Alan Sepinwall – The Star-Ledger

In the summer of 1985, the members of the Television Critics Association began handing out their own awards to their favorite TV shows. At the time, I’m told, there was a lot of debate over whether this would make the TCA too much a part of the industry it covers, and that first awards ceremony was a brisk 20 minutes, with Career Achievement winner Grant Tinker the only winner invited to attend.

Saturday night, the TCA held its 25th annual awards show. By now, it’s become standard practice for all the winners to have some representative there. And because only the winners are invited — and because the show, other than one disastrous experiment in the early ’90s, isn’t shown on television — it’s a low-key, tension-free affair that can celebrate work overlooked by traditional showbiz awards shows.

Yes, our best drama series winner “Mad Men” cleaned up at last year’s Emmys (and likely will this year, too), and the Emmys also beat us to the punch on actor Bryan Cranston of “Breaking Bad,” who was our winner for individual achievement in drama. But the TCA’s Program of the Year winner was “Battlestar Galactica,” which never got any kind of love from the science fiction-fearing members of the television Academy. And both the comedy series and comedy individual awards went to CBS’ “The Big Bang Theory” — the latter, specifically, to the hilarious Jim Parsons as Sheldon, who was nominated for an Emmy this year but is probably a longshot.

Other winners included HBO’s “True Blood” for new program, HBO’s “The Alzheimer’s Project” for achievement in news and information, Nickelodeon’s “Yo Gabba Gabba” for children’s programming, HBO’s “Grey Gardens” as the best movie or mini-series, Betty White for career achievement, and “ER” for the Heritage Award, a sort of career achievement for series (which, in a quirk of the voting, has almost always gone to a landmark series immediately after its final season).

The people from “Mad Men” (star Jon Hamm made a rare public appearance with his hair slicked back like Don Draper, explaining sheepishly that sometimes it’s easier to get it under control that way) are used to the love affair from the critics by now. But what’s often interesting at the TCA Awards — and what was a running theme at this year’s show — is seeing how tightly performers and producers hold on to bad reviews from the past, and how grateful (or, at least, relieved) they are to be getting praise from the critics instead.

At the 2006 TCA Awards, “The Office” star Steve Carell got big laughs by reading excerpts from a particularly vicious review of his performance in the short-lived Tim Curry sitcom “Over the Top,” which climaxed with this passage:

“I have stood in a freezer full of dead people at the morgue. I have seen a man’s scalp pulled back over his nose. I’ve even seen 35 minutes of Ellen DeGeneres’s ‘Mr. Wrong.’ But I can now honestly say that until Steve Carell’s turn in the premiere of ‘Over the Top,’ I have never known true horror.”

That speech was shown again in a clip reel at this year’s awards, as was one by “My Name Is Earl” creator Greg Garcia, where he said of his previous show, the critically-loathed “Yes Dear,” that if you don’t have the critics on your side, the best you can hope for is to run for six seasons and go into syndication.

This year’s host, E!’s Chelsea Handler, spent part of her monologue rehashing a brutal review she got for “Chelsea Lately,” and when it was Betty White’s turn to accept her award, she admitted that she still had a copy of a nasty review from her very first sitcom, 1952′s “Life with Elizabeth.”

“But I don’t look at it anymore,” she added.                                                                           

“Big Bang Theory” co-creator Chuck Lorre — who opened his speech by saying he wanted to speak from the heart, “But my heart was killed 20 years ago on ‘Roseanne’” — has had an publicly contentious relationship with the critics over his other CBS hit, “Two and a Half Men.” But he seemed genuinely touched by the critics being on his side for once, using words I can’t repeat in this column (but that Lorre can probably use on “Two and a Half Men”) to say he would be forever in our debt.

Jennifer M. Wood – MovieMaker.com

Depending on the era in which one grew up, what is “cool” can be a very different thing. But whether you watched James Dean on the big screen, were introduced to cinema through Quentin Tarantino or believe that great movies begin and end with Michael Bay, “cool” cinema takes us beyond the expected, captures the zeitgeist and changes the way we view the films that come along for us afterward. 

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The same can be said for the 25 film festivals profiled below. With the help of hundreds of independent moviemakers, festival directors and fest attendees, we scoured the world to identify more than two dozen fests that are creating a truly unique film festival experience (for moviemakers and festival-goers).

ANN ARBOR FILM FESTIVAL
ANN ARBOR, MI • www.aafilmfest.org• Even the best programming can’t save an imperfect screening venue. “The biggest reason for the ‘coolness’ of AAFF,” according to executive director Donald Harrison, “is its home base: The historic Michigan Theater… The quality of projection—both in the 1,700-seat movie palace and its state-of-the-art, 200-seat screening room—is world-class.”

BIG APPLE FILM FESTIVAL                                                                      
NEW YORK, NY • www.bigapplefilmfestival.com •
With the glut of NYC festivals, it’s easy to get lost in the mix. But BAFF is creating a niche all its own by focusing “primarily on the New York film community,” says founder Jonathan Lipp. An event for independents, BAFF “plays the films that you hope people will get to see, but worry that they won’t be able to—specifically the ones I have been in,” says actor Jesse Eisenberg, who took home this year’s NY Emerging Talent Award.

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BIG ISLAND FILM FESTIVAL
WAIKOLOA, HI • www.bigislandfilmfestival.com •
“What could be cooler than watching your film in Hawaii under the stars with palm tress swaying in the gentle breeze and the fragrance of plumeria wafting around you?” asks founder Leo Sears. It’s hard to argue with logic like that, especially when each of the many moviemakers who suggested BIFF for this list made mention of the Waikoloa Bowl at Queens’ Gardens as a truly unforgettable screening venue.

BOULDER INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
BOULDER, CO • www.biff1.com • More than 5,000 feet above sea level may not be the first place you look for high-quality cinema, but sisters and fest directors Robin and Kathy Beeck put the moviemaker first. “They really, truly want you there and they want to be absolutely sure that you have fun,” says moviemaker Christine Bonn (In Times of War).

BROOKLYN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
BROOKLYN, NY • www.brooklynfest.org • It shouldn’t be surprising that New York City’s coolest borough offers one of the world’s coolest fests. Though plenty of big names have been a part of the fest, selections are from received submissions only; no films are invited. All films must be independently-produced and every film is in competition, so that “even the smallest film, regardless of its category, can win the Grand Chameleon Award,” says executive director Marco Ursino.

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CONEY ISLAND FILM FESTIVAL
CONEY ISLAND, NY • www.coneyislandfilmfestival.com • By sheer virtue of its location, there’s built-in cool in Coney Island. “It’s a friendly, freaky film festival with a small-town familiarity but a gritty, big-town toughness,” says moviemaker Katrina del Mar (Surf Gang). Plus, asks del Mar, “Where else will you get your ticket taken by Insectavora the fire breather? Where else can you walk into a festival that’s housed in the Coney Island Sideshow, with its famous posters of freaks, and eat popcorn while watching sword swallowers perform between great and super-cool films?”

CUCALORUS FILM FESTIVAL
WILMINGTON, NC • www.cucalorus.org • “One might look at Cucalorus and think, ‘What the hell?’” offers director Dan Brawley. “We don’t give out awards, Cucalorus is at the wrong time of year and it all takes place in a quiet, historic port city in North Carolina.” But it’s that non-competitive atmosphere that allows moviemakers to forget the cutthroat nature of their profession and reconnect with their love of movies. “Competition is the opposite of creativity,” says Brawley. “Cucalorus really tries to bring people together to explore creativity.” This ingenuity extends to the social side of the event, which includes a Blue Velvet locations tour.

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DISPOSABLE FILM FESTIVAL
VARIOUS LOCATIONS • www.disposablefilmfest.com • Created in 2007, DFF offers “a democratized space where the work of zero-budget filmmakers is celebrated and exhibited,” says co-founder Carlton M. Evans. So what is a “disposable” movie? “Short films made on non-professional devices such as one-time use video cameras, cell phones, point-and-shoot cameras, Webcams, computer screen capture software and other readily available video capture devices,” says Evans. “With people everywhere gaining access to these devices, we felt the time was right to draw attention to the creative potential of this new mode of filmmaking.”

ENVIRONMENTAL FILM FESTIVAL
WASHINGTON, DC • www.dcenvironmentalfilmfest.org • Founded in 1993, EFF was green long before it was fashionable. “Environment is a broad topic and the festival reflects that with its extremely diverse selection of films,” says managing director Christopher Head. With more than 100 partner organizations, EFF is internationally recognized as one of the largest environmental film showcases in the world and screens at more than 50 venues, including the Smithsonian museums.

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FANTASTIC FEST
AUSTIN, TX • www.fantasticfest.com • Called “The geek Telluride” by Variety, the country’s largest genre film festival specializes in horror, fantasy, sci-fi, action and “just plain fantastic movies from all around the world,” according to the fest’s Website. Held at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, which Entertainment Weekly named the best cinema in America, the venue is one where attendees can eat, drink and watch movies without being distracted. With past events featuring the world premieres of such films as There Will Be Blood and Apocalypto—and guests including Mel Gibson, Bill Murray, Paul Rudd and Paul Thomas Anderson—this is one fest that truly lives up to its name.

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GEN ART FILM FESTIVAL
NEW YORK, NY & CHICAGO, IL • www.genart.org • As one of the world’s largest arts and entertainment organizations, Gen Art hosts more than 100 film, music, art and fashion events annually, including film festivals in New York and Chicago. “While it’s hard as hell to get into,” says Confounded Films’ Stephen Lyman, “the film plus party format is unique and a lot of fun for both the filmmakers and the audience.”

INDIE MEMPHIS FILM FESTIVAL
MEMPHIS, TN • www.indiememphis.com • Promoting artistic crossover, Indie Memphis “inspires filmmakers from across the country through the unique creative landscape that is the home of the blues and the birthplace of rock ‘n’ roll,” says executive director Erik Jambor. “Sun Studios, Stax and Rev. Al Green’s Full Gospel Tabernacle church are all part of the filmmaker experience during the festival’s opening weekend, allowing filmmakers to connect as they explore the cultural history that resonates through Memphis.”

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LAKE PLACID FILM FORUM
LAKE PLACID, NY • www.lakeplacidfilmforum.com • While some moviemakers hit the festival trail with the sole focus of finding publicity, “one of the main attractions of the Forum is the total lack of frantic publicists, hustling photographers and aggressive celebrity addicts,” says artistic director and co-founder Kathleen Carroll. But that doesn’t mean the A-list sightings aren’t aplenty; Martin Scorsese, Jon Favreau and Steve Buscemi have all been guests. “The Forum is a place where people who are passionate about films can meet and learn from each other,” says famed author—and Forum co-founder—Russell Banks.

LOCARNO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
LOCARNO, SWITZERLAND • www.pardo.ch • “Every August around 180,000 cinemagoers, 1,100 journalists and 3,400 industry professionals converge on the small Swiss-Italian town of Locarno, right in the heart of Europe, which becomes the world capital of auteur cinema for 11 days,” says press coordinator Stefanie Kuchler of the 62-year-old event. While other fests boast outdoor events, Locarno’s Piazza Grande hosts audiences of up to 8,000 for a nightfall screening in the heart of the city, Cinema Paradiso-style.

PHOENIX FILM FESTIVAL
PHOENIX, AZ • www.phoenixfilmfestival.com • Director Paul Osborne, whose doc Official Rejection offers a comic take on what indie moviemakers experience on the festival circuit, knows what makes a great fest, and notes that “Far and away, the best we saw was the PFF.” Citing audience turnout, media attention, political fairness and moviemaker treatment as the keys to the fest’s success, Osborne notes that “the festival never takes itself too seriously and its directors are not just available, but actually visible to solve any problems that arise anytime.”

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ROGER EBERT’S FILM FESTIVAL
CHAMPAIGN-URBANA, IL • www.ebertfest.com • For more than a decade, Roger Ebert has made an annual event of screening the most overlooked films he’s recently seen, as well as re-released classics, to give them another chance in the spotlight. “Our festival has no prizes, no awards, no deal-making, no submission process,” says festival director Nate Kohn. “It’s purpose is singular: To celebrate 12 films that Roger Ebert feels deserve a second look and further discussion.”

SAN FRANCISCO FROZEN FILM FESTIVA
SAN FRANCISCO, CA • www.frozenfilmfestival.com • It’s not just cool, it’s frozen. Named for Mark Twain’s famous quip that “The coldest winter I ever spent was my summer in San Francisco,” SFFFF takes place in the dead of summer, when the city “is at its most chill,” according to co-director Gabriel Bellman. The fest includes a strong musical component and screens “animation, documentaries, feature films, shorts, music-based films and skate films. We believe we uniquely capture the music-based and diverse nature of San Francisco itself.”

SEBASTOPOL DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL
SEBASTOPOL, CA • www.sebastopolfilmfestival.org • This fest is making a big splash in a town that Tom Waits, Les Claypool and Peter Krause call home. Understanding that few things go better with movies than a bottle of wine—particularly in California’s wine country—the doc fest takes place near one of the area’s biggest coalitions of wineries, Wine Road. “Part of being the coolest is knowing about it when no one else does,” says program director Jason Perdue of the two-year-old event, “and being the one to let everyone else know.”

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SIDEWALK MOVING PICTURE FESTIVAL
BIRMINGHAM, AL • www.sidewalkfest.com • “After 10 years, Sidewalk has perfected its own personal trifecta: Hospitality, networking and humility,” says festival coordinator Natalie Hummel. “The festival places a huge emphasis on filmmaker attendance, and not for the sake of name-dropping. It likes to mix filmmakers up in an unusual town with unusual activities, thus forcing guests to break out of their shells and share raw, human experiences, both in theaters and on rooftops.”

SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST
AUSTIN, TX • www.sxsw.com • Originally founded as a music event, this cutting-edge fest added film into the mix 15 years ago in response to the changing nature of the entertainment business. Since then, SXSW has grown into one of the world’s best known media events, introducing audiences to ground-breaking musicians and moviemakers alike. In 2009, this behemoth event screened more than 250 films and boasted more than 7,000 film participants. In addition to being a featured employer on “The Real World,” SXSW has also partnered with Fantastic Fest (also on this list) to double the cool factor.

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SUNSCREEN FILM FESTIVAL
ST. PETERSBURG, FL • www.sunscreenfilmfestival.com • Plenty of fests offer workshops, and most have a well-known guest or two. But a fest that has celebrities teaching the workshops? “From actor Patrick Wilson teaching an actors’ workshop to Oscar-nominated screenwriter Timothy Sexton (Children of Men) and Steven de Souza (Die Hard) teaching screenwriting, Sunscreen gives filmmakers more than just a festival,” says executive director Tony Armer.

TRAIL DANCE FILM FESTIVAL
DUNCAN, OK • www.traildancefilmfestival.com • “Strange” and “cool” aren’t always interchangeable terms. But when TDFF president Anthony Foreman asks, “Where else can you walk right in the middle of a wild west shootout, have a world famous trick-roper twirl a lasso over your head, dance to live rock ‘n’ roll music with a wild west town backdrop and see some of the finest independent films ever produced right in the same facility?” this is clearly one place where the two words converge.

UNITED FILM FESTIVALS
VARIOUS LOCATIONS • www.theunitedfest.com • With events in New York, Los Angeles, Tulsa, San Francisco, Chicago and London, this is one appropriately-named fest. “Rapidly growing in size and scope, and building on a solid festival history, the United Film Festivals showcase top-notch, award-winning narratives, documentaries and short films in six thriving cities across the U.S. and Europe,” says founder Jason Connell. This growing reputation has attracted the attention of well-known indies like Henry Jaglom, who showcased Hollywood Dreams in New York, and Matthew Modine, who premiered Cowboy in Los Angeles.

“WHAT THE HELL DID I JUST WATCH?” COMEDY FESTIVAL
SEATTLE, WA • www.whatthehelldidijustwatch.com • The name alone might be enough to land the event on this list. But this fest, which is dedicated to “bringing the funniest videos we can find to the masses,” according to organizer Kanton Budge, has a lot more to offer, including low submission fees, an intimacy that makes the fest “a great testing bed for filmmakers to showcase their work and see how an audience responds” and free beer! “We’re sponsored by the local brewing company, Mac and Jacks. They provide us with a few kegs every year, and we give out a free beer with every ticket purchase.”

WOODS HOLE FILM FESTIVAL
WOODS HOLE, MA • www.woodsholefilmfestival.org • “The Woods Hole Film Festival is a filmmaker’s festival,” says executive director Judy Laster. “More than just a screening showcase, WHFF has an expansive outreach through our ongoing efforts to help filmmakers get screening opportunities after the festival and through our partnerships with global media organizations.” This includes year-round events on Cape Cod, including programs such as Dinner & A Movie and Filmmaker in the Schools. “Set in the scientific, seaside, summer village of Woods Hole,” Laster says that “a small film can have a worldwide experience.” MM

By Gregg Kilday – HollywoodReporter.com

Justin Ambrosino’s “The 8th Samurai” received the Best of the Fest Award at the the 2009 LA Shorts Fest, which ended Friday night with its awards ceremony at Cinespace in Hollywood.

The nine-day event handed out best music video honors to “Man-Sized Wreath,” directed by Crush Toronto and Gary Thomas; named “Free Doritos!,” directed by Joe and Dave Herbert, best creative commercial, and singled out Jonathan Kalafar’s “We Love You” as best documentary.

Special recognition awards went to Dan Cadan’s “The Devil’s Wedding” and Bert Bertie’s “The Taxidermist.”  Jim Rothman’s “I’m Not Matt Damon” earned the best independent filmmaker award.

In addition to “Samurai,” the following winners are automatically eligible to be submitted to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for Oscar consideration:

Experimental: “Sky People,” directed by Shanti Thakur
Animation: “Alma,” directed by Rodrigo Blaas
Comedy: “Boutonniere,” directed by Coley Sohn
Drama: “Hotel,” directed by Tim Conrad
Foreign Film: “Sidney Turtlebaum” directed by Tristram Shapeero

66th Venice Film Festival has announced its full programme this morning (July 30).

Competition:

Opening film:Baaria – Giuseppe Tornatore – Italy

Soul Kitchen – Fatih Akin – Germany

La Doppia Ora – Giuseppe Capotondi – Italy

Yi ngoi (Accident) – Cheang Pou- Soi – China/Hong Kong

Persecution – Patrice Chereau – France

Lo Spazio Bianco (White Space) – Francesca Comencini – Italy

White Material – Claire Denis – France

Mr. Nobody – Jaco van Dormael – France

A Single Man – Tom Ford – USA

Lourdes-Jessica Hausner – Austria

Bad Lieutenant: Port Of New Orleans – USA – Werner Herzog

The Road – John Hillcoat – USA

Ahasin Wetei (Between Two Worlds) – Vimukhti Jayasundara – Sri Lanka

El Mosafer (The Traveller) Ahmed Maher – Eqypt

Levanon (Lebanon) – Samuel Maoz – Israel

Capitalism: A Love Story – Michael Moore – USA

Zanan-e-bedun-e mardan (Women Without Men) – Shirin Neshat – Germany

Il Grande Sogno (The Big Dream) – Michele Placido – Italy

36 Vues Du Pic Saint Loup – Jacques Rivette – France

Life During Wartime -Todd Solondz – USA

Tetsuo The Bullet Man – Shinya Tsukamoto – Japan

Lei wangzi (Prince of Tears) – Yonfan – China/Taiwan/Hong Kong

There will be an additional “suprise film” in competition.

OUT OF COMPETITION

[Rec ] 2 – Paco Plaza,Jaume Balaguero – Spain

Chengdu, Wo Ai Ni (Chengdu, I Love You) – Fruit Chan, Cui Jian – China

The Hole – Joe Dante – USA

The Men Who Stare At Goats – Grant Heslov – USA

Ehky ya Schahrazad (Scheherazade, Tell Me A Story) – Yousry Nasrallah – Egypt

Yona Yona Penguin- Rintaro – (Animation) – Japan

The Informant! – Steven Soderbergh – USA

Horizons – Orizzonti

Opening Film: Francesca – Bobby Paunescu – Romania

Wahed-Sefr (One-Zero)- Kamla Abou Zekri – Egypt

Dohawa (Buried Secrets) – Raja Amari – Tunisia

Zarte Parasiten (Tender Parasites)- Christian Becker/Oliver Schwabe – Germany

Choi voi (Adrift) – Bui Thac Chuyen – Vietnam

Korotkoye Zamykaniye (Crush) – Petr Buslov, Alexi German Jr., Boris Khlebnikov, Kirill Serebrennikov, Ivan Vrypayev – Russia

Repo Chick – Alex Cox – USA

Engkwentro – Pepe Diokno – Philippines

Aadmi Ki Aurat Aur Anya Kahaniya (The Man’s Woman and Other Stories) – Amit Dutta – India

Paraiso – Hector Galvez – Peru

Io Sono Amore (I Am Love) – Luca Guadagnino – Italy

Dou niu (Cow) – Guan Hu – China

Touxi (Judge) – Liu Jie – China

Pepperminta - Pipilotti Rist – Switzerland

Insolacao – Vincenzo Terracciano – Tris Di Donne & Abiti Nuziali

Daniela Thomas, Felipe Hirsch – Brazil

1428 – Du Haibin – China

Viajo Porque Preciso, Volto Porque Tea Mo (I Travel Because I Think I Have To, I Come Back To You Because I Love You) – Marcelo Gomes, Karim Ainouz – Brazil

Women Cenging De Wuchanzhe (Once Upon A Time Proletarian:

12 Tales Of A Country) – Guo Xiaolu -China

Villalobos - Romuald Karmakar – Germany

Il Colore Delle Parole – Marco Simon Puccioni – Italy

The One All Alone – Frank Scheffer – Holland

Toto – Peter Schreiner – Austria

There is be one additional “surprise film” in this section.

Cinema Del Presente  

Napoli, Napoli,Napoli – Abel Ferrara – Italy

Anni Luce – Francesco Maselli – Italy

L’Oro Di Cuba – Giuliano Montaldo – Italy

Prove Per Una Tragedia Siciliana - Roman Paska, John Tuturro – Italy

South Of The Border – Oliver Stone – USA

Midnight – Mezzanotte

Gulaal – Anurag Kashyap  - India

Dev D – Anurag Kashyap – India

Brooklyn’s Finest – Antoine Fuqua – USA

Deli 6 – Mehra Rakeysh Omprakash – India

Valhalla Rising – Nicolas Winding Refn – Denmark

Toy Story 3-D – John Lasseter – USA – (Lasseter has already been awarded a Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement)

Toy Story 2 3-D – John Lasseter, Lee Unkrich, Ash Brannon – USA

Craig Hatkoff of Tribeca Film Festival presents a proclamation from New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg to Abdulla Al Najjar, CEO of Qatar Museums Authority, and Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, Chairperson of the Qatar Museums Authority Board of Trustees, that celebrates the announcement of the creation of Tribeca Film Festival Doha.

By Wendy Mitchell – ScreenDaily.com

Amanda Palmer has been appointed executive director of the new Doha Tribeca Film Festival (DTFF).

Palmer had been head of entertainment for Al Jazeera English, creating such shows as film programme The Fabulous Picture Show. Palmer also serves on Qatar’s National Film Committee.

In the new post, she will work with Tribeca Enterprises Chief Creative Office Geoff Gilmore to shape Doha’sprogramme.

The local team includes Regional Programs Advisor Mohamed Maklouf and Community Outreach Programmer Scandar Copti. Maklouf is a British national of Libyan origin who has been a filmmaker and film journalist since 1983, working as a consultant on shorts and documentaries, founding the Arab Screen Independent Film Festival, and previously working a a programmer for Dubai.

Copti is a Palestinian filmmaker born in Jaffa who has made several short films and won a Camera d’Or special mention for 2009 Cannes selction Ajami.

The festival, previously called Tribeca Film Festival Doha, will run October 29-November 1. The Qatar Museums Authority is producing the event in collaboration with the Tribeca Film Festival.
“Our vision is to create a festival that genuinely engages the Qatari people and supports regional filmmakers,” said Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Chairperson of QMA. “This team is going to impact the way this region experiences film.”
“When Her Excellency and I started talking about this possibility it was always clear that the festival vision was to create an authentic film event that truly serves the community,” Palmer added. “Film is such an amazing equalizer and we felt Tribeca was unique in how it creates an event where filmmakers and film-goers can equally celebrate film.”

Jane Rosenthal, co-founder of TFF, said of Palmer: “Her relationships and her understanding of the region will bean enormous asset.”

Gilmore added that he wanted the festival to nurture new filmmakers in the area and create “a sustainable foundation for the growth of a film industry in Qatar.”
Tribeca has already welcomed a group of Qatari nationals to New York to see how April’s Tribeca Film Festival is organised.

Palmer and Gilmore will programme works from established filmmakers and emerging talents – aiming to appeal to the Qatari population, with a majority of people under age 30. Meanwhile, Copti and Maklouf wll work to uncover local and regional talent.

The inuaugural festival will screen about 30 films in addition to hosting special events.

DTFF’s official website will launch August 18 at dohatff.com.

Brady MacDonald – Los Angeles Times

   Universal Studios Hollywood has fired scare-meisters Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees and Leatherface in favor of “Saw” serial killer Jigsaw for Halloween Horror Nights 2009.

Jigsaw will get his own haunted maze at the fright fest, with additional horror characters to be named to the lineup in the coming months, according to theme park officials.

Horror fan site Bloody Disgusting reports that Michael Myers of “Halloween” fame will join Jigsaw with his own maze in 2009 at Universal Studios Hollywood.

   Sister-park Universal Studios Orlando in Florida is also hiring Jigsaw for Halloween Horror Nights 19 as well as “Child’s Play” killer doll Chucky and the Wolfman, a 1940s horror monster set to get a November 2009 remake staring Benicio Del Toro.

   Set to debut just before Halloween 2009, the sixth film in the “Saw” horror movie franchise revolves around the “Jigsaw Killer” who teaches his victims the value of life via twisted traps, tests and games involving physical or psychological torture.

   The Lionsgate movie studio officially backed a “Saw” haunted house in a shuttered Brea movie theater last Halloween that drew 20,000 visitors, according to Variety.

When: HHN 2009 will take place at Universal Studios Hollywood on Friday through Sunday nights in October as well as Thursday, Oct. 29 (with the exception of Friday, Oct. 4).

HHN 19 at Universal Studios Orlando will take place on Thursday through Sunday nights in October as well as Sept. 25 and 26 and Oct. 21 and 28.

The 61st Primetime Emmy Awards Nominations

Source: The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences…July 16, 2009

The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences announced the nominations for the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards this morning. The awards will be presented on September 20 and the show, hosted by Neil Patrick Harris, will air on CBS.

 Here are the nominees for the Makeup Categories:

Outstanding Makeup For A Miniseries Or A Movie (Non-Prosthetic)

Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story · TNT · Sony Pictures Television, Thomasfilm and The Hatchery LLC, Angie Wells, Department Head Makeup Artist , Wynona Price, Key Makeup Artist

Grey Gardens · HBO · Specialty Films and Locomotive in association with HBO Films Linda Dowds, Department Head Makeup Artist Susan Hayward, Key Makeup Artist Vivian Baker, Personal Makeup Artist

Maneater · Lifetime · Sony Pictures Television Kathrine James-Gibson, Department Head Makeup Artist Loretta James-Demasi, Key Makeup Artist Melanie Hughes Weaver, Personal Makeup Artist

The Courageous Heart Of Irena Sendler (Hallmark Hall Of Fame Presentation) · CBS · Jeff Most/Jeff Rice Productions in association with Hallmark Hall of Fame Productions Trefor Proud, Department Head Makeup Artist

                            ………………………………………………………………

Outstanding Makeup For A Multi-Camera Series Or Special (Non-Prosthetic)

Dancing With The Stars · Episode 804 · ABC · BBC Worldwide Productions Melanie Mills, Department Head Makeup Artist Zena Shteysel, Key Makeup Artist Patti Ramsey-Bortoli, Additional Makeup Artist Angela Moos, Additional Makeup Artist

MADtv · Episode 1405 · FOX · Girl Group Company Jennifer Aspinall, Department Head Makeup Artist Alexei O’Brien, Additional Makeup Artist David Williams, Additional Makeup Artist Heather Mages, Additional Makeup Artist

Saturday Night Live · NBC · SNL Studios in association with NBC Studios and Broadway Video Louie Zakarian, Department Head Makeup Artist Josh Turi, Makeup Artist Amy Tagliamonti, Makeup Artist

So You Think You Can Dance · Episode #421/422A · FOX · Dick Clark Productions and 19 Entertainment Amy Elizabeth Strozzi, Department Head Makeup Artist Heather Cummings, Key Makeup Artist Tifanie White, Additional Makeup Artist Marie DelPrete, Additional Makeup Artist

                           …………………………………..

Outstanding Makeup For A Single-Camera Series (Non-Prosthetic)

Grey’s Anatomy · Dream A Little Dream Of Me, Part 1 and Part 2 · ABC · ABC Studios Norman T. Leavitt, Department Head Makeup Artist Brigitte Bugayong, Key Makeup Artist Michelle Teleis, Additional Makeup Artist

Little Britain USA · 106 · HBO · 19 Entertainment/MBST Entertainment Limited in association with HBO Entertainment John E. Jackson, Department Head Makeup Artist Chris Burgoyne, Makeup Artist Matthew Mungle, Makeup Artist

Mad Men · The Jet Set · AMC · Lionsgate Television Debbie Zoller, Department Head Makeup Artist Denise DellaValle, Key Makeup Artist Ron Pipes, Additional Makeup Artist Debra Schrey, Additional Makeup Artist

Nip/Tuck · Gisele Baylock And Legend · FX Networks · The Shepard/Robin Company in association with Warner Bros. Television Productions, Inc. Eryn Krueger Mekash, Department Head Makeup Artist Stephanie Fowler, Key Makeup Artist

Pushing Daisies · Dim Sum Lose Some · ABC · Living Dead Guy Productions, The Jinks/Cohen Company in association with Warner Bros. Television Todd A. McIntosh, Department Head Makeup Artist David Martin DeLeon, Key Makeup Artist Steven Anderson, Additional Makeup Artist

                             …………………………………………………………..

Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup For A Series, Miniseries, Movie Or A Special

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation · A Space Oddity · CBS · A CBS Paramount Network Television production in association with Jerry Bruckheimer Television Matthew Mungle, Prosthetic Designer, Special Makeup Effects Artist Clinton Wayne, Special Makeup Effects Artist Melanie Levitt, Department Head Makeup Artist Tom Hoerber, Key Makeup Artist

Grey Gardens · HBO · Specialty Films and Locomotive in association with HBO Films Vivian Baker, Special Makeup Effects Department Head Linda Dowds, Department Head Makeup Artist Bill Corso, Prosthetic Designer Sean Samson, Special Makeup Effects Artist

Grey’s Anatomy · Stand By Me · ABC · ABC Studios Norman T. Leavitt, Department Head Makeup Artist Bari Dreiband-Burman, Special Makeup Effects Artist Thomas Burman, Prosthetic Designer Vincent Van Dyke, Prosthetic Designer

Little Britain USA · 105 · HBO · 19 Entertainment/MBST Entertainment Limited in association with HBO Entertainment John E. Jackson, Special Makeup Effects Department Head Matthew W. Mungle, Prosthetic Designer/ Special Makeup Effects Artist Chris Burgoyne, Makeup Artist

Nip/Tuck · Budi Sabri · FX Networks · The Shepard/Robin Company in association with Warner Bros. Television Productions, Inc. Bari Dreiband-Burman, Special Makeup Effects Artist Thomas R. Burman, Prosthetic Designer Dave Dupuis, Special Makeup Effects Artist

Tracey Ullman’s State Of The Union · Episode 205 · Showtime · Showtime Presents in association with Allan McKeown Presents, LLC Matthew Mungle, Prosthetic Designer/ Special Makeup Effects Department Head Sally Sutton Craven, Department Head Makeup Artist Kate Shorter, Additional Makeup Artist

Bethany Perryman – FilmSchoolRejects

Pass the bananas, because the 34th Toronto International Film Festival announced today that it will open with the world premiere of Jon Amiel’s Charles Dawin biopic Creation. Creation stars Paul Bettany as Darwin and Jennifer Connelly as his wife, and is based on the unintentionally-hilariously-titled biography Annie’s Box.

The festival, slated to begin on September 10th, is usually opened with a Canadian premiere. Lucky for us, Canada hasn’t made any movies worth watching this year. Piers Handling, Director and CEO of Toronto International Film Festival, said, “we are pleased to open the Festival with such an impassioned look at Charles Darwin, especially on the year marking the 200th anniversary of his birth.”

Unnamed heretic representatives for the festival described the film as “part ghost story, part psychological thriller, part heart-wrenching love story. Torn between his love for his deeply religious wife and his own growing belief in a world where God has no place,” they detail, “Darwin finds himself caught in a struggle between faith and reason, love and truth.”

Along with Creation, TIFF will also feature the world premiere of FSR Staff Pick The Invention of Lying, and resident pothead pick Leaves of Grass. Other highlights include Soderbergh’s The Informant!, and FSR Staffer Rob Hunter’s #1 turn-on of 2009, the Asian-filled feature film Mother.

Here’s the initial lineup of Gala premiere and special presentation selection, with a description of each film provided by TIFF:

Galas

Get Low                                      
Aaron Schneider, USA World Premiere
Inspired by the true story of Felix “Bush” Breazeale, this stately frontier drama stars Robert Duvall as a backwoods eccentric who stages his own funeral—while still alive. Ten thousand people arrive to hear him speak and to learn why this local legend exiled himself 40 years ago to the foothills of Eastern Tennessee. Set in the early 1930s, Get Low is a story of mystery and discovery that speaks of timeless things. Can we know who we are? Should we judge anyone? Is there redemption for those of us lost in the dark catacombs of our past? Also starring Bill Murray, Sissy Spacek and Lucas Black.

The Invention of Lying
Ricky Gervais and Matthew Robinson, USA World Premiere
From Ricky Gervais, the award-winning creator and star of the original BBC series The Office and HBO’s Extras, comes the new romantic comedy The Invention of Lying, which takes place in an alternate reality where lying—even the concept of a lie—does not even exist. Everyone—from politicians to advertisers to the man and woman on the street—speaks the truth and nothing but the truth with no thought of the consequences. But when a down-on-his-luck loser named Mark suddenly develops the ability to lie, he finds that dishonesty has its rewards. In a world where every word is assumed to be the absolute truth, Mark easily lies his way to fame and fortune. But lies have a way of spreading, and he begins to realize that things are getting out of control when some of his tallest tales are being taken as, well, gospel. With the entire world now hanging on his every word, there is only one thing Mark has not been able to lie his way into: the heart of the woman he loves.

Max Manus
Joachim Ronning and Espen Sandberg, Norway/Denmark/Germany North American Premiere
The film is based on the true story of Norway’s most colourful resistance fighter Max Manus, and follows him from the outbreak of World War II until the summer of peace in 1945. After fighting against the Russians during the Winter War in Finland, Max returns to a German-occupied Norway. He joins the active resistance movement, and becomes one of the most important members of the so-called “Oslo Gang”, famous for their spectacular raids against German ships in Oslo harbour.

Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire
Lee Daniels, USA Canadian Premiere
Lee Daniels’s Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire is a vibrant, honest and resoundingly hopeful film about the human capacity to grow and overcome. Set in 1987 Harlem, it is the story of Claireece “Precious” Jones, an illiterate African-American teenager who is pregnant for the second time by her absent father and abused by a poisonously angry mother. Despite her experiences, Precious has a latent understanding that other possibilities exist for her, and jumps at the chance to enroll in an alternative school. There she encounters Ms. Rain, a teacher who will start her on a journey from pain and powerlessness to self-respect and determination. The film stars Mo’Nique, Paula Patton, Mariah Carey, Sherri Shepherd, Lenny Kravitz and introduces Gabourey Sidibe.

Special Presentations

The Boys Are Back
Scott Hicks, Australia/United Kingdom World Premiere
Based on the memoir by Simon Carr, Scott Hicks (Shine) directs The Boys Are Back, inspired by the poignant, comic and uplifting true story of a man who must suddenly raise his two sons alone. After the untimely passing of his second wife, the ill-prepared Joe (Clive Owen), who is dealing with his own loss, is confronted with the daily challenges of parenthood while coping with his young son Artie’s expressions of grief. They are soon joined by Harry, Joe’s teenage son from his first marriage, who brings his own personal “baggage” into the mix. Also starring Laura Fraser and Emma Booth.

Bright Star
Jane Campion, United Kingdom/Australia North American Premiere
A drama based on the secret love affair between 23-year-old English poet John Keats (Ben Whishaw) and the girl next door, Fanny Brawne (Abbie Cornish), an outspoken student of fashion. Intensely and helplessly absorbed in each other, they rode a wave of romantic obsession that deepened as their troubles mounted. Only Keats’s illness and untimely death proved insurmountable.

City of Life and Death
Lu Chuan, China International Premiere
From acclaimed director Lu Chuan comes a devastating and controversial epic film based on the most atrocious holocaust in Chinese history, the Nanjing Massacre. The story unfolds as the Japanese take over the city in 1937 and everyone is struggling to survive in a city where death is easier than life. Starring Liu Ye and Gao Yuanyuan.

Cracks
Jordan Scott, Ireland World Premiere
In an austere and remote girls’ boarding school, the most elite clique of girls are the illustrious members of the school’s diving team. As they compete for the attention of their glamorous teacher (Eva Green), the arrival of a beautiful Spanish girl disrupts the delicate social balance. In an attempt to put differences aside, a secret midnight party takes place that will change their lives forever.

Hadewijch
Bruno Dumont, France World Premiere
Hadewijch is a religious novice whose ecstatic, blind faith leads to her expulsion from a convent. Returning to her former life, Hadewijch reverts to being Celine, a Parisienne and daughter of a diplomat. However, her passion for God, rage and encounters with Khaled and Nassir soon lead her down a dangerous path.

The Informant!
Steven Soderbergh, USA North American Premiere
Mark Whitacre (Matt Damon), a rising star at agri-industry giant Archer Daniels Midland (ADM), suddenly turns whistleblower. Exposing his company’s multinational price-fixing conspiracy to the FBI, Whitacre imagines himself as a kind of de facto secret agent. Unfortunately for the FBI, their lead witness hasn’t been quite forthcoming about helping himself to the corporate coffers. Whitacre’s ever-changing account frustrates the agents and threatens the case against ADM as it becomes almost impossible to decipher what is real and what is the product of Whitacre’s rambling imagination. Based on the true story of the highest-ranking corporate whistleblower in U.S. history.

Leaves of Grass
Tim Blake Nelson, USA World Premiere
Bill Kincaid, an Ivy League classics professor, returns to rural Oklahoma to bury his dangerously brilliant identical twin brother who had remained in their native state to grow hydroponic pot. Leaves of Grass is a fast-paced comic film that contrasts two distinct approaches to life. Featuring Edward Norton in the role of each twin.

London River
Rachid Bouchareb, United Kingdom/France/Algeria North American Premiere
This intimate drama tells the story of two people, a Muslim man and a Christian woman, who are immediately affected by the July 2005 London bombings. Both of them are drawn to the British capital when their children go missing on the day of the attacks. Putting aside their cultural differences, they will give each other the strength to continue the search for their children and maintain their faith.

Mao’s Last Dancer
Bruce Beresford, Australia/USA/China World Premiere
Adapted from his internationally best-selling memoir, the film tells the true story of Li Cunxin, a Chinese-trained ballet dancer. Plucked from his childhood village, subjected to years of vigorous training and threatened during the Cultural Revolution, Cunxin decides to leave China at great risk to himself and those he loves, for an uncertain future.

Moloch Tropical
Raoul Peck, Haiti/France World Premiere
A democratically elected “President” and his closest collaborators are getting ready for a state celebration. But in the morning of the event, he wakes up to find the country inflamed and the streets in turmoil. Despite the situation, the President does not want to face reality and refuses to resign. Overwhelmed, he plunges into a deep mental confusion as the events unfold. Set in a castle in the clouds, Moloch Tropical is a Shakespearian, behind-the-scenes depiction of the end of power.

Mother
Bong Joon-ho, South Korea North American Premiere
A unique noir thriller that digs into the secrecy surrounding a terrible murder and the mystery of a mother’s primal love for her son. The films of director Bong Joon-ho regularly, and brilliantly, break with convention, thanks to an imagination that is not confined to the accepted parameters of humour, suspense or horror – Mother is no exception.

Ondine
Neil Jordan, Ireland/USA World Premiere
A lyrical, modern fairy tale that tells the story of Syracuse (Colin Farrell), an Irish fisherman whose life is transformed when he catches a beautiful and mysterious woman (Alicja Bachleda) in his nets. His daughter Annie (Alison Barry) comes to believe that the woman is a magical creature, while Syracuse falls helplessly in love. However, like all fairy tales, enchantment and darkness go hand in hand.

Partir
Catherine Corsini, France International Premiere
Suzanne (Kristin Scott Thomas) is a well-to-do married woman and mother in the south of France. Her idle bourgeois lifestyle gets her down and she decides to go back to work as a physiotherapist. Her husband agrees to fix-up a consulting room for her in their backyard. When Suzanne and the man (Sergi Lopez) hired to do the building meet, the mutual attraction is sudden and violent. Suzanne decides to give up everything and live this all-engulfing passion to the fullest.

Scheherazade Tell Me a Story
Yousry Nasrallah, Egypt North American Premiere
Hebba is the host of a successful political talk show in present-day Cairo. Karim, her husband, is deputy editor-in-chief of a government-owned newspaper. When Party big shots imply his wife is meddling with opposition politics, Karim convinces her to start a series of talk shows around issues involving women. Hebba knows, of course, that women’s issues are political. But she could not imagine to what extent, and the tension eventually leads to the break-up of her marriage.

Solitary Man
Brian Koppelman and David Levien, USA World Premiere
Ben Kalmen (Michael Douglas) is feeling his age, but you wouldn’t know it from the company he keeps. A former mogul with a chain of car dealerships, until legal troubles knocked him out of business, Ben now keeps a grip on the world through his relationships with women – many women. The cast also includes Susan Sarandon, Danny DeVito, Mary Louise Parker and Jenna Fischer.

Valhalla Rising
Nicolas Winding Refn, Denmark/United Kingdom World Premiere
It is 1000 AD. For years, One Eye, a mute warrior of supernatural strength, has been held prisoner by the Norse chieftain Barde. Aided by Are, a boy slave, One Eye slays his captor and together he and Are escape, beginning a journey into the heart of darkness. On their flight, One Eye and Are board a Viking vessel, but the ship is soon engulfed by an endless fog that clears only as the crew sights an unknown land. As the new world reveals its secrets and the Vikings confront their terrible and bloody fate, One Eye discovers his true self.

Vengeance
Johnnie To, Hong Kong/France North American Premiere
A father comes to Hong Kong to avenge his daughter, whose family was murdered. Officially, he’s a French chef. Twenty years ago, he was a killer. Vengeance is a moody, noir-ish tour-de-force, starring French pop icon Johnny Hallyday.

The Vintner’s Luck
Niki Caro, New Zealand/France World Premiere
Set in early 19th century France The Vintner’s Luck tells the compelling tale of Sobran Jodeau, an ambitious young peasant winemaker and the three loves of his life—his beautiful and passionate wife Celeste, the proudly intellectual baroness Aurora de Valday and Xas, an angel who strikes up an unlikely friendship with Sobran. A fantastical creature with wings that smell of snow, Xas turns out to be an unconventional mentor. Under his guidance Sobran is forced to fathom the nature of love and belief and in the process, grapples with the sensual, the sacred and the profane—all in pursuit of the perfect vintage.

Comic-Con 2009

THU, JULY 23 -SUN, JULY 26      …..    PREVIEW NIGHT: WED, JULY 22

SAN DIEGO
Convention Center
111 W. Harbor Dr.
San Diego, CA 92101

    The annual Comic-Con is fast approaching, and this year’s event, taking place from July 23-26, shines a brighter spotlight than ever on Hollywood.

  Disney on Thrusday announced its heavy-hitter lineup — John Lasseter, Robert Zemeckis and Tim Burton — while networks and cable, from CBS’ “The Big Bang Theory” and USA’s “Burn Notice,” are also well-represented.

 Below is a schedule of events — many details of which are still to be determined

 PANELS

WEDNESDAY, JULY 22

“Human Target,” “V” and “Vampire Diaries” (6 p.m.-9 p.m., room TBD): Full pilot previews.

THURSDAY, JULY 23

Summit Entertainment: “Astro Boy” (10:15-11:15 a.m., Room 6BCF) Astro Boy is an all-new CG-animated feature film based on the classic manga about a young robot with incredible powers and his adventure-filled journey in search of his identity and destiny. Director David Bowers, producer Maryanne Grager, and stars Freddie Highmore and Kristen Bell will debut exclusive footage and answer questions.

TheOneRing.net: “The Hobbit” (10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m., Room 7AB) Chris Pirrotta, Larry Curtis, Cliff Broadway and other from TheOneRing.net will take you behind the scenes of the latest news, announcements, and rumors pertaining to the Peter Jackson and Guillermo del Toro production of The Hobbit.

Disney 3-D Panel (11 a.m-12:30 p.m., Room TBD) With Robert Zemeckis, Tim Burton, Sean Bailey, Steve Lisberger. Concept art, trailers, footage of “A Christmas Carol,” “Alice in Wonderland” and “Tron.”

“The Middleman” (11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m., Room 6A). Panel with Matt Keeslar, Natalie Morales, Mary Pat Gleason, Britt Morgan, Jake Smollett, Javier Grillo-Marxuach and cast reading of lost 13th episode script, “The Doomsday Armageddon Apocalypse”

Richard Hatch: “Battlestar” Retrospective (12:30 p.m.-1:30 p.m., Room 6A) Moderated by actor/author Richard Hatch, with composer Bear McCreary, writer/producer Michael Tayler, scientific advisor Kevin Grazier and special guests, this panel provides a review and discussion of the past four seasons of “Battlestar Galactica.”

“Dante’s Inferno” (12:30 p.m.-1:30 p.m., Room 8. Jonathan Knight, Ash Huang, Brandon Auman, Christos Gage and Diego Latorre talk about the adaptation of the epic poem into pop culture: a video game, an animated feature, and a comic series.
   20th Century Fox and James Cameron present “Avatar” (12:45 p.m.-2 p.m., Hall H) Cameron, Jon Landau and cast members will show the first public screening of footage in 3D from the movie, which debuts in December.

Spotlight on Kevin Eastman (1 p.m.-2  p.m., Room 5AB) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle co-creator Kevin Eastman talks about his TMNT days and shares sneak peeks and behind-the-scenes teasers for his upcoming animated film projects.

Sony Pictures Animation: Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2:00-3:00 p.m., Room 6BCF) Bill Hader, Anna Faris, Andy Samberg, Bobb’e J. Thompson, Chriss Miller, Phil Lord discuss the upcoming Sony/Columbia movie.

Summit Entertainment (2:15 p.m. -3:15 p.m., Hall H)
Summit Entertainment presents a sneak peek of some of its upcoming major film releases such as “Astro Boy,” “Sorority Row” and “The Twilight Saga: New Moon.”

DVD/Blu-ray Producers 2009 (2:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m., Room 7AB)
Bill Hunt, Adam Jahnke and Todd Doogan (of The Digital Bits.com), talk about the latest DVD and Blu-ray developments with special-edition producers like Robert Meyer Burnett, Laura Gross, Charles de Lauzirika, David Naylor and Cliff Stephenson.

Masters of the Web (3 p.m.-4 p.m., Room 32AB)
Director Kevin Munroe (“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles”) moderates a panel of representatives from top genre and movie websites such as Movieweb.com and Latinoreview.com. Brandon Routh and Sam Hungintgon join to preview a sneak peek of their new film “Dead of Night.”
 

“Robot Chicken,” “Titan Maximum” (3 p.m.-4 p.m., Room 6A). Panel with Seth Green, Matthew Senreich, Tom Root, Doug Goldstein, Chris McKay, Breckin Meyer, Kevin Shinick, Mike Fasolo, Dan Milano.

J. Michael Straczynski: Professional Writing (3:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m., Room 7AB)
The “Changeling” writer discusses the steps and tools needed to be a professional writer.

Joe Dante: “The Hole” (3:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m., Hall H)  Joe Dante  and Haley Bennett discuss their new film and working in 3D.

Entertainment Weekly: Wonder Women: Female Power Icons in Pop Culture (3:45 p.m. -4:45 p.m., Ballroom 20) EW will moderate a conversation with Sigourney Weaver, Elizabeth Mitchell, Kristen Bell  and others about the actresses who have redefined the rules and the female characters that have shattered the glass ceiling for all women. 
 

Cartoon Network Comedy: Original Animation (4:15 p.m. – 5:15 p.m., Room 6A). Panel on “Chowder,” “The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack,” ”Adventure Time With Finn and Jake.”

Terry Gilliam’s “The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus” (4:45 p.m. -5:15 p.m., Hall H) The director of “Time Bandits” and “Brazil” introduces his new film starring Christopher Plummer, Johnny Depp, Heath Ledger, Colin Farrell, Jude Law, Verne Troyer, Tom Waits, and Lily Cole. 
 

“Dexter” (5 p.m.-6 p.m. Ballroom 20)

Overture Pictures: “Pandorum” (5:15 p.m.-5:45 p.m., Hall H) Actors Ben Foster, Cung Le  and Antje Traue discuss their new thriller about two crewmembers on a seemingly abandoned spacecraft.

Kick-Ass (5:45 p.m.-6:45 p.m., Hall H) Director Matthew Vaughn, Nicolas Cage and Christopher Mintz-Plasse and comic co-creator John Romita Jr. present world premiere footage from the new film, based on Mark Millar’s bestselling comic.

Focus Features: “Thirst” (6:30 p.m.-7:00 p.m., Hall H) Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook discusses his film, which won the Prix Du Jury (Jury Prize) at the 2009 Cannes International Film Festival, and his career.

Robotech Industry Panel (6:45 p.m.-7:45 p.m., Room 6A) Tommy Yune, director of “Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles” and Steve Yun, writer of “Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles,” discuss upcoming Robotech releases in the wake of the announcement of the live-action feature film.

Comedy Central’s “Drawn Together Movie” Roundtable (7 p.m-8 p.m., Room 6BCF) Co-creators Matt Silverstein and Dave Jeser and stars from the show discuss “The Drawn Together Movie” and host a roundtable discussion.

Dr. Horrible’s Sing-along Blog (8:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m., Room 6A) The California Browncoats host a screening of the original three acts, followed immediately by “Commentary! The Musical.”

“Green Lantern”: First Flight World Premiere (8 p.m.-9:30 p.m., Ballroom 20) Warner Home Video, Warner Premiere, DC Comics and Warner Bros. Animation present the world premiere of “Green Lantern: First Flight.” “Lantern,” due out July 28, stars Christopher Meloni, is directed by Lauren Montgomery and written by Emmy Award winner Alan Burnett.

Halloween Comes Early: Trick ‘r Treat Screening (9:30 p.m.-12:00 a.m., Ballroom 20) Writer-director Michael Dougherty screens his new movie, which is preceded by a panel. Ain’t It Cool News mogul Harry Knowles will moderate the panel, which features Dougherty and cast members Anna Paquin, Tahmoh Penikett, and Brian Cox.

“Burn Notice” (room & time TBD) Panel with Bruce Campbell, Seth Peterson, Ben Shenkman, Jay Karnes, Matt Nix, Alfredo Barrios Jr., Michael Shanks

“Legend of the Seeker” (room & time TBD)

“Psych” (room & time TBD) Panel with James Roday, Dule Hill, Corbin Bernsen, Maggie Lawson, Timothy Omundson, Chris Henze and Kelly Kulchak. Scrpt-to-screen demonstration documenting the process of creating an episode.

“Twilight: New Moon” Panel (room & time TBD)

FRIDAY, JULY 24

“Batman: The Brave and the Bold” (animated) (10 a.m.-11 a.m., Room 6DE) Panel with Diedrich Bader, Sam Register. Screening of “Mayhem of Music Meister” episode featuring voice of Neil Patrick Harris.

“Stargate Universe” (10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m., Ballroom 20) Panel with Robert Carlyle, Brian J. Smith, Elyse Levesque, David Blue, Alaina Huffman, Jamil Walker Smith, Ming-Na, Brad Wright, Robert Cooper

Lucasfilm Panel: “Star Wars: The Clone Wars”: Building the Universe (11 a.m.-Noon, Room 7AB)

“The Prisoner” (11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., room TBD)

“Caprica”/”Battlestar Galatica”: The Plan (11:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m., Ballroom 20) Panel with Esai Morales, Edward James Olmos, Ronald Moore, David Eick and Jane Espenson

“FlashForward” (11:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m., Room 6A)

Lucasfilm Panel: “Star Wars: The Clone Wars”: Behind the Mic (Noon-1 p.m., Room 7AB)

“The Middle” (Noon-1 .p.m., Hilton Bayside Indigo Ballroom). Patricia Heaton. Sneak preview.

Disney Animation Panel (12:45 p.m. Room TBD ) Panel with Hayao Miyazaki, John Lasseter, Lee Unkrich, Kirk Wise, Ron Clements, John Muske (“Toy Story 3,” “Prep & Landing,” “The Princess And The Frog” and “Ponyo.”)

“The Big Bang Theory” (1 p.m.-2 p.m.,Ballroom 20) Panel with Johnny Galecki, Jim Parsons, Chuck Lorre

“24″ (2:15 p.m.-3 p.m., Ballroom 20) Panel with Kiefer Sutherland,
Mary Lynn Rajskub, Anil Kapoor, Freddie Prinze Jr., Katee Sackhoff, Howard Gordon

“Past Life” (2:15 p.m.- 3:15 p.m., Room 6A) Panel with Kelli Giddish, Nicholas Bishop, Ravi Patel, David Hudgens

“Bones” (3 p.m.-3:45 p.m., Ballroom 20) Panel with Emily Deschanel,
David Boreanaz, Hart Hanson

“Eureka” (3:15 p.m.-4:15 p.m., Room 6BCF) Panel with Salli Richardson-Whitfield, Erica Cerra, Neil Grayston, Jaime Paglia

“Dollhouse” (4 p.m.-6 p.m. Ballroom 20) Panel with Eliza Dushku, Joss Whedon. Screening of episode “Epitaph One”

The BBC Panel: The Mighty Boosh (4:45 p.m. – 5:45 p.m. Room 6A) Panel with Julian Barratt, Noel Fielding, Michael Fielding, Rich Fulcher, Dave Brown

Lucasfilm Panel: The Star Wars Spectacular (5:15 p.m.- 6:15 p.m. Hall H)

“The Box” Panel (room & time TBD)

“District 9″ Panel (with Peter Jackson) (room & time TBD)

SATURDAY, JULY 25

“Chuck” (10 a.m.-11 a.m., Ballroom 20) Panel with Zachary Levi, Yvonne Strahovski, Josh Schwartz

“Eastwick” (10:15 a.m.-11:15 a.m., Room 6A) Panel with Rebecca Romijn,
Lindsay Price, Jaime Ray Newman. Full pilot screening

“Lost” (11 a.m.-noon, Hall H) Panel with Carlton Cuse, Damon Lindelof

“Family Guy” (11:15 a.m.-Noon, Ballroom 20) Panel with Seth Green, Mila Kunis, Seth MacFarlane

Cartoon Network Action Adventure Animation: “Ben 10″ (11:45 a.m.-12:45
p.m., Room 6DE) Panel with Alex Winter, Ryan Kelley, Galadriel Stineman, Nathan Keyes, Alyssa Diaz, Glenn Murakami, Dwayne McDuffie, Yuri Lowenthal

“The Cleveland Show” (Noon-12:45 p.m., Ballroom 20) Panel with Sana’a Lathan, Kevin Michael Richardson, Seth MacFarlane, Mike Henry, Rich Appel

“Sanctuary” (12:30 p.m.-1:30 p.m., Bayside Hilton Indigo Room) Panel with Amanda Tapping, Robin Dunne, Martin Wood and Damian Kindler

“Futurama” (1 p.m.-1:45 p.m., Ballroom 20) Panel with Billy West, Katey Sagal, John DiMaggio, Maurice LaMarche, Matt Groening, David Cohen

“Glee” (1:30 p.m.-3 p.m., Bayside Hilton Indigo Room) Panel with Matthew Morrison, Lea Michele, Cory Monteith. New episode screening

“The Simpsons” (1:45 p.m.-2:30 p.m., Ballroom 20) Panel with Matt Groening, Al Jean, Matt Selman, Mike Anderson

“Warehouse 13″ (2:15 p.m.-3:1 5 p.m., Room 6A) Panel with Eddie McClintock, Joanne Kelly, Saul Rubinek, Allison Scagliotti, Jack Kenny, David Simkins

“V” (2:45 p.m.-3:45 p.m., Ballroom 20) Panel with Elizabeth Mitchell, Scott Wolf, Scott Peters, Jeffrey Bell

“Fringe” (4 .m.-5 p.m., Ballroom 20) Panel with Anna Torv, John Noble

“Human Target” (4:45 p.m.-5:45 p.m., Room 6BCF) Panel with Mark Valley, Chi McBride, Jackie Earle Haley

“Vampire Diaries” (6 p.m.-7 p.m.,Room 6BCF) Panel with Ian Somerhalder, Paul Wesley, Nina Dobrev, Kevin Williamson

Adult Swim: Series Development and “The Venture Bros.” (6 p.m.-7:15 p.m., Room 6DE) Panel with Nick Weidenfeld, Matt Harrigan, Jackson Publick, Doc Hammer, Jon Schnepp, James Urbaniak, Mike Sinterniklaas

“Mythbusters” (7:15 p.m.-8:15 p.m., Room 6BCF) Panel with Jamie Hyneman, Adam Savage, Tory Belluci, Grant Imahara

“Doctor Who: Planet of the Dead” and “Torchwood: Children of Earth” screenings (7:30 p.m.-10:30 p.m., Room 6A)

“Heroes” (room & time TBD) Tim Kring and cast

SUNDAY, JULY 26

“Doctor Who” (10 a.m.-11 a.m., Ballroom 20) Panel with David Tennant, Russell Davies, Julie Gardner, Euros Lyn

“Smallville” (10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m., Room 6BCF) Panel with Erica Durance, Justin Hartley, Cassidy Freeman

“American Dad” (11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m., Ballroom 20) Panel with Seth MacFarlane, Wendy Schall, Dee Bradley Baker, Mike Barker, Matt Weitzman

“Supernatural” (11:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m., Room 6BCD) Panel with Misha Collins, Jim Beaver, Eric Kripke

Mattel Panel: “Hot Wheels Battle Force 5″ (Noon-1 p.m., Room 7AB) Panel with Audu Paden, Johnny Darrell. “Hot Wheels Battle Force 5″ world premiere

WB Panel: Zoinks! “Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins” (12:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m., Room 6DE) Panel with Brian Levant, Brian Gilbert, Robbie Amell, Kate Melton, Hayley Kiyoko,Nick Palatas. Screening of the new, live-action/CGI film

“Ghost Whisperer” (1 p.m.-2 p.m., room TBD)

“Being Human” and “Torchwood” (2:15 p.m.-3:45 p.m. Room 6BCF) Panel with John Barrowman, Russell Tovey, Lenora Crichlow, Aidan Turner, Russell Davies, Julie Gardner, Toby Whithouse, Euros Lyn

EVENTS

WEDNESDAY, July 22

Comic-Con TweetUp (Twitter MeetUp) especially for Comic-Con (7 p.m., Voyeur, 755 5th Avenue)

THURSDAY, July 23

“Rocky Horror Picture Show” (5 p.m., Horton Plaza Cinemas)

 Zombiewalk (7:30 p.m., Corner of 4th & Broadway)

Book and a Beer Club with Wil Wheaton (Time: TBA; Stone World Bistro and Brewing Gardens in Escondido)

FRIDAY, JULY 24

“Road Trip: Beer Pong” Happy Hour hosted by Paramount Home Entertainment (TBA, Henry’s Irish Pub)

 Tim & Eric Awesome Show Performance (7 p.m., 4th and B, 345 B Street)

 Brian Posehn & Doug Benson live comedy show (8 p.m., Balboa Theater)

 Dr. Sketchy’s Anti-Art School ComicCon Afterparty (8 p.m.-10 p.m., Ruby Room in Hillcrest, 1271 University Ave.)

 The BBC and Adult Swim Present: The Mighty Boosh Bash (A full cast DJ Set) (11 p.m., 4th and B, 345 B Street)

“Repo! The Genetic Opera” (Midnight, Gaslamp Stadium Cinemas)

 SATURDAY, JULY 25

Tim and Eric Awesome-Con 2009 (Noon -3 p.m., Embarcadero Marina Park North)

Robot Chicken Party (8 p.m.-11 p.m., Skate San Diego, 700 East 24th Street, National City)

 X-Sanguin: Comic-Con’s largest after-party, featuring The Suicide Girls and 5 DJs. (9 p.m.-3 a.m., Spin Nightclub)

Maureen Ryan – Chicago Tribune

The “True Blood” panel at San Diego Comic-Con is likely to be one of the hottest tickets of the convention, which takes place July 23-26. And we’ve finally got the details on who’ll be there. The panel will take place at 5:15 p.m. on Saturday, and here’s the rundown of who will be appearing on the panel: Executive producer Alan Ball, Charlaine Harris (who wrote the novels on which the HBO show is based), Anna Paquin (Sookie), Stephen Moyer (Bill), Nelsan Ellis (Lafayette), Rutina Wesley (Tara), Sam Trammell (Sam), Alexander Skarskard (Eric), Michelle Forbes (Maryann) and Deborah Ann Woll (Jessica).