Screen Zurich Issue 3

Page 1

IS SU E

3

TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 27 - SUNDAY OCTOBER 2 2016

AT THE ZURICH FILM FESTIVAL

www.ScreenDaily.com Editorial +44 7880 526 547

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TODAY

American Honey

NEWS Comic timing Why Alexander Skarsgard embraced War On Everyone » Page 3

REVIEW American Honey Andrea Arnold’s lyrical road-trip » Page 5

SCREENINGS

» Page 8

Woody Harrelson

London calling Harrelson for directorial debut

Zoology scores US, UK deals BY ANDREAS WISEMAN

BY ANDREAS WISEMAN

LBJ star Woody Harrelson is to make his directorial debut on feature Lost In London, which he has also written. Harrelson revealed the project during an interview with Screen (see page 4) although the two-time Oscar nominee kept coy on plot and production details. Harrelson said he plans to make the feature after he has shot LBJ director Rob Reiner’s next film Shock And Awe, which will follow a group of myth-busting US journalists who struggle to get their work published during George W Bush’s presidency. “We’re playing journalists who wrote important articles about the absurdity of associating Saddam Hussein with Osama Bin Laden or trying to connect him to 9/11,” said Harrelson. The actor disclosed that his commitment to that project would make it impossible for him to take part in George Clooney’s Suburbicon. Harrelson arrives in Zurich this week to promote biopic LBJ and a for a ZFF Master talk on Saturday (Oct 1).

Jennifer Connelly and Ewan McGregor in Zurich for American Pastoral

McGregor buzzing on T2, Pastoral reception BY WENDY MITCHELL & KALEEM AFTAB

Ewan McGregor expressed regret over falling out with director Danny Boyle and said that shooting Trainspotting 2 together over the summer has healed old wounds. McGregor and Boyle fell out after Boyle cast Leonardo DiCaprio in The Beach in 2000. Speaking at the Zurich Film Festival, where McGregor’s directorial debut American Pastoral is screening and the actor will take part in a ZFF Master talk on Tues-

day (Sept 27), McGregor said, “Danny and I didn’t have any interaction for years. I do regret the years we didn’t work together because I love working with him.” The actor has reprised his iconic role as Renton in Trainspotting 2, citing the quality of the screenplay as the main reason he agreed to return. “It was fun, it was good to be back with Danny,” said McGregor. Having made his directing debut on Philip Roth adaptation American Pastoral, McGregor said

he is eager to return to the director’s chair. “It took me 15 years to find the right story to tell, I hope it doesn’t take another 15 years to find the next one,” he said. “I’d like to do something entirely different. I’d like to do something contemporary and with young people, and maybe not be in it.” Pulitzer winner Roth is a fan of the finished film, McGregor revealed. “When I found out that he liked it, it was a great relief to me. I think if he had not liked it, I would have felt a sense of failure.”

Zurich Film Festival connects with social media influencers Organisers of the Zurich Film Festival know the value of star power, and not only the type that are used to treading the red carpet. This year the festival has invited a host of social media ‘influencers’ to Zurich in a bid to connect the event with a wider global audience. The festival has invited more than 20 social stars from US, Canada, Colombia and Mexico,

including YouTuber Sebastian Arango who has more than 1 million followers on both Instagram and YouTube, Viner and film-maker Wes Armstrong, aka Wuz Good, who has 1.6 million likes on Facebook and YouTuber Juana Martinez, who has 974,000 followers on Twitter. Positive posts about the festival from the online stars have already garnered thousands of interac-

tions. “These influencers have large audiences who trust them,” says Zurich Film Festival artistic director Karl Spoerri. He added: “It might not be the type of coverage you would usually get but it’s an addition to more traditional coverage, which can bring the festival to more people. We don’t yet know the impact but we will evaluate it afterwards.”

The move is a potential boon for local distributors with the social media stars likely to spread the word about ZFF films they enjoy to their followers. Studios and independent distributors have enlisted social media celebrities during campaigns before but this might be the first time a festival has enlisted international social stars on such a scale. Andreas Wiseman

Arrow Films has picked up North American and UK rights to Ivan Tverdovsky’s supernatural drama Zoology from New Europe Film Sales. The deal was concluded shortly after the film’s North American premiere screening in Toronto and ahead of its screening at this week’s Zurich Film Festival. Zoology follows a middle-aged zoo worker who undergoes a supernatural transformation. Producers are New People Film Company, Arizona Productions and MovieBrats. Arrow plans to release the film theatrically in all three territories as part of a theatrical push into the North American market. Tom Stewart, acquisitions director for Arrow Films, said: “We’re thrilled to be taking such a delightful original film to audiences across North America, Canada and the UK.”

ZFF juries fly into action Zurich Film Festival’s juries are in action all week judging the International Feature Film and International Documentary sections, and the Switzerland, Germany and Austria Focus. Danish film-maker Lone Scherfig is jury chief for international features, alongside UK producer Graham Broadbent, UK writer-director David Farr and German-Turkish actress Sibel Kekilli. The award ceremony takes place on Saturday (Oct 1) at the Zurich Opera House.


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Screen Zurich Issue 3 by Media Business Insight - Issuu