The Circuit

First Independent Pictures nabbed U.S. rights to Matt Aselton's comedy "Gigantic" starring Paul Dano and Zooey Deschanel. Pic will be released in spring 2009.

Dano plays a mattress store worker looking to adopt a Chinese baby who falls for Deschanel. Christine Vachon and Mindy Goldberg ("Junebug") produced. 

Film preemed at the Toronto Film Festival, where like the just-sold Jennifer Aniston starrer "Management," it had a hard time drumming up interest.

Image Entertainment has nabbed all U.S. rights to the romantic comedy "Management" starring Jennifer Aniston, Steve Zahn, and Woody Harrelson.  Pic will be released in spring 2009.

Written and directed by TV scribe Stephen Belber, Aniston plays a tightly wound art broker who falls for the hopelessly romantic Zahn. 

Sidney Kimmel financed and produced with Temple Hill partners Marty Bowen and Wyck Godfrey.  The film preemed at the Toronto Intl Film Festival.

"We've made a multi-million dollar commitment to bring this film to the big screen," said Image prexy David Borshell.  Samuel Goldwyn is in advanced talks to service the distribution deal.

Deal was negotiated by Image's Wendy Rutland and CAA's Dan Steinman.

Sharon Swart looks ahead at the AFM, running Nov 5-12, where GK Films' will have its thriller "Edge of Darkness," starring Mel Gibson.

Swart sees a rocky road in Santa Monica this year:

"The velocity of sales has slowed down considerably," says Jere Hausfater, CEO of Essential Films. "Buyers are being very cautious. Look at Toronto: There were 20 high-profile movies screening for U.S. buyers, and so far only two bigger deals have been announced. What does that tell you?"

When finished titles aren't selling, there's a heavier level of trepidation when it comes to product that has yet to be made. The question surrounding presales now is all about whether or not a project will actually get produced.

She also has AFM by-the-numbers:

Estimated number of attendees: 8,200

Estimated number of buyers: 1,600

Number of exhibitors: 409

Net square feet of exhibition space: 172,470

No. of films screening: 520

Approximate number of screenings: 900

The Circuit at the American Film Market.  Camera work by Variety's Sunita Surajan.

Every inch of space inside the AFM's main hub at the Loews is sold, so it's no surprise the ambitious Dubai Film Festival would try to carve out some promo space somewhere.  Their answer?  Variety's Patrick Frater pointed out the scorched, desert city is giving away its second most precious asset - water.


Across town, AFI FEST filmmakers were given their stuff in cool bag made from festival trash - years of obsolete, old light pole banners.  A company called RetroActif took the banners out of the warehouse, scrubbed them, and sewed them up with padding - finally making a festival bag that you aren't embarrassed to carry.  The signage on the surface is refreshingly restrained, too.


The camera line at the AFI FEST Village.  "4 months, 3 weeks, 2 days" filmmaker Cristian Mungiu answers questions.  Like "Juno," his film has also had a great festival run.  Screenings here were sold out.


AFI FEST's Filmmmakers Lounge, as the crowd watches silent short films with a DJ accompaniment. Glowing in the center, the Rabbi reports.  (aka Mark Rabinowitz, festival fixture).

by John Hopwell
The smart money's is on Woody Allen's "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" becoming one of the highest-grossing films in Spain next year.

When Allen arrived in Barcelona this June to shoot the pic, he was greeted like a rock star. Now, with "VCB" in post, Spaniards are bating their breath about what the revered Woodman can have made of their country.

Well, some early answers were at least suggested at the American Film Market this week, where sales company Wild Bunch screened a trailer.

In "Match Point," Allen skewered the English class system. "VCB," if the three-minute trailer is anything to go on, nails the warm Mediterranean sensuality of Barcelona, in its palette - the warm golden stonework of Barcelona, the lush greens of northern Asturias - its background - Gaudi's baroque Sagrada Familia cathedral is much to the fore, the sexual liberality of its characters, and the sex scenes.

Two is particular may be much remarked upon: Javier Bardem takes Scarlett Johansson on a carpet; Penelope Cruz and Johansson snogging in a photography dark room.

"VCB" may chart the vagaries of lust and love: it's certainly impossible to know if the painter played by Bardem ends up with -  Cruz, Johansson, or even Hall; or nobody.    

For the record, and for so Spaniards can unbate their breath a touch, "VCB" does now have a plot synopsis, from Woody Allen himself:

"Vicky and Crisina, two young American girls, go to spend the summer in Barcelona. Vicky (Rebecca Hall) is straight-laced and about to be married. Cristina (Scarlett Johanssson) is a free-spirit and very sexually adventurous. They meet a flamboyant, Spanish artist (Javier Bardem) and his beautiful but insane ex-wife (Penelope Cruz). They all become involved in romantic adventures that are either hilarious or harrowing, depending on your point of view. Barcelona is
seen as a very beautiful, romantic city like New York was in the movie 'Manhatten.'"

Photo: Woody Allen and Scarlett Johansson at the 2005 Cannes fest for "Match Point." Photo by Jeff Vespa/Wireimage.

The unfortunately scheduled American Film Market, running alongside the AFI FEST, announced their panels today.  Shuttle buses creep between the two LA events, but as it takes four days to get to Santa Monica from the Arc Light, one event is bound to lose out depending on the day, particularly where festival programmers are concerned. 

The AFM has a strong lineup of conferences, though.  Full list is here.  Some highlights:

U.S. Theatrical Distribution: The Producer's Holy Grail
Moderator: John Alan Simon, Producer, The Getaway, former staff writer New Orleans Times-Picayune
Panelists:
Phil Alberstat - Agent, William Morris Independent; author, The Insider's Guide to Film Finance
Peter Block - President of Acquisitions and Co-Productions, Lionsgate
Seth Willenson - Marketing and Distributing Consultant
Daniel Myrick - Co-writer/Director, The Blair Witch Project, President of Gearhead Pictures

Artful Movies on a Limited Budget
ASC Cinematographers discuss how new film, digital and hybrid tools are affecting the Art and Craft of Cinematography.
Moderators:
George Spiro Dibie, ASC; Chair, ASC PR Committee; Member, Board of Governors
Richard Crudo, ASC, American Pie, Down to Earth, American Buffalo
Panelists:
Daryn Okada, ASC, Just Like Heaven, Mean Girls, Cradle 2 the Grave
Michael Goi, ASC, Invasion, The Kids Who Saved Summer, Judas
Bill Bennett, ASC, Waiting to Exhale, Bugsy, Dante's Peak
Daniel Pearl, ASC, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem
Christian Sebaldt, ASC, Desperation, Resident Evil: Apocalypse, FeardotCom
James Chressanthis, ASC, The Music Man, The Ghost Whisperer
Stephen Lighthill, ASC, Nash Bridges, Coming out Under Fire, Open Season
Isidore Mankofsky, ASC, Love Lies & Murder, Polly, The Muppet Movie
Billy Fraker, ASC, Rosemary's Baby, Tombstone, Rules of Engagement
Caleb Deshanel, ASC, Anna and the King, The Passion of the Christ
Rodney Taylor, ASC, Home of Freedom, Wired to Win, Home of the Giants

What's So Fair About Fair Use?
A panel of experts will answer all your questions about what you can and cannot use in your film without getting permission.
Moderator: Michael Donaldson, Author, Clearance and Copyright
Panelists:
Christi Deardoff, Media Professional Insurance
Kirby Dick, Director, This Film is Not Yet Rated
Winnie Wong, DeWitt Stern Group

Keeping Writers Onboard: The Business Case
How the writer's inclusion in the filmmaking process can enhance feature film projects for everyone.
Moderator: Howard A. Rodman, Writer, Joe Gould's Secret, Savage Grace, August
Panelists:
Miguel Arteta, Writer/ Director, Star Maps, Director, The Good Girl, Chuck and Buck, Ugly Betty, The Office, Six Feet Under, Freaks and Geeks
Andrea Berloff, Writer, World Trade Center
Nick Kazan, Writer, At Close Range, Reversal of Fortune, Fallen, Bicentennial Man, Co-Writer, Frances, Matilda
Jack Epps, Jr., Co-Writer, Top Gun, Dick Tracy, The Secret of My Success

Risky Business: DIY Distribution in the Digital Age
New business models in indie distribution.
Moderator: Bobby Roth, Member, Independent Director's Committee, DGA, Berkeley
Panelists:
Rob Nilsson, Director/Producer, Pan
Kelly Sanders, Executive Director, Truly Indie
David Straus, Co-founder, CEO, Withoutabox
Angela Wilson Gyetvan, VP, Marketing and Content, Revver