InfoAnda - Small budgets, big dreams at Spirit Awards

Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case
Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They

Taiwan denies boycotting Australian film festival
Thursday, August 6, 2009

AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e

Merkel's support dips, regional ally resigns International
Thursday, September 3, 2009

By Sarah Marsh and Noah Barkin

BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German

Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who

Asian markets mixed after Wall Street rally
Wednesday, March 18, 2009

By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an

Barbara Walters to undergo heart surgery | | 11 May 2010
Clinton faces questions on her husband's charity | 14 January 2009
Dollar slips, hits 2009 low vs New Zealand dollar | 6 August 2009

Japan to boost currency swap deal with SKorea: reports | 12 December 2008

">Forum Views () ">Forum Replies ()

Read more with google mobile : Small budgets, big dreams at Spirit Awards

Yahoo! My Yahoo! Mail Yahoo! Search Search: Sign InNew User? Sign Up News Home - Help Navigation Primary Navigation Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Top Stories Most Popular Secondary Navigation Asia Pacific World Search Search: Small budgets, big dreams at Spirit Awards Reuters - Thursday, February 19 By Alex Ben Block ADVERTISEMENT LOS ANGELES - The Spirits have gone Hollywood. That's the oft-repeated cynic's take on the Spirit Awards -- the arthouse world's version of the Oscars -- which will on Saturday spotlight such studio specialty-division fare as "Milk," "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" and "Synecdoche, New York," each of which pushes the upper end of the $20 million budget limit set by Film Independent, the event's organizer. But tell that to Lance Hammer, the director of "Ballast," which has been nominated for six Spirits, including best feature. Hammer financed the film's paltry $700,000 budget largely out of his own pocket. To him, the Spirits represent the culmination of a year spent following the film around the world from its Sundance premiere to festivals in Berlin, Cannes, Telluride and Toronto -- and finally to Saturday's ceremony on the beach in Santa Monica. "It's just a comforting and reassuring way to put an end to a difficult year," Hammer says. "Your colleagues have said what you have done is OK. And it means I can keep pursuing this and it's not a totally ridiculous pipe dream." Indeed, despite the persistent criticism that the Spirits have sold out, the majority of films nominated this year cost less than $7 million, and in many cases well under that. "Wendy and Lucy," nominated for best feature and best female lead for Michelle Williams, cost about $300,000. Courtney Hunt's "Frozen River," nominated for six Spirits , was financed for about $1 million, much of it coming from business associates of Hunt's husband. These kind of dream projects have been the lifeblood of the Spirit Awards for more than two decades. In addition to putting a spotlight on unknown directors, producers, cinematographers and actors, the awards often provide a significant career boost. Seven-time nominee Gus Van Sant, who picked up his first Spirit in 1990 for "Drugstore Cowboy," directed "Milk," which collected four nominations. Darren Aronofsky, nominated this year with Scott Franklin for best feature for "The Wrestler," received three previous nominations and won best first screenplay in 1999 for "Pi." That kind of career trajectory is the goal for Hammer. As a USC architecture graduate, he did photographic renderings that caught the attention of Warner Bros., where he was hired to produce 3-D images. He rose to assistant art director on the Coen brothers' "The Man Who Wasn't There," but chafed under the tight controls of the studio system. So he began to develop projects of his own. "We got very far with a lot of this, but it was just incredibly frustrating," he says. "Creative control is really yanked from you when these other people get involved ... and creative control is really important to me." Hammer then teamed with producer Mark Johnson , but when a project fell through, "He said, 'The hell with it. I'm going to go off and do this other movie in Mississippi,'" Johnson says. "And damned if he didn't." That "other movie" became "Ballast," which features a cast of unknowns drawn from the Delta region. "I decided to go for something very pure and simple," Hammer says, "and make it like a painting or a musical recording made in your house, where I could have great autonomy and isolation." After "Ballast's" success at Sundance, IFC offered to distribute the film but Hammer eventually decided the economics didn't work for him. Instead, he put together his own ad hoc group to self-distribute. For help he turned to New York-based publicist and producers rep Stephen Raphael, who arranged publicity and oversaw distribution at art house venues in nearly two dozen markets. Each of the awards and honors became part of the marketing campaign. "It's a very good example to show you don't need an entire studio with a marketing department," Raphael says. "Everybody worked below their usual rate because we all really believed in the movie." After 10 weeks in release, "Ballast" has grossed about $116,000 in theaters. Hammer says he has developed a second revenue stream from showings at museums and special venues; and he still has the DVD, pay TV, syndication and Internet rights to sell. He already plans to self-distribute his next movie as well. "The film was received in a way I didn't think was going to be possible," Hammer says. A boost from the Spirits also was important to Iranian-American filmmaker Ramin Bahrani, whose "Chop Shop" yielded nominations this year for best director and best cinematography. In February 2008, just before his movie opened in New York, he received the Spirits' annual "Someone to Watch" award, which comes with a $25,000 cash prize. That win was perfectly timed to boost interest in the movie, which was made for slightly less than $1 million. "At the time I was making my new film, 'Goodbye Solo,' which took a year and a half," Bahrani says. "A large part of that ... I didn't have any salary. So until the rest of the funding came into place, that $25,000 really helped me in very specific and concrete ways." The official guidelines for judging Spirit Awards state that particular attention be paid to "economy of means," which refers to total production cost, individual compensation and what percentage of the financing came from independent sources. The goal is to reward filmmakers like Hammer and Bahrani who are able to make the most of their limited resources -- and bring them to the industry's attention. "It brings a level of exposure to the talent and gives them a shot at a career," Film Independent executive director Dawn Hudson says. "We're trying to give people the tools to build a career in this business, not just a one-night stand." For that reason, managers, producers and others increasingly parse the Spirit nominees looking for upcoming talent. Producer-director Alan Poul says that when he was working on HBO's "Six Feet Under," he regularly sought out nominees and winners. "We were looking for directors who had a voice, who could add their personality to help expand the vocabulary of the show," Poul says. One of his finds was Michael Cuesta,whose film "L.I.E." was nominated seven times in 2002 and won twice. Cuesta is now directing Edgar Allen Poe's "Tell Tale," a $20 million-plus thriller for producers Tony and Ridley Scott. "It's a great way to open doors," says Barry Jenkins, whose "Medicine for Melancholy" is up for three Spirits, including best first feature. "But you still have to deliver." Jenkins' film, made for less than $50,000, also has been nominated for best cinematography for James Laxton, who like Jenkins is a graduate of Florida State University, where most of the crew met. "We're a bunch of cats who didn't know anybody before we made this movie," says Jenkins. "And now our cinematographer is nominated and going around town taking meetings and our editor has another movie already." Jenkins has not yet taken another directing gig because, like almost all the filmmakers interviewed for this story, he prefers to remain at least somewhat independent. "Right now I'm being very careful," Jenkins says. "I'm trying to bring material to my agent that we can package, rather than take whatever is offered." Independence also was of paramount importance to Alex Rivera, whose inventive science fiction film "Sleep Dealer" is nominated for best first feature. He is Peruvian-American, and his film was made mostly in Spanish to be true to the main characters, who are Mexican. Although it was shot in 50 locations across Mexico, with a crew of 100, and has 450 special effects shots, the budget was only about $2.5 million. "Now people are curious about me and what I'll do next," says Riviera, who is working on a project about the life of a robot with producers John Wells and Salma Hayek. "In a way, it is the end of this film's festival life. And to have it end with a Spirit Award is a thrill." Email Story IM Story Printable View Blog This Recommend this article Average (0 votes) Sign in to recommend this article » Most Recommended Stories » Related Articles: Entertainment & Lifestyle Underdogs have their day at OscarsAFP - 1 hour 38 minutes ago Hollywood writers' union pickets "American Idol"Reuters - Thursday, February 19 Small fire at Tracy Morgan's NYC apt.; no injuriesAP - Thursday, February 19 London takes a fresh look at Le CorbusierAFP - Thursday, February 19 Small budgets, big dreams at Spirit AwardsReuters - Thursday, February 19 Most Popular – Entertainment Viewed UBS admits US tax fraud, to identify scofflaw clients Seductive chemicals hidden in sloppy kisses Andean glaciers 'could disappear': World Bank US states may axe executions to cut costs 17,000 US troops to Afghanistan: Obama View Complete List » Search: Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Top Stories Most Popular Copyright © 2009 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy - Terms of Service - Community - Intellectual Property Rights Policy - Help

Other News on Thursday, 19 February 2009
Karzai expects reduced tensions with U.S. | International |
Russia, Georgia agree plan to avoid new clashes | International |
Sarkozy tries to avert unrest with new aid plans | International |
Mexican drug gang menace spreads in Guatemala | International |
Israel's Peres begins consulting parties on PM | International |
Two professors theorize on bin Laden hideout | International |
Helicopter carrying 18 crashes off Scotland | International |
North Dakota House Passes Measure To Ban Abortion
Telecoms industry gets real in Barcelona | Technology |
Texas Wary Of Strings Attached On Stimulus Money
Update: Obama Unveils $75 Billion Foreclosure Plan To Help Homeowners
Asia's shoppers go online as Internet barriers fall | Technology |
Feb 18 Highlights Of Low Points In U.S. Economy
Formal brain exercise won't help healthy seniors: research | Technology |
Third Earthquake In Three Weeks Strikes New Jersey
Telecoms executives keep faith in emerging markets | Technology |
Arkansas Lawmakers Propose Raising State Minimum Wage To Federal Levels
Albuquerque, NM Police Find Mysterious Sixth Set Of Human Bones
Verizon picks Alcatel-Lucent for network | Technology |
Maryland Governor Opposed To State Senate President's Plan To Put Slot Machines At Airport
Clinton Arrives In Jakarta; Criticizes Myanmar's Military Junta
Chipmakers seek growth in small devices | Technology |
Scientists Warn Of Water Level, Temperature Rise Around New York Area
DTV coupon backlog seen gone within weeks | Technology |
Oscar for Ledger would go to daughter Matilda | Entertainment |
Judge rejects Polanski's bid to reopen sex case | Entertainment |
Famous Ethiopian singer has jail term cut | Entertainment |
Albuquerque, NM Police Find Mysterious Sixth Set Of Human Bones
Israel says no cease-fire until soldier comes home
Egyptian authorities free opposition leader Nour
Correction: Iraq exhibit story
US state's 'personhood' law would hit birth control: opponents
Iraqi who threw shoes at Bush due in court
Fed sees US contraction, moves toward inflation goal
NATO revisits Afghan strategy as US troops ready to deploy
Obama unveils 275 billion dollar housing plan
Egypt frees political dissident Ayman Nur
UBS admits US tax fraud, to identify scofflaw clients
Israel's Peres begins vetting parties for PM pick
Sarkozy unveils benefits package to stem protests
Palestinian unity talks delayed: Egypt
Stanford probe puts cricket chiefs on defensive
Jewish leaders: Punish UAE for banning tennis star
Brown calls for 'grand bargain' at G20 summit
Obama says mortgage program to help up to nine million
Rape, war, climate to top UN chief's African tour
Brazil climate change threatens top coffee crop
Russia: global warming to cause droughts, floods
Geronimo's Family Sues U.S. Gov't, Yale University, Secret Society To Recover Famous Apache's Remains
Obama heads to Canada
NASA, ESA Set Exploration Of Jupiter Moons
Iraqi journalist who threw shoes at Bush goes on trial
Appeals Court: Chinese Muslim Detainees From Gitmo Can't Transfer To U.S.
'Tough year' ahead in Afghanistan: US general
Jury Rules Philip Morris Must Pay $8M Damages To Widow, Son Of Chain Smoker
Counter-Narcotics Row Leads To Expulsion Of Second U.S. Diplomat In Ecuador
US commander: Troops 'stalemated' in Afghanistan
Lance Armstrong's stolen bicycle recovered
Search Yields No Avalanche Victims At Mountain Ski Resort
US military deaths in Afghanistan region at 580
President Obama Not Interested In Re-Instating Fairness Doctrine
US-TECH Summary
Louisiana Gov. May Not Want All The Stimulus Money For His State
Lawmakers: US must enforce assault-gun import ban
Few report hitches as digital TV switch begins
Wall Street Finishes Flat As Stocks Fail To Rally On Relief Efforts
Mobile phones aim to be a 'doctor in your pocket'
Canadian Liberal Leaders Meet Obama On Thursday
T-Mobile USA tests $50 unlimited call plan
HP reports 13 pct drop in net profit, lowers outlook
French forces come under fire on Guadeloupe
New service unmasks blocked telephone calls
18 rescued after helicopter drops into North Sea
AMD stockholders approve Abu Dhabi investment
Facebook reverses course on privacy policy
Berlusconi death flight 'joke' opens Argentina row
Formal "brain exercise" won't help healthy seniors: research
Czech lower house approves EU's Lisbon Treaty
Mobile phones aim to be a 'doctor in your pocket'
EU's Solana heads for Belarus as relations thaw
Russia, Georgia take first step on conflict prevention
Russia, Ukraine in new row over envoy's comments
Hollywood writers' union pickets "American Idol"
Warning! Oscar can be bad for your career
Hollywood struggles to find wealth on the Web
Vietnam and Vatican discuss establishment of ties
Mickey Rourke loses beloved chihuahua in Oscar week
Snow business: China enjoys induced snowfall
Ubisoft to drive "Wheelman" for cash-strapped Midway
Japanese leader under pressure to resign
NZ wants action to prevent Antarctic cruise disaster
China hopes for continuity as Clinton visits
Philippine gunmen kidnap businessman, daughter
Underdogs have their day at Oscars
Asian Development Bank wants capital tripled: president
Hollywood writers' union pickets "American Idol"
Taiwan kills 600 pigs to contain foot-and-mouth
Pakistan repays maturing $500 mln Eurobond
Small fire at Tracy Morgan's NYC apt.; no injuries
Clinton hammers Obama message home in Asia
London takes a fresh look at Le Corbusier
South Korean won falls for 8th session
Malaysian politics thrown into further turmoil
'Sale of the Century' for Saint Laurent art collection
Seoul shares end down;banks, exporters lead losses
Japan PM apologises for finance minister debacle
Small budgets, big dreams at Spirit Awards
Air China says no additional fuel hedging: report
CEOs less popular than politicians: poll
Japan leaves interest rate on hold amid recession
Warning! Oscar can be bad for your career
China to step up auditing to ensure stability
Reggaeton star Daddy Yankee touts cologne
Japan's central bank leaves interest rates on hold
US-HOLLYWOOD-WEB
Korea Hot Stocks-LG Display, Daewoo Engineering rise
WRAPUP 2-South Korea says it can cope with debt burden
Australia, Indonesia talk trade, illegal migrants
Clinton says Indonesia shows Islam and modernity coexist
Geronimo's Family Sues U.S. Gov't, Yale University, Secret Society To Recover Famous Apache's Remains
Clinton: Obama may want to wait to visit Indonesia
Zimbabwe To Pay State Workers, Soldiers In U.S. Dollar
Green Comet Making Closest Approach To Earth On Feb. 24
Key hawk endorses Netanyahu for Israeli premier
NATO revisits Afghan strategy as US urges long-term effort
U.S. lawmakers make rare visit to Hamas-ruled Gaza
Kyrgyzstan shuts U.S. air base, NATO Afghan help sought | International |
Tupac Shakur's Estate Sued By Movie Company For Backing Out Of Film Agreement
Aussie Band Men At Work's Guitarist Arrested In LA For Threatening To Kill Lead Singer
Russia acquits all accused over Politkovskaya murder
Netanyahu wins backing in Israeli PM contest | International |
Tracy Morgan's New York Apartment Scorched By Fire
North Korea warns of war as Clinton heads for Seoul | International |
Iraqi shoe-thrower defiant as trial adjourned
US to press allies for more Afghanistan troops
Bush's icy smile enraged Iraq shoe-thrower | International |
BNP suffers 1.366-bln-euro 4th qtr loss
US Senator John Kerry visits Gaza
Kabul eyes control on aid, security in U.S. review | International |
BNP Paribas profit plunges to 3.0 bln euros
Iraq reporter who threw shoes at Bush goes on trial
Court acquits 3 of aiding murder of Politkovskaya | International |
Swiss Re posts historic annual loss
Pakistani Islamists ask Taliban for peace in Swat | International |
North Africa Qaeda posts photos of Western hostages | International |
Bangladesh ferry sinks with 19 dead | International |
Japan PM has support of most party chapters: poll | International |
John Kerry visits Gaza Strip
Kyrgyzstan MPs approve closure of U.S. air base
Obama to address protectionist fears on Canada trip
iPhone features everywhere in rivals' new phones | Technology |
Kerry Leads Congressional Delegation To Gaza; Condemns Hamas
Mobile advertising edges closer to breakthrough | Technology |
Funds For School Sports May Be Cut Due To Recession
Whereabouts of detained Egypt blogger unknown: Amnesty | Technology |
Bankrupt New York Retailer Fortunoff Stops Redeeming Gift Cards Without Notice; Customers Angry Over Lost Money
Hollywood struggles to find wealth on the Web | Technology |
First Lady Celebrates Black History Month With D.C. School Children At White House
Republicans, Mortgage Bankers Concerned About President's Foreclosure Plan
Few report hitches as digital TV switch begins | Technology |
Fed Forecasts High Unemployment Until 2011
Facebook reverses course on privacy policy | Technology |
Kyrgyzstan's Parliament Votes To Evict U.S. From Air Base; Only Military Supply Route For U.S. Troops In Afghanistan Will Be Risky Khyber Pass
Radical cleric Qatada wins payout for UK detention
T-Mobile USA tests $50 unlimited call plan | Technology |
Pope Speaks To Pro-Choice Pelosi About 'Dignity Of Human Life'
New York Post Editorial Cartoon Denounced As Racist
White House: Illinois Deserves To Know Full Extent Of Burris' Contacts With Blagojevich
Clinton says NKorean disarmament stalled
US says NKorea future leadership uncertain
Warning! Oscar can be bad for your career | Entertainment |
Ferry capsizes in Bangladesh with 60 onboard
Mickey Rourke loses beloved chihuahua in Oscar week | Entertainment |
Japanese woman impregnated with wrong egg
U.S. festival spotlights Arab arts and humanity | Entertainment |
Japan scrambles to ease credit crisis
Uighurs denied release in US: court ruling
China approves stimulus for light industry
Oscar for Ledger would go to daughter Matilda | Entertainment |
5 more suspects detained in Beijing hotel fire
Iran, Afghanistan pledge to boost bilateral trade
500 Internal Server Error
China calls on Russia to investigate ship incident
Thailand's exports plunge amid global downturn
Thailand hopes new cocktail can lure back tourists
Bank of Taiwan lowers deposit, savings rates
N.Korea accuses U.S. of planning nuclear strike
Hollywood struggles to find wealth on the Web | Entertainment |
Pakistani forex reserves rise to $10.37 bln
China calls for return of Guantanamo Bay inmates
Georgians take swipe at Putin with Eurovision entry | Entertainment |
ADB likely to cut 2009 Asian growth forecast
Small budgets, big dreams at Spirit Awards | Entertainment |
Movie dubber dies, was `voice' of Woody Allen
Japan leaves interest rate on hold amid recession
Taiwan dollar at 5-1/2-yr low, more weakness seen
Coogan catches indie spirit as awards show host
Legal battle erupts over film rights to Tupac's bio | Entertainment |
Is `Man on Wire' the best film of the year?
Stiller & Co. prepare for 'Little Fockers' | Entertainment |
'The Rock': No plans to return to wrestling ring
NY Post cartoon of dead chimpanzee stirs outrage
Lee in talks to direct 'Life of Pi' adaptation
AP's Bob Thomas wins lifetime achievement award
Ledger poised for Oscar win
Georgia Eurovision entry to poke fun at Putin
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights

USD EUR - 1 year graph	VPN on MacOSX	BlogMeter 1.01