South By Southwest (SXSW), the yearly music, film and interactive festival in Austin, Texas, is gradually becoming a more relevant festival for filmmakers to debut their films. Several big-name and indie films will premiere there this year.
Last year at SXSW, according to the Hollywood Reporter, "Humboldt County," a high school politics documentary "Frontrunners" and two documentaries, "They Killed Sister Dorothy" and "One Minute to Nine," were shown. All films were picked up by distributors; HBO picked up the docs, Magnolia took "Humbolt County," and Oscilloscope took "Frontrunners."
As for big-name films, last year Columbia premiered the blackjack drama "21" at SXSW. New Line Cinemas debuted "Harold and Kumar: Escape From Guantanamo Bay."
"In the last few years, South By [aka SXSW] is breaking out of the impression people have had of it as a regional event and is become a tastemaking festival," Producer Thomas Woodrow told the Hollywood Reporter. Woodrow chose to debut his movie,...
Last year at SXSW, according to the Hollywood Reporter, "Humboldt County," a high school politics documentary "Frontrunners" and two documentaries, "They Killed Sister Dorothy" and "One Minute to Nine," were shown. All films were picked up by distributors; HBO picked up the docs, Magnolia took "Humbolt County," and Oscilloscope took "Frontrunners."
As for big-name films, last year Columbia premiered the blackjack drama "21" at SXSW. New Line Cinemas debuted "Harold and Kumar: Escape From Guantanamo Bay."
"In the last few years, South By [aka SXSW] is breaking out of the impression people have had of it as a regional event and is become a tastemaking festival," Producer Thomas Woodrow told the Hollywood Reporter. Woodrow chose to debut his movie,...
- 3/17/2009
- icelebz.com
When producer Thomas Woodrow began debating the ideal launchpad for his movie "True Adolescents," he ran through the usual festival suspects: Sundance, Cannes, Toronto and Telluride.
But Woodrow decided to premiere his $1 million comedy featuring Oscar nominee Melissa Leo at South by Southwest, a fest that until recently was known as an afterthought to the powerhouse music event that runs alongside it.
Sure, "Adolescents" is music-oriented, aimed at the same young, hip audience that flocks to Austin each March, and its star, Mark Duplass, is well-known locally.
But more importantly, "the fact a golden handful of distributors who are potential partners are certainly going to be there made it the obvious choice," Woodrow says.
His decision to go with South by Southwest (SXSW or "South By," as it is known) reflects the increasing relevance of the fest heading into its 16th go-round, which begins today and runs through March 21.
Although hardly a busy acquisitions market,...
But Woodrow decided to premiere his $1 million comedy featuring Oscar nominee Melissa Leo at South by Southwest, a fest that until recently was known as an afterthought to the powerhouse music event that runs alongside it.
Sure, "Adolescents" is music-oriented, aimed at the same young, hip audience that flocks to Austin each March, and its star, Mark Duplass, is well-known locally.
But more importantly, "the fact a golden handful of distributors who are potential partners are certainly going to be there made it the obvious choice," Woodrow says.
His decision to go with South by Southwest (SXSW or "South By," as it is known) reflects the increasing relevance of the fest heading into its 16th go-round, which begins today and runs through March 21.
Although hardly a busy acquisitions market,...
- 3/12/2009
- by By Alex Ben Block
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Audiences are the winners in the high school election doc ‘Frontrunners’ Political junkies suffering withdrawal since the Nov. 4 elections will find satisfaction in “Frontrunners,” director Caroline Suh’s easygoing and enjoyable documentary about student union president elections at New York City’s prestigious Stuyvesant High School. Good-natured talk about exercising one’s right to vote and the true role of elected students replace the hardcore social messages found in many political documentaries. “Frontrunners” which debuted in New York earlier this fall before expanding to select cities, is affable instead of edgy, fun loving instead of controversial. Its bright-eyed teen candidates, as wonderfully diverse as America gets, boosts the film to something special. Like all good human-interest stories, the characters are what matter most in “Frontrunners.” In this case, any political messages are far less important.
- 11/20/2008
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Audiences are the winners in the high school election doc ‘Frontrunners’ Political junkies suffering withdrawal since the Nov. 4 elections will find satisfaction in “Frontrunners,” director Caroline Suh’s easygoing and enjoyable documentary about student union president elections at New York City’s prestigious Stuyvesant High School. Good-natured talk about exercising one’s right to vote and the true role of elected students replace the hardcore social messages found in many political documentaries. “Frontrunners” which debuted in New York earlier this fall before expanding to select cities, is affable instead of edgy, fun loving instead of controversial. Its bright-eyed teen candidates, as wonderfully diverse as America gets, boosts the film to something special. Like all good human-interest stories, the characters are what matter most in “Frontrunners.” In this case, any political messages are far less important.
- 11/20/2008
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Frontrunnersby Steve Ramos, Writer Audiences are the winners in the high school election doc ‘Frontrunners’ Political junkies suffering withdrawal since the Nov. 4 elections will find satisfaction in “Frontrunners,” director Caroline Suh’s easygoing and enjoyable documentary about student union president elections at New York City’s prestigious Stuyvesant High School. Good-natured talk about exercising one’s right to vote and the true role of elected students replace the hardcore social messages found in many political documentaries. “Frontrunners” which debuted in New York earlier this fall before expanding to select cities, is affable instead of edgy, fun loving instead of controversial. Its bright-eyed teen candidates, as wonderfully diverse as America gets, boosts the film to something special. Like all good human-interest stories, the characters are what matter most in “Frontrunners.” In this case, any political messages are far less important. Four tickets start out in the school primaries, led by Mike Zaytsev,...
- 11/20/2008
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Audiences are the winners in the high school election doc ‘Frontrunners’ Political junkies suffering withdrawal since the Nov. 4 elections will find satisfaction in “Frontrunners,” director Caroline Suh’s easygoing and enjoyable documentary about student union president elections at New York City’s prestigious Stuyvesant High School. Good-natured talk about exercising one’s right to vote and the true role of elected students replace the hardcore social messages found in many political documentaries. “Frontrunners” which debuted in New York earlier this fall before expanding to select cities, is affable instead of edgy, fun loving instead of controversial. Its bright-eyed teen candidates, as wonderfully diverse as America gets, boosts the film to something special. Like all good human-interest stories, the characters are what matter most in “Frontrunners.” In this case, any political messages are far less important.
- 11/20/2008
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Here are this weekend's box office success stories in the indie film world:
1. Frontrunners (Oscilloscope)
2. Rachel Getting Married (Sony Pictures Classics)
3. Fireproof (Samuel Goldwyn Films)
4. Religulous (Lionsgate Films)
Caroline Suh's documentary Frontrunners (pictured), which follows four teens running for elective office at a prestigious high school in New York City, had its world premiere at South by Southwest and was acquired for distribution by Oscilloscope, founded by Beastie Boy Adam Yauch, in July. Opening at one theater in New York, the film earned $7,400 over the weekend, according to Box Office Mojo, the third highest per-screen total among limited releases. That's a very good accomplishment for the fledgling Oscilloscope.
Jonathan Demme's drama Rachel Getting Married expanded from 27 to 69 theaters in selected cities across the country (including mine) and increased solidly to a per-screen average of $10,464. It's earned more than $1.75 million so far. I saw it on Saturday and was disappointed by its utterly ordinary,...
1. Frontrunners (Oscilloscope)
2. Rachel Getting Married (Sony Pictures Classics)
3. Fireproof (Samuel Goldwyn Films)
4. Religulous (Lionsgate Films)
Caroline Suh's documentary Frontrunners (pictured), which follows four teens running for elective office at a prestigious high school in New York City, had its world premiere at South by Southwest and was acquired for distribution by Oscilloscope, founded by Beastie Boy Adam Yauch, in July. Opening at one theater in New York, the film earned $7,400 over the weekend, according to Box Office Mojo, the third highest per-screen total among limited releases. That's a very good accomplishment for the fledgling Oscilloscope.
Jonathan Demme's drama Rachel Getting Married expanded from 27 to 69 theaters in selected cities across the country (including mine) and increased solidly to a per-screen average of $10,464. It's earned more than $1.75 million so far. I saw it on Saturday and was disappointed by its utterly ordinary,...
- 10/20/2008
- by Peter Martin
- Cinematical
Outside of the people who run for student government, does anyone in high school really care who gets elected class president? And yet isn't that what makes stories about student-body elections so fascinating? The stakes are so low, yet the way these kids campaign—and the reasons their classmates vote for them—says a lot about the political process and the American educational system's 12-year-long popularity contest. Caroline Suh's documentary Frontrunners follows the presidential election at Stuyvesant High, an exclusive Manhattan magnet school known for turning out future leaders. But even at this rarefied a level, the same mundane process of putting up posters and passing out flyers pertains. And even the award-winning student newspaper votes on its much-coveted candidate endorsement in the classic "heads down, raise your hand" school-kid secret ballot. Aside from the somewhat grating blasts of indie-rock that pop up on Frontrunners' soundtrack, Suh covers Stuyvesant's race vérité-style,...
- 10/16/2008
- by Noel Murray
- avclub.com
By Neil Pedley
There's plenty to be pleased about this week as we get to spend time with both current and future presidents as part of an Ellen Burstyn double bill. There's also -- whisper it -- a movie based on a video game that might actually be worth seeing. Not to mention enough titular wordplay to make Richard Lederer's head spin. It's all just pun and games though, right?
"The Elephant King"
Built on the old adage that getting lost is the best way to find oneself, Seth Grossman's debut feature follows the travels of Oliver (Tate Ellington), a suicidal writer who's dispatched by Ellen Burstyn's frantic matriarch to the seedy bar scene of Thailand to bring back his brother Jake (Jonno Roberts) to face his considerable debts in the U.S. Once abroad, Oliver finds that he may be at odds with his brother, but...
There's plenty to be pleased about this week as we get to spend time with both current and future presidents as part of an Ellen Burstyn double bill. There's also -- whisper it -- a movie based on a video game that might actually be worth seeing. Not to mention enough titular wordplay to make Richard Lederer's head spin. It's all just pun and games though, right?
"The Elephant King"
Built on the old adage that getting lost is the best way to find oneself, Seth Grossman's debut feature follows the travels of Oliver (Tate Ellington), a suicidal writer who's dispatched by Ellen Burstyn's frantic matriarch to the seedy bar scene of Thailand to bring back his brother Jake (Jonno Roberts) to face his considerable debts in the U.S. Once abroad, Oliver finds that he may be at odds with his brother, but...
- 10/13/2008
- by Neil Pedley
- ifc.com
One of my absolute favorite films from this year's South by Southwest film festival, Caroline Suh's high school election doc Frontrunners, recently got a little update on its theatrical poster, as well as some news about its upcoming NYC release. Over the past few months, I have been looking back ...
- 9/10/2008
- by Neil Miller
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
New York -- Beastie Boy Adam Yauch's new Oscilloscope Pictures has picked up worldwide rights to the comic high school election docu "Frontrunners."
Caroline Suh's real-life take on the Reese Witherspoon/Matthew Broderick satire "Election" follows four students in a campaign for student council president at Manhattan's competitive Stuyvesant High School. The film premiered in competition this year at the South by Southwest Film Festival.
Oscilloscope will release the film Oct. 15 at New York's Film Forum, followed by a platform release across the country before the November presidential elections. A DVD release is planned early next year.
Oscilloscope's David Fenkel negotiated the deal with Karen Shatzkin, Suh and Erika Frankel.
Caroline Suh's real-life take on the Reese Witherspoon/Matthew Broderick satire "Election" follows four students in a campaign for student council president at Manhattan's competitive Stuyvesant High School. The film premiered in competition this year at the South by Southwest Film Festival.
Oscilloscope will release the film Oct. 15 at New York's Film Forum, followed by a platform release across the country before the November presidential elections. A DVD release is planned early next year.
Oscilloscope's David Fenkel negotiated the deal with Karen Shatzkin, Suh and Erika Frankel.
- 7/8/2008
- by By Gregg Goldstein
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
- July 4th kicked off the highly visible presidential campaign season, and you know what that means: political films are all the rage. Decidedly liberal Beastie Boy Adam Yauch and his production company Oscilloscope Pictures have jumped on the political bandwagon, picking up worldwide distribution rights for Frontrunners.Caroline Suh's documentary follows the most recent elections at the ultra-competitive Stuyvesant High School in New York City, and explores how politics works at its most nascent level. While most of us were worrying about zits or algebra, these students have to deal with serious politics, almost as competitive as running for any legitimate public office. In a statement, Yauch revealed his personal feelings on the picture: "I loved seeing the dynamics of a fully functioning political system within the microcosm of Stuyvesant High School. From when I first saw it at South By Southwest Film Festival I was taken by
- 7/8/2008
- IONCINEMA.com
The 15th annual South by Southwest Film Conference and Festival on Monday announced a lineup of 113 feature films, including 64 world premieres, high school-themed features and a healthy batch of rock documentaries.
"I think this year's lineup represents our current world of extremes," SXSW Film Festival producer Matt Dentler said. "It's a well-rounded slate of films, from both veteran masters and promising newcomers."
Among the films focusing on high school life are Frontrunners, Caroline Suh's docu about the campaign for student body president; Nanette Burstein's docu American Teen, about the cliques of high school seniors in a small Indiana town; Greg Takoudes' drama Up With Me, about a Harlem teen who is admitted to an upstate boarding school on scholarship; Brett Simon's dark comedy Assassination of a High School President, about a high school newspaper reporter investigating a mysterious plot involving the class president, drugs and a stolen test score ring; and Gregg Bishop's horror-adventure Dance of the Dead, where dateless high school losers must battle the living dead at prom.
"I think this year's lineup represents our current world of extremes," SXSW Film Festival producer Matt Dentler said. "It's a well-rounded slate of films, from both veteran masters and promising newcomers."
Among the films focusing on high school life are Frontrunners, Caroline Suh's docu about the campaign for student body president; Nanette Burstein's docu American Teen, about the cliques of high school seniors in a small Indiana town; Greg Takoudes' drama Up With Me, about a Harlem teen who is admitted to an upstate boarding school on scholarship; Brett Simon's dark comedy Assassination of a High School President, about a high school newspaper reporter investigating a mysterious plot involving the class president, drugs and a stolen test score ring; and Gregg Bishop's horror-adventure Dance of the Dead, where dateless high school losers must battle the living dead at prom.
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