Theater Owners Fuming Over Studios' VOD Plan...

News of the DirecTV deal, which is likely to include titles like Sony's "Just Go With It," adds new twist to CinemaCon. LAS VEGAS – Feeling blindsided, theater owners were furious Thursday that four Hollywood studios didn't brief them on plans to launch a new premium VOD service on DirecTV late next month, followed swiftly by Comcast and VUDU. Exhibitors could respond by changing how they book films and play trailers. OUR EDITOR RECOMMENDS DirecTV to Launch Premium...

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MPAA Chief Christopher Dodd: Hollywood Is 'Terrible' at Marketing Itself...

The studios' newly installed top lobbyist tells THR "there is a total misunderstanding on Capitol Hill" that the film industry is nothing but "red carpets and tuxedoes." LAS VEGAS -- Christopher Dodd doesn't mince words. At CinemaCon on Tuesday, the new MPAA chairman and CEO said Hollywood is great at selling movies but awful at marketing itself. MPAA's Chris Dodd: Piracy Is 'Single Biggest Threat We Face as an Industry' As a result, Washington tends to think of the...

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Actors Join L.A. Labor Protesters...

Actors joined thousands of other workers marching over the weekend to preserve collective bargaining rights. March 26 was dubbed "Solidarity Saturday" in Los Angeles, as thousands of area union workers marched the streets of downtown L.A. and rallied in Pershing Square to protest efforts to weaken public-employee unions. Among those marchers were members of the Screen Actors Guild. MOVE Hollywood, a SAG committee whose mission includes promoting union solidarity,...

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U.S. Hispanic population tops 50 million

By Wendell Marsh The U.S. Hispanic population passed the 50 million mark for the first time and Latinos accounted more than half of U.S. population growth in the last decade, the Census Bureau said on Thursday. The Census Bureau put the Latino count at 50.5 million or 16.3 percent of the U.S. population. In 2000, Hispanics accounted for 12.5 percent of Americans. The new numbers were part of a wealth of data released by the bureau, including ethnicity and geographical...

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Call for Entries: Rose Marine Latino Film Festival

The historic Rose Marine Theater, a landmark for Latino arts and culture, will host an independent Latino film festival May 19-21, 2011. The festival is accepting shorts in two categories: The Rose Marine Tejano Short Premiere: Films must be directed and/or written by American-Latino Texas residents. Film length should not exceed more the 20 minutes. Winning short will be presented as the shorts program closer on Friday May 20th, 2011. The director will recieve membership...

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Unprecedented Number of Latinos Cast During 2011 Pilot Season

ABC & FOX Lead with Nine Latinos Cast Each By Bel Hernandez Hollywood, CA -- Last year the National Hispanic Media Coalition’s annual “Network Report Cards” resulted in failing grades for three out of the four top English-language prime time networks. Only CBS received high marks for the hiring of Latinos. If this years pilot season is any indication, the networks seem to be working towards a better grade year. An unprecedented number of Latinos have been cast...

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Call for Submissions: Bridging Cultures through Film - International Topics Grant

Bridging Cultures through Film: International Topics June 29, 2011 (receipt deadline) Bridging Cultures films will spark Americans' engagement with the wider world through the exploration of countries and cultures outside of the United States, and/or across nations. Two levels of support are available: Development (up to $75,000) and Production (up to $800,000). Films might take a wide range of approaches to international and transnational topics: - an examination...

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HOLLYWOOD SHADOWS: A cure for blocked screenwriters.

By Dana Goodyear The writer was in despair. For a year and a half, he had been trying to write a script that he owed to a studio, and had been unable to produce anything. Finally, he started seeing a therapist. The therapist, Barry Michels, told him to close his eyes and focus on the things he was grateful for. The first time he did this, in the therapist’s office, there was a long silence. “What about your dog?” Michels asked. “O.K. I’m grateful for my dog,” the writer...

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TIMELINE: The Hobbit’s Troubled 75-Year Journey From Page to Screen

By Mike Ryan On Monday, somewhat incredibly, The Hobbit finally started filming. Amid the seemingly weekly reports of turmoil and lawsuits surrounding the two-part Hobbit film over the last few years, it’s easy to forget just how long this movie has been in production — and the minor miracle it is that not only is The Hobbit being filmed, but Peter Jackson is behind the camera. So let’s take a quick look back — a “Dummy’s Guide,” if you will — at the timeline associated...

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DVD pirates running rampant in China

Reel China: With the Chinese government essentially looking the other way, major Hollywood films can be had on the cheap in Beijing and beyond within days of their theatrical release. By Dan Levin and John Horn, Los Angeles Times Poking around a pirate DVD shop down the block from the Apple Store in central Beijing one recent afternoon on her lunch break, Zhou Xin eyed the floor-to-ceiling selection of Oscar-nominated films, indie flicks and B-movies such as "Nude...

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