Oscar-Nominated Film Reviewed -- "War/Dance"

"War/Dance" premiered at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival and is nominated for a Best Documentary Feature at the upcoming Academy Awards.

The doc is currently in limited release and will be available on DVD later this year. Following is The Hollywood Reporter review from Sundance.



War/Dance

Bottom Line: A moving docu depicting traumatized kids triumphing over tragedy.
By Justin Lowe

Feb 6, 2007


PARK CITY -- The ongoing rebel conflict in northern Uganda forms the backdrop for Sundance Film Festival documentary directing award-winner "War/Dance," a refreshingly upbeat film that finds its roots in some seriously sobering events. THINKFilm's theatrical release will capture the hearts and minds of art house audiences before a promising campaign on DVD.

The Lord's Resistance Army of rebels draws its ranks from the children of rural Uganda, kidnapping kids from their villages and forcing boys to become child soldiers and girls into sexual slavery. Many are compelled to kill relatives or neighbors, or watch their families murdered, becoming severely traumatized as a result.

For those who escape the rebel army, refugee camps are often their only way to survive after the decimation of their villages and families. The Patongo Displacement Camp shelters 60,000 refugees under constant military guard, providing a semblance of normalcy where kids can attend school and try to rebuild their shattered lives.

Xylophone player Dominic, dancer Nancy and chorister Rose -- all in their early teens -- become the focus of Sean Fine and Andrea Nix Fine's revealing documentary as they join the other students of the Patongo Primary School in preparing to compete in the prestigious National Music Competition. Their tragic stories of murder, abuse and loss provide the background for the school's quest to compete in the nationwide showcase for the first time.

Shooting in hi-def, the filmmakers favor a confessional, direct-address style in the kids' interviews that creates an intimacy with the audience that would be lost with more conventional framing. Artistically composed cutaways of the stunning landscape surrounding the camp and dynamic sequences of the school's enthusiastic music rehearsals provide a welcome contrast to the children's wrenching tales of terror.

However, shots that appear too smoothly executed and interviews that seem overly rehearsed are a reminder that the film could have benefited from a more realistic depiction of the squalor of the kids' lives and the harsh reality of the refugee encampment (which lacks sanitation, running water and electricity).

Nonetheless, the rooting factor is high by the time the Patongo students arrive in the capital of Kampala for the national competition, where the moderately predictable outcome still forms a nicely nuanced conclusion.

While the title is evocative within the context of the film, it could prove confusing to audiences who associate it with the unrelated phrase "war dance." At 105 minutes, the overall length might benefit from some trimming.


WAR/DANCE
THINKFilm
A Fine Films Production in association with Shine Global
Running time -- 105 minutes
No MPAA rating

2007 Sundance Film Festival Wrap-up

An edited version of this review of the 2007 Sundance Film Festival originally appeared in the Spring issue of Filmmaker magazine, which holds re-publication rights for 90 days following the initial release date. The full review as originally written runs here.

Park City -- Arriving at the festival’s midpoint proved timely this year due to the atypically inverted acquisitions pattern that developed early on. After fest-watchers proclaimed that there were few standout titles available prior to the opening, buyers held on tightly to their checkbooks into the first weekend, playing a waiting game that finally ended when Magnolia Pictures bought competition doc "Crazy Love." The pick-up seemed to reassure other buyers about the commercial viability of titles throughout the fest’s sections and sales quickly set a surprisingly brisk pace.

Although Sundance organizers attempted to sway attendees’ interest away from swag salons, fringe parties and dealmaking by distributing “Focus on Film” buttons, every day brought new distribution deals, particularly for titles premiering later in the lineup. In the face of this annual onslaught of calculated commercialism, the colorful buttons seemed an exceedingly mild response, particularly since they appeared to be in scarce supply outside the Marriott headquarters, primarily attracting the interest of dedicated cinephiles.

As usual, the shuttle buses, parties and bars were the best places to catch up on the latest news and rumors. A Main Street shuttle conversation, for instance, had a producer of "The Signal" revealing news of the film’s sale to Magnolia, while the premiere party for "Chapter 27" was abuzz with hopeful anticipation of a festival deal that ultimately didn’t materialize.

Aside from the heightened sales activity, the second half of the fest revealed some favorable debuts, as well as a few non-starters. In the Premieres section, novelist and screenwriter Mike Cahill stepped behind the camera to direct "King of California," a quirkily calibrated comedy starring Michael Douglas as recently released bipolar mental patient Charlie, who returns home to his teenaged daughter (Evan Rachel Wood) with a scheme to unearth Conquistador treasure he believes is buried beneath the local Costco.

Although Cahill’s uninspired visuals do little to enliven the narrative, the script is strong, providing Douglas in particular the opportunity to fill out Charlie’s larger than life character. Audience response was warm, if not overwhelming, at the Eccles premiere and First Look Pictures took the pick up for about $3 million the next day.

Buyers were less sanguine about "Chapter 27," a killer’s-eye view account of Mark David Chapman’s 1980 assassination of John Lennon. Jared Leto delivers a fascinating performance as the self-absorbed and increasingly unbalanced Chapman, thoroughly inhabiting the role. Perhaps because the details of the crime are so well known, writer-director Jarrett Schaefer makes little effort to fill in the character’s backstory. Leto’s earnest method acting and some atmospheric lensing (along with Lindsay Lohan in a tossed-off supporting role) prove a poor substitute for better scripting that might give Chapman’s crime a more meaningful context. The film was still seeking a distributor after the close of the festival.

Late-night programming sometimes takes a toll on attendance for Park City at Midnight screenings, but the Holiday Village was near capacity for an awards-night showing of Justin Lin’s 70’s-set "Finishing the Game." Following his 2002 "Better Luck Tomorrow" Sundance feature debut, Lin staged his indie comeback with this comedy spoof that reimagines the aftermath of Bruce Lee’s 1973 death, when studio execs hijacked the martial arts star’s unfinished "Game of Death" and substituted a stand-in to create a marginally viable finished film.

In Lin’s pseudo-doc, Roger Fan, Sung Kang and Dustin Nguyen are among the wanna-be Bruce Lees auditioning for the role while the white filmmakers – including the neophyte director (Jake Sandvig) and a clueless casting agent (Meredith Scott Lynn) -- debate whether “fuckability” or acting chops are the most important qualification for the part. Lin amusingly sends up the many foibles of studio moviemaking and stages spot-on recreations of 70s TV shows and movies in this lighthearted satire that’s ultimately less incisive than BLT but may also prove more accessible to a broader audience.

Sci-fi/horror/thriller genre exercise "The Signal" sent a scrambled message across the festival airwaves from a midnight Egyptian Theater screening. Featuring several distinct narrative and visual styles corresponding to its three-act structure, the film opens with an intriguing first segment about a mysterious signal broadcast by TV, radio and cell phones that sends residents of the city of Terminus on a murderous rampage. Like a degrading transmission straying too far from its source, the storyline deteriorates in later reels with abrupt narrative and stylistic shifts, likely attributable to shared writing and directing duties among filmmakers David Bruckner, Jacob Gentry and Dan Bush. While their tag-team approach actually detracts from the film’s effectiveness, Magnolia saw enough potential in "The Signal" to acquire the picture for approximately $2 million.

The Spectrum section's mixed-bag of screenings included writer-director David Kaplan’s feature debut "Year of the Fish," adapted from an ancient Chinese version of the Cinderella fable -- a rotoscoped animated feature based on original mini-DV live-action footage. In this contemporary fairytale, Ye Xian (An Nguyen) immigrates illegally to New York's Chinatown and quickly falls victim to malevolent Mrs. Su (Tsai Chin), who expects her to join the other girls servicing clients in her massage parlor. When Ye Xian refuses, Su tasks her with doing all the chores. With the help of a magical goldfish and blind fortuneteller Auntie Yaga (Randall Duk Kim), Ye Xian may be able to escape Mrs. Su’s clutches long enough to rendezvous with handsome young bandleader Johnny Pan (Ken Leung). Although the outlines of the tale are familiar, Kaplan imbues it with enough cultural detail and local flavor to reinvigorate the story, eliciting a charming lead performance from newcomer An Nguyen.

The devastation of post-Katrina New Orleans forms the backdrop for "Low and Behold," which delves into subject matter that might have been better presented in a documentary format rather than this vaguely conceived and weakly executed feature. Turner (Barlow Jacobs) moves to New Orleans to join his uncle Ed’s (Robert Longstreet) team of insurance claims adjusters, but has a hard time adapting to the city’s devastation and angry residents until he meets Nixon (Eddie Rouse), a loquacious local who tries to help Turner navigate the complexities of his new career. As co-written by Jacobs and director Zack Godshall, the men’s unlikely partnership never gels, while Godshall’s uninvolving visual style robs the action of any momentum.

Documentary prizewinners in the competition categories spanned the spectrum from the virtually experimental (doc Grand Jury award winner "Manda Bala") to the cable-ready ("In the Shadow of the Moon"). Among the more divergent titles, "Hear and Now" and "War/Dance" were separated by a distinct difference in style and scope. In "Hear and Now," filmmaker Irene Taylor Brodsky follows her deaf parents as they prepare for cochlear implant surgery, which will give them the ability to hear for the first time in their lives. Her personal-doc approach focuses primarily on her subjects and other family members, foregoing any in-depth discussion of the implant procedure, which remains controversial in the deaf community. Although her parents are interesting and pleasant people, their melodramatic journey fails to seriously invest viewers in the outcome. Produced by HBO Documentary Films, "Hear and Now" is headed for a 2008 broadcast and more than likely will bypass theatrical release enroute.

Appropriately enough, "War/Dance" won the Documentary Directing Award, its highly cinematic visual style winning out over more conventional docs. Sean Fine and Andrea Nix Fine’s account of three children orphaned by war in Uganda who participate with their school in a national music competition is driven by the tension between the horror of the children’s’ suffering and the joy they discover in music. Dancer Nancy, xylophonist Dominic and singer Rose are all victims of a rebel insurgency, their lives and families decimated by war. The filmmakers contrast their schoolhouse music rehearsals with artistically framed interviews as the kids describe their experiences, intercut with impressionistic sequences conveying the terror of their ordeals. Shot on hi-def, "War/Dance" has a palpable, pristine look that sometimes appears out of synch with the squalor of the subjects’ refugee-camp life. ThinkFilm, which acquired the doc prior to the fest, can expect a welcome reception for "War/Dance" in theatrical release.

Although the critical perspective on Sundance was decidedly mixed, various estimates pegged festival acquisitions activity in the $40-50 million range -- clearly favorable from a sales perspective. Depending on where your preferences fall along the “Focus on Film” continuum, 2007 could be seen as a banner year or another fest where art was subsumed by commerce.

What Is "Independent" Film?

Having recently completed a questionnaire for a friend in Austria writing a graduate thesis on "Contemporary Independent Film Criteria and Distribution Strategies," these responses are posted to encourage discussion on this always evolving topic.

1. What defines an independent film for you?

Since there are few objective criteria that define "independent" film, any definition is to some degree subjective. Although indie films have sometimes been described as non-studio releases, with the introduction of studio specialty divisions, that definition is no longer valid, since distributors like Fox Searchlight, Warner Independent Pictures, Disney's Miramax and Focus Features (Universal) have successfully co-opted the "independent" film aesthetic, as well an increasing share of the creative and performing talent (screenwriters, directors, actors) over the past decade.

One of the defining characteristics of indie films that's sometimes cited is their budget for production, post and P&A. Particularly since the entry of the specialty distributors, these budgets have increased to well over $10 million for some films, a figure that often doesn't include marketing costs, which can be even more significant if the film is an awards-season contender.

(For instance, "Righteous Kill," with a $60 million budget starring Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro, was announced at Cannes and described as “independent” by production company Nu Image/Millennium Films.)

While there's no firm guideline, films with production budgets of $5 million or less tend to be more independent with regard to both creative and financing resources. Regardless of the size of the budget, the determining factor remains the source of the financing. If a movie is fully funded by a studio specialty division, then a $5 million film isn't really independent.

Other criteria that may contribute to a film's independent characteristics and sensibility discussed below include creative opportunities for filmmakers and the overall tone of a movie.

2. What's the difference between an independent film 30 years ago and an independent film today?

Some overall trends during the past 30 years are becoming increasingly clear.

Financing & Incentives – There is far more investment capital available for projects produced by independent filmmakers and specialty divisions than there was 30 years ago. In particular, the last few years have seen an influx of investors -- both broad-based and sector-specific -- participating in filmmaking and ancillary activities (DVD, TV, etc.).

However, with an increase in the overall number of filmmakers seeking financing and the allure of high-profile projects that are products of “packaging,” these financing sources are not necessarily more available to independent filmmakers.

The globalization of independent film has also opened up new markets to American independent film, although with the decline in foreign pre-sales, these opportunities are principally available to finished movies with pre-sold North American rights.

In addition, tax and production incentives provided by individual U.S. cities and states (e.g., NYC, LA, New Mexico, Louisiana), as well as national incentives overseas (in countries like Canada, Ireland and the U.K.) have also opened up opportunities to secure additional financing and/or defray or delay expenses.

Scale – Film projects today often have larger budgets, bigger and higher-profile casts and significant production enhancements (multiple locations, CGI, digital post production, etc.) that weren’t available 30 years ago.

Attachments – With the higher profile that independent film has gained in the last 30 yrs., prestigious actors, directors and producers are getting more involved in the independent sector. (Jennifer Aniston in “Friends With Money,” Ryan Gosling in “The Notebook,” Steven Soderbergh directing “Bubble” or Justin Lin with “The Fast and The Furious: Tokyo Drift,” etc.).


3. Are there explicit criteria that classify a contemporary independent film?

Even within the independent filmmaking community, there is much discussion and dissension regarding the criteria that define independent films. Since the sector lacks any objective standards or regulatory oversight, there are no explicit criteria and standards may vary considerably.

Film Independent (FIND), which confers the annual Film Independent Spirit Awards, stipulates that “the cost of the completed film, including post-production, must be under $20 million” in order for projects to be considered for awards nomination.

The Gotham Awards, conferred annually by the New York chapter of the Independent Feature Project (IFP), have abandoned all budgetary criteria in considering films for awards nomination, adopting more flexible stylistic standards: “IFP believes that filmmaking is a subjective art form, and the Gothams recognize films with a point of view” (as long as the project can’t be “defined as a ‘work for hire’”). In addition, films must have theatrical distribution in the year they’re being considered. Last year, “The Departed” and “Marie Antoinette” were nominated alongside “Half Nelson” and “Old Joy.”

Numerous directors, screenwriters and producers assert that the defining characteristic of independent films is the creative freedom filmmakers require to complete their projects and/or achieve the creators’ vision.

Many audiences unfamiliar with the financing and packaging of contemporary film may evaluate whether they consider a film independent based on the visual style and narrative approach. Titles that deal with controversial, obscure or personal subject matter may be perceived as “independent,” as well as those with an unconventional or innovative visual style. At this level, definitions of “independent film” become almost entirely subjective.

Tim Bui to Direct Whitaker, Biel in "Powder Blue"

Writer-director Tim Bui ("Green Dragon") is prepping his new drama, "Powder Blue" to shoot in July, starring Forest Whitaker and Jessica Biel. Sources tell CinemaPlanet that Biel's role as troubled stripper could prove particularly revealing.

Bui co-wrote the script with fellow Vietnamese-American filmmaker Stephane Gauger, who wrote and directed the impressive micro-budget "Owl and the Sparrow," which premiered at Rotterdam earlier this year with Bui as one of the executive producers, along with "Journey From the Fall" helmer Ham Tran. Gauger will also direct second unit on "Blue."

Variety has the announcement out of Cannes:

Whitaker, Biel board 'Powder Blue'

Forest Whitaker and Jessica Biel have boarded ensemble drama "Powder Blue," set up by Eleven Eleven Films in association with Spirit Dance Entertainment and Grosvenor Park Media.

Pic is helmed by Timothy Linh Bui, brother of "Three Seasons" director Tony Bui.

Continued...

How the French Do It

Over at the Filmmaker Magazine blog, editor Scott Macaulay has an interesting commentary on an article in the April issue of the new online English-language edition of the venerable French film magazine, Cahiers du Cinema.

In an article titled "12 Objectives for Cinema in France" the editors essentially note that the network of state-sponsored funding known as the “French film system” -- a staple of the nation's motion picture industry -- remains inhospitable to most independent filmmakers without an established track record.

The Cahiers article goes on to list 11 more critiques and suggestions for improving film production in France, some of them fairly intriguing to consider with regard to the US industry.

World Premieres Dominate LA Film Festival Competitions

Film Independent has announced 12 World Premieres to fill 19 narrative and documentary competition slots for the upcoming 2007 Los Angeles Film Festival, running June 21-July 1 in the city's Westwood district.

Among the narrative premieres by emerging U.S. filmmakers are Jess Manafort's "The Beautiful Ordinary," "How to Rob a Bank" by Andrews Jenkins, Scott Prendergast's "Kabluey," Ilya Chaiken's "Liberty Kid" and "What We Do Is Secret" from Rodger Grossman. Stephane Gauger's charming Saigon-set drama "Owl and the Sparrow", winner of the Best Narrative Feature jury award at the 2007 San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival, premiered in January at the International Film Festival Rotterdam.

"Dig!" director Ondi Timoner returns with doc selection "Join Us," while other documentary competitors include Jennifer Venditti's "Billy the Kid, "Cat Dancers" from Harris Fishman, Morgan Neville's "The Cool School," and "Saint Death" by Eva Aridjis.

Jury awards funded by Target offer a $50,000 prize in both categories.

LAFF opens with "Talk to Me," directed by Kasi Lemmons and starring Don Cheadle, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Cedric the Entertainer, Taraji P. Henson and Martin Sheen in a drama based on the exploits of 1960s Washington, DC radio DJ Ralph Waldo "Petey" Greene (Cheadle), a black ex-con who mixed period soul and protest music on the airwaves with socially conscious messages. Focus Features will distribute "Talk to Me" this summer.

The festival closes with Danny Boyle's widely anticipated "Sunshine," a well-received sci-fi thriller already released in Europe and Asia about a spaceship crew on a last-ditch mission to revive earth's dying sun, starring an international cast that includes Rose Byrne, Cillian Murphy, Hiroyuki Sanada and Michelle Yeoh. Fox Searchlight Pictures plans a fall season US release.

In the International Showcase, 21 films from Africa, Asia, Europe, South America and the Middle East are eligible for the best international, narrative and documentary Audience Awards.

Festival organizers, lead by director of programming Rachel Rosen, selected in excess of 230 feature-length and short titles from more than 4,500 submissions worldwide.

Variety Assesses the Movie Blogosphere

In two recent posts, Variety columnists Anne Thompson and Peter Bart checked in on the state of movie blogging and found both intriguing and troubling developments.

In her "Thompson on Hollywood" post titled "Blogs reshaping film coverage," the Variety deputy editor noted that the explosion of movie blogging is frustrating and confusing studios and publicists, as well as creating new marketing and publicity opportunities. "The line between traditional journalism and indie purveyors of buzz continues to blur," Thompson wrote.

In his column "The Back Lot," Bart focused on Free Speech rights related to blogging in a post headlined "Defining the blogosphere." He observed that bloggers are not covered by the same guarantees as traditional journalists: "To U.S. Attorneys, bloggers are not 'true journalists' and, hence, not entitled to First Amendment protection."

As the Internet, digital delivery and platform advancements continue to influence filmmaking and movie coverage, bloggers will doubtless face new opportunities and challenges. Stay tuned.

Premiere Wars

As the domestic film festival calendar picks up momentum going into the spring season with numerous events following on the heels of South by Southwest last month, programmers and filmmakers are becoming increasingly vocal about concerns over competition between fests and the pressure to present premieres for local audiences.

In a recent indieWIRE article, Anthony Kaufman takes an in-depth look at how the scramble for premieres of new narrative and documentary films is affecting festivals, programmers and filmmakers.

An excerpt:

"Forced to make a name for themselves in a crowded festival season and pressured to offset rising costs (witness Tribeca's 50% ticket-price hike, for example), festivals are doing whatever they can to raise their profiles and stand out from the pack. And the most efficient way to do that is require a premiere, say many industry insiders.

Festival directors blame the obsession with premieres on the press and the film industry for paying close attention only to the newest of films."

Diverse Narratives Highlight 2007 VC Film Fest

Romantic comedy, horror, period and mockumentary titles compete against straight-up dramas for the narrative Grand Jury prize at the 2007 VC FilmFest, opening May 3 with "Finishing the Game," a 70s comedy from "Better Luck Tomorrow" director Justin Lin. Lin's 07 Sundance Film Festival official selection shares the VC lineup with another documentary spoof, Grace Lee's tongue-in-cheek "American Zombie," the festival's Centerpiece presentation May 6.

"American Fusion" the Hawaii International Film Festival's 2005 audience-award winner, stars Taiwanese sweetheart Sylvia Chang and Esai Morales in a charming romantic comedy that pits cultural traditions and family obligations against the power of true love. Contemporary relationships also get a workout in "The Trouble With Romance," Gene Rhee's multi-part comedy about Angelenos struggling with the challenges of love and (especially) sex.

Among the festival's period dramas, "The American Pastime" -- set against the backdrop of the World War II Japanese-American internment -- goes up against May 10 closing night film "The Rebel," a tale of conflicting loyalties in 1920s Saigon. Romeo Candido's Canadian-Filipino psychological horror film "Ang Pamana: The Inheritance," part of a mini-wave of similar Filipino titles that includes "Blackout" and "Sigaw," follows two Canadian siblings as they journey to the Luzon backcountry to uncover the mysterious circumstances surrounding their grandmother's death.

A total of 11 features will vie for the narrative Grand Jury prize while nine films contend for the documentary award, including Linda Hattendorf's award-winning artist profile "The Cats of Mirikitani," and "View From a Grain of Sand," Meena Nanji's examination of three activist's participation in 30 years of women's rights struggles in Afghanistan. (All 20 films are also eligible for the festival's audience award.)

Capsule reviews of several narrative competitors follow.


Finishing the Game

"Better Luck Tomorrow" writer-director Justin Lin returns to independent filmmaking following back-to-back studio movies ("Annapolis," "The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift") with "Finishing the Game," a raucous '70s period comedy.

Given Lin's reputation and affection for the material, sure stylistic command and engaging performances by a strong ensemble cast, ongoing festival play is assured, while well-targeted marketing by a savvy distributor will capture hip urban audiences and could help the film cross over to broader appeal.

Read the full Hollywood Reporter review


American Zombie

Returning to narrative filmmaking for the first time since her Student Academy Award-winning short film “Barrier Device,” prolific documentary director Grace Lee fuses the two genres into a trenchant black comedy focusing on Los Angeles’ fictive underground zombie community.

Playing themselves, Lee and filmmaker John Solomon set out to explore the world of the living dead in a documentary profiling four different zombies: health-food obsessed lonely heart Judy (Suzy Nakamura), convenience store clerk and zine artist Ivan (Austin Basis), self-obsessed florist Lisa (Jane Edith Wilson), and Zombie Advocacy Group community organizer Joel (Al Vicente).

While Lee is more interested in delving into the psycho-social challenges faced by the undead, Solomon remains obsessed with uncovering whether zombies actually eat human flesh and indulge in any of the other atrocities that popular media attributes to them. Their differing perspectives clash when the filmmaking team attends the zombies-only Live Dead annual retreat, leading to unexpected revelations.

Lee navigates the film with tongue planted firmly through cheek, her deadpan delivery countered by Solomon’s off-kilter intensity, while Nakamura engagingly enlivens Judy’s dramatic transformation from denial to full self-realization. The filmmakers’ mobile camerawork and documentary stylings complement the movie’s conceits, although the narrative undergoes a major tonal shift late in the film.


American Fusion

Divorced, middle-aged community reporter Yvonne (Sylvia Chang) has a lot on her hands dealing with her demanding mother, an obnoxious son and large Taiwanese-American family. She's largely given up on finding love again, although she can still dream (about boy-toy model Fabio, cameo-ing in an opening scene).

On assignment to cover a new business opening in her Pasadena-area neighborhood, Yvonne meets attractive Mexican-American dentist Jose (Esai Morales), who's quickly taken with her endearing awkwardness in an amusing meet-cute scene.

Although their first few dates go well, a Hispanic suitor is about the last potential son-in-law that Yvonne's conservative family can contemplate and while Jose's relatives are more accepting, there appears to be trouble ahead, particularly when Yvonne's mother is scheduled for surgery after an unfortunate run-in with a marauding massage machine.

Director and co-writer Frank Lin maintains a light touch throughout, balancing clever dialogue and amusing situations with bursts of inspired slapstick. While "American Fusion" may not break any romantic comedy molds, the film's topicality and empathy for its characters serve up an enticing multicultural blend of bittersweet heartache and genuine humor.

"Colma" Goes to Roadside

Now that it's official, CinemaPlanet can finally post the insider info that sources revealed while the recent FilmmakerMagazine.com web exclusive on upstart independent film "Colma: The Musical" was in research mode: If you missed "Colma" on the festival circuit over the past year, you may be able to catch it in your hometown theater this Summer. Roadside Attractions -- distributor of "Super Size Me," "Pretty Persuasion," and "Bonyton Beach Club" among other indie gems -- has acquired international theatrical rights to Richard Wong and H.P. Mendoza's musical. indieWIRE has the details:

Roadside Croons to US Rights for "Colma"

Roadside Attractions has picked up worldwide rights to Richard Wong's "Colma: The Musical," the company announced Wednesday afternoon. The film is a musical comedy about "three recent high school grads who find themselves at a crossroads in their hometown of Colma, California, a cemetery-suffused suburb of San Francisco renowned for having more dead residents than live ones." The three teens each rebel in their own ways against the moribund reality of their hometown while making their way into adulthood. Along the way they burst into song and dance around cemeteries, shopping malls and college keg parties during the film's thirteen musical numbers. Roadside Attractions plans a summer release in the U.S. for the film, which had its world debut at the recent San Francisco International Asian-American Film Festival. Roadside co-president Eric d'Arbeloff negotiated the deal with sales agent Nguyen "Wyn" Tran of The Institution, for the filmmakers.