Featuring 22 narratives and 9 documentaries from around the world, the Spotlight section of TFF 2014 focuses on films from established and emerging filmmakers.

The 2014 Tribeca Film Festival, presented by AT&T, has announced the Spotlight section. The program features 31 films, consisting of 22 narratives and 9 documentaries. 20 films in the selection will have their world premieres at the Festival. Co-Sponsored by The Lincoln Motor Company.

With its focus on marquee directors, prominent actors, and star performers, Spotlight is Tribeca’s showcase for launching breakout films. This year’s program finds maturing millennials navigating the changing nature of their friendships in best-friends comedy Life Partners and About Alex, while older characters also struggle with change—like the New York couple at the center of Ira Sachs’ touching Love is Strange, and a subdued Robin Williams as a late-in-life man finally embracing his authentic self in Boulevard.

Link To Full Article

The Tribeca Film Festival continues to roll out its lineup for this year’s 13th edition, which kicks off April 16. Here is the program slates for the Spotlight, Midnight, Special Screenings and Storyscapes sections. The fest’s shorts program will be unveiled Tuesday. Here are today’s films, which include Spotlight spots for Roman Polanksi’s Venus In Fur, the Robin Williams-starrer Boulevard from Dito Montiel, world premieres of films directed by actors Chris Messina and Courteney Cox, and of course the horror comedy Zombeavers:

Spotlight

Boulevard, directed by Dito Montiel, written by Douglas Soesbe. (USA) – World Premiere, Narrative. Nolan Mack, a soft-spoken bank employee, undoubtedly loves his wife Joy, though their cavernous empty house only underscores how disconnected they’ve always been from each other. Nolan finds himself drifting from his familiar present-day life in pursuit of lost time after meeting a troubled young man named Leo on his drive home. What begins as an aimless drive down an unfamiliar street turns into a life-altering series of events. Robin Williams and Kathy Baker deliver quietly stirring performances in this touching film about finding the strength to be true to yourself at any age.

Link To Full Article

Batan Silva makes directorial debut

Justin Kroll

“Private Practice” star Tim Daly is set to co-star with Kyra Sedgwick in the indie “Rays of Light.”

John Patrick Amedori, Roberto Aguire, Valorie Curry and Natalia Dyer are also on board with Batan Silva helming.

Pic follows a dysfunctional family attempting to survive in their estate house after the sun dies out. Daly plays the the overbearing patriarch.

Monica Aguirre, Diez Barroso and Mia Chang of Camellia Entertainment with produce along with Barrett J. Klausman.

Besides “Private Practice,” the UTA and Gateway Management-repped Daly was most recently seen in the indie “Walking.”

Link To Original Article

Kyra Sedgwick will star in Rays Of Light, the feature directorial debut of Terrence Malick and Julian Schnabel’s first AD Batan Silva that is set to commence shooting next week in Nashville.

By: Jeremy Kay

The film tells of a broken family coming together as the sun dies, forced to confront long divides among each other.

Sedgwick will play the family matriarch of the family alongside Tim Daly, John Patrick Amedori, Roberto Aguire, Valorie Curry and Natalia Dyer.

Writer Fernando Diez Barroso will produce alongside Camellia Entertainment’s Monica Aguirre Diez Barroso and Mia Chang as well as Barrett J Klausman.

Link To Original Article

Robin Williams, Roberto Aguire to star in drama.

Helmer Dito Montiel, whose feature “Empire State” is awaiting a release date via Lionsgate, has set up his next film, “Boulevard,” with Robin Williams and newcomer Roberto Aguire set to star.
Douglas Soesbe penned the drama about a devoted husband in a marriage of convenience until a run-in with a guarded young man forces him to come to terms with his own secrets. Aguire will play the young man.

Monica Aguirre Diez Barroso and Mia Chang are producing for Camellia Entertainment along with Jeffrey Gelber and Evil Media Empire’s Ryan Belenzon. Barrett J. Klausman is executive producing.

Williams has been busy with a slew of films waiting to be released, including the indie “The Angriest Man in Brooklyn,” Lionsgate’s “The Big Wedding” and Lee Daniels’ “The Butler,” in which he portrays Dwight Eisenhower. Williams, repped by WME and MBST Entertainment, has sought to balance dramatic and comedic roles, and “Boulevard” would mark his first serious drama since 2009′s “World’s Greatest Dad.”

The Luber Roklin- and SDB Partners-repped Aguire recently wrapped production on his debut film “Struck by Lightning.”

Montiel’s “Empire State” stars Dwayne Johnson and Liam Hemsworth. He is repped by WME and Underground.

The deals were negotiated on behalf of the producers by Stone, Meyer, Genow, Smelkinson & Binder.

Link To Original Article

Not many people get struck by lightning, but up-and-coming actor Roberto Aguire gets lucky his first time out by getting to act in – and produce – his feature film debut with Glee‘s Chris Colfer.

Roberto talked exclusively with Celebrity Teen Scoop about his film Struck By Lightning, that has been getting rave reviews since premiering at the Tribeca Film Festival. The rising star also shares a little bit about his start in the business, and how his decision to become an actor was all because of Robin Williams.

Celebrity Teen Scoop: Your upcoming film Struck By Lightning is generating some good buzz. What’s the film about?
Roberto: The film is about a high school senior named Carson who decides to blackmail his classmates in order to increase the chances of getting into his dream college. It’s a really touching film that tries to show people that it’s not about where you’re going in life but how you get there.

CTS: In the film you play Emillio, a foreign exchange student. Tell us a little bit about your character.
Roberto: Emillio is the school’s resident womanizer. Throughout the movie, he seduces girl after girl after girl using sexy Spanish phrases that I think would rival any other techniques employed by the great playboys of our time. He’s basically perfected the art of ensnaring women.

CTS: Are you similar to Emillio or can you relate to him?
Roberto: I think Emillio has a lot of the same insecurities that I had in high school. The biggest one is this feeling that you have to pretend to be someone else in order to fit in or be cool. Luckily Chris’ character by the end of the movie helps Emillio find that confidence in himself.

CTS: The script was written by Glee’s Chris Colfer. How did you two meet and how did your participation in the movie come about?
Roberto: I originally auditioned for the role of Emile, who was at the time a Hungarian foreign exchange student that would constantly yell I LOVE AMERICA in random parts of the movie. After my first meeting with Chris, he told me that he wanted to tweak the role a little bit more specifically for me. That night, out of Chris Colfer’s genius mind, Emillio was born.

CTS: You are also a producer on the film. Share with us what it was like both acting in and producing the film.
Roberto: It was an amazing experience! As an actor, you only really get to see one side of the film making process. But as a producer, you get to see them all. And there are so many elements that go into getting a movie to its final version that I never even knew about. For example on SBL there was someone who spent over 80 hours making sure that every single noise, that most people wouldn’t even pay attention to, sounded perfect. I know that because the director and I were right there with him as he watched Angela Kinsey take a bite of her sandwich for the 45th time in a row because he thought the crunching of the bell peppers was off.

CTS: What was it like working with Chris, and co-stars Rebel Wilson (Bridesmaids), Christina Hendricks (Mad Men) and Sarah Hyland (Modern Family)?
Roberto: They were all amazing to work with!! Chris is a genius, Rebel is impossibly funny, Christina is ridiculously talented and beautiful, and Sarah can pretty much do anything. Honestly, I would stand as close as possible to all of them hoping that a little something from each would rub off on me!

CTS: Have you always wanted to be an actor? How did you get your start?
Roberto: When I was 15-years-old my mom randomly pushed me to audition for the lead character in a local production of a play called Brighton Beach Memoirs. I hadn’t ever really acted onstage before so I figured there was no way I would get cast to carry the show. A week later I got a phone call from the director offering me the role. I was so shocked that I immediately blurted out “Don’t you have anyone better?” to which he simply said, “Nope, you’re it”. And after my experience on that show, I was hooked.

CTS: What are some things you like to do in your free time when you’re not on a film set?
Roberto: One thing I love to do whenever I can find some free time is take a dance class. Since I was a kid I’ve always loved dancing. My parents had to drag me off the dance floor at around 5am anytime we had a family wedding. Right now I’m addicted to hip-hop. There’s something about it that makes you feel really hardcore. Fun fact, in college I was part of a nationally ranked Indian dance team. Random, I know.

CTS: Who are some of your role models and mentors?
Roberto: My acting role model is Robin Williams. Growing up, I loved watching him in movies like Mrs. Doubtfire, Jumanji, Hook, etc. But I remember the day I saw Good Will Hunting was the day I decided I wanted to be able to do what he could do. I wanted to make people laugh hysterically just as much as I wanted to move people to tears, and in Robin I saw someone who could do both. The more movies of his I watched the more my fascination and admiration for him grew. For me he’ll always be one of the best.

Roberto: An amazing mentor in my life has been my grandfather. He’s one of the most intelligent people I know and he’s never stopped teaching me the importance of knowledge. For him, naming all the capitals of the world when quizzed by his grandchildren is as easy as reciting the alphabet. And he really doesn’t get that not a lot of people can do it! He absorbs information like he drinks water, and that thirst of his has never been quenched. I’ve always looked up to the way he can just talk to anyone from anywhere in the world and know a significant amount about their country’s history and culture. I hope one day I’ll be able to do the same.

CTS: Tell our readers about some other projects you have coming up.
Roberto: I am currently in pre production for my next movie. I’m dying to tell you guys the details but unfortunately I’ve been sworn to secrecy. Soon though, very soon!

Struck By Lightning is set for a theatrical release on January 11, 2013 and will be availableOnDemand on December 19^th, 2012.

BY MARSHA TAKEDA-MORRISON 

Access Hollywood

Access Hollywood

Struck By Lightning’ is the Saturday night October 6, 2012 centerpiece film for the 2012 Scottsdale International Film Festival, October 5th – 9th 2012, with a special advance screening and is an Arizona premiere. For a program guide, information on films presented/screening schedule, special events, and to join the Scottsdale International Film Festival mailing list, visit www.ScottsdaleFilmFestival.com

In ‘Struck By Lightning’, after being struck by lightning, a young man (Chris Colfer) recounts the way he blackmailed his fellow classmates into contributing to his literary magazine.

Director Brian Dannelly shares this insight in our conversation…

“The film is about a kid in high school who is totally focused on getting out of high school, out of town, and moving on with his life, and spends all of his time focusing on that and misses the life that’s actually in front of him.

“We’ve had various screenings, the usual for the producers, etc. which were very, very favorable with tracking in the 80s which is huge. The surprise screenings where at the various film festivals. At the Tribeca Film Festival we got a standing ovation and surprisingly, throughout the film, people clapped at the same areas of the film. I’ve never had a project where people are that demonstrative. It’s very rewarding for a film that was made on a very limited budget!

“When I do a film I try to do it for everyone. When I went to high school, those movies where really important to me, because they were saying things that I might not be able to say myself, or they presented those elements that spoke to aspects of being a teenager. – Brian Dannelly

###

‘Struck By Lighting’ ~ Starring Ashley Rickards, Rebel Wilson, Christina Hendricks, Dermot Mulroney, Sarah Hyland, Allison Janney, Graham Rogers, and Chris Colfer.

Tribeca Film announced today that it has acquired U.S. rights to “Glee” star Chris Colfer’s film debut, the high school comedy Struck By Lightning. In addition to starring in the movie, Colfer also wrote the screenplay for the film, which had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival and was met with a standing ovation. Directed with awareness and exuberance by Brian Dannelly (Saved!), the highly anticipated film also stars Allison Janney, Polly Bergen, Rebel Wilson, Christina Hendricks, Dermot Mulroney, Sarah Hyland and Angela Kinsey.

Tribeca Film plans a late 2012 theatrical release day and date with on-demand platforms where it will be available in 40+ million homes through a variety of video-on-demand offerings, in addition to iTunes, Amazon Watch Instantly, VUDU, Xbox and Samsung Media Hub.

High school senior Carson Phillips (Chris Colfer) was destined for bigger things than his close-minded small town could ever offer. He was on a path to greatness, but destiny had a different plan when he was suddenly killed by a bolt of lightning in his school parking lot.

Demonstrating that life is what happens while you’re busy planning your future, Carson recounts the last few weeks of his life via witty, insightful flashbacks, including a blackmail scheme targeting the popular kids in school that he concocts with his best friend (Rebel Wilson, Bridesmaids), and a home life that includes a mother (Allison Janney, Juno, “The West Wing”) who’s more interested in the bottle than her son’s future and an estranged father (Dermot Mulroney, My Best Friend’s Wedding) who suddenly appears with a pregnant fiancée (Christina Hendricks, “Mad Men”).

“Showcasing his remarkable talents not only as an actor but as a writer and storyteller, Chris Colfer infuses this reinvention of the high school comic-drama with such spirit and joy that he almost makes us fondly nostalgic,” said Geoff Gilmore, Chief Creative Officer of Tribeca Enterprises. “Rousing, fresh, superbly acted by a strong ensemble, and wonderfully directed by Brian Dannelly, we are delighted to be partnering with Chris and his fellow filmmakers to share this new take on a classic genre for a new generation.”

Colfer added, “I’m so thrilled to be partnering with a company as passionate about this film as we are.”

“I was hoping Struck by Lightning would end up somewhere like Tribeca Film, because I watch films all the time on demand,” said Brian Dannelly. “It’s exciting that an independent film like ours can now be seen by so many people—instantly—at the same time the film is premiering in theaters.”

Struck By Lightning is a co-production between Permut Presentations and Camellia Entertainment in association with Inphenate and Evil Media Empire. It is produced by David Permut, Roberto Aguire and Mia Chang. Along with Colfer, the executive producers include Jason Michael Berman, Glenn Rigberg and Lawrence Kopeikin. Co-producers on the project are Monica Aguirre Diez Barroso, Steve Longi, and Mark Moran.

The deal was negotiated for Tribeca Film by Nick Savva, Director of Acquisitions, and on behalf of the filmmakers by Traction Media and ICM Partners.

Link To Original Article