John August

Sundance

The Nines goes to Venice

Follow Up, News, Projects, Sundance, The Nines

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](http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=Cannes2007&jump=story&id=1061&articleid=VR1117969003&cs=1) 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.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.

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.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.”)

How psyched am I to be going to Venice? Ohsovery. I didn’t travel to Cannes when [The Nines screened there](http://johnaugust.com/archives/2007/nines-at-cannes), 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.

Summer Sundance, part two

Follow Up, Sundance

questionmarkWhat exactly do you discuss at Sundance? They’re entering with completed scripts, which I assume are perfect to them at the beginning, so where to next? And if you participate in the Screenwriting Lab are you automatically given a Directors Lab spot, if that is what you so choose to do with your completed work?

— Christina Shaver

The scripts the Fellows are bringing to Sundance are completed drafts, but they’re still works in progress. The advisor meetings aren’t notes sessions, but rather a chance to talk through ideas with experienced writers, whose fresh eyes can identify problems and opportunities. It’s like therapy for your script.

Over the last two days, I met with Braden King and Dani Valent, whose script HERE is a road movie set in Armenia, and Sophie Bartes, whose COLD SOULS is an existential comedy.My final project is Richard Montoya’s WATER AND POWER, adapted from his acclaimed play. I lucked out this year in that all of my assigned projects feel like Actual Movies I Would Pay to See. Both projects went through the Directors Lab, so the filmmakers had a chance to see how the scenes worked when put up on their feet, which left them with new questions and ideas.

Over the course of the lab, each writer has five meetings with different advisors. In some meetings, I’ve gone page by page with the fellows, looking at how this line on page 19 is setting up an expectation that never really pays off. In other meetings, I’ve left the script in my backpack, instead talking in broad terms about character POV, balancing tones, and the rewriting process. It’s a conversation, and all based on what the Fellow needs. One of the smartest innovations in the Sundance Labs experience is that the advisors meet each morning to talk through the previous day’s sessions, thus building on each other’s work.

I screened THE NINES last night for the group. It was strange to see it in one of same theaters as January, but with a completely different crowd and set of expectations. (And a new, vastly better digital projector.) Atom Egoyan had screened THE SWEET HEREAFTER the second night, and it was terrific to finally be able to ask him questions about his movie and his process.

Sundance doesn’t change much year-to-year, but there have been a few adjustments this time:

* There’s a documentary lab running concurrently, so we’ve gotten to mingle with some editorially-oriented folks.
* There’s wireless, and thus blogging.
* In an effort to reduce waste, they handed out water bottles and coffee mugs upon arrival to use instead of paper cups and disposable bottles. It’s been remarkably effective. Because you’re at altitude, you have to drink a lot of water, and having a container with your name on it makes it simple.We recently banned bottled water at home. Our water cooler was using $145 worth of electricity each year, and that’s not counting all the energy wasted packaging and delivering the giant bottles. It’s surprisingly easy to adjust.
* They got rid of wine at dinner, but added receptions to (partially) make up for it. Again, you’re at altitude, so it doesn’t take much.

Summer Sundance

News, Sundance

I’m up at Sundance for the summer filmmakers’ lab, where I’ve worked as an advisor for the past seven years.

For those unfamiliar with the labs, it’s a workshop in which newer filmmakers (generally writer-directors) meet with established screenwriters in one-on-one sessions to sort out issues in their scripts. There’s a winter lab, which occurs right before the festival in January, and a summer lab, which includes a three-week directing component before the week-long screenwriting portion. Many notable films have come out of the Sundance labs, including PARADISE NOW, BOYS DON’T CRY, and HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH.

This year, there are 13 projects, five of which I’m reading. This morning, I met with [James Ponsoldt](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1242054/) on his script REFRESH, REFRESH. In the afternoon, I met with [JJ Lask](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2071066/) on THIS IS NOT A PIPE. They were both challenging projects, and great meetings.

What I love about the labs is that it’s a completely safe place. There are no agendas, no secret motivations. The advisers all genuinely want to help the fellows make the best movies they choose to make, with no “shoulds” or “oughtas.” There’s not a single movie up here that I would have written, yet they’re all fascinating, original, and deeply personal. You end up learning as much about the filmmaker as the script.

I have a hunch that an unusually high percentage of the films in development at this year’s lab will make it to the screen. You can see a complete list of the projects [here](http://216.239.51.104/search?q=cache:rZys39YGJjUJ:www2.sundance.org/pdf/2007_FFP_June_Directors_and_Screenwriters_Lab_04_24_07_Final.pdf&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=2&gl=us).

The Nines gets all domestic

Projects, Sundance, The Nines

RyanEver since Sundance, when I [announced](http://johnaugust.com/archives/2007/greenestreet-nines) that GreeneStreet scooped up international rights to The Nines, I’ve been faced with many questions. I knew the answer to the big one but couldn’t say. The answer to all the others depended on the first. So I’ve been sitting patiently, feigning detached acceptance, when I wanted to be shouting from the rooftops.

But since we [made it official](http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117962833.html) this morning, I’m now Mr. Answer Man.

Who’s releasing The Nines in the U.S.?
====
Newmarket. They’re the folks behind Donnie Darko and Memento. If you’ve got a challenging indie with geek appeal, they’re your distributor of choice.They’re also the folks behind Passion of the Christ, but I truly don’t think we’ll become a $200-million surprise blockbuster. Though there are thematic similarities… They’re partnered with Sony, who is handling all the home video/television stuff. Sony has done four of my movies, so I feel especially comfortable with them.

How long have you known?
====
Pretty much after the second screening. There were other players in the mix that first week after Sundance, so we ended up screening the movie all over town. But from my first meeting with the Newmarket folks, I strongly suspected it was going to work out. Did it take longer that I expected? Ohlordyes. As stressful as that legendary up-all-night Sundance dealmaking can be, at least it gets done quickly. The alternative is weeks of t-crossing and i-dotting, with multiple parties who always seem to be flying overseas. It was a marathon rather than a sprint, but the sales team for the movie (Rich Klubeck, David Kramer and Irwin Rappaport) got it across the finish line in great shape. The producers and I are hugely indebted to them.

How happy are you?
====
Very. The Nines is a movie which [some people love fanatically](http://popwatch.ew.com/popwatch/2007/01/sundance_jan_19.html), yet leaves other people scratching their heads. Newmarket has a great track record with this kind of film, and won’t try to market it as something it’s not. They’re small, and can give it the kind of steady nurturing it needs. As for Sony, they’re huge, and a giant home video distributor has a unique ability to get DVDs onto shelves. Whether the movie grosses $2 million or $20 million, I know that 99% of viewers will end up seeing it on a TV set. I want to make sure that it’s always available to be seen.

When can I see it?
====
How about tomorrow? We’re holding a special screening on Thursday night (April 12, 2007) in Hollywood. It’s mostly for vendors (the trailer-and-poster folk), but we have a limited number of seats available for readers of this very blog. It’s not a test screening; there are no cards to fill out. But we might email you afterwards to solicit your opinions on marketing matters.

If you want to come, here’s the skinny:

* Send your REAL NAME to… watchthenines@gmail.com…with the subject line “Thursday Night Screening.”
* Again, __you have to email__. Do not ask for tickets in the comments section, because you will be mercilessly mocked. I might even stick Yancy on you.
* All invites are you plus one guest.
* You need to be able to be there at 7:15 p.m., because it’s starting at 7:30 p.m. sharp.
* It’s first-come, first-serve. Don’t send in multiple emails. It’s not a lottery.But I will get Shirley Jackson on you if pushed.
* If you’re in, we will email you by 6 p.m. tonight (Wednesday) with details. If you don’t get an email, take heart — there will be more screenings.

(UPDATE: The email address is watchthenines@gmail.com, not watchforthenines. But both accounts are forwarding, so if you sent it to the latter, it will still go through.)

When is it coming to (insert town here)?
====
There’s talk of an early fall release, but some of that depends on a certain French festival which I don’t want to jinx by mentioning. Regardless, we’ll probably be a New York/Los Angeles exclusive at first, and then expand as the response merits. With this kind of movie, it’s entirely possible it won’t end up showing at your local multiplex. And that’s okay. That’s what DVDs are for.

When is it coming to (insert country here)?
====
The international release will follow the domestic release, but every country will be different. We’ll have more information on the [official site](http://lookforthenines.com) as soon as we know.

When can we see a trailer?
====
Dude, when can I see a trailer? I’m as curious as you. I’ve seen artwork for the international posters, which rock. So we’re off to a good start.