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SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 26 – MONDAY SEPTEMBER 28, 2015
AT ZURICH FILM FESTIVAL www.ScreenDaily.com
Page to turn on diverse stories BY WENDY MITCHELL
Freeheld star Ellen Page has declared an ambition to show more diverse stories on screen as she builds up the producing side of her career. “I’m focusing mostly on stories that are meaningful to me and stories for women and supporting more gay characters,” said the actress during a ZFF press conference. Page, who came out during the making of Peter Sollett’s marriage equality drama Freeheld, is one of that film’s producers and was also behind Patricia Rozema’s recent Toronto title, Into The Forest. The star is also producing, alongside Killer Films’ Christine Vachon, another gay love story in which she will star with Kate Mara. “Statistically, there’s less women behind the camera, less women writing the stories, less women acting particularly as protagonists,” she added. “But I feel like the conversation is happening now, that’s shifting, and hopefully that’s going to shift in regards to more diversity in general. “I think what we’re seeing in television is a reflection that audiences do want more diverse storytelling, they want to see other stories and they are responding to that. I feel like the film industry is going to start following that path. Hopefully that will keep changing.”
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Infinity producers take another trip with Bhise BY WENDY MITCHELL
Newcomer Devika Bhise, who landed a choice role opposite Dev Patel in ZFF opening night film The Man Who Knew Infinity, is set to reunite with producers Xeitgeist Entertainment Group on a new drama. Shambhala, which starts shooting on October 12 in India and Singapore, stars Jonathan Rhys Meyers as a mysterious man who is suffering from amnesia after a plane crash in the Himalayas. “He takes the audience on a journey with him. You learn about him as
he learns about himself,” said Pamela Godfrey, an executive producer at Xeitgeist. Summer Nicks, an Australian writer-director who is Xeitgeist’s creative director, directs from his original screenplay. Xeitgeist was founded in 2011 by producers Mark Montgomery and Jomon ‘Joe’ Thomas with aims to create global quality film and TV productions that often bridge East and West. Thomas said future productions are being developed to shoot in China, Mongolia and the Middle East.
The Man Who Knew Infinity, also produced by New York veteran Ed Pressman, marks Xeitgeist’s first feature production. Its second feature, Damascus Cover — an adaptation of Howard Kaplan’s spy novel also starring Rhys Meyers — is now in post. Montgomery told Screen: “It’s important as an emerging production company to back new directors and new talent… we aren’t constrained by the systems of older companies.” Carnaby handles sales for both Damascus Cover and Shambhala.
Tom McCarthy, page 5
NEWS Irons in the fire Jeremy Irons reveals his relish for diverse roles » Page 3
INTERVIEW Tom McCarthy The Spotlight director on how a newspaper rooted out child sex abuse in Boston’s Catholic Church » Page 5
REVIEW Black Mass Johnny Depp scares up the tale of crime lord James ‘Whitey’ Bulger » Page 6
SCREENINGS
» Page 9
Karl Spoerri raises the bar BY MICHAEL ROSSER
Freeheld producer Michael Shamberg, actress-producer Ellen Page and director Peter Sollett at a photo call here in Zurich, where the drama received a gala premiere on Friday. See story, left.
Steve Golin looks to strike balance between film and TV projects BY ANDREAS WISEMAN
US producer Steve Golin, set to receive ZFF’s career achievement award, has spoken to Screen about striking a balance between film and TV projects. The Anonymous Content CEO, who has titles here including Spotlight, The End Of The Tour and TV series Mr. Robot, said: “We have 30-40 things in development on the TV side. I think now we need to concentrate a bit more on the motion picture side.”
TODAY
Steve Golin
Despite witnessing “astronomical” changes to the film landscape since producing David Lynch’s Wild At Heart 25 years
ago, Golin has stayed ahead of the curve, last year signing a TV pact with Paramount Television, which includes Cary Fukunaga-directed crime drama The Alienist. The executive estimates that the company will have around 10 shows either in production or on air next year. Meanwhile, Will Smith feature Collateral Beauty is due to get under way in November. Ahead of receiving the Golden Eye honour here on Monday,
Golin said: “I’m glad to get this award at a time when I feel like we’re making some of the best films and TV I’ve worked on in my career. “It’s very flattering but you also hope there’s a lot ahead of you.” Speaking of Tom McCarthy’s Venice and Toronto hit Spotlight, Golin said: “The bullseye on those films is very small, and if you don’t hit the bullseye like Tom did, then you’re screwed. It’s a high-wire act without a net.”
Zurich Film Festival artistic director Karl Spoerri has said this year’s 11th edition will set a new benchmark. “We always raise the bar higher, and it’s always a challenge, but it’s what I like about this festival,” said Spoerri, who cofounded ZFF in 2005. A boost in budget may help Zurich reach even greater heights, and Spoerri confirms the pot has grown to nearly $8m through partnerships and private sponsorship deals. Titles in this year’s Gala strand include Scott Cooper’s gangster drama Black Mass, starring Johnny Depp, and Ben Wheatley’s highly anticipated High-Rise, starring Tom Hiddleston, fresh from their world premieres in Venice and Toronto respectively. Guests include director Mike Leigh, actor Kiefer Sutherland, action star Arnold Schwarzenegger and industry mogul Harvey Weinstein. Zurich remains a key festival to launch movies into the lucrative German-speaking market, following Berlin in February and Munich in June. “This year will also be a strong one for German titles — and co-productions with German involvement — in our Galas as well as the competition,” Spoerri added.