UK distributor Tartan Films says it intends to sue Michael Winterbottom's company, Revolution Films, alleging that they have reneged on their distribution contract with Tartan for Winterbottom's sexually graphic new film, Nine Songs, which caused a media frenzy at Cannes last month.
"I have no desire to turn Revolution into the Kim Basinger of the 21st century, but they have to honour their deals," said Tartan chairman Hamish McAlpine. The disagreement arose after Winterbottom said publicly that he would be willing to cut the movie to get an 18 certificate, but McAlpine said he would not allow this. Now Winterbottom has pulled the film from Tartan, and Andrew Eaton, his producer partner, said the distribution contract had never been concluded.
Woody's Irish interest
Irish actor Jonathan Rhys-Meyers will join Kate Winslet and Emily Mortimer in the cast of Woody Allen's new, as-yet-untitled film, which starts shooting in London next month. The $15 million movie is backed by BBC Films, Magic Hour Media, Thema Production and Invicta Capital, with bank finance from the Bank of Ireland. Meanwhile, Allen's recently completed Melinda and Melinda is set for Irish release through 20th Century Fox on December 3rd.
Simpson in the frame
Belfast director John Simpson's stylish thriller Freeze Frame, which stars Lee Evans as a deeply paranoid murder suspect and was released here last week, took the prize for best first film at the 50th Taormina Film Festival in Italy last Sunday night. The prize is worth €25,000. The festival presented honorary awards to actors Michael Douglas, Judi Dench, Mira Sorvino and Antonio Banderas, and directors Margarethe Von Trotta, Francesco Rosi and Luigi Magni.
Clooney gets oiled up
Once they finish the sequel Ocean's Twelve, Matt Damon and George Clooney will reunite for the political thriller Syriana, written and directed by Stephen Gaghan, the Oscar-winning screenwriter of Traffic. Damon will play a financial dealer representing the oil interests of a Middle Eastern country, with Clooney as a former undercover agent, in a tapestry of intersecting storylines that involve the CIA, foreign policy, the oil industry and terrorism.
Farrell's full monty
Colin Farrell's new film, A Home at the End of the World, which opens in the US next month, has started to collect critical kudos in early reviews.
Adapted by Michael Cunningham, author of The Hours, from his novel, the film, directed by Michael Mayer, features Robin Wright Penn and Dallas Roberts as a woman and a man who are both in love with Farrell's character.
However, the film has been the subject of several late revisions in the cutting-room. Reviewing it at the Provincetown Film Festival, where it won the audience award for best film, Variety critic David Rooney notes that the version shown there "differs from the final release cut, which has an additional four minutes, including the reintegration of a kiss between the two lead characters", played by Farrell and newcomer Dallas Roberts."
Rooney also says that critics attending earlier previews saw yet another different version featuring a scene featuring a "full-frontal Farrell, now cropped after being deemed too distracting."
Irish language award
The Cork Film Festival has announced a new award, sponsored by Gael Linn, for the best Irish-language short film screened at the festival. The new award, to be named Gradam Gael Linn, comes with a trophy and a cheque for €3,000. The festival runs from October 10th to 17th.
www.corkfilmfest.org
