim Macy.
- 7/28/2011
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
She may have been nominated in the Best Supporting Actress category this year for her work in Animal Kingdom, but Jacki Weaver isn’t yet a household name in America. But, she’ll get another shot at catching the attention of the U.S. soon, as Deadline reports that the Australian actress has joined the cast of Park Chan-wook‘s Stoker.
We don’t know who she’s playing just yet, but this is quite the prospect. With a cast that already includes Mia Wasikowska, Nicole Kidman, and Matthew Goode, it’s written by Prison Break actor Wentworth Miller (under the pseudonym of Ted Foulke), and is centered on a young girl named India who is visited by her strange uncle, Charlie, after the death of her father. Wasikowska is the girl, Goode is the uncle — a role originally meant for Colin Firth — and Kidman is the girl’s mother.
We don’t know who she’s playing just yet, but this is quite the prospect. With a cast that already includes Mia Wasikowska, Nicole Kidman, and Matthew Goode, it’s written by Prison Break actor Wentworth Miller (under the pseudonym of Ted Foulke), and is centered on a young girl named India who is visited by her strange uncle, Charlie, after the death of her father. Wasikowska is the girl, Goode is the uncle — a role originally meant for Colin Firth — and Kidman is the girl’s mother.
- 7/28/2011
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
Juno Temple made headlines recently when she signed on The Dark Knight Rising in an undisclosed role. According to Screen Daily, Temple continued to make news at Cannes when she joined the fantasy The Brass Teapot from Northern Lights Films and the Gersh Agency with TF1 handling international sales. Temple, soon to be seen in the Weinstein comedy Dirty Girl, joined Michael Angarano on the film as a cash-strapped young couple who steal a brass teapot that magically produces money every time somebody feels pain. Commercials director Ramaa Mosley came aboard to make her feature film directing debut. Tim Macy wrote the screenplay.
- 5/16/2011
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Juno Temple made headlines recently when she signed on The Dark Knight Rising in an undisclosed role. According to Screen Daily, Temple continued to make news at Cannes when she joined the fantasy The Brass Teapot from Northern Lights Films and the Gersh Agency with TF1 handling international sales. Temple, soon to be seen in the Weinstein comedy Dirty Girl, joined Michael Angarano on the film as a cash-strapped young couple who steal a brass teapot that magically produces money every time somebody feels pain. Commercials director Ramaa Mosley came aboard to make her feature film directing debut. Tim Macy wrote the screenplay.
- 5/16/2011
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Juno Temple (Atonement) and Michael Angarano (Ceremony) have been cast in quirky indie comedy The Brass Teapot.
The Brass Teapot will be directed by Ramaa Mosley, and centers on a broke young couple (Angarano and Temple) who steal a brass teapot that produces cash whenever someone feels pain. Tim Macy wrote the screenplay, and production company Northern Lights Films are financing the project, which is being fast-tracked for a July start in New York City.
Read more on Juno Temple and Michael Angarano join indie comedy The Brass Teapot...
- 5/16/2011
- by Jamie Neish
- GordonandtheWhale
Juno Temple and Michael Angarano will star in the darkly comic morality tale "The Brass Teapot" for Northern Lights Films says Screen Daily.
The story follows a broke young couple who steal a brass teapot that produces cash whenever someone feels pain.
Tim Macy wrote the screenplay while commercials director Ramaa Mosley makes her directing debut on the feature. Shooting kicks off in July in New York.
The story follows a broke young couple who steal a brass teapot that produces cash whenever someone feels pain.
Tim Macy wrote the screenplay while commercials director Ramaa Mosley makes her directing debut on the feature. Shooting kicks off in July in New York.
- 5/16/2011
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.