Directors sign on for N.Y. 'Love' affair
Source: Hollywood Reporter
CANNES -- Producer Emmanuel Benbihy has assembled a who's who of hot helmers to head to New York to shoot his upcoming project "New York, je t'aime" (New York, I Love You), with names including Zach Braff, Mira Nair, Park Chan-Wook and Fatih Akin.
Benbihy said in an interview that other directors signed to contribute to the $14 million project to date are Yvan Attal, Wang Xiaoshuai, Emanuele Crialese, Albert and Allen Hughes and Andrey Zvyagintsev.
Three more directors are to be added to the 12-strong lineup on the movie, which has the support of the city and state of New York and is co-produced by Benbihy's producer partner Marianne Maddalena, whose credits include Wes Craven's "The Hills Have Eyes" and the "Scream" trilogy.
The project also has backing from the recently announced Future Films and Grand Army Entertainment funding pact.
"With 'NY, I Love You,' we really want to surprise audiences with young, hip filmmakers with their own personal style and movie language," Benbihy said.
Producers are planning a first-quarter 2008 delivery with plans to submit the movie to unspool at next year's Festival de Cannes.
Each director will create a five-minute segment about a love encounter in a district of the five boroughs for a 100-minute long final cut.
"The idea is to give the impression of a community of directors," Benbihy said.
A 13th, as-yet-unchosen, filmmaker will fashion a series of the transition sequences to make the movie much more fluid than "Paris, Je t'aime."
With no credits to be shown until the end of the film, the audience will have a single narrative experience.
"Hopefully, with 'NY, I Love You,' critics will have more difficulty choosing their favorite or least favorite segments. They'll all be good. We want to give the illusion of unity as much as possible and bring the narrative challenge a step further," Benbihy said.
The film, unlike its mostly French-language predecessor, will be shot almost entirely in English. "We'll try to be as representative of the city as possible, that's the idea," Benbihy said.
Benbihy is also sketching plans for "China, I Love You," aiming for summer 2008.
"We hope we've started a new movement in cinema, a different way to make movies," Benbihy said.
The producer wants to roll out a series of U.S.-based projects for foreign directors who want to shoot in the territory.
He added: "The Cities of Love concept is about people. It has nothing to do with politics. We want to show that love is universal. It's the right time to say 'New York, I Love You.' "
Quote from: MacGuffin on May 19, 2007, 09:46:04 PM
Three more directors are to be added to the 12-strong lineup on the movie, which has the support of the city and state of New York and is co-produced by Benbihy's producer partner Marianne Maddalena, whose credits include Wes Craven's "The Hills Have Eyes" and the "Scream" trilogy.
I hope Woody Allen's one of those three directors. It seems strange to make a love-letter to New York without him.
Quote from: MacGuffin on May 19, 2007, 09:46:04 PM
Producer Emmanuel Benbihy
Benbihy is also sketching plans for "China, I Love You," aiming for summer 2008.
"We hope we've started a new movement in cinema, a different way to make movies," Benbihy said.
He added: "The Cities of Love concept is about people. It has nothing to do with politics. We want to show that love is universal. It's the right time to say 'New York, I Love You.' "
why isn't the New York one called "New York, I Love You" ??
if the concept is "Cities of Love" then why is the next one going be CHINA???
and making short films around one concept and selling them as a feature is supposed to be "a new movement in cinema"????
right cos the concept didn't fail miserably already in Eros, 11'09''01, Four Rooms, Two Evil Eyes and New York stories. come on now. why do people keep insisting that short-film collective endeavors are a good idea?
i'll be watching paris, but this douche seems to have no idea what he's talking about. to recap:
-short-film collectives is not a new movement
-keeping each title in the language of its subject would make more sense.
-china is not a city. forget your own concept much?
I dont say this often but I agree with P
Kapur to direct Minghella 'New York' piece
Source: Hollywood Reporter
The director who brought Elizabethan England to the big screen will carry on the legacy of a modern British legend.
Shekhar Kapur, the Indian-born helmer of movies such as "Elizabeth" and "Elizabeth: The Golden Age," will direct one of the last pieces of writing from the late Anthony Minghella, a segment of the urban ode "New York, I Love You."
Minghella had written but not cast or shot his segment of the episodic film, which was to have begun shooting in April in Manhattan.
Producers last week said they were awaiting word from the family before making a decision. According to Kapur, Minghella asked the director to carry out his work shortly before the "English Patient" director went in for surgery two weeks ago. "He told me his film was about the value of life and how people sometimes just throw away their lives, unable to look beyond into the real beauty of it," Kapur wrote on his blog. "I will direct the film now -- with Anthony in my heart and in presence of his soul."
Sources confirmed Kapur was indeed attached to the segment.
Kapur is best known for his twin "Elizabeth" pictures, which earned an Oscar nomination for star Cate Blanchett and a Golden Globe nom for him. He's also attached to direct the adaptation of Isaac Asimov's "Foundation" series for Fox.
The tapping of Kapur to direct the film resolves one question about Minghella's posthumous work. The status of several other film projects, including the Weinstein Co.'s "The Ninth Life of Louis Drax" and Miramax's "The Resurrectionist" as well as the HBO series "The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency" remain uncertain.
Minghella passed away suddenly last week at 54, leaving many who had worked closely with him over the past two decades in mourning and putting a number of the prolific writer-director's projects on hold.
Quote from: Ginger on May 19, 2007, 10:00:39 PM
Quote from: MacGuffin on May 19, 2007, 09:46:04 PM
Three more directors are to be added to the 12-strong lineup on the movie, which has the support of the city and state of New York and is co-produced by Benbihy's producer partner Marianne Maddalena, whose credits include Wes Craven's "The Hills Have Eyes" and the "Scream" trilogy.
I hope Woody Allen's one of those three directors. It seems strange to make a love-letter to New York without him.
Or Scorsese.
there are signs outside my apartment that this is filming here, probably tomorrow. i wonder which director it will be?
Bloom, Hawke, Thirlby 'Love' N.Y.
Johansson, Portman to make helming debuts
Source: Variety
An eclectic group of thesps and helmers are fanning out across Gotham's five boroughs to shoot "New York, I Love You."
Orlando Bloom, Olivia Thirlby, Hayden Christensen and Ethan Hawke are among those who have boarded the omnibus pic, a mixture of contemplative romance and unabashed civic boosterism. The anthology of shorts follows the format of "Paris, je t'aime," a surprise specialty hit released last year.
A few names had been rumored online since the project was first announced last spring (Woody Allen has nothing to do with it, contrary to reports). Paparazzi have swooped down on the production, currently midway through a planned 10-week shoot, and blogs started to teem with photos, especially when Scarlett Johansson started lining up shots.
Johansson, like fellow thesp Natalie Portman, is making her helming debut on the project. Portman also stars in a separate short.
Directors include Mira Nair, Brett Ratner and Alan Hughes, plus international helmers such as Fatih Akin, Andrey Zvyagintsev and Wen Jiang. The pic's producers include Marina Grasic, exec producer of "Crash"; Marianne Maddalena, of the "Scream" pics; and Jan Korbelin, exec producer of Lionsgate's "The Lucky Ones."
Domestic rights are still being negotiated, and Bill Bloch's QED is selling international.
Using a similar approach, "Paris je t'aime" quietly racked up nearly $5 million at the domestic B.O., quite a feat for a French-language title. First Look distribbed in the U.S.
"Paris je t'aime" kicked off producer Emmanuel Benhiby's planned global series that could see numerous locales get the "I love you" treatment, with Shanghai and Africa on the drawing board. The timing is right, the filmmakers add.
"This is a way for directors to play with a format that isn't 90 minutes," Korbelin said.
"With films like 'Crash' and 'Babel,' the approach to narrative has changed," Grasic said. "People are getting more sophisticated about watching content in shorter forms."
In one business respect, "New York" stands out amid the current tide of pics such as "Sex and the City" and "Enchanted" that have spotlighted Gotham locations. NYC & Co., the official marketing and tourism organization for the City of New York, is fully behind the pic, throwing its weight into sponsorship deals.
A major airline is in final talks to help ferry talent to and from the city and promote the film on its aircraft, for example. Such co-branding deals go well beyond the typical offer of a few bus shelter ads and minor marketing considerations.
"Given that this film is a valentine to the city, the city feels extra responsibility," said one person involved in dealmaking.
So what's to separate the movie from simple testimonial tourism promos that would run in a taxicab or on a billboard? The filmmakers say that the explicit auteur approach, as well as interstitial material that weaves together the shorts into a planned 100-minute whole, will steer clear of overt shilling.
Still, "This is a natural for New York," Grasic said. "It's definitely going to be cross-promotional."
In the end, they say, New York will be a character, as it has been in films since the silent era, with a special nod to the diversity of 21st century Gotham.
"There are a lot of culture clashes and love stories involving people of different races," noted Grasic.
Other confirmed thesps include Carlos Acosta, Kevin Bacon, Justin Bartha, Rachel Bilson, James Caan, Bradley Cooper, Chris Cooper, Drea de Matteo, Irrfan Khan, Cloris Leachman, Blake Lively, Emilie Ohana, Maggie Q, Shu Qi, Eli Wallach, Saul Williams, Robin Wright-Penn, Anton Yelchin and Ugur Yucel.
Trailer here. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzlUvaaQp8I)
For some reason I just don't think I'd like these movies. I can't bring myself to watch Paris, Je T'aime, and this one looks dumb too.
Just not a fan of anthology films. But put the shorts online and I might get around to checking them out.
Paris Je T'aime is actually pretty good, and has Alexander Payne's best work ever. Some of it is difficult, even from people that are normally pretty solid (Alfonso Cuaron I'm looking at your goddamn tracking shot). This new trailer had waaaay too much Shia the beef.
I would love to have seen an entire movie about the character from Alexander Payne's bit from Paris Je T'aime...that was just absolutely brilliant.
I Heart NY is the obvious title for this. frustrating.
Quote from: picolas on August 25, 2008, 02:17:03 PM
I Heart NY is the obvious title for this. frustrating.
I'm sure that they considered it. But after licking each others balls they decided to go with New York, I Love You.
Also the title is so obvious that I wouldn't be surprised if a studio already owns the rights to it.
Quote from: Gamblour. on August 25, 2008, 11:02:48 AM
Paris Je T'aime is actually pretty good, and has Alexander Payne's best work ever.
Cool, nice to see others agree on this. I actually think that segment might have been my favorite piece of cinema from that year.
And as to this New York one, what a waste of time. Actually, anytime someone uses the phrase "hip, young ____" it is usually another way of saying 'complete bullshit'.
why the fuck is everyone in that trailer white.
and ratner?
ughh.
Quote from: ©onzo on August 25, 2008, 11:07:54 PM
why the fuck is everyone in that trailer white.
You know why.
Quote from: matt35mm on August 25, 2008, 11:31:53 PM
Quote from: ©onzo on August 25, 2008, 11:07:54 PM
why the fuck is everyone in that trailer white.
You know why.
But I remember watching the Sex and the City movie, and there were only white people there too. Yeah, Jennifer Hudson was in it, but she was really from New Orleans or something. If I Love New York has Jennifer Hudson, I think that would be accurate.
that's not entirely true, I also saw at least two hot asian chicks boning white dudes!
and the songs in the trailer are so on the nose!
I imagine a conversation like:
THE PRODUCER OF SCREAM (to the exec producer of Crash): Hey, don't you know some black or asian or Iranian actors or whatever? What about Don Cheadle?
BRETT RATNER (interjecting): I know Chris Tucker. He loves me.
THE EXEC PRODUCER OF CRASH: Yeah, but this isn't a movie ABOUT race.
BRETT RATNER: Ah, right. So, Shia?
ALL: Ooh, yeah, Shia. Very nice.
Faith Akin, Mira Nair, and Joshua Marston. I'm seeing the movie, obviously.
If movies by arthouse directors were marketed in a way that correlated with the films' sensibilities there'd be a soft spoken publicist who traveled to engage me in meaningful, detailed conversation over my dinner table, while Odetta played quietly in the background from my iHome.
It's the fucking movie business. A marketing department edited this trailer after three previous attempts and a handful of suggestions from the producers.
Rio next stop for Benbihy's Love
Brazilian city follows Paris, New York
Source: Variety
Following Paris and New York, Rio will be the next city in French producer Emmanuel Benbihy's Cities of Love franchise.
Like "Paris, je t'aime" and "New York, I Love You," "Rio, Eu Te Amo" (Rio, I Love You) will comprise shorts by established helmers, each set in a different neighborhood of the city.
Benbihy has been developing the Cities of Love series since 2000. His development company, Ever So Close Inc., has designed and structured the Cities of Love franchise in order to sell Cities one-picture licenses, with Rio being the first.
The next episode produced by Benbihy will be "Shanghai, I Love You." Production on the pic is expected to begin in the fall to be completed in time for the Shanghai World Expo in 2010.
Primum Entertainment Group has acquired the "Rio" license, and will lead the co-production with its Brazilian partners Oz Producoes, Limite Producoes and Bossa Nova Films.
Pic will be an official Brazilian co-production. Rio de Janeiro-based Limite will coordinate physical production; its involvement brought Bossa Nova and Rio's film investment agency, RioFilme, to the production team.
Benbihy will exec produce.
Meanwhile, RioFilme has committed to a development investment with Primum. The deal gives RioFilme the opportunity to distribute the film in Latin America and confirms a direct participation by the city of Rio.
Benbihy, Primum's CEO Joshua Skurla and director Oliver Kwon sealed the licensing agreement in Cannes.
"We will have up to three Brazilian directors and as many as three U.S. directors. The other directors will be of different nationalities," said Luiz Vidal, president of Limite.
(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.apple.com%2Fmoviesxml%2Fs%2Findependent%2Fposters%2Fnewyorkiloveyou_l200908061115.jpg&hash=2a5c3cec36de06dacfa13970897f2365810e90de)
New Trailer here. (http://www.apple.com/trailers/independent/newyorkiloveyou/)
didn't know if i should post it here or in the scarlett johansson thread...
Humiliation for Scarlett Johansson as her 'unwatchable' directorial debut goes straight to DVD
source: dailymail.co.uk
Scarlett Johansson's directorial debut New York, I Love You has gone straight to DVD
The 24-year-old star of The Black Dahlia and Vicky Cristina Barcelona shot a segment for New York, I Love You, a series of linked love stories directed by different people, including Natalie Portman and Brett Ratner.
But her episode, shot in black and white and starring Kevin Bacon, was 'unwatchable,' sources told the New York Post.
'It was really bad, so it was cut,' said one source.
The film's producer, Emmanuel Benbihy, said her segment was slashed because: 'The story did not specifically involve an interpersonal relationship, and it was conceptualised to be filmed in black and white – both of which were extreme departures from the other films.'
He went on: 'Scarlett presented me with an extremely compelling, albeit unconventional, narrative that appeared as though it would not necessarily conform to the overall approach of the entire collective.'
He said he and Johansson agreed the segment's fate would be decided during editing, and added: 'And after months of editing I had to admit that there were editorial decisions to be made in the interest of serving the overall narrative and composition that resulted in previously filmed scenes and footage not getting used.'
Johansson's scenes will be included in the DVD of the film. New York, I Love You is based on Benhiby's 2006 film Paris Je T'Aime.
This article's confusing. It starts out by saying it was "totally unwatchable," which damns it as a film in and of itself, but then goes on to say that it was cut because it was in black&white and the narrative wouldn't've tied in well with all the other stories.
So, really, it doesn't seem to say anything of its worth as a short film, just that it was sent to ISS for not following the rules like all the other children.
I'm not saying I expect, well, anything from ScarJo, but the article started off with a kind of mean spirit, which I didn't think was fair.
*shrug*
ScarJo is the worst so of course this movie is also the worst.
She's got a nice rack, though, so she gets to do whatever she wants whether it's making movies, music, etc and we just have to put up with it.
I loved Paris Je T'aime. What I liked about it was that the city was another character for the interesting people and their stories. It was also full of love and romance. This Big Apple version captures none of that; it's almost the antithesis of anything romantic. There are a couple vignettes that work (Allen Hughes's segment being the best of the bunch), but overall it was just not involving and didn't pay tribute to the city. Where the first one made you want to stay with the characters and find out what happened to them, this one does give you gimpses of the characters afterwards, but we don't care; they are not memorable.