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| January, 2005 |
| Two Mary Kay Place films will be playing at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival at Park City, Utah. NINE LIVES U.S.A., 2004, 114 Minutes, color Director: Rodrigo Garcia Screenwriter: Rodrigo Garcia Nine different characters at emotional crossroads, very different yet hauntingly the same. Nine women who find themselves captives of relationships, both past and present. One undeniable connection: amazing performances from the most talented actresses working in cinema today. In theory the construct of Nine Lives is simple, but the execution makes it sublime. Writer/director Rodrigo Garcia is a master at capturing every nuance of a scene, both in words and images. And they are scenes in the purest form, raw yet ripe. Garcia mines these gems of drama to their fullest potential. His genius lies in his strategic employment of the camera; he finds just the right moment in the arc of the characters' lives to study them. You don't need to meet these characters beforehand to learn exactly who they are. All is revealed if you watch closely. Each of the women portrayed in Nine Lives feels an urgency, a need for the action to be played out. Each vignette, in its own way, is a fateful and beautiful moment. Desires crack the surface of resolution, conflict seeps into dialogue, and anger flickers in the women's eyes. The short time spent with each character reveals an amazing amount of personal history, at once recognizable and poignant. � John Cooper Executive Producer: Julie Lynn Producer: Alejandro Gonz�lez In�rritu Associate Producer: Kelly Thomas Cinematographer: Xavier P�rez Grobet Composer: Edward Shearmur Cast: Kathy Baker, Amy Brenneman, Elpidia Carrillo, Glenn Close, Lisa Gay Hamilton, Holly Hunter, Amanda Seyfried, Sissy Spacek, Robin Wright Penn, Mary Kay Place www.imdb.com/title/tt0420015 Screening Times Monday , Jan 24 6:00 PM Eccles Theatre 9LIVE24CE Tuesday , Jan 25 11:30 AM Library Center Theatre 9LIVE25LD Tuesday , Jan 25 7:00 PM Screening Room, Sundance Village 9LIVE25SE Tuesday , Jan 25 10:00 PM Screening Room, Sundance Village 9LIVE25SN Wednesday , Jan 26 6:45 PM Trolley Square Cinemas B, SLC 9LIVE26TE Wednesday , Jan 26 9:45 PM Trolley Square Cinemas B, SLC 9LIVE26TN Director Bio Rodrigo Garcia Rodrigo Garcia is the acclaimed writer/director of Things You Can Tell Just by Looking at Her, which premiered at Sundance in 2000 and went on to win the Un Certain Regard division at Cannes. Garcia is also one of three writer/directors of the Showtime independent feature Fathers and Sons. For HBO, Garcia directed the pilots for "Carnivale" and the upcoming series "Big Love," as well as episodes of "The Sopranos" and "Six Feet Under." He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Adriana Sheinbaum, and their two young daughters. Film Contact Modi Wiezyk Endeavor Agency 9601 Wilshire Blvd., 3rd Fl. Beverly Hills, CA 90210 (310) 248-2000 [email protected] RODRIGO GARCIA'S NINE LIVES PREMIERES AT SUNDANCE http://www.latinheat.com/film.htm#NINELIVES Writer/Director Rodrigo Garcia loves a good story. He loves stories so much, in fact, that he�s intertwined nine of them � a series of 10-to-12-minute vignettes � into a single film: Nine Lives, starring some of America�s best-known actors. His highly anticipated new film premieres at Sundance 2005 on Monday, January 24. Garcia comes by his love of storytelling quite honestly. He is the son of renowned Colombian novelist Gabriel Garcia Marquez, and he�s spent the last ten years learning how to tell tales on film, first as a cinematographer (Mi Vida Loca, Gia) and more recently as a director, including solid work on distinguished cable television programs like "The Sopranos," "Six Feet Under," and "Carnivale." He�s even taken on the �multiple storyline� format before, in 2000�s Things You Can Tell Just By Looking at Her. In Things, Garcia wrote and directed a film that wove together five loosely connected stories of women at turning points in their lives. He succeeded in attracting major names for that project, including Glenn Close, Cameron Diaz, Kathy Baker, Amy Brennerman, Callista Flockhart, Holly Hunter and Valeria Golino. The women were well-supported by equally talented males, including Miguel Sandoval (currently featured in NBC�s Medium) and the late Gregory Hines. Nine Lives � even more complex and compelling � treads the same territory, as it reveals nine women�s stories, each told in a single Steadicam shot. Many of the actors who appeared in Garcia�s earlier feature film have returned. The nine women in Lives include Glenn Close, Kathy Baker, Amy Brenneman, Holly Hunter � all from Things You Know � as well as Elpidia Carillo, Lisa Gay Hamilton, Amanda Seyfriend, Sissy Spacek and Robin Wright Penn. The supporting actors are equally impressive: Dakota Fanning, Joe Mantegna, Ian McShane, Mary Kay Place, Sydney Tamiia Poitier, Miguel Sandoval and Aidan Quinn. All in all, a total of twenty stars appear. A cast as well-known and large as this would usually require a huge budget for talent alone, but Garcia actually produced the film for well under $1 million. This was accomplished, in part, by working with the WGAw�s Low Budget Agreement. This special Guild program allows producers and writers to defer or even eliminate some of the Guild-established costs of screenwriting if the total project is budgeted under $1.2 million. "I wrote the script knowing it would be a small budget film,� Garcia said in a recent interview for the WGAw web site. �The piece has an unconventional structure and I thought it would be too risky to spend too much money on it, even if I could get it. So from the get-go I knew I would produce it under the WGA's Low Budget Agreement. I thought I could do it for about $300,000. It's grown a bit since, but it's still low enough to be covered by the agreement and it's really the ideal way to make this kind of film. This way or bust, since I didn't want to do it outside the Guild." Sundance is a strong supporter of the film, with the premiere set for the first Monday night of the festival, January 24. John Cooper of Sundance says the film includes �amazing performances from the most talented actress working in cinema today,� and he is equally high on writer/director Garcia. �His genius lies in his strategic employment of the camera,� Cooper says. �He finds just the right moment in the arc of the character�s lives to study them. You don�t need to meet these characters beforehand to know exactly who they are. All is revealed if you watch closely.� Nine Lives will be shown a total of six times a Sundance, from January 24 through 26. More information is available at www.festival.sundance.org/2005. LONESOME JIM U.S.A., 2004, 87 Minutes, color Director: Steve Buscemi Screenwriter: James C. Strouse The terrific opening shot of Lonesome Jim shows a man futilely chasing a bus. This sets the tone for a film that explores the tragicomic existence of a lost young man searching for his elusive path, and paints a vivid and honest portrait of life in the Midwest. Jim begrudgingly returns from New York to his hometown in rural Indiana after failing to make it on his own. Once back he soon remembers why he left: a doting but overbearing mother, a distant father, and a depressed older brother. When his brother gets in a mysterious car accident, Jim must take on his brother's duties. Crippled by these obligations and his own anxieties, he trudges on. A glimmer of hope springs from his developing relationship with a beautiful nurse, and he slowly realizes that what separates life's winners from its losers are pretty ordinary things. Lonesome Jim paints a thoughtful picture of working � class characters that is both humorous and sad, but it never betrays them with falseness. Steve Buscemi's perfect direction and Casey Affleck's phenomenal performance create a good � humored and finely observed portrait of a world brought to life by intelligent characterizations, engaging dialogue, and vivid supporting performances. A small story told with wit and an astute ear for the rich details of mundane life, Lonesome Jim resounds with truth.� Trevor Groth Executive Producers: John Sloss, Caroline Kaplan, Jonathan Sehring Producers: Galt Niederhoffer, Celine Rattray, Daniela Lundberg, Jake Abraham, Gary Winick Coproducer: Derrick Tseng Cinematographer: Phil Parmet Editor: Plummy Tucker Costume Designer: Victoria Farrell Cast: Casey Affleck, Liv Tyler, Mary Kay Place, Kevin Corrigan, Seymour Cassel, Mark Boone, Jr. www.imdb.com/title/tt0385056/ Screening Times Saturday , Jan 22 11:30 AM Racquet Club LONES22RD Sunday , Jan 23 6:45 PM Broadway Centre Cinemas V, SLC LONES23BE Tuesday , Jan 25 9:15 AM Eccles Theatre LONES25CM Thursday , Jan 27 8:30 PM Racquet Club LONES27RN Friday , Jan 28 8:30 AM Racquet Club LONES28RM Screens With: Waiting for the Man Director Bio Steve Buscemi Steve Buscemi has built a career out of portraying some of the most unique characters in recent cinema, many of them for the Coen brothers. A few highlight films include Ghost World, Big Fish, Fargo, The Big Lebowski, Barton Fink, and Living in Oblivion. His directorial career began with the short What Happened to Pete, which was featured at several film festivals and ran on Bravo. Buscemi's feature films include Trees Lounge, which debuted in the Directors Fortnight at Cannes in 1996, and Animal Factory, which premiered at Sundance in 2000. Film Contact Galt Niederhoffer Plum Pictures 141 Fifth Ave., Ste. 8N New York, NY 10010 InDigEnt, Plum move on Jim from Buscemi http://www.plumpic.com/press.html HOLLYWOOD REPORTER | 05-12-2004 CANNES -- IFC's InDigEnt banner has teamed with New York-based production shingle Plum Pictures on Steve Buscemi's comic drama Lonesome Jim. Liv Tyler and Casey Affleck star in the project, which centers on a 28-year-old man who moves back into his parents' Midwestern home after failing to make it in New York. Penned by James Strouse, Jim was produced by Plum 's Galt Niederhoffer, Celine Rattray and Daniela Soto-Taplin, along with Buscemi and InDigEnt's Gary Winick and Jake Abraham. Anna Waterhouse, Regan Silber, Jonathan Sehring, Caroline Kaplan and John Sloss executive produced. Created by IFC, Winick and Sloss, InDigEnt's credits include Tadpole, Pieces of April, and Personal Velocity. Buscemi's directing credits include the indie films Trees Lounge and Animal Factory as well as episodes of HBO's "The Sopranos" and "Oz." IFC has further teamed with Plum on writer-helmer Michael Showalter's contemporary romantic comedy "The Baxter," starring Showalter, Elizabeth Banks, Michelle Williams and Justin Theroux. Here are the official Plum Pictures Press Notes: LONESOME JIM directed by Steve Buscemi written by James C. Strouse starring Casey Affleck Liv Tyler Mary Kay Place Seymour Cassel Kevin Corrigan Sales Contact: Cinetic Media 555 West 25th Street / 4th Floor New York, NY 10001 Tel (212) 204-7979 Fax (212) 204-7980 www.CineticMedia.com Publicity Contact: International House of Publicity Ph: 212-265-4373 Fax: 212-247-2948 Jeff Hill 917-575-8808 (mobile) email: [email protected] Jessica Uzzan 917-653-6122 (mobile) email: [email protected] Synopsis Lonesome Jim explores the existence of a lost young man searching for his elusive path, while painting a vivid portrait of small town life that is at once funny, sad, and true. Jim (Casey Affleck) begrudgingly returns to his hometown in rural Indiana after failing to make it on his own in New York. Once back, living in his childhood room, he soon remembers why he left: a doting but overbearing mother (Mary Kay Place), a distant father (Seymour Cassel), and a depressed older brother (Kevin Corrigan). Soon after his homecoming, Jim's brother gets in a mysterious car accident, and Jim is forced to take on his brother's duties � working at his parent's factory and helping out with his two nieces. Crippled by these obligations and his own anxieties, Jim trudges on. A glimmer of hope springs from his developing relationship with a local nurse (Liv Tyler) and her young son, and Jim slowly learns how to move forward without leaving everyone behind. Steve Buscemi's seamless direction combines with James C. Strouse's thoughtful script, and Casey Affleck and Liv Tyler's moving performances, to paint a picture of working-class characters filled with the comedy and rich details of everyday life. Credits CAST Jim�������������������������..��..Casey Affleck Anika�������������������������..��...�.Liv Tyler Sally�������������������������..�Mary Kay Place Don��������������������������..Seymour Cassel Tim�������������������������..��Kevin Corrigan Ben���������������������������.�Jack Rovello Rachel�������������������������...Rachel Strouse Sarah��������������������������...Sarah Strouse Evil�������������������.������..Mark Boone?Junior Phillip (Welder)�����������������������..Jake LaBotz Referee�������������������������...�Jude Barger Stacy (Prostitute)����������������������....Pam Angell Man (Driver)���������������������...�Michael Buscemi Neighbor��������������������������.Don Strouse Bar Patron�����������������������..�.Rick Duplissie Doug the Preacher����������������..�..Doug Liechty Caskey CREW Director�������������������������..Steve Buscemi Writer������������������������....James C. Strouse Producers�����.Galt Niederhoffer, Celine Rattray, Daniela Taplin Lundberg Jake Abraham, Gary Winick, Steve Buscemi Executive Producers�����..Jonathan Sehring, Caroline Kaplan, John Sloss, Reagan Silber, Anna Waterhouse Co-Producer�����������������������...Derrick Tseng Associate Producers�����...Saxon Eldridge, Emily Gardiner, Mandy Tagger Cinematographer����������������������...Phil Parmet Editor�������������������������.�Plummy Tucker Assistant Editor���������������������..�.Tina Pacheco Production Designer��������������������..Chuck Voelter Costume Designer��������������������....Victoria Farrell Casting Director�������.Sheila Jaffe, CSA and Georgianne Walken, CSA Assistant Director�����������������������.Jesse Nye About the Cast CASEY AFFLECK�s (Jim) first notable role was opposite Joaquin Phoenix and Nicole Kidman in Gus Van Sant�s 1995 film To Die For. Since then, he has also appeared in Van Sant�s films Good Will Hunting and Gerry, which he co-wrote with Van Sant and co-star Matt Damon. Affleck most recently appeared in Steven Soderbergh�s Ocean�s Twelve, the sequel to Ocean�s Eleven, which he starred in as well. Affleck also appeared in films, including 200 Cigarettes, Hamlet directed by Michael Almereyda, Soul Survivors, American Pie and American Pie 2, Drowning Mona, and Chasing Amy. LIV TYLER (Anika) starred as �Arwen� in New Line Cinema�s blockbuster hits, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring and The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, and was most recently seen reprising that role in the Academy Award-winning final installment of the The Lord of the Rings trilogy, entitled The Return of the King. Tyler was also recently seen starring opposite Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez in the Kevin Smith film Jersey Girl, released in March 2004. Tyler�s other film credits include: a starring role in the Bernardo Bertolucci film Stealing Beauty opposite Jeremy Irons, Inventing the Abbotts with Joaquin Phoenix and Billy Crudup, and Michael Bay�s Armageddon opposite Bruce Willis and Ben Affleck. More recently, she has been seen in Robert Altman�s Cookie�s Fortune alongside Glenn Close, Julianne Moore, and Charles Dutton, the Jake Scott-directed Plunkett & MacLeane, Onegin co-starring Ralph Fiennes and One Night at McCool�s opposite Matt Dillon, Paul Reiser and John Goodman. Tyler made her film debut with the leading role in Silent Fall, directed by Bruce Beresford, opposite Richard Dreyfuss. After another lead in Empire Records, Tyler portrayed a waitress in a local diner in James Mangold�s Heavy, a favorite at the 1995 Sundance Film Festival. Tyler is the new face for Parfums Givenchy, the first celebrity to be connected to the designer since Audrey Hepburn more than 40 years ago. She also serves as National Ambassador for the US Fund for UNICEF. MARY KAY PLACE (Sally) was first critically acclaimed for her role as country singer Loretta Haggers on the hit comedy series �Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman�, for which she won the EMMY for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy. Since then, her feature film credits include Bound For Glory, More American Graffiti, Martin Scorsese�s New York, New York, Private Benjamin, Starting Over, Modern Problems, Waltz Across Texas, Explorers, Smooth Talk, The Big Chill, Captain Ron, Alexander Payne�s Citizen Ruth, Lisa Krueger�s Manny and Lo (for which she received a Best Supporting Female nomination from the Independent Spirit Awards), and Committed; Eye of God, Frances Ford Coppola�s The Rainmaker, John Waters� Pecker, Girl, Interrupted, Spike Jonze�s Being John Malkovich, My First Mister, Michel Gondry�s Human Nature, The Safety of Objects, Sweet Home Alabama, Latter Days, and the recently released, Evergreen (2004 Sundance Film Festival dramatic competition selection), and John Sayles� Silver City. She has also completed work in the independent films, Killer Diller, Death in Texas, and Nine Lives to be released in 2005. Born and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Place moved to Los Angeles after graduating from the University of Tulsa. After working for the �Maude� head writers at Norman Lear�s Tandem Productions, Place began co-writing for numerous TV series, including �M*A*S*H� (Emmy nomination, 1973) and �The Mary Tyler Moore Show.� She also acted in episodes of �All In the Family,� �M*A*S*H,� and �The Mary Tyler Moore Show� before beginning �Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman.� She wrote over 75 songs for her �Mary Hartman� character and recorded three albums for Columbia Records, including the Grammy-nominated Tonite! At The Capri Lounge. Mary Kay�s other television appearances include �Saturday Night Live� (as Host), �Fernwood 2-Night,� Martin Mull�s �The History of White People in America� (Ace nomination for Best Actress in a Comedy), the Emmy Award winning show �Mom�s On Strike,� multiple Movies-of-the-Week, the provocative cable miniseries, �Tales of the City,� and series �Thirtysomething,� �My So Called Life,� �Law and Order: Special Victim�s Unit,� and as the Surgeon General on �The West Wing.� She will also appear in episodes of the upcoming new HBO series, �Big Love.� In addition, Mary Kay has worked as a director in television on episodes of �Baby Boom,� �Dream On�, �Arliss,� �Friends,� and other programs. SEYMOUR CASSEL (Don) was trained at New York City's American Theater Wing and the Actors' Studio. He has appeared in dozens of memorable films, including many of those by friend John Cassavetes. Those include Too Late Blues (1962), Faces (1968) which earned him a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination, and Minnie and Moskowitz (1971). He also helped produce Cassavetes� Shadows (1960). In recent years, Cassel has been more visible than ever, often in smallish but colorful supporting roles, including roles in Wes Anderson�s last three films: Rushmore, The Royal Tennenbaums, and most recently, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. One of Cassel�s most memorable roles is as Sam Catchem, loyal sidekick to supercop Dick Tracy, in Warren Beatty's lavish 1990 comic-strip caper. Some of his other many film credits include: Stuck on You (2003), A Good Night to Die (2003), Stealing Harvard (2002), The Sleepy Time Gal (2001), Black & White (1998), Trees Lounge (1996) directed by Steve Buscemi, Boiling Point (1993), Indecent Proposal (1993), White Fang (1992) Honeymoon in Vegas (1992), In the Soup (1992), Colors (1991), Tin Men (1988), Convoy (1987), The Last Tycoon (1976), The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (1976), Coogan�s Bluff (1968), and The Sweet Ride (1968). Cassel has also made numerous guest appearances on television shows including: �Arliss�, �Boston Public�, �Chicago Hope�. �Matlock�, �Batman� and �My Three Sons�. KEVIN CORRIGAN (Tim) made his feature debut in Lost Angels, directed by Hugh Hudson, and has since appeared in over 40 features, including Walking and Talking, for which he received an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor 1997, Illtown, Goodfellas, Buffalo 66, True Romance, Living in Oblivion, Bandwagon, Henry Fool, Slums of Beverly Hills, Steal this Movie and Scotland PA. Most recently, he appeared in Sexual Life, with an all-star ensemble cast, due out later this year. Corrigan co-wrote (with director Matthew Harrison) the film Kicked in the Head. He also starred with James Woods and Linda Fiorentino in the film, which was produced by Martin Scorsese and selected for the 1997 Cannes Film Festival. Trained at the Lee Strasberg Institute, Corrigan has appeared in a number of stage and television productions including �Grounded for Life�, �Homicide: Life on the Street�, �Subway Stories� and �Freaks and Geeks�. At the age of 17, he wrote the play The Boiler Room, which was performed at Playwrights Horizons and the Young Playwrights Festival. Most recently, Corrigan performed in Ken Lonergan's Lobby Hero, for which he received a Garland Award (BackStage West) for best performance by an actor, and in the play Shoppers Carried by Escalators into the Flames, by Denis Johnson. MARK BOONE JUNIOR�s (Evil) working relationship with Steve Buscemi dates back to 1983 when they began writing, producing and acting together in various works at innumerable venues. In1990, Boone moved to the west coast where he continued to be involved in many aspects of the entertainment business including producing, writing, and starring in The Grey, executive producing Spun, and acting in over sixty films including the as yet unreleased: The Nickel Children, The Legend of Lucy Keyes, Dead Birds, and Batman Begins as Flass. He will also appear in the upcoming season of HBO's �Carnivale�, and is currently preparing for the lead in One Night Without You with Michael Parks and Jake LaBotz directed by Joe D'Augustine. About The Filmmakers STEVE BUSCEMI (Director/Producer) has built a career out of portraying some of the most unique and unforgettable characters in recent cinema. In 2002 he won the Independent Spirit Award, The New York Film Critics Award and was nominated for a Golden Globe for his role in MGM�s Ghost World directed by Terry Zwigoff, co-starring Thora Birch and Scarlett Johansson. He was also nominated for an Emmy and a DGA Award for directing the �Pine Barrens� episode of HBO�s �The Sopranos.� Buscemi was most recently seen as a series regular on the 5th season of �The Sopranos� for which he received an Emmy nomination for Best Supporting Actor. On the big screen Buscemi appeared in Columbia Picture�s Big Fish costarring Ewan McGregor, and directed by Tim Burton, which was nominated for 4 Golden Globes including Best Motion Picture � Musical or Comedy. Other completed projects include Mr. Deeds, Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams, The Grey Zone, Love in the Time of Money, 13 Moons, Double Whammy, and the HBO telefilm The Laramie Project. He has also provided the voices for characters in the animated features: Pixar�s Monsters, Inc. and Columbia Pictures� Final Fantasy. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Buscemi began to show an interest in drama while in his last year of high school. Soon after, he moved to Manhattan to study acting with John Strasberg. There he and a fellow actor/writer Mark Boone Junior began writing and performing their own theatre pieces in performance spaces and downtown theatres. This soon led to his being cast in his first lead role in Bill Sherwood's Parting Glances as a musician with AIDS. Since then, he has become the actor of choice for many of the best directors in the business. His resume includes Jim Jarmusch's Mystery Train for which he received an IFP Spirit Award Nomination, Alexandre Rockwell's 1992 Sundance Film Festival Jury Award-winner In the Soup, Martin Scorcese's New York Stories, the Coen Brothers' Millers Crossing, Barton Fink the Academy Award-winning Fargo and The Big Lebowski, Stanley Tucci's The Imposters, the Jerry Bruckheimer productions Con Air and Armageddon, Tom DiCillo's Sundance Film Festival award-winning Living in Oblivion with Dermot Mulroney and Catherine Keener, Twenty Bucks, John Carpenter's Escape from L.A. with Kurt Russell, Desperado, Paramount�s Domestic Disturbance, opposite John Travolta and Vince Vaughn, Things to Do in Denver When You�re Dead, Alexandre Rockwell's Somebody to Love, with Rosie Perez, in which he played a transvestite taxi dancer, an IFP Spirit Award-winning performance as Mr. Pink in Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs, Robert Altman's Kansas City, and numerous cameo appearances in films such as Rising Sun, The Hudsucker Proxy, Big Daddy, The Wedding Singer and other films. In addition to his talents as an actor, Buscemi has proven to be a respected writer and a director, as well. His first project was a short film entitled What Happened to Pete, which was featured at several film festivals including Rotterdam and Locarno, and aired on the Bravo Network. He marked his full-length feature film directorial debut with Trees Lounge, which he also wrote, and starred in. The film, which co-starred Chloe Sevigny, Sam Jackson, and Anthony La Paglia, made its debut in the Directors' Fortnight at the 1996 Cannes Film Festival. Buscemi�s second feature film as a director, Animal Factory, told the story of a young man sent to prison in an unjustly harsh sentence, who eventually becomes a product of his environment. The film, based on a book by Edward Bunker, starred Willem Dafoe and Edward Furlong, and premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. JAMES C. STROUSE (Writer) is a writer and cartoonist from Goshen, Indiana. His stories have appeared in Nerve and Open City. Lonesome Jim is his first screenplay. PLUM PICTURES (Producers) was founded in 2003 by Galt Niederhoffer, Celine Rattray and Daniela Taplin Lundberg to produce intelligent and heartfelt feature films. Based in downtown Manhattan, the company produces two to three films a year, focusing on both studio and independent films. In addition to Lonesome Jim, Plum recently finished The Baxter, a romantic comedy about �Mr. Wrong�. The film follows the guy who always loses the girl, and allows him to finally tell the story from his perspective. The film is directed by Michael Showalter, starring Michelle Williams, Elizabeth Banks, Paul Rudd, Peter Dinklage and Justin Theroux. IFC will release in the summer of 2005. Plum recently completed a documentary called Pack, Strap, Swallow. It follows the lives of American and European girls, who were drug mules, and are now imprisoned in Ecuador. The Sundance Channel will air in the summer of 2005. Plum sold a pitch to New Line based on the true story of Michael Pellegrino, a small time crook who conned the world into believing that he was Carlo Gambino's grandson. Emmy award winner James Manos is writing. Plum also has a project in development with Sony about Angelo Brooks, whose story gained attention in a "60 Minutes" segment. Brooks, a cop from Baltimore, formed a debate league with inner-city kids and gang members that ultimately won the regional debate championships. David Veloz is writing. Plum has also acquired books or stories by the following award winning writers: Jamaica Kincaid, Edmund Morris, Rick Moody and David Foster Wallace. The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt, Edmund Morris� Pulitzer prize winning bestseller, will be adapted by Nicholas Meyer. CELINE RATTRAY was raised in London and is a graduate of Oxford University with degrees in Mathematics and Philosophy. During her three-year tenure at McKinsey's Media and Entertainment Practice, she consulted on various projects for American and British Media Companies. In 2000, she joined HBO as Director, Marketing and Business Development, where she was responsible for the development and launch of new businesses, including HBO on Demand. Under her management, HBO on Demand became a major ancillary revenue stream for HBO, and is currently available in over 50 cities nationwide, with over a million subscribers. While still a student at Harvard University, GALT NIEDERHOFFER produced her first feature titled Hurricane Streets which won Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Cinematography at the Sundance Film Festival in 1997. She produced and adapted the screenplay for Elizabeth Wurtzel's best selling memoir Prozac Nation starring Christina Ricci and Jessica Lange. She has been named to Variety's 'Top Ten Producers to Watch' and Entertainment Weekly's 'Young Hollywood List.' She and her husband, writer Jim Strouse, had their first child in August 2004. Galt's credits include: Prozac Nation starring Christina Ricci and Michelle Williams, Get Well Soon starring Vincent Gallo and Courtney Cox, The Intern starring Dominique Swain, Blue Ridge Fall starring Peter Facinelli and Tom Arnold, Jump starring Amanda Peet and Ione Skye, Myth America starring Ally Sheedy, which Galt directed as well, The Restaurant starring Adrien Brody, and Hurricane Streets starring Brendan Sexton and Edie Falco, and directed by Morgan Freeman. Born and raised in Los Angeles, DANIELA TAPLIN LUNDBERG grew up surrounded by the film industry. As the daughter of film producer Jonathan Taplin (Mean Streets, The Last Waltz) she was able to work closely under the tutelage of such industry veterans as Lisa Henson (President, Sony) and Janet Yang (The People vs. Larry Flynt). Upon graduating from Princeton University, Lundberg began producing films with Galt Niederhoffer. The pair have been partners for six years, producing films such as The Intern, Get Well Soon and Six Chicks in a Kitchen. Daniela lives in New York City with her husband. GARY WINICK (Producer) teamed up with John Sloss and IFC Productions to create Independent Digital Entertainment (InDigEnt) to produce digital video feature films to be released theatrically. Winick�s producing credits include: Final, directed by Campbell Scott starring Hope Davis and Denis Leary; Chelsea Walls, directed by Ethan Hawke starring Kris Kristofferson, Steve Zahn, and Natasha Richardson; Tape, directed by Richard Linklater starring Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman; Women In Film, directed by Bruce Wagner starring Beverly D'Angelo, Marianne Jean-Baptiste and Portia de Rossi; Ten Tiny Love Stories, directed by Rodrigo Garcia starring Radha Mitchell, Elizabeth Pena and Deborah Unger; Personal Velocity, directed by Rebecca Miller starring Kyra Sedgwick and Parker Posey which won the Grand Jury Prize and the Cinematography award at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival; Pieces of April, directed by Peter Hedges starring Katie Holmes, Oliver Platt, and Patricia Clarkson who was nominated for an Academy Award for her role; Kill The Poor, diected by Alan Taylor starring David Krumholtz ; November directed by Greg Harrison, starring Courteney Cox which won the Cinematography Award at Sundance 2004; Mark Christopher�s Pizza starring Ethan Embry; and Land Of Plenty directed by Wim Wenders, starring Michelle Williams and John Diehl. Winick�s film directing credits include Curfew (1988), Out of the Rain (1991), Sweet Nothing (1996) starring Mira Sorvino and Michael Imperioli, distributed by Warner Brothers and The Tic Code (2000), starring Polly Draper and Gregory Hines, distributed by Lion�s Gate. Winick directed two digital feature films, Sam the Man, starring Fisher Stevens and Annabella Sciorra and Tadpole starring Sigourney Weaver, John Ritter, Bebe Neuwirth and Aaron Stanford. Tadpole won the Best Director Award at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival and was released by Miramax in the summer of 2002. Winick most recently directed 13 Going On 30 starring Jennifer Garner and Mark Ruffalo for Revolution Studios released in April 2004. Currently, Winick is in pre-production to direct Paramount's Charlotte's Web due out in 2006. JAKE ABRAHAM (Producer) shares producing responsibilities on all films with InDigEnt partner Gary Winick. He also manages operations at the company. In 2003, he produced November, directed by Greg Harrison and starring Courteney Cox, Pizza, directed by Mark Christopher and starring Ethan Embry and Land Of Plenty, directed by Wim Wenders and starring Michelle Williams and John Diehl. In 2004, in addition to Lonesome Jim, he produced Sorry, Haters, directed by Jeff Stanzler and starring Robin Wright Penn. Abraham is currently producing Flakes, directed by Michael Lehmann and starring Zooey Deschanel and Aaron Stanford. Abraham previously served as associate producer on Winick�s Tadpole (Directing award, Sundance 2002) and production supervisor on Richard Linklater's Tape (American Spectrum, Sundance 2001). Independent Digital Entertainment (InDigEnt) began in 1999 as a joint creation of Producer/Director Gary Winick, Attorney John Sloss of Cinetic Media, and IFC Productions� Jonathan Sehring and Caroline Kaplan. Sehring, Kaplan and Sloss serve as Executive Producers on all InDigEnt films. Inspired by the Danish collective Dogme95 and vanguard filmmaker John Cassavetes, InDigEnt is dedicated to exploratory digital cinema, drawing on established screenwriters, directors and actors. The rest of the InDigEnt team consists of Producer Jake Abraham who, along with Winick, produces each film; IFC Director of Production and Development Holly Becker; and InDigEnt�s Emily Gardiner and Mandy Tagger. InDigEnt filmmakers agree to work within a framework of budgetary and technical limitations in exchange for an innovative financial structure. The entire crew shares in the revenue generated from the first dollar, creating the truest partnership yet in filmmaking. Lions Gate Films acquired all domestic rights to InDigEnt�s first five films including Campbell Scott�s Final, Ethan Hawke�s Chelsea Walls, Bruce Wagner�s Women In Film, Richard Linklater�s Tape, and Rodrigo Garcia�s Ten Tiny Love Stories. Subsequent InDigEnt films include Gary Winick�s Tadpole, which won the Best Director award at the 2002 Sundance film festival and was acquired by Miramax Films, Rebecca Miller�s Personal Velocity which won the Grand Jury Prize and the Cinematography Award at Sundance 2002 and Peter Hedges� Pieces of April, which has earned Patricia Clarkson a Golden Globe nomination for her performance, both acquired by United Artists, and Alan Taylor�s Kill the Poor which premiered at the 2003 Tribeca Film Festival. In 2003 the company produced three new films: Greg Harrison�s November, Mark Christopher�s Pizza and Wim Wenders Land of Plenty. November was a 2004 Sundance competition film which won the Cinematography award. In 2004, the company produced Sorry, Haters, directed by Jeff Stanzler, as well as Lonesome Jim. JOHN SLOSS (Executive Producer) is a principal in Sloss Law Office and the consulting firm, Cinetic Media. Mr. Sloss founded Sloss Law Office in 1993 after leaving his partnership at the international law firm Morrison & Foerster. Since its formation, Sloss Law has become one of the industry�s preeminent entertainment law firms, particularly in its service to filmmakers, financiers, producers, writers and actors. Mr. Sloss� clients include Brad Anderson, Shari Springer Berman & Robert Pulcini, Jay Chandrasekhar, Bob Dylan, Jesse Dylan, John Hamburg, Todd Haynes, Jared Hess, Andrew Jarecki, Killer Films, Richard Linklater, Errol Morris, Kevin Smith, Morgan Spurlock, Whit Stillman and Gary Winick. As the executive producer of over 40 feature films, including �Before Sunrise�, �Before Sunset�, �Waking Life�, �Far from Heaven�, �The Fog of War�, �Tadpole�, �Session 9�, �Lone Star� and �She�s the One�, Mr. Sloss has assembled and packaged numerous complex motion picture financial agreements and structures. Daily Variety named Mr. Sloss one of the industry�s Top 10 Dealmakers in their Spring 2002 �A-List� issue. In March 2001, Mr. Sloss formed Cinetic Media, a full service consulting firm specializing in the entertainment and media industries. Cinetic�s unique role as a �virtual studio� brings a new efficiency to the formerly chaotic world of global film financing and distribution. Cinetic has orchestrated several of the most notable distribution deals in the last decade, including �Napoleon Dynamite�, �Super Size Me�, �Control Room�, �Tadpole�, �Capturing the Friedmans� and �The Station Agent�. Mr. Sloss is a partner in the groundbreaking production company Independent Digital Entertainment (InDigEnt), a series of digital features made in collaboration with established filmmakers and actors. A Detroit native, Mr. Sloss is a graduate of the University of Michigan and the University of Michigan Law School. He lives in New York City�s Chelsea neighborhood with his wife (producer Kathryn Tucker) and daughter (Loulou). JONATHAN SEHRING (Executive Producer) holds the position of President, IFC Entertainment. He is responsible for production, acquisition and distribution (IFC Productions, IFC Films and InDigEnt). Since its creation in 1997, IFC Entertainment has been a leader in the Independent Film Industry, producing and distributing unique, exceptional product. �My Big Fat Greek Wedding� (distribution), the Academy Award-winning �Boys Don�t Cry� (production) foreign language hits �Y Tu Mama Tambien� (distribution) and �Monsoon Wedding �(production), and doc smash�s �Touching the Void� (distribution), �Metallica: Some Kind of Monster� (distribution), and �Fahrenheit 9/11�(distribution) are among the notable IFC projects. Upcoming IFC Films releases include �The Ballad of Jack and Rose� (production and distribution), �CSA: The Confederate States of America� (distribution) and Dana Brown�s �Dust to Glory� (distribution). IFC Productions has recently wrapped Michael Showalter�s �The Baxter�, starring Michelle Williams and is currently in production on �American Gun� and �Me and You and Everyone We Know�. Jonathan has served as Executive Producer for numerous productions, including the award winning films �Boys Don�t Cry�, Karyn Kusama�s �Girlfight�, John Sayles� �Men With Guns�, Richard Linklater�s �Waking Life� and Mira Nair�s �Monsoon Wedding�, Errol Morris� �Mr. Death�, Stephen Soderbergh�s �Gray�s Anatomy�, Gary Winick�s �Tadpole� and Rebecca Miller�s �Personal Velocity�. He also served as Executive Producer on original programming produced for IFC Network including: John Favreau�s �Dinner for Five,� Isaac Julien�s �Baaadassss Cinema,� Albert Maysle�s �With The Filmmaker,� Adam Simon�s �The American Nightmare� and Errol Morris� �First Person.� Prior to the creation of IFC Entertainment, Jonathan oversaw all programming and production activities for Bravo Networks, where he was responsible for creating and launching several award-winning shows and series, including Bravo�s Emmy-nominated series �Inside the Actors Studio,� the network�s CableAce Award-winning series �The South Bank Show,� The Independent Film Channel�s CableAce Award-winning profile of Sam Fuller, �The Typewriter, The Rifle and The Movie Camera.� Prior to joining Bravo, Jonathan was Director of Programming for Janus Films, Inc., where he worked in various positions in both distribution and production. CAROLINE KAPLAN (Executive Producer) is the Senior Vice-President, Production and Acquisitions for IFC Entertainment, a division of the Independent Film Channel. She oversees the development and production of IFC�s independent feature film financing division, IFC Productions as well as manages the film acquisitions strategy for IFC Films, the distribution company. As Executive Producer, her film Projects include: �Gray�s Anatomy�, �Spring Forward�, �Boys Don�t Cry�, �Mr. Death�, �Our Song�, �Waking Life�, �Monsoon Wedding�, �Personal Velocity�, �Tadpole�, �Casa de los Babys �and the upcoming �Ballad of Jack and Rose�. She is also a founding partner of InDigEnt, the leading digital film company in America. Her projects there include �Tadpole�, �Personal Velocity�, �Tape� and �Pieces of April�. Prior to IFC Entertainment and InDigEnt, she was also in charge of IFC original Programming where her television Projects included: �Divine Trash�, �My Best Fiend�, �Blue Note: Story of Modern Jazz�, �Baadassss Cinema� and �Dinner For Five�. Prior to IFC, she worked as Director of Programming and Production for Bravo where she developed and produced series and specials including �Inside the Actors Studio� and �Bravo Profiles�. She began her career in the original documentary division of Home Box Office. ANNA WATERHOUSE (Executive Producer) was educated at Queens College, Cambridge University where she was awarded a Masters in English Literature. She also attended the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Young Vic Youth Theatre, Orange Tree Youth Theatre, Young Theatre Co at the Royal National Theatre (London) and the Lee Strasberg Theater Institute (NYC) where she studied screenwriting and acting. While at Cambridge she founded Out of the Blue Productions with fellow student Clare Lawrence. Under this company she is currently producing �A Life in the Theatre� by David Mamet (Apollo Theatre) with Joshua Jackson and Patrick Stewart. She has also produced �Oleanna� by David Mamet (Garrick Theatre) with Julia Stiles and Aaron Eckhart, �This Is Our Youth� by Kenneth Lonergan (Garrick Theatre) with four casts comprised of Jake Gyllenhaal, Hayden Christensen, Anna Paquin, Casey Affleck, Matt Damon, Summer Phoenix, Kieran Culkin, Colin Hanks, Alison Lohman, Freddie Prinze Jr, Chris Klein and Heather Burns; �Five Kinds of Silence� by Shelagh Stephenson (Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith) with Gina McKee and Linda Bassett; �Nightschool/A Slight Ache� by Harold Pinter (Kings Head Theatre); �Ring of Roses� by Katrina Hendrey (Festival tour); �Whale Music� by Anthony Minghella (Kings Head Theatre); StripShow by Diana Souhami (Edinburgh Festival/Kings Head Theatre); �Three Sisters� by Anton Chekhov in a version by Frank McGuinness (Tron Theatre Glasgow/Theatre Royal, Haymarket gala). In 2003 Anna and Clare won the Binkie Beaumont Award for Producing in the West End. Anna is a member of BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) and PACT (Producers Alliance of Cinema and Television). As well as developing a slate of film projects as a producer, Anna has also written a number of screenplays including �Daughters of Venice� (co-written with Ranjit Bolt) to be directed by David Schwimmer. REAGAN SILBER (Executive Producer) earned his undergraduate and law degrees with honors from the University of Texas at Austin. He began his professional career as an attorney at an international law firm based in Dallas, Texas, then had his own practice representing victims of corporate greed and misconduct. He went on to teach at Law Schools including the University of Texas School of Law, Georgetown University Law Center and Southern Methodist University, and became successful in venture capital investing, before he began pursuing his interest in entertainment. In 2001, Mr. Silber entered the talent management business as a founder and financier of Foundation Personal Management, LLC, which represents clients including �The O.C.� star Rachel Bilson. He later formed Tregan Entertainment, LLC which, in partnership with John Carrabino, represents artists such as Renee Zellweger and Josh Duhamel. Building upon his success in talent management, Mr. Silber founded and invested in film and television production companies, Milestone Films LLC and Plum Pictures LLC. Under Mr. Silber's leadership, Milestone secured a five-year first look deal with Mandalay Pictures LLC. Milestone's first feature, "Trophy Wife" stars Sharon Stone and is based on the best-selling novel of the same title. In October 2003, Mr. Silber founded Competitive Edge Television, LLC, the first 24-hour cable and satellite network devoted to games of skill, strategy and chance. EdgeTV is expected to launch nationwide in January 2005. DERRICK TSENG (Co-Producer) has co-produced or line produced numerous feature films, including Adrienne Shelly�s �Sudden Manhattan�, Kevin Smith's �Chasing Amy�, Katherine Dieckmann's �A Good Baby�, Brad Anderson's �Happy Accidents�, Peter Lauer's �Cry Baby Lane�, Patrick Stettner�s �The Business of Strangers�, Bertha Pan�s �Face,� David Gordon Green�s �All the Real Girls�, Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato�s �Party Monster�, and Robert Altman�s �Tanner on Tanner.� He produced �The Difference,� a pilot for Nickelodeon, and, most recently, Todd Solondz�s �Palindromes�. He has also worked extensively on other feature films as a 1st AD or Production Manager, and, formerly, as an IATSE Electrician. He has assisted on, or helped develop, projects with Kimberly Pierce, Lodge Kerrigan, Maggie Greenwald, Steve Buscemi, Jonathan Nossiter, Jay Chandrasekhar, and Jim McKay. Tseng attended NYU�s Graduate Film Program, and holds an M.A. in English and Comparative Literature from NYU, and a B.A. in English and Art History from Columbia University. PHIL PARMET (Cinematographer) began his career as a documentary cameraman and filmmaker. Working out of New York in the 70's and 80's he directed and/or photographed over sixty documentaries for most of the principal US and world news organizations. Other documentaries he was involved with include: Barbara Kopple�s Academy Award winners �Harlan Country USA�, and �American Dream�. Music films include Led Zeppelin�s �The Song Remains the Same�, Frank Zappa�s �Baby Snakes�, and �No Nukes�. In the early 90�s he moved to LA to pursue a career as a director of photography in feature films. His first feature D/P, Alex Rockwell's �In the Soup�, won the Jury Prize at Sundance in 1992. His resume now lists more than twenty independent and studio feature films including: �Nina Takes a Lover�, �Two Small Bodies�, �Four Rooms�, �The Last Days of Frankie the Fly�, �Animal Factory� for director Steve Buscemi, and �Dallas 362� for writer/director Scott Caan. In the last year, he shot the Lions Gate feature �The Devil�s Rejects� for musician /director Rob Zombie, A noted still photographer, Parmet's work has been published and exhibited in numerous museums and galleries in New York, Los Angeles, Paris, and Berlin. His first major one-man show was at the prestigious Photo Club gallery in New York in 1987. It featured two years work documenting the fall of the Dulvalier Government and the rise and failure of democracy in the Haiti. PLUMMY TUCKER (Editor) is a New York-based film editor whose editing credits include Sundance 2000 Grand Jury Prize-winner, �Girlfight�. Plummy began her editing career as an apprentice, and then assistant, on several Peter Weir and John Sayles films (with Weir on �Dead Poet�s Society�, �Green Card�, and �Fearless�, and with Sayles on �City of Hope��, �Passion Fish�, �The Secret of Roan Inish�). She went on to be an Associate Editor for Sayles (on �Lone Star�, �Men with Guns�, �Limbo�, �Sunshine State�). Before cutting �Lonesome Jim,� Plummy edited, �Winter Solstice�(to be released this spring by Paramount Classics), the first feature of writer/director Josh Sternfeld from the script he workshopped at the Sundance Screenwriters� Lab. Other credits include: �The Florentine� starring Michael Madsen and Chris Penn, as well as the TV Reality Show, �Code Blue� for The Learning Channel, and feature-length doc �Storyville: The Naked Dance�, about the turn-of-the-century prostitution district in New Orleans, on which she was also Associate Producer. Plummy is currently in Los Angeles editing �Aeon Flux� at Paramount Studios for �Girlfight� director Karyn Kusama. CHUCK VOELTER (Production Designer) started his entertainment career at 15 as a professional drummer. After playing for ten years he left music to pursue an art degree at Southern Methodist University (B.F.A. �95). Chuck spent the next three years apprenticing to stage design legend Peter Wolf in Dallas, Texas, where his projects included set design for �Barney� and art direction for commercials, touring stage shows and local events. Chuck moved to Los Angeles in 1997 and attended a year of graduate school for Theater Design at UCLA. In 1999, after designing two low-budget features (�Smut� and �a.k.a. Birdseye�) and numerous music videos Chuck designed the film �13 Moons� where he worked with Steve Buscemi and DP Phil Parmet for the first time. In 2001, he teamed with Parmet again on �Dallas 362�, directed by and starring Scott Caan. �Lonesome Jim� is Chuck�s fifth full-length feature film as production designer. VICTORIA FARRELL (Costume Designer) designs costumes for television and film. She created costumes for the award-winning films �High Art� and �Boys Don�t Cry�. Most recently, her designs appeared in Todd Solondz's �Palindromes�. Her work can also be seen in every episode of the television comedy series �Strangers with Candy�, and in the film based on the series, also premiering at Sundance 2005. She lives in New York City. SHEILA JAFFE (Casting Director) and Georgianne Walken's feature films include �The Italian Job�, �Confidence�, �Just Married�, �The Emperor's Club�, �The Banger Sisters�, �The Mothman Prophecies�, �Riding in Cars with Boys� and �Slums of Beverly Hills�. Their independent film credits include �Next Stop Wonderland�, �The Machinist�, �Four Days in September�, �Daytrippers�, �Basquiat�, �Trees Lounge�, �Animal Factory�, �In the Soup� and others. Their upcoming films include Wayne Wang's �Last Holiday� with Queen Latifah; �Be Cool� with John Travolta, Uma Thurman, the Rock and Vince Vaughn; and Michael Hoffman's �Game Six� with Michael Keaton and Robert Downey. Television credits include �Hysterical Blindness� and two series: �The Entourage� and �The Sopranos�. |
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