War Eagle, Arkansas Held Over in Arkansas

War Eagle, Arkansas, a motion picture shot and produced in Arkansas, has been held over for a second week by Rave Motion Pictures Colonel Glenn 18 Theatre in Little Rock and theatres Conway and Hot Springs. According to Vincent Insalaco, the film producer, “Sunday performed better than anticipated, which means there is good word of mouth on the street.”

How a motion picture performs in its initial release greatly determines its exposure in other markets. While expansion to New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and other key cities nationwide is anticipated, a strong second week will greatly aid a continued rollout.

Distributed by Empire Film Group, Inc., the awarding-winning movie stars Emmy winners Brian Dennehy (Righteous Kill), Mary Kay Place (HBO's Big Love), and James McDaniel (N.Y.P.D. Blue). The film also stars Academy Award Nominee Mare Winningham (Swing Vote), Luke Grimes (ABC's Brothers and Sisters) and Dan McCabe as the two lifelong friends.

The film’s producer, Vincent Insalaco of North Little Rock, said of the film, “We have been blessed by a superb cast and script. It is our hope that when the country sees War Eagle, Arkansas they will enjoy this heartwarming story. Having it play at theaters also will help War Eagle, Arkansas when it is released on DVD.”

The script was written by Arkansan Graham Gordy (The Love Guru, My Dog Skip) and directed by Robert Milazzo. War Eagle, Arkansas has been a consistent winner on the USA Film Festival Circuit for the past 18 months, earning more awards than any other independent film of the decade.

 

Little Rock’s Courtney Pledger to Produce Ricky Gervais’ Flanimals for Universal
By Michael Fleming, Variety, April 29, 2009
Universal-based Illumination Entertainment will create a 3-D animated feature based on "Flanimals," a children's book series by Ricky Gervais, creator of The Office.

Gervais will voice the lead character, and the script will be written by Matt Selman (“The Simpsons”).

Illumination founder Chris Meledandri with Little Rock’s Courtney Pledger, while Gervais will exec produce.

The four-volume series, illustrated by Rob Steen, encompasses a world inhabited by 50 species of creatures so ugly and misshapen they become cute and endearing. Gervais' character, a pudgy, perspiring purple creature, goes on a mission to change the world. "It will be great to play a short, fat, sweaty loser for a change," Gervais said. "A real stretch."

Illumination, formed to give Universal a presence in family and animated fare, is in production on "Despicable Me," a film that Universal will release July 9, 2010. The pic's lead voices are delivered by Steve Carrell, Jason Segel, Danny McBride, Will Arnett, Kristen Wiig and Julie Andrews.

Endeavor reps Gervais with U.K.-based United Agents.

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Little Rock’s Renaud Brothers’ Reports on Juarez Featured by New York Times
Brent and Craig Renaud, founders of the Little Rock Film Festival and award-winning documentary filmmakers, have produced a three-part series on Juárez, Mexico for the New York Times.

Thousands of Mexican federal troops and police are trying to stem the drug violence in Juárez. The Renaud Brothers went there to find out how well the troop surge is working, and how the drug violence is effecting average citizens. Click below to view each segment:

Juárez: Amid Violence, a Haven
Juárez: Children in the Crossfire
American Guns in Juárez

For more information, visit www.RenaudBrothers.com.

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War Eagle, Arkansas Lands Theatrical Distribution
The motion picture War Eagle, Arkansas shot and produced in Arkansas will be released to theaters this summer by Empire Film Group, Inc.. The awarding-winning movie stars Emmy winners Brian Dennehy (Righteous Kill), Mary Kay Place (HBO's Big Love), and James McDaniel (N.Y.P.D. Blue). The film also stars Academy Award Nominee Mare Winningham (Swing Vote), Luke Grimes (ABC's Brothers and Sisters) and Dan McCabe as the two lifelong friends. View the trailer and press kit at www.WarEagleTheMovie.com.

War Eagle, Arkansas will open in late June in theaters throughout Arkansas, before expanding to New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and other key cities nationwide.

“We are very pleased to have been selected by the producers to handle the theatrical and home video release of this film festival favorite,'' said Eric Parkinson, CEO of Distribution for Empire. “There is tremendous enthusiasm throughout the state of Arkansas, due to local themes and locations, and we feel that our theatrical expansion will benefit from this platform launch.''

Empire Film Group, Inc. is one of only 12 full-service film studios and distributors in the U.S. marketplace, controlling its own theatrical, video and television distribution activities in-house, and maintaining independent status. The company owns and operates Hannover House, a book publisher and DVD distributor formed in 1993, with an active library of over 170 titles.

The film’s producer, Vincent Insalaco of North Little Rock, said of the deal, “We have been blessed by a superb cast and script. It is our hope that when the country sees War Eagle, Arkansas they will enjoy this heartwarming story. Having it play at theaters also will help War Eagle, Arkansas when it is released on DVD.”

The script was written by Arkansan Graham Gordy (The Love Guru, My Dog Skip) and directed by Robert Milazzo. War Eagle, Arkansas has been a consistent winner on the USA Film Festival Circuit for the past 18 months, earning more awards than any other independent film of the decade.

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Little Rock’s JM Associates, ESPN2 Join Olympics, Tour de France with Emmy Nomination
JM Associates, Inc., the Little Rock-based production company headed by Jerry McKinnis, has been nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Live Event Turnaround for its ESPN 2 production of the 2008 Bassmaster Classic.

Other nominees included 2008 Tour de France (CBS), 2008 World Series of poker: Final Table (ESPN), Games of the XXIX Olympiad (NBC), Inside the PGA Tour (Golf Channel), and The Deutsche Bank Championship (PGA Tour Productions).

The company was also a recent recipient of six Telly Awards, honoring “the very best local, regional and cable television commercials, programs and segments.” JM’s haul included three Silver Telly Awards, the program’s highest honor. Winning series and their respective awards included:

Spanish Fly: Crooked Island (Silver, Videography/Cinematography; Bronze, Nature/Wildlife)

Redfish Cup: Hopedale, LA (Silver, Sports; Silver, Sports)

Madfin Shark Series: Hammerhead (Bronze, Nature Wildlife; Bronze, Videography/Cinematography)

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Little Rock Producer to Open The Box of Delights
From Ali Jaafar (April 6, 2009, Variety)

LONDON – Mike Newell will direct The Box of Delights based on John Masefield's classic 1930s children's novel about a boy entrusted with a magic box that allows him to travel through time.

Brit shingle Brilliant Films is funding development of the feature, which Frank Cottrell Boyce (Millions) is adapting.

Little Rock’s Courtney Pledger, Sarah Radclyffe and Esther Douglas are attached to produce with Brilliant Films' Joe Abrams and Rory Gilmartin receiving executive producer credits alongside Newell.

“I approached Mike with the idea of adapting his favorite childhood book to film,” Pledger said. “Then together we contacted the John Masefield estate for the film rights to the book.”

Newell is completing post-production on Prince of Persia and previously helmed Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

Box of Delights was adapted as a BBC TV skein in 1984 as well as an earlier radio play.

"I first heard Box of Delights as a radio play on the BBC when I was a boy," Newell said. "I was immediately seduced by the tingling, opening harp music and the fantastical, mysterious, magic story that followed."

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Governor Beebe Signs Bill Creating Incentives for Digital Product, Motion Pictures
Bill Provides 15 Percent Rebate on Production Costs, 10 Percent Payroll Rebate
On April 3rd, at 10:30 am in the Governor’s Conference Room, Governor Mike Beebe signed House Bill 1939 into law, creating incentives for digital product and motion picture productions.

The Digital Product and Motion Picture Industry Development Act creates a 15 percent rebate on all qualified production expenditures in Arkansas. An additional payroll rebate of 10 percent will be granted for certain cast members and technical crew in the production who are full-time residents of Arkansas.

“This is a defining moment for the digital production and motion picture industry in Arkansas,” said Christopher Crane, Arkansas’s film commissioner. “So many individuals and groups with an interest in growing the industry worked together on the creation and support of this incentive. Thanks to Governor Beebe, Representative Rick Saunders, Senator Shane Broadway and Little Rock Regional Chamber Film Commissioner Gary Newton for turning this dream into a reality.”

Arkansas was one of the first states in the nation to offer an incentive to film and television productions in the early eighties. It was known as the “nickel rebate,” a 5 percent rebate, but had since expired.
In order to qualify for this new incentive, a production company must spend at least fifty thousand dollars within six months in connection with one project.

“This is a wonderful step in the right direction for this industry,” said Rep. Saunders. “This is the foundation for the advancement of our growing digital and knowledge-based job sector in Arkansas.”
Many film and television productions have been filmed in Arkansas over the years. Arkansas has played a part in productions such as Gone With the Wind, A Face in the Crowd, The Legend of Boggy Creek, The Blue and the Gray, Sling Blade, Chrystal and Come Early Morning.

“Arkansas has a rich history in the film business, and many Arkansans have found success in this industry,” said Maria Haley, executive director of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission. “It is our hope that this incentive will create a variety of production-related jobs for Arkansans, but this is so much more than just film. Through programs such as the Environmental and Spatial Technology (EAST) Initiative, we are preparing the next generation for the creative and knowledge-based careers in this field.”

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ClintonSchool, AETN to Host Arkansas Film Series Screening of The Buffalo Flows
On Thursday, November 20th, at 7:00 pm, the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service and AETN will host the Arkansas Film Series screening of The Buffalo Flows, a new documentary from Larry Foley. The event will be held in Sturgis Hall (1200 President Clinton Drive).

The Buffalo Flows is a one-hour documentary film written and produced by two-time Emmy award winning filmmaker Larry Foley, professor of journalism at the University of Arkansas, who will be available for questions following the screening. The film is narrated by Academy Award winner Ray McKinnon, an actor and filmmaker who calls Little Rock home.

It will premiere on AETN in February 2009 and is the first of many programs AETN will present in conjunction with Ken Burns next film, “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea,” which premieres in fall 2009. The evening will include a special sneak preview of “The National Parks” around which AETN is planning a yearlong celebration of Arkansas’s national and state parks.

While admission is free, seating is limited, so reservations are required by writing publicprograms@clintonschool.uasys.edu or calling 501.683.5239.

The Arkansas Film Series was launched by the Arkansas Film Commission of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission and Little Rock Film Commission of the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce to celebrate Arkansas and Arkansans on film in an effort to raise the consciousness of the state’s rich cinematic history and project its future in film and content development. For more information, contact Gary Newton, 377.6007.

About The Buffalo Flows
The Buffalo River begins in the Ozark Mountains, flowing through hills and rock framed valleys – a place people fought to preserve.

“There’s not just one thing that makes the Buffalo so special, so unique,” Foley said. “When the ‘Battle for the Buffalo’ was won, protecting the river from being dammed, we saved a national natural treasure.

“People know of the river as a canoe stream, and it’s one of the best. But, the Buffalo is so much more, and the film captures exactly what it is we protected. This story is about the bluffs and the trees, the flowers and the birds and the giant elk. It’s about hiking and floating and camping and fishing. And, it’s also about the people who make their home in Buffalo River country year round, and have for generations.”

Academy Award winner Ray McKinnon of Little Rock, an actor and film director, narrates. Trey Marley of Fayetteville captures the river’s magnificent beauty over four seasons, while Emmy Award winning documentary filmmaker Dale Carpenter, also a UA professor, lends his talent as the film’s editor.

“‘Save the Buffalo’ was the cry,” Foley said. “They won that battle and federal protection.

“Today there is a future that mirrors the past because the Buffalo flows.”

Folk singer Jimmy Driftwood called the Buffalo River, “Arkansas’s gift to the nation – America’s gift to the world.”

Funding for “The Buffalo Flows” was provided by the Arkansas Humanities Council, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism, the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission and the David and Barbara Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History.

Foley, an accomplished documentary filmmaker, has earned many national and international awards, including an Emmy from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, four Emmy nominations, first place awards from the Broadcast Education Association, WorldFest Houston, the Aurora Film Festival, and the International Film and Video Festival. He specializes in writing and producing films on cultural history.

Foley’s PBS credits include Saving the Eagles, The Lost Squadron and When Lightning Struck: Saga of an American Warplane. In 2003, The Forgotten Expedition and It Started Here: Early Arkansas and the Louisiana Purchase were distributed nationally to public TV stations by the National Educational Telecommunications Association.

The National Parks: America’s Best Idea is a 12-hour, six-part documentary series, directed by Burns and co-produced with his longtime colleague, Dayton Duncan, who also wrote the script. It is the story of an idea as uniquely American as the Declaration of Independence and just as radical: that the most special places in the nation should be preserved, not for royalty or the rich, but for everyone. As such, it follows in the tradition of Burns’ exploration of other American inventions, such as baseball and jazz.

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Arkansas, Little Rock Film Commissions to Launch Arkansas Film Series at Market Street Cinema

To celebrate Arkansas and Arkansans on film, the Arkansas and Little Rock Film Commissions will launch the Arkansas Film Series. The first event will be held at 7:00 pm on Thursday, November 6th at Market Street Cinema (1521 Merrill Drive) and feature acclaimed British actor and new Little Rock resident Stuart Wilson.

Wilson will screen one of his best known features – The Mask of Zorro – in which he stars as “Don Rafael Montero,” the nemesis of two “Zorros” – played respectively by Anthony Hopkins and Antonio Banderas. The event will conclude with an audience question/answer session with Mr. Wilson moderated by Christopher Crane, the Arkansas Film Commissioner, and Gary Newton of the Little Rock Regional Chamber.

Admission for the event is free, but reservations are required to guarantee seating and may be made by clicking here, completing and submitting the form.

For more information, contact Gary Newton, 377.6007.

About Stuart Wilson

Born in Guildford, Surrey in England on December 25, 1946, Stuart Wilson went to thirteen different schools, as his father worked in the Royal Air Force (RAF) and travelled around the world. After the RAF, his father worked as an engineer in the copper mines in Rhodesia. Stuart moved to London in the mid-1960s and trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (RADA). After RADA, he began working in repertory in Liverpool and at the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC). His career took off when he played “Johann Strauss, Jr.” in the The Strauss Family (1972) in which his character aged from 14 to 74. He continued to have a successful television career playing various roles including Vronsky in Anna Karenina (1977) and “Major Jimmy Clark” in The Jewel in the Crown (1984). In the late 1980s, Stuart moved to Hollywood where he landed roles in The Age of Innocence (1993) with Martin Scorcese, Lethal Weapon 3 (1992) and Roman Polanski's Death and the Maiden (1994). With over 80 film and television credits listed on his Internet Movie Database (IMDB), Wilson is perhaps best known for his role as “Don Rafael Montero” in The Mask of Zorro. Recent credits also include “Dr. Robin Hatcher” in the cult comedy Hot Fuzz. He occasionally returns to the London stage, and in 2002, played “Antony” in Antony and Cleopatra at the RSC.

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Little Rock’s JM Associates Produces Most Network Television Series of Any Independent Production Company in the World

In 1980, Little Rock’s JM Associates forged a monumental partnership with a fledgling cable network in Bristol, Connecticut. Back then, ESPN was still planning on airing movies for half the day and sports for the other half because conventional wisdom said that “no one would watch sports 24 hours a day.” Needless to say, things have worked out for both companies.

JM Associates produced the first outdoors show ever on ESPN – The Fishin' Hole with Jerry McKinnis. Next to SportsCenter, The Fishin' Hole remained ESPN's longest running series for 27 years until the venerable show retired in 2007.

JM Associates has created and produced literally dozens of series and specials since then, including the STIHL TimberSports Series, the ESPN Great Outdoor Games, the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, the Super Retriever Series, and the Bassmaster Elite Series. Their mainstay has been the variety of 30-minute shows that anchor ESPN's weekend outdoor line-up such as The Orvis Sporting Life, Bassmaster University, Denny Brauer’s Bass Class, Bass Tech and A Day on the Lake.

Recently, JM expanded the spectrum of outdoor programming with a greater emphasis on competitive events. They see their production of the BASSMASTER Elite Series Tournament Trail, the Oh Boy! Oberto Redfish Cup, the College Smash-Mouth Bass Series, and the Quizons Madfin Shark Series as the new breed of outdoor programming. Broadening their scope even more in terms of reach, JM also began producing the Stihl Timbersports Collegiate Series airing on ESPNU and Stihl Timbersports World Championships airing on ESPN International.

JM turned their sites on college football in 2006, producing the Chick-Fil-A Bowl preview show for ESPN. In 2007, ESPN reached out to the Little Rock company once again when they launched their motorsports block of programming in association with the return of Nascar Nextel Cup coverage to the network. At ESPN’s request, JM began producing PIPES, a drag racing, garage modification reality series and Race Wizard with Ray Evernham – a program that explores the technology and behind the scenes happenings in NASCAR.

The company’s services are not limited to producing half-hour programs. They have their own remote production unit for live event coverage as well as a 16’ LED Jumbotron. In addition to their remote production services equipment, JM also has an 80’ x 80’ soundstage. They provide consulting services for some of the outdoor industry's more powerful companies, and even stage and produce live events – all with the same quality, creativity and commitment that their partners have come to know over the years.

Television is not the only media platform for which JM provides unique content. Their talented interactive team provides all of the content and editorial publishing for ESPNoutdoors.com, which includes daily content updates, original stories and noted outdoor photography as well as original video programming. This team also produces the organizational sites for RedfishNation.com, PIPEStv.com and numerous sister sites to their programming.

Referred to as “the network’s best friend” by ESPN senior programming executives, JM Associates has produced thousands of hours of programming distributed nationally and internationally and seen by millions all over the world.

The company recently merged with Career Sports & Entertainment of Atlanta, an Atlanta-based sports marketing agency. According to JM Founder Jerry McKinnis, “A client can now get the whole package from us, from television content, promotion development and marketing, event marketing, public relations and interactive services. We can do anything they ask of us.”

 

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48 Hour Film Project – Little Rock Presents DVD of 32 Locally Produced Films
A two-disc DVD set featuring the 32 films produced in this year’s 48 Hour Film Project – Little Rock is now available. The professionally mastered DVD features best quality encoding, full color on-disc printing and full color dual disc packaging.

To order, send your name, address, city, state, zip, email address and $15 per DVD set (plus $1.50 or postage) to Steve Stone, 2522 Frederick Drive, Conway, AR 72034.

The 48 Hour Film Project is the first and largest of the timed film competitions. Over the weekend of June 6th – 8th, teams wrote, shot, edited and scored original films, all within just 48 hours. Little Rock is one of just 60 cities around the world hosting the 48HFP.

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48 Hour Film Project Again Set for Little Rock June 6th – 8th
The 48 Hour Film Project, the first and largest of the timed film competitions, will again bring filmmaking teams together in Little Rock to make short films from scratch the weekend of June 6th – 8th. Teams will write, shoot, edit and score original films, all within just 48 hours. This year, Little Rock is one of just 60 cities around the world hosting the 48HFP.

Filmmakers from across Arkansas will compete to see who can make the best five to seven minute short film in only 48 hours. The winning film will go on to compete against films from around the world, gaining exposure to hundreds of film industry professionals. Over $1,000 in prize money will be awarded to the nominees for "Best in City."

Register online at  www.48hourfilm.com/littlerock. Time and space are limited. For more information, contact Producer Steve Stone.

Teams will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Once the initial registration is full, teams will be added to a waiting list. If a registered team drops out or if theater space is added, teams on the waiting list will be added to the Project. Each completed film is guaranteed a theatre screening in front of a full audience.

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Second Annual Little Rock Film Festival Set for May 15th – 18th
After an overwhelmingly successful inaugural festival in 2007, the 2008 Little Rock Film Festival (LRFF) will once again showcase the very best in independent films from around the world, with several U.S. and Arkansas premieres. From May 15th through the 18th, the second annual festival will also see a dramatic expansion of the LRFF Arkansas Program, which showcases local filmmakers and promotes the growing film industry in Arkansas. The complete festival lineup may be found online at www.littlerockfilmfestival.org.

Opening night, Thursday, May 15th, will feature War Eagle, Arkansas from Producer Vincent Insalaco and Screenwriter Graham Gordy. Filmed in and around Eureka Springs in the Ozark Mountains, War Eagle, Arkansas, is a touching story about extraordinary friendship in a small town.

The 2008 LRFF will feature critically acclaimed films and festival favorites such as The UnGodly, starring Little Rock's Wes Bentley as a documentary filmmaker stalking a serial killer, The Promotion starring Academy Award®-nominated actor John C. Reilly, and The Cake Eaters from director Mary Stuart Masterson. Documentary highlights include the Hamptons Film Festival winner Behind Forgotten Eyes, about Korean comfort women held by the Japanese during World II; Lioness, a film about a female combat unit in Iraq featuring Shannon Morgan from Mena, Arkansas; and Crawford, a film about what happens to a small, rural town when the President of the United States moves in next door.

The popular LRFF Talks series returns in 2008, with panel discussions, workshops and filmmaker interviews. The screenwriting panel brings together some of the best writers working today, all of them either from Arkansas or currently living in Arkansas. Tim Basham from Paste Magazine hosts the all-star panel which includes Jeff Nichols (Shotgun Stories), Graham Gordy (War Eagle, Arkansas, The Love Guru), Ray McKinnon (The Accountant, Chrystal, Randy and the Mob), and Steve Marshall (Growing Pains, Revenge of the Nerds II).

CC Goldwater, daughter of Barry Goldwater, will present and discuss her film Mr. Conservative: Goldwater on Goldwater at the Clinton School of Public Service. Hampton, Arkansas native and television and film producer, Harry Thomason (Designing Women, Evening Shade), will be the keynote speaker at the LRFF Gala at the Clinton Presidential Library and will host a retrospective of the work of legendary cult filmmaker, Charles B. Pierce. Mr. Pierce, widely considered one of the pioneers of American Independent film, is the creator of such films as The Legend of Boggy Creek, The Town that Dreaded Sundown and The Bootleggers.

Little Rock Film Festival co-founder, Brent Renaud said, "In just our first year, we established ourselves as a major film event in the region. Our submissions quadrupled this past year, and we were embraced by the community and our sponsors in such a huge way that we are excited to make the second edition of the festival even better than the first." Stephens Inc. is the LRFF Founding Sponsor, and the Clinton School of Public Service returns to sponsor the Little Rock Talks Series. The LRFF awards prizes in the following categories: Best Narrative Feature Film, Best Documentary Film, Best Short Film, and the Best of Arkansas.

The Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce and its Little Rock Film Commission will again serve as a sponsor, screening venue and panel location for the festival. The Chamber will host the festival headquarters, filmmakers lounge and be the center for all things Arkansas throughout the weekend.

Festival Passes are $25, which includes free priority entry to all films, screenings, and panels at this year's festival, and may be purchased online at www.littlerockfilmfestival.org. Purchased passes may be picked up at the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce the week of the festival. For more information about the LRFF, email info@littlerockfilmfestival.org.

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Local Production Seeks Cast
Rock Productions will hold an open casting call for its upcoming feature film, Step Away from the Stone. Auditions will be held Tuesday, April 1st, from 5:30 – 8:00 pm at the Windsong Performing Arts Center, 7318 Windsong Drive in North Little Rock.