independent film news stories on Newser

New Sundance Boss Returns Festival to Artsy Roots

Kevin Spak — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 10:30:11 CST

It might just be a transformative year for the Sundance Film Festival, which kicks off today in Park City, Utah. This’ll be the first outing under John Cooper, the festival’s first new director in two decades. Cooper’s goal: to make the festival “less commercial, more independent,” he tells the New...

A Look Back at Movies of the '00s

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 11:50:37 CST

The shifting sands of entertainment technology make a look at the past decade's movies a tricky proposition simply because standing the test of time means something different almost daily. "The possibility of a digital, on-demand afterlife guarantees at least a theoretically universal long-tail immortality to blockbusters and curiosities alike," New...

Demi Moore: Call Me Puma, Not Cougar

Evann Gastaldo — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 08:08:34 CST

Demi Moore is back in the spotlight at 47, thanks as much to her Twitter account as to her film career. She talks to W about upcoming roles in indie films The Joneses and Happy Tears , family life, and more: On her status as a cougar: “I’m certainly not the...

Smarten Up and See Education

Evann Gastaldo — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 12:00:24 CDT

Carey Mulligan's impressive performance in An Education stands out, as does novelist Nick Hornby's script. Critics agree the story of a 16-year-old seduced by an older man is a dazzling mix of acting, writing, and direction that transcends the typical coming-of-age tale: “Prepare to be wowed by Carey Mulligan, whose...

Credit Crunch Saps Funding for Indie Films

Nick McMaster — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 14:00:00 CDT

Independent film producers are losing a once-reliable source of funding, the sale of foreign-distribution rights. Traditionally, the demand for American movies has been so high that producers can sell the rights to distribute the film—in many cases, even before it’s finished—in order to cover costs. But the credit...

Sunshine Cleaning a Delightful Mess

Rob Quinn — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 11:00:01 CDT

Humor and poignancy don't merge that neatly in Sunshine Cleaning , but its offbeat charm managed to win over most critics. The story of sisters from a troubled family who go into the crime-scene cleanup business delves deep into emotional issues but remains a comedy, Kirk Honeycutt writes in the Hollywood...

What to See From Sundance

Evann Gastaldo — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 10:45:00 CST

This year’s indie love-fest Sundance spawned several movies that have a shot at real commercial success, with a roster of films showcasing “more old-fashioned storytelling,” writes Andrew O’Hehir in Salon. Jury prizes went to Push and We Live in Public , but here’s a sampling of the films O’Hehir deems unmissable:...

Batman's Commissioner Gordon Dies

Ambreen Ali — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 02:49:00 CST

Actor Pat Hingle—whose characters included Commissioner Gordon in the '90s Batman movies and Norma Rae's father in the 1979 film—has died of blood cancer at his Carolina Beach home at the age of 84, the Wilmington Star-News reports. The Tony Award nominee and Broadway star had said he...

Rourke Clinches Wrestler

Rob Quinn — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 10:55:00 CST

Mickey Rourke takes the title role of The Wrestler and pins it to the mat in a stunning comeback, say critics. The tragicomic portrait of a washed-up star still hitting the circuit decades past his prime "is not just a comeback performance but something much rarer: a rounded, raddled portrait...