IFC Films & SXSW Present 2nd Annual On-Demand Film Festival

As we close in on SXSW, you can play along at home once again. IFC Films is making three movies available On Demand during the festival. I love this collaboration. It's a brilliant move, giving film lovers a chance to catch a piece of the festival experience. I hope you'll take a look at the possibilities, and get in on the fun.

“Direct From SXSW” to feature three films premiering simultaneously at SXSW and nationally on demand:

• Bryan Poyser’s Sundance hit LOVERS OF HATE
• Shane Meadows’ hilarious comedy LE DONK & SCOR-ZAY-ZEE
• Emmett Malloy’s documentary THE WHITE STRIPES UNDER GREAT WHITE NORTHERN LIGHTS

Beginning simultaneously with the start of SXSW, the films featured in the “Direct From SXSW” partnership will be available on the movies-on-demand page of most major cable systems, including Cablevision, Comcast, Cox Communications, Time Warner and Bright House, and will be available in approximately 40 million homes.

Lovers of Hate

Premiering at SXSW on Monday, March 15th is Austin-based Bryan Poyser’s acclaimed LOVERS OF HATE, which IFC Films recently bought international rights to following its world premiere at Sundance 2010. A savage comedy about deceit and sibling rivalry, LOVERS OF HATE centers on two estranged brothers, Rudy (THE CASSIDY KIDS’ Chris Doubek) and Paul (BEESWAX’s Alex Karpovsky), who have nothing in common but their love for the same woman, Rudy’s soon-to-be ex-wife Diana (THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE’s Heather Kafka). When opportunistic Paul whisks Diana away to a romantic mountain retreat, he has no idea that Rudy has made it there first, and from the shadows of the posh chalet, Rudy tries desperately to sabotage the relationship. LOVERS OF HATE, which had its world premiere in January at the Sundance Film Festival, and played there in competition, is produced by Megan Gilbride (THE CASSIDY KIDS) and executive produced by Athina Rachel Tsangari (DOGTOOTH), and Jay Duplass & Mark Duplass (THE PUFFY CHAIR, CYRUS). LOVERS OF HATE is the 2nd feature directed by Bryan Poyser to be showcased at SXSW. His first, DEAR PILLOW, earned him an Independent Spirit Award nomination in 2005.

The White Stripes Under Great White Northern Lights

Having its US premiere on Friday March 12 is Emmett Malloy’s THE WHITE STRIPES UNDER GREAT WHITE NORTHERN LIGHTS, a visually and emotionally powerful feature length concert film documenting The White Stripes groundbreaking 2007 tour of Canada which culminated in a spectacular 10th anniversary show at the historic Savoy Theatre in Glace Bay, Nova Scotia. An intimate look at an enigmatic band, THE WHITE STRIPES UNDER GREAT WHITE NORTHERN LIGHTS documents a wide array of shows played at off-kilter venues including local bowling alleys and city buses. Along the way, the cameras capture the life of one of music's most mysterious duos, Jack and Meg White, as they share casual conversations, fire cannons, and play a 'one note show.' The limited edition box set, DVD and soundtrack for the film will be released on March 16th, and are available for pre-order at www.whitestripes.com.

LE DONK & SCOR-ZAY-ZEE

Making its North American premiere at SXSW on Tuesday, March 16 is the comedy LE DONK & SCOR-ZAY-ZEE from acclaimed British director Shane Meadows (THIS IS ENGLAND). In the spirit of SPINAL TAP and A MIGHTY WIND, the film is a highly improvised comedy about rock roadie and failed musician Le Donk (IN AMERICA’s Paddy Considine). Le Donk is a bit of a loser; he’s recently lost his girlfriend (Olivia Colman), his career is dead-in-the-water, and his life has completely gone down the tubes. So he tries to turn his life around by making rap prodigy Scor-zay-zee (real life Nottingham-based rapper also known as Dean Palinczuk) a star, with a little help from the rock band the Arctic Monkeys. Meadows' film, which follows the duo on a hilarious journey to improbable rock stardom, is an unpredictable, irrepressible ode to spontaneous filmmaking. Made in five days, LE DONK is the first in what Meadows hopes will be a wave of five-day features designed to encourage first-time filmmakers.

Also included as part of the initiative are two celebrated films from the 2009 SXSW Festival: BREAKING UPWARDS, Daryl Wein’s acclaimed romantic comedy centering on a young New York couple who decide to strategize their own break up; and John Bryan’s road-trip comedy THE OVERBROOK BROTHERS, about two bitter, arch rival brothers who discover they’re adopted and begin a hilarious cross-country journey in search of their biological parents. These films will also be available in the special “SXSW” branded section on each cable company’s main movies-on-demand channel. BREAKING UPWARDS will be released theatrically in NY on April 2nd; LA on April 9th; with other cities to follow.

© 2010, Are You Screening?. All rights reserved. Reprinting without express permission of the author is prohibited.

About Marc Eastman

Marc Eastman is the owner and operator of Are You Screening? and has been writing film reviews for over a decade, and several branches of the internet's film review world have seen his name. His reviews have brought him personal praise from the director of a major motion picture, and have been used as required reading in a course at a major University. These priceless rewards, along with just bags of cash, keep him from straying from freelance writing. He is also a member of The Broadcast Film Critics Association and The Broadcast Television Journalists Association.

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