SXSW keeps cooking for fans, customers

Joss Whedon's horror pic 'The Cabin inside the Woods' will open SXSW on Friday.SXSW pre-buys include Strand's acquisition of Adam Sherman's 'Crazy Eyes.'Young talent, multi-tasking brainiacs and freaks within the underworld converge onscreen in Austin Friday in world-preeming South by Southwest opener "The Cabin inside the Forest."A year ago, TWC acquired Oscar-winning gridiron docu "Undefeated" right after its SXSW world preem, stimulating action that saw several docus, evening time chiller "Kill List" and gay romance "Weekend" ink deals through the fest. Saturday morning's world preem of Jacob Rosenberg's skateboard docu "Waiting for Lightning," within the "Enter Liquid" producers, could spur buying action even earlier.Attracted by digital deals ready fans, a wider number of U.S. and foreign merchants and customers are riding in to the city this year for your nine-day SXSW Film, which overlaps its Interactive and Music compadres.Pre-fest pick-ups are the just-scooped Jay and Mark Duplass comedy "Do-Deca-Pentathalon" (Danger SignalOrSibel Searchlight), Adam Sherman's "Crazy Eyes" (Strand) and midnighters "The Aggression Scale" (Anchor Bay) and "Iron Sky" (eOne)."It strikes me there's more available films this year together with a better industry attendance overall,Inch mentioned Arianna Bocco, Sundance Selects/IFC Films senior V . p . of purchases and productions together with a fest vet.Customers obtain hitlists but showed up at SXSW ready for unforeseen gems. " 'Weekend' showed up in this area of left area for people, and I have have a feeling that will happen this year,In . she added.SXSW remains an important launchpad for photos with distribution. Furthermore to Came Goddard's "Cabin" (Lionsgate), Columbia/MGM world preems "21 Jump Street" Monday and Pantelion provides Will Ferrell-starrer "Casa p mi padre" Tuesday, both opening wide March 16.Auds can catch U.S. preems of William Friedkin's "Killer Joe," Willem Dafoe-starrer "The Hunter" and Eduardo Sanchez's "Lovely Molly."Magnet has reggae docu "Marley," the earth preem of midnighter "Rec 3 Genesis," horror omnibus "V/H/S" and Bobcat Goldthwaite's "God Bless America." Local hero Richard Linklater presents his dark comedy "Bernie," starring Jack Black. And SXSW discovery Lena Dunham (2010 narrative champion and IFC pickup "Small Furniture") reveals her Cinemax comedy "Women."Merchants and customers agree SXSW's youth-skewed tech and culture-savvy audience is a crucial litmus test for product. The fest will hands out aud honours in many program groups the first time this year.InchSomebody who was simply 13 five years ago is becoming 18 and part of a period of clients taught to watch and respond to movies diversely,In . mentioned Preferred Content founder Kevin Iwashina, whose photos are saved to buyer rader including U.K. chiller "Black Pond," docu "Charles Bradley: Soul of America" and John Slattery-starring father-boy drama "Inside Our Character.""(Film fest producer) Jesse Pierson and her team try to program for market, not for your business, and identify films you wouldn't see elsewhere."Welsh-born heartthrob Aneurin Barnard stars by 50 percent photos using the Southby vibe -- Irish helmer Ciaran Foy's world-preeming feral-kids midnighter "Citadel" and Marc Evans' seventies-set coming-of-age musical "Hunky Dory," screening inside the narrative spotlight alongside Matthew Lillard's "Body body fat Kid Rules the planetInch and Jordan Roberts' "Frankie Go Boom," which begins Charlie Hunnam and Chris O'Dowd against Ron Perlman in dragThe Emerging Visions program seems to own major buyer awareness this year, with "Black Pond," Kirsten Sheridan's Dublin teen rampage "Toy house," Rebecca Thomas' edgy Mormon girl tale "Electrick Children," and world preems of Andrew Neel's camera-footage mashup "King Kelly," Matthew A. Cherry's "The Ultimate Fall" (Lance Gross just like a washed-up ex-professional footballer) and Bill and Turner Ross's rambling New Orleans-set docu "Tchoupitoulas."Narrative competish photos getting in purchases interest include Jonathan Lisecki's babymaking comedy "Gayby," Mark Jarrett's ex-pat journey "The Taiwan Oyster," additionally to newcomer Adam Leon's graffiti revenge drama "Gimme the Loot" (also developed in New Company company directors New Films) and unlikely friendship story "Celebrity," from "Prince of Broadway" helmer Sean Baker.Submarine's Josh Braun, who just closed an unspecified deal for Ron Alverson's Sundance-preeming laffer "The Comedy" (screening at SXSW), always finds success along with his focussed slate."Southby rarely has investing in an offer wars and, personally, it's where discussions start nevertheless it wouldn't surprise me whenever we sell a title through the festival this year,In . mentioned Braun, which has "Loot" and "Celebrity," competish docu "Rob" (a chiller about Jeffrey Dahmer), and arty docus "Gregory Crewdson: Brief Encounters" and "Central Park Effect.""Entrepreneurs are becoming an even more direct dialogue with audiences," mentioned Elizabeth Sheldon, vice-prexy of Kino Lorber. "The festival's convergence of tech and film is different, because it brings that online audience -- the passionate people associated with Kickstarter campaigns and other initiatives -- into theaters," Sheldon states. "Which is great to fulfill that core audience because, today, it's your most effective marketing strategy.In . Contact Pat Saperstein at pat.saperstein@variety.com

Torchwood Star Cast In ABCs Gilded Lilys

Torchwood star John Barrowman has landed the last series regular role on KJ Steinberg and Shonda Rhimes ABC period drama pilot Gilded Lilys. Set in 1895, it centers on the Lilys, who are looking to revive their familys fortunes by opening the most lavish hotel in NY history. Barrowman, best known for her role as Captain Jack Harness on Torchwood, will play their playboy son Julius Lily.

Telefilm Canada bows fund

By BRENDAN KELLY MONTREAL Canuck film funding agency Telefilm Canada introduced Friday a completely new private donation fund designed to finance homegrown filmmaking. The completely new fund uses gold gold coin from private Canadian companies considering supporting local film. As a swap for your possibilities, the companies can get either regulations and tax breaks or credits. The non-public donation fund might have two streams -Body for promising youthful filmmakers and also the other to help established filmmakers achieve their potential in Canada and worldwide. The Canadian Chamber of Commerce, one of the country's leading business associations, is probably the supporters in the project. "The services we held inside the a year ago states there is a genuine requirement of this new fund," mentioned Telefilm executive director Carolle Brabant. Telefilm estimations the fund may be endowed by getting a yearly budget near to $5 million once it's fully all set to go. It'll administer the fund and estimations that management expenses will probably be under 5%. The completely new fund makes effect immediately. Also Friday, Telefilm topper Brabant introduced an plane pilot program to produce and market micro-allotted features. These photos uses innovative production techniques and may goal to attain auds over different media platforms. This program is ideal for a completely new generation of filmmakers who've made shorts and you will need to increase the risk for go to features. This program could have a yearly budget of $millions of and Telefilm will back between eight and 10 films yearly. Each project can get between $100,000 and $120,000 from Telefilm, as well as the maximum arrange for all the films will probably be $250,000. The Telefilm gold gold coin enables the producers to leverage this to discover other traders, mentioned Brabant. Brabant made the bulletins throughout the optimum time industry conference in Ottawa. Contact Variety Staff at news@variety.com