San Francisco International Film Festival Secures Prestigious Academy Grant

The Academy Foundation of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences -- presenter of the Academy Awards -- has named the San Francisco International Film Festival as the third recipient of its prestigious $150,000 "secure foundation" grant.

Beginning this year, the festival will receive $50,000 annually over three years to support current programs and new initiatives. "With the Academy guaranteeing funds for three years, our hope is that this type of grant will help a festival build a sturdy foundation for a project," said Festival Grants Committee Chair Gale Anne Hurd. "That kind of security will permit a festival to take some chances with programs they might otherwise not be willing to try."

The SFIFF was a past recipient of the Academy Foundation's annual funding in 2000, 2003 and 2005, but is only the third US film festival to receive the three-year grant. Previous grantees include the Los Angeles Film Festival and the Telluride Film Festival. The foundation will review these grants next year and decide whether to continue the special funding program.

Next year marks the 50th anniversary of the San Francisco International Film Festival -- the oldest continually running festival in the Americas. San Francisco Film Society Executive Director Graham Leggat welcomed the Academy grant. “Visionary from the get-go, the International has a long and storied history of innovative programming. The Academy’s generosity as we approach our historic 50th anniversary is a terrific encouragement to innovate still more.”

Weinstein Co. Postpones New Tony Jaa Release

The Weinstein Company informed journalists this week that release of Tony Jaa's new actioner "The Protector" has been pushed to Sept. 8 nationwide. Titled "Tom Yum Goong" for its original Asia release, TWC had previously scheduled the film for an Aug. 25 rollout.

Jaa's follow-up to "Ong Bak: Muay Thai Warrior," his sensational international martial arts debut, finds the Thai martial artist in a similar role, playing a country boy pursuing international gangsters, but with the action set primarily in Australia. Helmed by "Ong Bak" director Prachya Pinkaew, "Tom Yum Goong" debuted throughout Asia in 2005, moving on to Europe earlier this year under various titles, including "Honor of the Dragon" and "Revenge of the Warrior."

Advance English-language reviews of the film have been running mixed -- a response shared by CinemaPlanet following a screening of the Thai-language version of "Tom Yum Goong." Jaa's Muay Thai martial arts stunts and fight scenes are still spectacular, particularly in a confrontation with a Capoeira expert in a Buddhist temple during a raging fire, but the storyline is episodic, lacking narrative momentum.

Whether TWC has imposed a re-cut that improves the pacing as part of the US distribution deal remains to be seen when press screenings are rescheduled for the Sept. release. The delay is reminiscent of the Weinstein's tenure at Miramax, where they were sometimes known for acquiring Asian-language titles and putting the US release on hold or shelving them entirely.

Within a couple of weeks it should become clear whether a similar pattern is developing at The Weinstein Company, or if Tony Jaa's growing international stature will create enough momentum to deliver the film to US audiences.