The Oregonian
It's a sweep! No, not for 'Rings': 'Gigli,' Bennifer grab Razzies

03/02/04

Lost in the glare of the "Lord of the Rings" sweep at Sunday's Oscars was another awards sweep over the weekend. The mob-comedy flop "Gigli" became the first movie to take all six top trophies at the annual Golden Raspberry Awards. LOPEZ


Razzies voters picked "Gigli" as 2003's worst picture, Ben Affleck as worst actor, Jennifer Lopez as worst actress and the two as worst screen couple. Filmmaker Martin Brest took the Razzies for worst director and screenplay.

Still, "Gigli" fell short of the record seven Razzies won by 1995's "Showgirls" and 2000's "Battlefield Earth." Among other "winners," Sylvester Stallone padded his Razzie resume with a record 10th prize, this time for worst supporting actor in "Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over." Demi Moore took the supporting-actress Razzie for her role in "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle," which also was named worst remake or sequel.

Indy awards: "Lost in Translation" took the top prizes over the weekend at the Independent Spirit Awards, the indie film world's version of the Oscars. Sofia Coppola won best director and screenplay, Bill Murray won best male lead and "Translation" won best feature film. Oscar winner Charlize Theron won best female lead for "Monster," and the supporting acting awards went to Djimon Hounsou ("In America") and Shohreh Aghdashloo ("House of Sand and Fog"). -- From wire reports

Aspen Fest Marks 10 years of Snickering by the Slopes

By Georg Szalai


For a few days this week, Aspen, Colo., will once again be the center of the funny industry as the HBO-sponsored U.S. Comedy Arts Festival kicks off its 10th anniversary edition Wednesday.

As has become tradition, about 300 industryites from Hollywood and New York will converge on the small town to enjoy some of the more than 100 performances -- including stand-up comedy, satirical theater productions and a record-breaking lineup of comedic films -- and maybe some skiing as well.

"The 10th anniversary of the festival will be a celebration of the innovators of our industry and -- as always -- present the best of what's going on in the industry right now," said USCAF executive director Stu Smiley, emphasizing that the fest will include newer as well as established talent. "Supporting and nurturing comedic talent has really been a focus for us."

Among well-known stars attending this year's festival are Diane Keaton, who will be honored with the AFI Star Award; Drew Carey, who is hosting a special late-night anniversary show; Chris Rock, who will discuss his role in the cult film "Pootie Tang"; as well as Greg Proops, Louis CK, Robert Schimmel, Joe Rogan, Caroline Rhea and Phil Hendrie; plus cast members and producers of the HBO shows "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and "Sex and the City."

In addition, Jay Mohr and his team will be in Aspen to shoot some material for NBC's second installment of the reality TV show "Last Comic Standing."

Over its 10 years, USCAF, which is sponsored by HBO, has developed a reputation for putting the spotlight on a wide range of talents, from classic individual stand-ups to sketch groups, theater productions and quirkier event performances.

"Because of the diversity of shows, it's a very multidimensional festival," said Mark Scroggs, an agent at talent agency Don Buchwald & Associates. "And you get a deep understanding of what talent is capable of doing."

USCAF also is a way for industryites to connect outside of the daily grind. "In addition to all the great talent and shows I get to see, it's also a great opportunity for me to connect with colleagues and talent that I only get to see a couple of times a year," said Randi Siegel, executive vp creative development at National Lampoon.

While only some of the standout talent will win festival awards in such categories as best alternative, one-man and theatrical performances, others will have the chance to strut their stuff during the current casting season.

Among Aspen acts creating early buzz is "The Big Howard/Little Howard Show," which already attracted strong attention during last year's Edinburgh Fringe Festival as well as a stopover in New York late last year. Directing his animated cyber buddy Little Howard via a computer keyboard, Howard Read creates a blend of stand-up, song, audience interaction and banter in the show.

USCAF also will feature various TV talent in onstage roles. For example, the cast of Comedy Central's "Reno 911" will put on a special sketch performance in Aspen, and Anglo-Iranian stand-up Omid Djalili, who stars on NBC comedy "Whoopi," will perform a set.

Sketch group For the Kids and Schimmel -- who both recently signed development deals with the WB Network -- Louis CK, who is working on a CBS pilot, and Rhea, who's doing an ABC pilot, also will be among the talent with TV projects that get a chance to strut their comedic stuff in Aspen.

As is tradition, the industry is expected to turn out strongly to USCAF's showcases of stand-ups, which include familiar talent like Al Madrigal from the Fox comedy "The Ortegas" as well as lesser-known performers.

Overall, Smiley said he hopes Aspen will help fuel a resurgence of TV comedy. "Reality TV has become the popular format of our time," he said. "But comedy will hopefully come back again soon."

As always, USCAF also will feature a film lineup with Hank Azaria, Jack Black, Jeff Ross and others on hand to support projects. This year's Film Discovery Program, which includes eight world premieres and a total of 22 comedic features and 19 shorts, will be USCAF's biggest yet.

Among the highlights, director Barry Levinson will screen his documentary "Original Diner Guys," a look at the men who inspired his semiautobiographical hit movie "Diner."

Also, USCAF will celebrate "Sex and the City" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm."

In a special "Sex in Aspen" session, Sarah Jessica Parker and writer/executive producer Michael Patrick King will join the female writers of the show to explore the creative process behind "Sex."

For the "Curb" event, creator-star Larry David, Jeff Garlin, Susie Essman, Richard Lewis, Robert Weide and Larry Charles will discuss the show's secret of success.

A special Filmmaker Award event will honor Jim Abrahams, David Zucker and Jerry Zucker of "Airplane!" fame for putting the spoof genre on the Hollywood map.

Even the upcoming presidential elections will be a topic of debate in Aspen as CNN anchor Anderson Cooper and others will be on hand to discuss the state of political satire.

USCAF runs Wednesday-Sunday.

Production Report: "American Hardcore," "Patch," "P.S.," "Saving Face," & "Vineyard Haven"

by Jason Guerrasio

Editor's Note: This is the first article in indieWIRE's new series of occasional reports on independent films in production. If you'd like your film in production to be considered, please email editor@indiewire.com.

"AMERICAN HARDCORE: A TRIBAL HISTORY"

Since showing a 19-minute work-in-progress at the 2003 IFP Market in New York City in September, "American Hardcore: A Tribal History" has been one of the hot projects to track. For its director/producer Paul Rachman (a co-founding filmmaker and the East Coast director of Slamdance) and producer Steven Blush, this documentary on the underground hardcore punk scene of the 1970s recollects memories of their start. "I started my career doing videos for bands like Gang Green and The Bad Brains so in a way we're revisiting part of our youth," says Rachman.

Basing their film on the book of the same title by Blush, the two have been traveling the country with their mini-DV Cam in search of the guys who pioneered early American punk rock. Currently ... READ THE REST ON INDIEWIRE

Amidst Criticism of Its Choices, Academy Brings Together Foreign Language Nominees

by Susan Buzzelli

Denys Arcand's "The Barbarian Invasions," winner of the Oscar for best foreign language film at the 76th Academy Awards. Image provided by Miramax.

Nicole Kidman, Tom Cruise and Harvey Weinstein were not the only Oscar hopefuls snubbed by the Academy this year. Much to the chagrin of critics, film festival audiences and diplomats, supposed foreign language shoe-ins "Osama," "Goodbye Lenin!" and "The Return" lost out to a relatively obscure set of nostalgic dramas about youth, honor and World War II. Of the five nominees, Canada's "The Barbarian Invasions," the Czech Republic's "Zelary," The Netherlands' "Twin Sisters," Japan's "The Twilight Samurai," and Sweden's "Evil," only Denys Arcand's witty, weepy "Invasions" won wide-spread acclaim prior to the February Oscar nominations (and would go on to win the Oscar on Sunday). READ THE REST ON INDIEWIRE

LONG ISLAND CITY: Hoping the show will go on
Businesses catering to the theater and film industries are feeling squeezed by rezoning and real estate prices

BY TANIA PADGETT
STAFF WRITER

March 1, 2004

Falcon Perspectives, a design company that builds exhibits for Off-Broadway shows, museums and trade shows, has been in Long Island City for 17 years. But lately owner Vincent Toma is thinking of moving his company to another part of Queens or out of the borough completely.

Rising real estate prices and the city's plans to make the mostly industrial Long Island City more residential would make it more difficult and expensive to operate, said Toma.

"This is a great neighborhood," Toma said of the longtime haven for businesses catering to the entertainment industry. "But we see the writing on the wall."

Rezoning and rising property values are forcing some companies that make some or all of their living from Broadway to exit. Companies that rely heavily on the Great White Way are particularly hard hit because the economic health of that sector continues to be wobbly. Long Island City, a neighborhood poised for economic growth, could see those prospects fall short if businesses start to leave, economists warn.

The film and TV industry has long thrived in Long Island City, earning it the name Hollywood East. Silvercup Studios, the production set for HBO's "Sex and the City" and "The Sopranos," has been there since 1983. Kaufman-Astoria Studios, where the HBO special "Angels in America" was filmed, has been there since 1920.

In the 1980s, Broadway types - including set designers, costume makers and lighting specialists - began flocking to the western Queens neighborhood for its cheap rents, warehouses and proximity to Manhattan.

Kenny Greenberg, who owns Krypton Neon, a design company that has done neon lighting for many Broadway shows including "Phantom of the Opera" and "Flower Drum Song," came to the neighborhood about 20 years ago after the rent on his TriBeCa loft tripled in a year.

"It was too expensive to stay," said Greenberg. "Long Island City had much lower rents, and it was still close to my clients."

Other businesses catering to showbiz include Mutual Hardware, which does set decorating and rigging for television and Broadway shows, including "Phantom of the Opera"; and its sister company, Alcon, which supplies makeup for the theater industry; I. Weiss & Sons Inc., a $6 million business that makes huge curtains for Broadway stages, and Showman Fabricators, a multimillion-dollar business that designs sets. But recent trends in the neighborhood could make it more difficult for this cluster of theater businesses to remain.

Changes could hurt business

The Department of City Planning is proposing zoning changes that will make Long Island City far more residential by bringing in about 300 housing units in new buildings to Hunters Point, a neighborhood located between the Citigroup office tower at Court Square and Queens West on the East River waterfront.

Toma, whose fleet of hired trucks already has a tough time negotiating the narrow streets of the neighborhood, said the additional traffic would be a "disaster," for the community. "And more residents mean more kids," he said. "That sounds like an accident waiting to happen."

And then there are the soaring property values. Sales on commercial properties have surged 25 percent annually for the past several years, real estate agents from Long Island City say.

"Rents have actually been stable," said John Maltz, president of Greiner-Maltz Real Estate. "But pressure is there. Higher rents will push marginal businesses out of Long Island City."

Mary Piotrowski, co-owner of Mutual Hardware and Alcon, said she was shocked to see a piece of property that she wanted to buy more than double in value in just three years.

"If I didn't own my buildings, I would have been out of this neighborhood a long time ago."

Some companies leave

Others have already left. At least two set designers have moved to cheaper neighborhoods elsewhere. Hudson Scenic, a set designer, left Long Island City for Yonkers, and embroidery company Dodgers Stage Clothing has returned to Chelsea in Manhattan after getting a better deal on warehouse space there. Economists say that an exodus of businesses from the area would hurt the neighborhood's local economy.

"If enough businesses leave, there is no question that it would hurt the neighborhood," said Jonathan Bowles, research director of the Center for an Urban Future, a think tank. . Bob Usdin of Showman Fabricators said the company moved into Long Island City last year, but he wouldn't be surprised if other businesses left because of increases in property values and the potential change in the neighborhood. Usdin and partner Mike Cioffi recently left Red Hook, Brooklyn, after the landlord tried to triple their rent.

"We came to a neighborhood where the same thing that happened to us is beginning to happen to businesses that are already here," Usdin said.

What's the Setup?

By Debra Kaufman

Permits, stages, and locations are your next step in shooting your own film. Once you have your budget and production schedule firmly in hand, the next step is to plan how and where you'll be shooting your film. First and foremost is the importance of obtaining permits for shooting, whether you're in Los Angeles or New York.

Says line producer Dino Donofrio ("The Food Chain: A Hollywood Scarytale"), "I'm a firm believer that you must always get a permit, no matter what. Save money for those permits, because if you're shut down, all the money you spent for that shooting day is wasted."

The good news is that getting permits to shoot is easy and inexpensive. In L.A., filmmakers should contact the Entertainment Industry Development Corporation (EIDC), a nonprofit organization dedicated to help production companies obtain everything they need to shoot on location. The production company pays a $450 facilitation fee ($385 for low-budget films), which allows up to two weeks' shooting in as many as 10 locations. EIDC Vice President and General Manager of Operations Darryl Seif points out that there is no permit cost to film in the city of Los Angeles or unincorporated areas of L.A. But EIDC handles all the variety of use and service fees, ranging from closing streets to having county lifeguards or fire marshals on hand.

"We will give a low-budget structure that reduces permit and notification fees," says Seif. "If the new filmmaker comes to us in advance, we can help them in the overall approach to filming. We welcome anyone coming in so we can help them identify locations where they might be able to cut costs."

Although it may be quite tempting to shoot without permits, especially with today's smaller, lightweight digital cameras, Seif notes that neighbors often give a call to see whether the shoot is permitted. If it is not, the LAPD will come and close down the shoot.

At the City of New York Mayor's Office of Film, Theatre, and Broadcasting, Assistant Commissioner Julianne Cho calls New York "a perfect place to make a low-budget movie." She elaborates: "All of our public locations are free of charge, and all of our police assistance is free of charge. Parking privileges, if you need them, are also free." Of the 180 films that shot in New York last year, says Cho, most were independents. She relates that the Directors Guild of America recently worked out a low-budget agreement with local unions that makes it more cost-effective for producers to work in New York. Real estate mogul Douglas Elliman's website (www.elliman.com), which operates in conjunction with the mayor's office, lists a range of private shooting locations and facilitates negotiation with the owners.

According to the EIDC, Greater L.A. is home to more than 400 sound stages comprising more than 4.4 million square feet. Resources for stage listings include the EIDC website and the IFP (Independent Feature Project) resource library. At IFP West, membership manager Marceil Wright reports that in addition to the library, IFP members get a vendor discount book, which includes a list of sound stages. The list includes Glaxa DT's sound stage and bar/nightclub set, a spooky basement and cyclorama with loading door, and Aero Mock-Ups, which provides an authentic and realistic airline and cockpit interior.

In L.A., even motion picture studios rent out their sound stages. According to 20th Century Fox's Hal Haenel, vice president of production services, this studio has 15 stages in its rental inventory, ranging from 13,400 square feet to 28,275 square feet. He advises producers to tailor the size of the stage they rent to their production. "'I Love Lucy' was shot on a 7,000-square-foot stage," he notes. "Rent what you need, not what you think you need."

Century Studios (www.centurystudio.com) is home to big productions such as NBC's "Las Vegas" and "The Office." But, says studio manager Dale Duko, who is an alliance member of IFP, it also has plenty of experience working with small indie productions. He encourages indie filmmakers to find "like-minded people" to be their allies in getting the movie done on the cheap. "Be ready to shoot on the fly," he advises. "It's almost like flying standby." Duko advises filmmakers to see whether the sound stage is clean -- a strong indicator of its general condition. Quilting on the walls keeps sound from bouncing around, and readily available power distribution and lots of parking are also important.

New York doesn't boast the same number of stages, but still offers a range of choices, all of which can be found on the Office of Film, Theatre, and Broadcasting's website. Chelsea Studios has eight sound stages, mainly serving the television market. "Because it's New York and real estate is a hot commodity, you don't find the very large, warehouse-style studios you find in Los Angeles," says studio production manager Kate Miller. Her advice is to use your connections to the best of your ability. "Call in favors," she says. "Try to rent all of your own equipment from friends or vendors with whom you have a great relationship. Try to be flexible with your schedule."

One of the more prominent sources of stage space in New York is Silvercup Studios (www.silvercupstudios.com), which has 18 stages ranging from 3,000 to 18,000 square feet. Executive Vice President Gary Kesner says that one of the company's principals is chair of the Hampton Film Festival. "So we certainly try to be supportive of up-and-coming filmmakers," he says.

Kaufman Astoria Studios is another familiar locale for stage rentals. President Hal Rosenbluth's advice to low-budget filmmakers is succinct. "Call," he says. "Low-budget people don't call. Many of them think they can't afford to work on a stage, but more often than not they'd be surprised."

Shooting permits aren't the only authorization you'll need. Insurance is a necessity for sound stage and location rental. "Even if they're students or first-time filmmakers, they still need to meet the grown-up requirements of insurance," says Haenel. "That's square one, before you get anything out the door, on location or a set."

For first-time filmmakers unsure of how to find and purchase insurance, resources such as IFP can be invaluable. Many smaller, low-budget productions do what Donofrio did: He signed on with the Filmmakers Resource, which makes them the titular production company in exchange for insurance coverage. "It's a legitimate way of doing things, and it saves money," says Donofrio. "They don't retain ownership, but they give you good rates [for the insurance]." There are also other organizations that provide a similar form of fiscal sponsorship.

When you consider whether to rent a sound stage for your production, other expenses have to be taken into account. "An art department is underestimated in that respect," says Donofrio. "You have to put up walls, bring in sets. You're paying the art department for an extra day of setup and for the set for an extra day." When to shoot on a set and when to seek out a location depends on many factors, from the content of the scenes (such as fantasy sequences, which might need a sound stage) to the budget.

Locations are often a more cost-effective solution for the low-budget film. Nearly every notable site has provisions for film/video shoots, from the Santa Monica Pier to the Los Angeles Arboretum. Calling in favors and using connections are the best bet for the low-budget filmmaker.

Next month, we'll examine how to choose whether to shoot film or video, and how to choose a camera.

If you have stories about a production you're involved in, please let us know, at signings@backstage.com.

Here's some helpful information:

EIDC
7083 Hollywood Blvd., 5th floor
Hollywood, CA 90028
Tel: (323) 957-1000
Fax: (323) 463-0613
Permit fax: (323) 962-4966
www.eidc.com

The City of New York Mayor's Office of Film, Theatre, and Broadcasting
1697 Broadway, 6th floor (entrance on 53rd Street)
New York, NY 10019
Tel: (212) 489-6710
Downloadable forms at www.nyc.gov/html/film/html/permits/permit_download.shtml

IFP
www.ifp.org

Chicago
33 East Congress Parkway, Room 505
Chicago, IL 60605
Tel: (312) 435-1825
Fax: (312) 435-1828

Los Angeles
8750 Wilshire Boulevard, 2nd Floor
Beverly Hills, CA 90211
Tel: (310) 432-1200
Fax: (310) 432-1203

Miami
210 2nd Street
Miami, FL 33139
Tel: (305) 538-8242

Minneapolis
401 N. 3rd St., Ste. 450
Minneapolis, MN 55401
Tel: (612) 338-0871
Fax: (612) 338-4747

New York
104 West 29th Street, 12th Floor
New York, NY
10001-5310
Tel: (212) 465-8200
Fax: (212) 465-8525

Seattle
1100 Republican St
Seattle, WA 98109
Tel: (206) 860-8490

Behind Cold Mountain's cold shoulder
Studio boss Harvey Weinstein is blamed for film's absence from Best Picture list

MARTIN KNELMAN

Was it something Harvey Weinstein said?

Actually, it was probably a lot of things Weinstein said.

The result: Miramax Pictures, which has dominated the Academy Awards year after year for the past decade, has been downgraded for tonight's Oscar ceremony at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood.

Not that Miramax does not have an impressive number of nominations. "If the Academy was mad at us, we'd never have gotten 15 nominations, more than anyone else," Weinstein, the studio's co-founder, insists.

They include seven for Cold Mountain, four for City Of God, and two for The Barbarian Invasions (which is distributed by Miramax in the U.S. only).

He may have a point, but the fact remains that Cold Mountain got the cold shoulder in such major categories as Best Director and Best Actress. And for the first time in 11 years, Miramax does not have any contender in the running for the big one — the Oscar for Best Picture.

In 2004, for a change, nobody in Hollywood is suggesting that they might have to change the nickname of the Academy Awards from the Oscars to the Harveys.

And the Miramax post-Oscar party — usually a hot-ticket event rivalling the Vanity Fair party — has been called off.

Which is a shockingly un-Miramax thing to do.

Never mind the 15 nominations for Miramax films. Focus instead on the 11 nominations for New Line's The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King.

Harvey Weinstein has screen credit as an executive producer, so you might think the film's success would give him a lot of pleasure.

In fact, the triumph of Lord Of The Rings is another slap in the face for Weinstein. That's because Miramax, which held the film rights to the J.R.R. Tolkien saga, took a pass. Instead, Weinstein stepped aside to let New Line make the trilogy.

All in all, this has been a rough season for Miramax — the winter of Weinstein's discontent. Let us count the ways:

Miramax was shut out of the Golden Globe awards last month.

At the Sundance Film Festival — a celebration of the kind of indie-type movies Miramax has always been known for — the studio didn't have its usual dominant presence. Instead, it had just one film screened at the festival.

In Down And Dirty Pictures, his recently published insider book about the American independent film movement, author Peter Biskind portrays Weinstein as a monster, a bully and a buffoon who has alienated many talented movie directors.

Now comes the backlash.

Last year, the evidence suggests, Weinstein crossed a line. His spare-no-expense, accept-no-limits approach to campaigning seemed more out of control than ever. In an attempt to have Martin Scorsese get his first-ever Oscar for directing — for helming Gangs Of New York — Miramax not only had Scorsese appearing on talk shows practically begging for the award, it also indulged in highly questionable tactics, such as running huge ads in which veteran director Robert Wise endorsed Scorsese.

It turned out that the Miramax marketing team wrote the endorsement, not Wise. Miramax was even accused of trying to take votes away from rival candidate Roman Polanski, nominated for The Pianist, by focusing new attention on an old scandal — sex charges that have kept Polanski out of the U.S. since the 1970s.

In the past, the aggressive campaign tactics and huge promotion budget had paid off for Miramax with many Oscar triumphs.

And by releasing its best movies at the end of each year, Miramax has been able to use the Oscar hoopla to attract mainstream audiences for movies that might otherwise have perished at the box office.

Even last year Miramax did win the Best Picture Oscar for Chicago. But Gangs Of New York — the movie closest to Weinstein's heart — fared poorly. In one huge upset, Scorsese lost to Polanski. In another, Daniel Day Lewis (of Gangs) lost to Adrien Brody, named best actor for The Pianist.

But the real sign of Hollywood's distaste for Miramax and its relentless escalation of awards campaigning tactics came when the Academy decided to move Oscar night forward from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in February.

There was one big, if unstated, reason for the change of date: Put a lid on Harvey Weinstein's shenanigans.

For years the Academy has been going to great lengths to curb excesses, police promotion campaigns and put a stop to the most vulgar forms of vote-grabbing.

A sample rule: "Receptions, dinners or other events to which Academy members are invited and which are specifically designed to promote a film or achievement for Academy Awards are expressly forbidden."

But a big part of the problem was that award season lasted for months. By handing out the Oscars earlier, the Academy hoped to cut down on campaign madness.

Another sign of the clampdown mentality was the furor over video screeners, traditionally sent to voters, but banned this year by industry cop Jack Valenti. That was a highly controversial issue because it hurt the nomination chances of small films that did not have the advantage of being shown on thousands of theatre screens.

Even the privileged people (such as members of Academy committees) who did get some nominated films on video were given stern warnings they could get into big trouble if they allowed those videos to be viewed by anyone other than members of their immediate families.

It seems that Hollywood, like the rest of American society, is becoming increasingly obsessed with the need for tight security.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is doing its utmost to restore dignity, decorum and restraint to the gamesmanship of movie awards. Rules must be followed, and offenders will be treated with zero tolerance.

The upshot: Movie marketing departments are being pressured to curb their enthusiasm; Miramax is being subjected to a containment strategy; and Harvey Weinstein has been warned to give up his weapons of mass destruction.
mknelma@thestar.ca