Hope Runs High has acquired U.S. rights to Augusto Sandino’s sophomore feature “A Vanishing Fog,” which won the SXSW Zeiss cinematography prize. The film is slated for an early 2024 opening in U.S. theaters. It’s the first feature to be shot in Colombia’s Sumapaz Páramo, the largest ecosystem of its kind in the world.
“In the middle of the staggering and endangered Sumapaz Paramo ecosystem; F, a solitary explorer, strives to protect the mystical and fragile land he inhabits, while caring for his ailing father,” the synopsis reads.
“Augusto Sandino’s incredible blend of playful surrealism and the overwhelming individuality of the environment in which the film is set has stayed with me since my first viewing. I believe his ability to balance visual scale, cinematic playfulness, and true heart make him an artist we should be engaging with frequently,” said Hope Runs High curator Taylor Purdee. Berlin based Pluto Film has world sales.
Mammoth Film Festival to Honor Derek Waters
Mammoth Film Festival, running from Feb. 29 to March 4, will honor “Drunk History” host Derek Waters during the ceremony for his film and television contributions. He will receive the Golden Mammoth Film Festival Award.
Mammoth Film Festival aims to showcase world premieres from and featuring both new and seasoned talent. Among the early selections for this year’s festival is Shaun Hart’s “The Fall,” which is produced by Lunar Door’s Chase Kuker and Natalie Kline and distributed by Buffalo 8. The film stars Thomas Cocquerel, Jeremy Sumpter, Cassie Scerbo, Jocelyn Hudon and Jim O’Heir. The festival will also showcase the the North American premiere of “Inland” with Mark Rylance and the West coast premiere of “Asleep in My Palms,” which features Tim Blake Nelson and is written and directed by his son Henry Nelson and produced by Noor Ahmed of Strike Back Studios.
Along with film talks, panel discussions and red carpets, the festival will feature its Mammoth Film Summit Interactive Panels, led by Waters and Denis O’Sullivan, known for “Bohemian Rhapsody.” The judging panel will include Lucy Hale, Farah White, Waters, Jaleel White, Hally Leadbetter, Max Adler and Lamorne Morris, led by head of competition Jarod Einsohn. Additionally, Mammoth Film Festival is partnering with the Los Angeles Film School for the 2024 event, offering attendees access to educational and industry opportunities in collaboration with the film school’s professionals.
For more information, visit the Mammoth Film Festival website.
BAM Presents Screening Series to Showcase Jeffrey Wright’s Work
The Brooklyn Academy of Music is hosting the screening series “American Fiction: The Characters of Jeffrey Wright” from Nov. 28 to Feb. 11 to celebrate the Brooklyn actor’s various projects.
The series kicked off with a sold-out screening of Wright’s most recent film “American Fiction,” which was followed by a conversation with Wright and BAM president.
Continuing through 2024, other films in the series include “Basquiat,” where Wright played the titular character in his first starring film role. Wes Anderson’s “The French Dispatch” will also play, along with Ang Lee’s “Ride with the Devil” and “Syriana.”
Wright made his Broadway debut as Belize in Tony Kushner’s two-part play “Angels in America” and reprised his role in Mike Nichols’ HBO adaptation, which earned him an Emmy. To conclude the series, BAM will screen a double feature of “America: Millennium Approaches” and “Angels in America: Perestroika.”
London-based artist Isabella Cotier, who designed the artwork for the “American Fiction” opening title credits, created an original piece for the series to celebrate Wright’s projects.
Academy’s Science and Technology Council Adds Six New Members
Dominic Glynn, Rob Legato, Nancy Richardson, Deborah Scott, Tom Sito and Sharon Smith Holley have joined the Science and Technology Council of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The Science and Technology Council preserves the history of science and technology in motion pictures, assesses industry standards, advises for content and provides channels for information exchange.
Glynn, an Academy member since 2023, is part of the production and technology branch. He helped launch the first cinema Dolby ATMOS release for “Brave”
Legato is known for his Oscar-winning visual effects work on “Titanic,” “Hugo” and “The Jungle Book.” Richardson, a tenured professor at UCLA, has film editing credits on films such as “Stand and Deliver,” “Selena” and “Twilight.” She currently serves as a film editors branch governor.
Scott’s costume work includes: “E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial,” “Back to the Future” and “Titanic,” which she earned an Oscar for. She received the Costume Design Guild’s Career Achievement Award earlier this year.
Sito previously served as a short films and feature animation branch governor. “Who framed Roger Rabbit,” “The Little Mermaid” and “Beauty and the Beast,” are among his credits.
Academy Gold mentor Smith Holley launched “The Legacy Collection” project in 2007 to preserve the history of motion picture post-production.
Bill Baggelaar of the production and technology branch and visual effects branch governor Paul Debevec are the newly appointed co-chairs for the council.
