EXCLUSIVE: Writer-director J.C. Chandor just signed with CAA. The filmmaker moved after he exited the film Deepwater Horizon at Summit over creative differences. He had been repped by WME, and had a pretty admirable run there. Chandor had a long career directing commercials, but his ascension has been fast since…

When most leading men get preoccupied with messing with models, it usually means extracurricular activity. When it’s Kevin Spacey, it means taking bold risks to create disruptive opportunities to alter arcane platforms that have ranged from his own acting career to pioneering the first breakout multi-platform success…

The undisputed star so far of the 40th Telluride Film Festival, Robert Redford received his second packed-to-the-rafters tribute this morning on top of the mountain at the Chuck Jones Cinema (each tributee must do two of these here — the Coen brothers and T Bone Burnett are up next tonight and Saturday morning)…

Here is a first look at Robert Redford battling the elements in All Is Lost, the film scripted and directed J.C. Chandor, who helmed the financial crisis thriller Margin Call.Chandor met Redford at the Sundance Film Festival, and was so taken by the indie film patriarch that he wrote a project specifically for him…

March 7, 2012 (Los Angeles, CA)—Joe Jenckes, a producer of the award-winning and critically acclaimed financial thriller MARGIN CALL, has joined Benaroya Pictures as its Head of Production. Jenckes, who had been partnered with MARGIN CALL writer-director J.C. Chandor for ten years, was one of the early supporters of…

Cari Lynn is a contributor to AwardsLine Early this autumn, as the Occupy Wall Street movement heated up, writer-director J.C. Chandor was getting nervous. Really nervous. It was only days before the release of his writing and directorial debut, Margin Call, set in 2008 and about a fictitious investment bank…

Can Actors Be Sold On The VOD Business Model? Sundance Buyers Ponder That… One of the hot topics of discussion at Sundance has been how viable VOD-centric releases can be in the Oscar race. While independents received 60 nominations this morning, perhaps none will help the VOD cause more than the original screenplay…

The longer the 2012 Sundance Film Festival deal-making stalemate continues, the more VOD-centric deals will take center stage as they did in Toronto. A lot of the movies that came in with visions of theatrical releases are considering overtures from bidders who intend to emulate the Margin Call model where…

Redford Sees Opportunity In Alternative Distribution Sundance: 10 Actors Catch Early Buzz All Premieres Films For Sale In Sundance First As the acquisitions crowd of buyers and sellers rolls into Park City tonight, there is heightened expectation that even more films will sell this time than at last year’s festival…

The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television, which previously honored Aussie productions, has launched five new award categories that will recognize international product in Best Film, Best Direction, Best Screenplay, Best Actor and Best Actress. In other words, the Aussies are going Hollywood. The nominees were…

Specialty Box Office: Shame (Fox Searchlight) NEW [10 Theaters] Friday $110K, Saturday $139K, Weekend $361K, Per Screen $36,118 The Dirty Picture (FLM) NEW [48 Theaters] Friday $76K, Saturday $120K, Weekend $268K, Per Screen $5,583, Cume $268K Pastorela (Lionsgate) NEW [55 Theaters] Friday $23K, Saturday $24K, Weekend…

The JC Chandor-directed drama Margin Call sold to Roadside Attractions and Lionsgate after an all night bargaining session. The film stars Kevin Spacey, Paul Bettany, Jeremy Irons, Zachary Quinto, Penn Badgley, Simon Baker, Mary McDonnell and Stanley Tucci. That cast alone had buyers circling the modestly-budgeted…