Focus Features

NEW YORK, May 31st, 2013 – To commence its sixth year, Focus Features’ Africa First Program will accept entries beginning Monday, June 10th and continuing through Monday, August 19th, with applications needing to be received by Thursday, August 29th. Focus CEO James Schamus made the announcement

Alex Gibney, the writer/director of the Focus World doc WE STEAL SECRETS: THE STORY OF WIKILEAKS, joined Stephen Colbert on The Colbert Report. A must watch.

With the Bradley Manning trial starting, Alex Gibney's Focus World doc WE STEAL SECRETS: THE STORY OF WIKILEAKS is providing the media a powerful and precise primer on the events and people that lead up to this moment. CNN's Jake Tapper had Alex Gibney, the writer/director of WE STEAL SECRETS, on to talk about the film, Bradley Manning and Julian Assange. Watch.

The Cannes Film Festival is over, and for Focus Features International it was a great success. Alison Thompson, co-president of Focus Features International (FFI), announced multi-territory sales for Asif Kapadia's upcoming, as-yet untitled documentary on Amy Winehouse. In addition there were strong sales on Mike Leigh's upcoming film about the great English painter J.MW. Turner (to be played by Timothy Spall).  For complete info on sales and territories, see our official press release.

Company also closes Italy for Jude Law Starrer Black Sea, Germany for Mike Flanagan’s Oculus London (June 3, 2013) – Alison Thompson, co-president of Focus Features International (FFI), announced multi-territory sales on director Asif Kapadia’s (Senna, The Warrior) untitled documentary on five-time Grammy awar

This morning public radio listeners were treated to a fascinating story about Alex Gibney, the writer/director of WE STEAL SECRETS: THE STORY OF WIKILEAKS, and his journey to get to the heart of Jullian Assange, Bradley Manning and others connected to the organization. Hear the NPR Morning Edition story here.

CBS News caught up with Alex Gibney, the Academy Award-winning writer/director of WE STEAL SECRETS: THE STORY OF WIKILEAKS, to talk about the film and his filmmaking. Watch.

Alex Gibney, the Academy Award-winning writer/director of WE STEAL SECRETS: THE STORY OF WIKILEAKS, went on the radio to speak about Julian Assnage, Bradley Manning and the nature of cyber leaks on The Leonard Lopate Show. Listen.  For more on the film, visit our Facebook page.

Alison Thompson, co-president of Focus Features International, announced numerous sales on BLACK SEA, director Kevin Macdonald's heist thriller, starring Jude Law. In the film, Law is a submarine captain pushed to dangerous depths as he steers an unseaworthy vessel into dangerous waters to rescue lost gold in the Black Sea.  In addition to other deals, Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisition (SPWA) acquired Germany, Austria, German speaking Switzerland, Eastern Europe, Scandinavia, and Latin America. Backup Media invested against distribution rights in France, Benelux and French speaking Switzerland; E-Stars acquired China; Top Films the CIS; E1 Australia and New Zealand; Lev Cinema Israel; Ster-Kinekor South Africa; and Focus Features International is currently fielding offers in several other territories.

For complete info, go to the official press release.

Back Lot Records will issue a digital release of the soundtrack for We Steal Secrets: The Story of WikiLeaks, the new documentary from Academy Award winner Alex Gibney, on Tuesday May 21st. The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack features new music by Fall On Your Sword. A world premiere at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, We Steal Secrets: The Story of WikiLeaks will be released by Focus World in New York and Los Angeles on Friday, May 24th and in select cities on Friday, May 31st; and on digital platforms including VOD beginning on Friday, June 7th. "I've been a fan of Alex [Gibney]'s work for a long time, so it was great to finally work together on such an important project," comments Will Bates, founder of Fall On Your Sword. "Alex really wanted the music to have a cinematic edge to it. The score is very thematic and character-driven, like the film itself. Composing for a movie where the story was unfolding in real time was a unique experience."

For full info and play list, go to our official press release.  For info on the film, see our Facebook page for WE STEAL SECRETS: THE STORY OF WIKILEAKS.

Back Lot Records will issue a digital release of the soundtrack for We Steal Secrets: The Story of WikiLeaks, the new documentary from Academy Award winner Alex Gibney, on Tuesday May 21st. The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack features new music by Fall On Your Sword.

Penn Badgley, who plays Jeff Buckley in Daniel Algrant's musical drama GREETINGS FROM TIM BUCKLEY, highlights his favorite Jeff Buckley songs for MTV. The film is out in select theaters, and available through iTunes and On Demand.

On the ABC movie show Popcorn with Peter Travers, the Rolling Stone critic talks with GREETINGS FROM TIM BUCKLEY star Penn Badgley about how he got into playing famed singer/songwriter Jeff Buckley, and Badgley's girlfriend Zoe Kravitz helped.

On New York City's public radio WNYC music show Soundcheck, Penn Badgley talked about how he channeled the singer/songwriter icon Jeff Buckley for his starring role in GREETINGS FROM TIM BUCKLEY.

Story to Focus on Celebrated Singer Marvin Gaye’s Album Midnight Love

Focus Features International will handle worldwide sales on director Julien Temple’s UNTITLED MARVIN GAYE project, starring Jesse L. Martin (Rent, Law & Order) as iconic soul singer Marvin Gaye in Cannes next month. With a screenplay by Matthew Broughton, the project will also star Golden Globe Award nominee Brendan Gleeson (In Bruges, Troy) in the role of Freddy Cousaert, Vicky Krieps (Hanna) in the role of Eugenie, and Dwight Henry (Beasts of the Southern Wild) as Marvin’s father.

 

What's Going On?  A new film about Marvin Gaye to be handled by Focus Features International at upcoming Cannes Film Festival, that's what. Julien Temple's UNTITLED MARVIN GAYE project - currently in production -- will star Jesse L. Martin as the great soul singer with a script by Matthew Broughton. In addition, the film will star Brendan Gleeson, Vicky Krieps and Dwight Henry. Grammy Award-winning producer Vassal Benford will serve as executive producer and compose the score. Director Julien Temple and producers Jimmy De Brabant and Frederick Bestall said: "Marvin's story belongs to the whole world, providing powerful lessons and profound inspiration in equal measure. The film will celebrate the light that poured forth from Marvin Gaye and still illuminates our lives but won't avoid the darkness that haunted him from within." For Alison Thompson, co-president of Focus Features International, "Marvin Gaye is an iconic idol with a bittersweet story spanning success, fame and the torments of addiction...With his long established track record in making movies about music and the great musicians who touch us all, Julien and his team are the ideal partners to bring the extraordinary life of Marvin Gaye to audiences around the world."

For complete info, see our official press release.

 

In a lovely little video "Revisting the Buckleys", the New York Times's producer Mekado Murphy visits with Daniel Algrant, director of GREETINGS FROM TIM BUCKLEY - now on VOD through Focus World --  and talks to him about the making of the film, the cultural significance of Jeff Buckley, and Penn Badgley's remarkable incarnation of the singer/songwriter. See. 

Focus Features International (FFI) will handle worldwide sales on an untitled documentary about five-time Grammy award-winning singer/songwriter Amy Winehouse from director Asif Kapadia's (the filmmaker behind the award-winning Senna). Using unseen archive footage, the film will show through her own words, the genius in Amy's art and the moving and tragic story of this young woman from London. Kapadia, renown for creating intimate portraits of extraordinary individuals, turns his focus on the talent and world of Winehouse who rose to international fame with her second album Back to Black, which has sold over 12 million copies worldwide since its release in 2006. The English artist died tragically in 2011 of accidental alcohol poisoning, meaning her name will always be associated with other illustrious musicians who lost their lives prematurely at the age of 27.

"This is an incredibly modern, emotional and relevant film that has the power to capture the zeitgeist and shine a light on the world we live in, in a way that very few films can," said director Asif Kapadia and producer James Gay-Rees. "Amy was a once-in-a-generation talent who captured everyone's attention; she wrote and sung from the heart and everyone fell under her spell. But tragically Amy seemed to fall apart under the relentless media attention, her troubled relationships, her global success and precarious lifestyle. As a society we celebrated her huge success but then we were quick to judge her failings when it suited us." Alison Thompson, co-president of Focus Features International said:  "Asif and James [Gay-Rees, the film's producer] have the remarkable ability to bring a moving and thought-provoking story to life, as evidenced by Senna. We look forward to seeing their vision of Amy Winehouse."

For complete info, see our official press release.

Focus Features International to Handle Worldwide Sales for the Documentary on the Late Grammy Award-Winning Artist

In a great video piece at Collider "'Breaking Down the Movie' Episode 1: Director Derek Cianfrance on THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES", Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub speaks with the PINES director with scenes of the film playing next to them to illustrate his points. Smart interview style. See.