News

Exclusive: International Film Trust will kick off sales in Berlin on the comedy from Benaroya Pictures and Rough House Pictures.

Dick Move is scheduled to begin shooting in the summer and Munn will play a once in-demand artist who starts seeing phallic imagery in her paintings.

The artist must battle an old nemesis and overcome the belief she is going mad and rise to new heights with her comeback exhibition.

Todd Sklar will direct Dick Move from a screenplay by Tommy Castillo and Ift head of sales Todd Olsson will introduce to buyers at the Efm this week.

Michael Benaroya is producing for Benaroya Pictures with Danny McBride, David Gordon Green, Jody Hill and Brandon James of Rough House Pictures. CAA represents North American rights.

Munn starred in HBO drama The Newsroom and her feature credits include Magic Mike, X-Men: Apocalypse, Ride Along 2 and the upcoming The Predator and the all-female Ocean’s Eight.

“Olivia Munn is one...

Shot by Adam Ginsberg (Awful Nice, Red Flag, Marvin Seth and Stanley), the rural Montana town captured within Britni West's Tired Moonlight seems to have been stuck in a time capsule for a few decades. A transfixing snapshot of stilted working class life in an economically destroyed part of the United States, West skillfully juxtaposes the trapped nature of her characters with their tenacity for enjoying freedom. The neo-realist ensemble of Tired Moonlight dream of hitting the jackpot and escaping; until then, they continue to do what they can to get by, while enjoying every little bit of downtime.

If you’ve read my Top 10 Movies of 2014 list, you’ll know I proclaimed the vast amount of really good movies released this year but for all the good movies, there has to be some bad… And the bad were Really bad this year. From unfunny comedies to weird vanity projects that were seemingly made just for friends and family of the film makers attached, to some truly awful horror movies it seems that 2014 will be marked by some truly terrible films – some of which made it to the big screen!

The criteria is the same as my “best of” list: it has to be a movie I’ve seen this year, one that was released this year, i.e. making its UK debut, or a new movie that I’ve seen at a film festival that might not necessarily have been distributed as of yet. Also, the cut off...

Chicago – On Tuesday, December 2nd, the Midwest Independent Film Festival will award their 2014 “Best of the Midwest” honors with a ceremony at The Underground Nightclub in Chicago. The evening will be hosted by Festival Director Mike McNamara, and nominees include “Animals” – directed by Collin Schiffli, “The Starfish Throwers” – directed by Jesse Roesler and “Happy Christmas” – directed by Joe Swanberg.

Presented by the Midwest Independent Film Festival

Photo credit: MidwestFilm.com

The Midwest Independent Film Festival is a year-round movie event in Chicago that takes place the first Tuesday of every month, at the Landmark Century Centre Cinema. The festival has been named by Chicago Magazine in their “Best of Chicago” issue, and has become one of the top places for local filmmakers, producers and actors to network in the city.

The nominees for the “Best of the Midwest” Awards are as follows….

Best Music Video

“Shadow” directed by Ryan O...

Stars: James Pumphrey, Christopher Meloni, Brett Gelman, Laura Ramsey, Alex Rennie, Keely Hazell | Written by Todd Sklar, Alex Rennie | Directed by Todd Sklar

You know you’re in for a tough time with a movie, especially a comedy, when the promotion centres around one of the smaller roles and Not the films leads. And so is the case with Awful Nice. Yes, despite the appearance of Christopher Meloni (Law & Order: Svu, True Blood) amongst the cast of unknowns, the apparent star of this film – at least according to the PR spiel rolled out for the movie so far – is “British FHM darling Keely Hazell”.

Yeah doesn’t look good does it?

Awful Nice tells the story of Jim and Dave. Two brothers who haven’t seen each other in years, but when their father unexpectedly dies, they are forced to travel down to Branson together to redeem their inheritance; the family’s lake house.

 

 The Parkway Theater in McKees Rocks (near Pittsburgh), Pa will host a film festival this weekend. For full information click here

The festival is a 9 day event featuring 5 Feature Length Films and 1 Short Film, hand picked from the Cleveland International Film Festival (Ciff). In addition, one Short Film from local filmmaker, Ralph Vitucio, called "Shipbreakers" will be shown. Pittsburgh film buffs will have a chance to see all 7 films over a 9 day stretch.

The Parkway Theater will host an Opening and Closing Gala event to kick off their first Film Festival with wine, cheeses, beers, and live music. These 7 films are wonderful little independent movies that would most likely pass by without ever being noticed by Pittsburgh audiences.

Film information and trailers

Amka and the Three Golden Rules - Mongolia 2014

Awful Nice - USA 2013

Oliver, Stoned - USA 2013

Grantham & Rose - USA 2013

He's Way More Famous Than You - USA...

Having clashing opinions with a sibling on important matters can often be a distressing process in life, as people strive to figure out what’s truly significant and valuable to them. But if they hold a strong enough bond, and put in the effort to understand the other person’s point-of-view, they’ll finally be able to overcome their differences and reconnect. That’s certainly the case with the two starkly contrasting brothers in the new independent comedy, ‘Awful Nice,’ which was directed, co-written, produced and stars filmmaker Todd Sklar. The film, which is currently available on VOD, and is set to open in select theaters tomorrow, is a heart-wrenching but equally comical exploration [ Read More ]

The post Interview: Todd Sklar Talks Awful Nice appeared first on Shockya.com.

People can often leave a lasting impression on those they inadvertently meet as they struggle to find their true identity and purpose in life. That is certainly the case with two brothers who are the polar opposite of each other, with one being a responsible family man and the other being a spontaneous free spirit, as they embark on an impromptu journey to reconnect with each other. As they strive to rebuild their estranged relationship in the new independent comedy, ‘Awful Nice,’ from co-writer and director Todd Sklar, which is now available on VOD and iTunes, and opens in theaters tomorrow, they meet an unsuspecting waitress they disastrously pull into [ Read More ]

The post Interview: Keeley Hazell Talks Awful Nice appeared first on Shockya.com.

The comedy of antisocial behavior tends to work best when there's a nucleus of actual humanity, if only to remind you why all the incivility is funny.

The creators of Awful Nice seem to be aware of that contrast, but never really succeed at grounding their characters in real human behavior, and as a result, the interactions of the two leads are like a finger hitting a single piano note for 90 minutes.

Jim (James Pumphrey) and Dave (Alex Rennie) inherit a lake house in Branson, Missouri, from their dead father, and decide to renovate and flip it. Jim is impulsive, easily distracted by food, toys, or quantities of shiny coins, dragging Jim, an associate college professor, into wrestling contests, destructive indoor and outdoor sports, and antisocial behavior in pu...

The relationship between brothers can be one both loving and competitive, and both of those qualities are right up front in the upcoming comedy "Awful Nice." Co-written and directed by Todd Sklar, and based on his short film “'92 Skybox Alonzo Mourning Rookie Card,” film stars James Pumphrey, Alex Rennie, Christopher Meloni, Brett Gelman, and Keeley Hazell, and tells the story Jim and Davie, brothers who haven't seen each other in years, who are reunited when their father dies, and must take a trip to redeem their inheritance. And that's the start of a mishap filled series of misadventures, and in this clip, we see the pair take their rivalry to absurd levels. "Awful Nice" opens on March 7th. Watch below.

Director Todd Sklar’s new brothers comedy, ‘Awful Nice,’ is bringing familial camaraderie to theaters with the film’s release. Screen Media Films will distribute the film, which Sklar co-wrote with Alex Rennie, on March 7. ‘Awful Nice,’ which debuted at last year’s SXSW, stars James Pumphrey, Alex Rennie, Christopher Meloni, Brett Gelman and Keeley Hazell. Screen Media Films has released the following synopsis for the comedy: Todd Sklar’s ‘Awful Nice’ centers on estranged brothers Jim (James Pumphrey) and Dave (Alex Rennie) who are forced to travel to Branson together to renovate and flip the lake house they’ve inherited from their just-deceased father. A series of hilarious mishaps and costly misadventures follow [ Read More ]

The post Brothers Become Awful Nice in Todd Sklar’s New Comedy Release appeared first on Shockya.com.

Cleverly expanding upon the narrative set-up from his short film '92 Skybox Alonzo Mourning Rookie Card, Todd Sklar takes the story of two hapless brothers brought together by their father's funeral and shows us the aftermath. Awful Nice essentially begins with a replay of '92 Skybox Alonzo Mourning Rookie Card, as Jim (James Pumphrey) tracks his brother Dave (Alex Rennie) and bribes him into returning to Minnesota for their father's funeral. It quickly becomes apparent why these two siblings have grown so far apart. They do not like each other -- you might even say that they detest each other. Fist fights and wrestling matches are inevitable, but after their father's funeral they still decide to go on a road trip together to Branson, Mo. Why? Well, they plan on selling their family's summer home in order to cash in on their inheritance.

AFI Fest 2013 presented by Audi, a program of the American Film Institute, today announced the remaining sections and films that will screen in the festival’s World Cinema, American Independents, Breakthrough, Midnight, Cinema’s Legacy and Presentations programs. AFI Fest, which redefines Hollywood today as a place where icons and emerging artists bring audiences together to experience global cinema in the movie capital of the world, will take place November 7 through 14 at the historic Tcl Chinese Theatre, the Chinese 6 Theatres, the Egyptian Theatre and the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.

World Cinema showcases the most anticipated and prize-winning international films of the year, the American Independents section features work by U.S. filmmakers, Breakthrough highlights work discovered only through the blind submission process, Midnight’s selections tend toward the macabre and Cinema’s Legacy highlights restorations and classic films.

This year’s program includes the return of several filmmakers to AFI Fest...

The distributor has acquired Us rights to Todd Sklar’s comedy and has earmarked a spring 2014 theatrical and VOD release preceded by a nationwide college tour of event screenings and interactive parties through Sklar’s Range Life.

Awful Nice premiered at SXSW and stars James Pumphrey and Alex Rennie as estranged brothers forced to flip their recently deceased father’s house.

Screen Media president Suzanne Blech and manager of acquisitions and marketing Seth Needle brokered the deal with CAA for the producers.

Jason Krigsfeld and Joseph Krigsfeld of Brothers K Productions produced with Michael Forstein, Adam Paulsen, Sklar, Maury Steinman and Brock Williams.

To call director Todd Sklar's sense of humor peculiar is to understate the weird and wacky no-holds-barred comedy we've come to know in his work. One look at his hit short '92 Skybox Alonzo Mourning Rookie Card and his punch-you-in-the-balls style will be apparent. With Awful Nice, that short has now seen the feature adaptation treatment, and if the small version had you chuckling, the super-sized package will have you in stitches As seen in 92Samrc, the story begins when Jim (James Pumphrey) finds his brother Dave (Alex Rennie) passed out in a wigwam and bribes him into driving back to Minnesota with him to attend their father's funeral. Drinking contests turn into fist fights and eventually Jim and Dave set out for Branson,...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

Director Todd Sklar's short film, brazenly titled "'92 Skybox Alonso Mourning Rookie Card," followed a pair of estranged brothers drawn together by the untimely passing of their father. At less than 13 minutes, it managed to economically set up two aimless characters and let them run wild to comic effect, culminating with a kitchen food fight for the ages. Before either their crude personalities or the relentless virile jokes grew tiresome, it was over. No such luck with "Awful Nice," Sklar's feature-length treatment of the material, which resembles the short in spirit but takes its puerile energy to a tedious extreme. At the same time, Sklar and his cast display an admirable commitment to the zany task at hand, attempting to inject nearly ever scene with caustic wit. Brothers Jim (James Pumphrey) and Dave (Alex Rennie) are both unruly in their own distinct ways that pull them out of reality.

When I was a kid, I stuck a plunger on my brother's face.  Another time, he hit me in the back of the head with a hockey stick.  Brothers fight, and some of the time they grow out of it.  Todd Sklar's Awful Nice focuses on Jim (James Pumphrey) and Dave (Alex Rennie), brothers who have kept their sibling rivalry alive and immature as possible.  The movie begins by exaggerating the conflict while still making it relatable, but eventually, Awful Nice doesn't know how to progress beyond the brothers beating each other up and Dave being disgusting and idiotic.  The film has some wonderful moments of strange comedy, and Sklar and co-writer Rennie clearly have some talent, but Awful Nice has trouble moving past its solid premise. The responsible Jim finds the ne'er-do-well Dave passed out inside a wigwam, and manages to woo his wayward brother back to Kansas...

After self-releasing his first feature film, Box Elder, around the country in 2008, director Todd Sklar has had a successful run of it with major U.S. film festivals. His short ’92 Skybox Alonzo Mourning Rookie Card premiered at Sundance in 2012, which he has made into the feature Awful Nice. Co-written by Sklar and Alex Rennie, Awful Nice follows the misadventures of two brothers who travel back home to Branson, Missouri, to put their recently deceased father’s estate in order. Starring Christopher Meloni, Alex Rennie, and James Pumphrey, Awful Nice premiers in the Narrative Feature Competition category tomorrow at SXSW. Filmmaker: Awful Nice is an expansion …...

This is one of the rare moments in one’s life when jury duty calls…. you emphatically say, yes. Yours truly is headed to the 2013 edition of the SXSW Film Festival as one-third of jury for the fest’s Narrative Feature Competition. On this site, we heart film festivals for their uniqueness, quirks, rebel attitude, flamboyancy, spirit and how the top fests all individually contribute in shaping up a given year in film – and the cornerstone signs are that when you’re running a quality fest is when you look back at the previous editions and take inventory of the gem discoveries that were offered.

As film critics we can’t help but continually rank, sort, classify the films we see… so this juror gig doesn’t come across as unfamiliar terrain, but its definitively a privileged position when you care about film and the filmmakers the way we all...

South by Southwest (SXSW) is just one of many film festivals, we here at Sound On Sight cover yearly. The fest, which takes place every spring in Austin, Texas, began in 1987, and has continued to grow in size every year. The fest announced the first wave of films back in early January, and the lineup included some highly anticipated films such as The Incredible Burt Wonderstone, Evil Dead, Downloaded and Spring Breakers. Now the full lineup has been announced, and it just might be one of the best lineups the festival has ever programmed.

SXSW takes place March 8-16 in Austin Texas. Here are just some of the films we are excited about.

Narrative Feature Competition – This year’s 8 films were selected from 1,191 submissions. Each film is a World Premiere.

Awful Nice

Director/Screenwriter: Todd Sklar, Screenwriter: Alex Rennie

Estranged brothers Jim and Dave must travel to Branson together when...

Some of the best films of the 2012/2013 calender year from Richard Linklater, Harmony Korine, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Andrew Bujalski, Jeff Nichols, David Gordon Green, Shane Carruth and Joshua Oppenheimer are among the headliner names for the 2013 edition of the South by Southwest Film Festival. With a little over 100 plus film line-up (a whopping 2000+ titles were submitted), almost 70 are world premieres: there is the highly anticipated sophomore film (that has been on our radar since it first went into production) with M. Blash’s (The Wait), Joe Swanberg who makes SXSW his second home will premiere Drinking Buddies, veteran indie filmmaker John Sayles saddles in with Go For Sisters, and rounding out the Narrative Spotlight section we’ve got The Bounceback from Bryan Poyser, Loves Her Gun from Geoff Marslett along with titles we thought might break into Park City, but found an Austin home instead with Jacob Vaughan’s Milo and...

Now in its 20th year, the South By Southwest Film Conference and Festival is set to invade Austin, Texas between March 8-16. The fest’s organisers have sent out the list of movies that will feature and it includes some doozies, with screenings of Joss Whedon’s Much Ado About Nothing, Harmony Korine’s Spring Breakers, not to mention the world premiere of both Evil Dead and the new Steve Carell/Jim Carrey magician comedy The Incredible Burt Wonderstone.With 69 world premieres among the 109 movies showing, including 68 from first-time filmmakers, the festival is known for finding hidden gems and giving other movies a welcome boost.The narrative feature competition this year includes Todd Sklar’s Awful Nice, Carlos Puga’s Burma, Improvement Club from Dayna Hanson, Licks directed by Jonathan Singer-Vine, Chris Eska’s The Retrieval, Short Term 12 from Destin Daniel Cretton, Ruben Amar’s Swim Little Fish Swim...

Looks like Christopher Meloni might be going from solving gruesome murders to committing them.

On screen, of course.

The former "Law & Order: Svu" star, who left the NBC series last spring after 12 seasons, is in talks to join the cast of the fifth season of "True Blood," TVLine reports. And though the show has plenty of other supernatural creatures, Meloni would join marquee names such as Stephen Moyer and Alexander Skarsgard as a very powerful vampire.

This would mark Meloni's big TV return; he's already made a big splash in the film world, as he is playing Colonel Hardy in the upcoming Zach Snyder-directed Superman reboot, "The Man of Steel." Meloni is in the midst of filming the comedy, "Awful Nice," and will also star in the upcoming raunchy comedy, "Dirty Movie." Meloni's TV comeback will also include a tele-film called "The Kentucky Derby."

For more, click over to TV Line.