The Nines goes to Venice
A reader alluded to it in the comments of an earlier post, but today we can officially announce that The Nines was chosen to play the Venice Film Festival as part of Critics’ Week.
(At least, I assume we can announce it. We were sworn to double-super secrecy, which is presumably now over, since it was in Variety this morning.)
Critics’ Week runs the first week of September; our exact slot should be announced today or tomorrow. Coincidentally — but fortuitously — our U.S. premiere is August 31st, so it will be a busy couple of weeks of promotion.1
We’re the only U.S. feature in Critics’ Week this year, which traditionally aims for a wide spectrum of international releases. The other films in our category hail from Mexico, France, Kazakhstan, Russia, Italy, Belgium, and Taiwan.2
How psyched am I to be going to Venice? Ohsovery. I didn’t travel to Cannes when The Nines screened there, but that was really just European market screenings for distributors. This is the international debut. I can’t wait to have awkward conversations about the meaning of the film in broken English while jetlagged. And mildly drunk on Italian wines chosen for their melodic names.
Briefly, since I know these will be the first questions raised in the comments section:
- The trailer is done, and should be up within the week.
- The trailer competition is happening, but had to be back-burnered while other stuff got finished.
- No, I don’t know when we’ll be playing in Omaha. Or if we’ll be playing in Omaha.
- Ditto for Argentina.
- I’ve seen the international one-sheet, but the U.S. poster is still in discussions.
- We’re rated R. Presumably for language.
- The official website is getting rebuilt on more-robust servers.
- The movie is unchanged from what premiered at Sundance.
- The movie will be on 35mm in some theatres, digital in others. I’ve seen both projected. They’re different, but equally valid. I’ve considered doing a post about this process, but it would be Geek Factor 8.
- I have no idea when the DVD would come out, but they’re already working on the special features.
- We’ll be launching in New York and Los Angeles, and maybe one other city. How quickly we expand to other cities depends on how well we perform in our first two weeks. ↩
- You can see the Italian film listing for The Nines (‘I Nove’) at the [SNCCI website](http://www.sncci.it/default.asp?content=%2F34%2F46%2F672%2F2222%2Farticolo%2Easp%3F). If any ambitious readers feel like translating, have at it. I just like the adjective “lynchiano” — “Lynch-ian.”) ↩
Articles
July 23rd, 2007 at 10:44 am
I would love to see an article on the digital/film transfer process, although I recognize that I might be in the minority on that one.
July 23rd, 2007 at 11:03 am
Ready for Geek Factor 8, Captain! Have at it!
July 23rd, 2007 at 11:57 am
You don’t have to worry about Geek Factor until around 11.
July 23rd, 2007 at 12:04 pm
I want my dose of Geek Factor 8! :)
July 23rd, 2007 at 12:28 pm
Good for you, John!!
I will attend the Venice film festival hopefully even with a pass, and I really hope to catch a glimpse of you and your work there!!!
See you in Venice!!!
A presto!!!
Giacomo
July 23rd, 2007 at 12:38 pm
Yeah, please write up the techie film/digital stuff. I’m still entrenched in my digital-will-never-suffice, um, trench, and am always looking for second opinions.
July 23rd, 2007 at 12:38 pm
congrats!
I’d love to hear your thoughts on the projected difference between 35mm and digital. Start with geek factor 1 and ease us into 8.
July 23rd, 2007 at 12:55 pm
In the first episode “the prisoner”, an actor (Gary) is a prisoner of his exuberant producer (Margaret)inside a house controlled by a thousand technological gadgets. His Neighbor (sarah) tries to inform him of his incredible situation. In the second episode “reality televison”, Gary is the writer of a TV pilot produced by Sarah. Some investigators from the company persuade Sarah and Gary to free themselves from their friend / partner margaret. In the third episode, “Knowing” the couple Gary and Margaret have a breakdown on a mountain road. While Gary goes to get help, the little Elle and Margaret learn his true identity. The same happens to Gary as he meets Sarah on the road.
Directed by the screenwriter of some of Tim Burton’s films, “The Nines” inserts itself in latest trend towards the age old American independent film technique of drawing from certain aspects of imaginary “lynchian” works in it’s telling – in this case accomplished more with dialog than imagery – all in a series of events that can be compared to russian nesting dolls that represent the world artisically, galloping between appearances and reality. “the Nines” however, in it’s suspension between imagination and reality is a fascinating albeit disturbing narrative, a film that makes you think of a game of masks (more correctly shells in English – Adam), leaving aside it’s own cinematographal declension. Behind every frame there are – paradoxically united – the seeking of a sense of overall definitiveness and completion yet close to apocaliptyically bad luck: John August puts into motion in an original way the surreal irony of an angelic being coming down to earth from “another world” – virtual or spiritual, a kind of alien who loves to manifest himself in different personalities towards which it tries the same type of affection.
This debut is notable in it’s maturity; “The Nines” is a film full of significance, capable of taking us quickly to places that are not necessarily fantastic or imaginary.
The rest is your bio.
July 23rd, 2007 at 1:09 pm
Thanks, Adam. That second paragraph is a doozy. It definitely feels like it was written by somebody in the Critical Studies department.
FYI, we’ll be screening in English, with Italian subtitles.
July 23rd, 2007 at 1:12 pm
Adam, you are a brave man for tackling that translation! :)
I could barely understand what the critic was trying to say… and I grew up in Italy!!
July 23rd, 2007 at 1:53 pm
I would have been more than happy to translate it, but I just got back from work and read the news and then the blog. And yes, the people who select the movies for the Critics’Week are all critics, often aided in writing the synopsis by film students, so those are the results. I’m so sad now, because in the last six years I’ve been at the Festival every time and this time I won’t. I won’t have the pleasure to offer you a spritz, the lightly alcoholic (and cheap)cocktail everyone drinks in Venice. As we say in Italy “In bocca al lupo” (“In the mouth of the wolf” sort of “Break a leg”).
July 23rd, 2007 at 1:57 pm
I too am Italian. The second paragraph was the author’s attempt at profundity – I think what he really meant was “I liked it very much” LOL!
July 23rd, 2007 at 2:24 pm
That’s a Yes Please from over here re your opinions on digital and 35mm projection. Would very much value your opinion on it. It’s hard to find informed and measured comments on any geek factor 8 topic.
July 23rd, 2007 at 4:09 pm
I want Geek Factor 8!!! Geeeeeeeeek Faccccccctoooorrrrr 8888888888ight!!!!
July 23rd, 2007 at 5:23 pm
“Prepare ship for Geek Factor 3.” “No, no, no, Geek Factor 3 isn’t obscure enough.” “Not obscure enough?” “No, we’re going to have to go right to… Geek Factor 8!” “Sir, we’ve never been that geeky before. I don’t know if the ship can take it!” “What’s the matter Colonel Sanders? Chicken?”
July 23rd, 2007 at 6:55 pm
Can I sound like a twelve year old now? That is SO cool.
July 23rd, 2007 at 10:09 pm
Geek Factor 8, please!
July 24th, 2007 at 9:00 am
Considering the context, can we make it a Geek Factor NINE??!!
If that made you laugh, you’re probably my wife.
By the way, question for you Italians. How is film production in Italy these days?
July 24th, 2007 at 9:08 am
Awesome!
July 24th, 2007 at 3:45 pm
Film production in Italy these days? Do you have a couple of hours? Very few real producers, the biggest one is an asshole (Aurelio De Laurentis) but he makes a ton of money out of his stupid comedies. In the last year thanks to an handful of good commercial successes we got a share of our market superior to 20%. But our movies are still cheap (the average budget is under 3 million €) and mostly dramas or comedies. We don’t have genre movies made anymore if not the occasional Argento or some very low budget experiment. As the market is so limited, the producers have to rely for funding on the two big media groups (Rai, which is state owned, and Mediaset) that also have their own theatrical distribution branches. The only other possibility is having access to state funding, which are mostly given to people with friends in politics or in the commissions. So many workers in the film industry are forced to work in some lame TV series and movies. Everything will change as soon as I find financing for my action-adventure-period-spystory blockbuster.
July 24th, 2007 at 7:59 pm
Yes, please give us Geek Factor 8.
July 25th, 2007 at 12:27 pm
I have to add to the chorus asking for the Geek Factor 8 post. Having seen THE NINES at Sundance @ the Eccles (projected on HDCam) and following the explanation of the acquisition processes for the different parts (S16, Standard Def DVCPro, S35), I’m looking forward to catching it at the Nuart where I’m assuming it’ll have a 35mm print.
Basically– please go totally geek and then make up for it with a post about how great Ryan Reynolds looks wrapped in a towel later.