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John Cecchi with Norman Dreyfuss and Pat Rhodes, fellow Washington area-based producers for Sundance selected films, Under the Same Moon and Red.
FROM “MOONS” TO SEEING “RED”
BY JOHN CECCHI
I’ve always been interested in Hollywood and film, but I didn’t know in what capacity I could get involved. Several years ago, the C.O.O of the company I work for, Norman Dreyfuss invested in a movie, Brick. Seeing that, I realized being an investor was a great way into the film business. When he showed me the script for the Mexican film, La Misma Luna, I jumped at the chance. The thought of working on a Latin film was very intriguing (a little known fact is that I am half Uruguayan). La Misma Luna was released at Sundance 2007 and subsequently bought by The Weinstein Company. This March, the movie will be released under the American title Under the Same Moon and play at the AMC Georgetown. We were eager for another movie when we learned of Red. I read the script in one sitting and decided to give it a go along with Dreyfuss and producing partner Pat Rhodes. Red is an American drama/action thriller and the director’s previous works included The Grudge. I love the work of Brian Cox and thought he would be perfect for the the lead and we were all excited to have Tom Sizemore on board as the villain. After a few hurdles, the film was completed and sent to Norway for editing. Before Thanksgiving we got word that the film was accepted into Sundance. It was thrill to hear our second film in as many years was headed to Park City. We weren’t the only ones excited about the honor – a historic number of Washingtonians made the westward pilgrimage in support of the film. It was rewarding to see everyone there and to see Red on the big screen ... and it certainly didn’t hurt that we received a positive review in Variety |
Chefdance also served as the official wrap party for Kicking It. Kosmides and Garcia proudly held court in the exclusive back room as the film’s executive producers and top Pollywood players, including Dan and Rhoda Glickman sampled Amroune’s sumptuous marine divers sea scallops, mint love-letter-filled crescenza cheese pasta, and pistachio-crusted venison chops. Lawrence Cann, manager of the U.S. Homeless World Cup Team, moved by the support the film has garnered for The Homeless World Cup, gave
an impassioned thank-you speech standing on his chair. Ted and Lynn Leonsis along with their daughter Elle, director Susan Koch, and Sheila Johnson presided at the head table, relieved that the gantlet of screenings and events had subsided so they could finally enjoy a relaxed meal with close friends and family. FOCUS ON FILM AND PROFITS The buzz surrounding Washington’s presence – the films selected and WL hosted events – eventually reached the Grand Poobah of Sundance himself, Robert Redford. After hearing from a number of fellow Sundance Trustees who attended the Pollywood dinner, Redford said he was sorry to have missed it. No doubt, this was the year Washington resoundingly threw its hat into the international entertainment ring. But at its core, Sundance is not about buzz, VIP lounges, and splashy events; and Redford has been diligent in reminding people of this. This year’s festival theme was “Film Takes Place,” (catchy) but “Focus on Film” is the mantra here. Know it, learn it, live it. The manifesto galvanizes this annual Petri dish of creative minds, deep pockets, celebrities, and stargazers. Films such as Morgan Spurlock’s latest, Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden, or Up The Yangtze, Man on a Wire, and Yasukuni, challenge and educate viewers in a way that more formulaic studio-produced fare can not money and influence during the festival. The reasons are simple – there are profits to be made from independent film and the stories are too good to not distribute. |
The Sundance Film Festival has been the launching pad for several surprise box office hits recently, including Little Miss Sunshine and Juno. While film purists focus on film, buyers and distributors focus on return on investment. This year, films such as Jack Black’s Be Kind and Rewind and Mischa Barton and Bruce Willis’ Assassination of a High School President were all vying for studio attention and the title of “next indie breakout" As a snowball gains momentum barreling downhill so does interest surrounding a good film. Hits are culled from duds over coffees in the filmmaker lounge, lunches at the ski lodge, and dinners at Chefdance. When the trades (Variety and Hollywood
Reporter), wires, and countless film blogs catch wind and chime in with positive reviews, it’s not uncommon for a film’s
producers to find themselves suddenly negotiating domestic and international rights late into the evening with a gaggle of entertainment lawyers and agents at their side. A good example is American Teen. Buzz surrounding the documentary, which follows a group of four seniors in Indiana through their final year of high school, spread like wildfire, culminating in Paramount Vantage Films’ $1 million bid for worldwide rights. Everyone has an opinion about film here. That’s the beauty of Sundance – it’s for movie junkies. Everywhere you go people are discussing which films are good (Hamlet 2, Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired, American Teen, Up, and Sunshine Cleaning); which bombed (The Year of Getting to Know Us and The Mysteries of Pittsburgh); which were the riskiest (The Greatest Silence: Rape in the Congo); and which were the most thoughtprovoking (Fields of Fuel, Flow: For the Love of Water, and Traces of the Trade: A Story from the Deep North).
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